The NBA All-Star break has begun as festivities start in Los Angeles at the Clippers’ home, Intuit Dome. The Clippers enter the break with a 26-28 record, scraping by to hopefully break even when the season resumes next week. The franchise fears that their new acquisitions and decisions to trade away James Harden and Ivica Zubac will hurt this season’s playoff dreams.
Mid-Season Review 
Kawhi Leonard’s spectacular performances has carried Los Angeles into playoff contention. Credit: © Rob Gray-Imagn Images
The halfway point of the 2025 season is here. Los Angeles has become a national media headline machine with its fluctuating record and big-name trades during the deadline last week. A near .500 record after the rough start speaks of the caliber of player that Kawhi Leonard truly is when healthy on the court.
Leonard should be an MVP candidate if the team can outright make the playoffs as the sixth seed. Los Angeles’ first-half review is that this team is still a threat when cornered. The record doesn’t matter when these red-hot Clippers can knock out any top-seeded team.
Second Half Hopes 
New Clippers guard Darius Garland hopes to make an impact with his new team. Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Los Angeles’ recent trades of Harden and Zubac can conjure thoughts that it has given up on the season and sold them to the highest bidder. This isn’t the franchise giving up; it’s instead retooling around Leonard. The Clippers believe that the addition of younger players such as Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin will reach a higher ceiling than the previous group of players.
Los Angeles will return from the All-Star break with some games under their belt with this new core of players. Leonard has chosen to carry the load of leading the way while his new teammates adjust to coach Ty Lue’s system. The idea is that these new players can aid Leonard’s quest of leading the Clippers into the playoffs, compete for a title, and be the future of the team.
End Of My Los Angeles Clippers Rant
Los Angeles experienced its worst start this season. Its cellar-dwelling record in the early months of the season was shocking, given the veteran presence on the team. The bounce back and decision to retool their core of players when team morale was high garnered a larger jolt to fans and media alike.
The front office focused on rebuilding the team with younger faces to increase their chances for the second half of the season. It saw the ceiling of the team with Harden and Zubac being the second and third options. The Clippers have not only changed their second-half dreams but their future as well with these new players and draft picks.