Even before the final buzzer of the 2025 NBA season sounded, there were already some teams eyeing redemption for the next campaign. One of those teams is the Los Angeles Clippers, who left a lot to be desired in their quest for the title.
With age not on their side and urgency higher than ever before, Tyronn Lue, their battle-tested head coach, is hoping to have more in one particular aspect — health.
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“I think the biggest thing to us is just health. You know, we started the season with our best players unavailable, when they are hurt, you gotta play different style of basketball until they are able to come back. And that kinda hurt us,” Lue explained in his recent appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast.
Everyone wrote off Lue’s men
The Clippers, before the start of last campaign, were mostly outside of everyone’s talk when it came to contenders. Without a healthy Kawhi Leonard, with James Harden also getting up there in age and mileage, and an unproven supporting cast, they were projected to be battling for a play-in spot. However, all of that changed when push came to shove.
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Norman Powell stepped up in a big way and took on most of the scoring load, while Ivica Zubac transformed into one of the best and most consistent centers in the association. Everyone else also bought into a defense-first mentality, and it brought tremendous success to the Clips.
Lue also pointed out that with Kawhi being out for so long, the team had to embrace a whole different identity, and all of that had to change when arguably one of the best two-way players in the history of the NBA, and a two-time Finals MVP, came back.
Now, with a full offseason and training camp under their belts, Lue’s men are expected to shine even brighter.
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“Just for us being healthy the majority of the season, I think we have a chance to do some special things,” the Clippers head tactician pointed out.
The Clippers are going all in
They also come into the new season carrying the sting of last year’s exit, when they were booted out in heartbreaking fashion by the Nikola Jokic–led Denver Nuggets in seven hard-fought games. It was a brutal series that could have gone either way, and the Clippers know just how close they were. And now they want to build on it.
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With all that in mind, it indeed seems like the Clippers are going all in for the championship this season. They brought in experienced veterans to boost their depth in Brook Lopez and Chris Paul, while also adding offensive firepower with Bradley Beal and John Collins. Even though, if we are completely honest, most of them are on their last legs, they are definitely more than capable of proving their worth when the time comes.
The window might not be wide open, but it’s still open enough for this Clippers team to make serious noise. And if health finally tilts in their favor, Lue might just get the chance to deliver the deep playoff run he’s been chasing in Los Angeles.
Related: Dwyane Wade calls Michael Beasley “the most talented player not in the NBA”
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.