The Los Angeles Clippers continue to be referred to as the other team in Los Angeles behind the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite having so many talented teams over the years, their quest to reach the NBA Finals remains elusive.
The Clippers’ best run started with the arrival of Blake Griffin in 2009 and his pairing with Chris Paul in 2011. Along with DeAndre Jordan, the Lob City era was born – transforming the Clips into playoff contenders in the early 2010s.
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However, a big issue for the Clippers at the time was their inability to keep their composure in the playoffs. It was a recurring issue and nothing was more painful than their collapse against the Houston Rockets in the 2015 Western Conference semifinals.
“The Clippers organization will always remember not closing out the Rockets in Game 6 at home. That game will always haunt them,” Earvin “Magic” Johnson tweeted in 2015 after the Clippers bungled a 3-1 series lead against the Rockets.
Lob City dealt with chemistry issues
It was a heartbreaking loss with most of the blame pinned on Doc Rivers. It wasn’t the first time the champion coach with the 2008 Boston Celtics blew a 3-1 series lead. The first happened in 2003 with the Orlando Magic during the first-round of the playoffs. The team had a 3-1 edge over the Pistons but ended up losing in seven games.
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Rivers owned up to those failures, aware that it tainted his legacy. However, was he entirely to blame?
Although the team looked solid on paper, chemistry and maturity problems were an issue. According to former Clippers player Dahntay Jones, he noticed a conflict from the very first day he joined the franchise.
“Immaturity and the people from that team have spoken about it before, but I was kind of like the outsider,” Dahntay said on Podcast P. “I got on that team late and from the door, you could see the conflict in personalities.”
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Clippers continue push to be the best in LA
The Clippers never managed to get to the Western Conference finals during the Lob City era, let alone win a championship, so they eventually traded Paul in 2017 and then Griffin in 2018.
Los Angeles embarked on a rebuild, hoping to assemble a stronger roster. There was optimism when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George arrived in 2019.
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With the two All-Stars, the Clippers achieved their best finish in franchise history by reaching the 2021 Western Conference finals, but the Finals remained elusive due to injuries and chemistry issues, once again.
Looking ahead, the Clippers continued to build a competitive roster. Leonard is still around, George left in free agency to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, while James Harden and Ivica Zubac have led the team alongside Kawhi.
For the 2025-26 season, the team added Brook Lopez, Bradley Beal and John Collins. CP3 is also back for another run – a stint that could possibly be his last.
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With a revamped roster, there is no question the Clippers are bent on erasing their second-best team label in Los Angeles. The new additions clearly elevate the Clippers into contenders for the 2025-26 season.
However, a good roster on paper means little unless it translates into wins and championships. Coach Tyronn Lue needs to define roles and keep everyone aligned if the Clippers truly want to be the best Los Angeles team in the West.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.