Xiaoka’s comeback is hard to stop and he loses! The Clippers are 5-12 and recently 2-10. What is the problem since the start of the season?

The Clippers lost to the Cavaliers 105-120, and it was difficult for Kawhi to come back and lose.

The Clippers have 5 wins and 12 losses since the start of the season, with a miserable winning rate of only 29.4%.

The game the Clippers won was not easy: Kawhi beat the Pelicans, Harden scored 41 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in 51 minutes of double overtime against the Mavericks. The Hornets forced a "Rocket" with 55 points and 7 assists. If Harden didn't score 40+/50+, it would be difficult for the Clippers to win against weak teams. This is a cruel fact before them.

The opponents the Clippers have defeated so far this season (Suns, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Mavericks, Hornets) are not last season's playoff teams. The Pelicans (2-15) are currently last in the Western Conference, the Mavericks (5-13) are 13th in the Western Conference, and the Hornets (4-13) are 12th in the Eastern Conference. The Clippers have 2 wins and 10 losses in the past 12 games. Everyone knows the value of these two victories against the Mavericks and Hornets.

The Clippers overdrafted draft picks for many years in the 2019 George trade and the 2023 Harden trade. The unprotected first round in 2026 is in the hands of the Thunder. This means that the Clippers know from top to bottom: They cannot mess up this season, they must strive to win, settle for the second best, and strive for the play-offs.

The Clippers are obviously armed to the teeth during the offseason. Why is it such a miserable situation since the start of the season?

The Clippers' defensive efficiency ranked third in the league last season, and so far this season they rank 24th. Their defensive regression is extremely obvious.

The Clippers' current game logic is completely different from last season. Kazi returned on January 5 last season and missed the games in October, November, and December. Harden led the team to a record of 19 wins and 15 losses.

Before Kawhi Kawhi came back last season, the Clippers ranked 24th in offensive efficiency and fifth in the league in defensive efficiency. They were typically strong in defense and weak in offense. The five defensive cards of Jones + Dunn + Batum + Kofi + Mann provided the vitality of the game; the Clippers team worked hard on defense, and the offense was left to Harden + Zubac + Powell. With defense and resilience, Harden led the team to a 19-15 single-core victory and slapped many ESPN names in the face.

The defense maintains the lower limit and the offense strives for the upper limit. This is the Clippers' game logic last season. Now, with the introduction of 32-year-old Bill, 37-year-old Luo, and 40-year-old Paul during the offseason, the Clippers' defensive system has completely collapsed.

Neither Harden nor Beal in the Clippers' starting backcourt is good at defense. I believe everyone sees the defensive abilities of substitutes Paul, Bogdan, and Luo and is anxious in their hearts. The scene of the Clippers' substitutes, especially defending the 1/5 pick-and-roll, is really terrible.

There are 8 players in the Clippers' core rotation who are over 30 years old. I believe everyone will miss the defensive vitality brought by Mann and Coffey in the transition period last season. This season, the bench lacks defensive cards and vitality. This is also an inevitable problem with an aging lineup.

The Clippers' lineup is there. Without Paul and Luo, they can only use Niederhauser, Telford, Christie, Sanders, and Kobe Brown. When substitute plan A failed during the offseason, Coach Lu also knew that Luo and Paul would be difficult to use, but plan B could not solve the problem by playing three teams.

Bill is out for the season, and there is no replacement for the puzzle. This is a devastating blow to the Clippers' offense.

The key link in the operation of the Clippers' offensive system during the same period last season was Powell. The Harden + Zubac pick-and-roll is a well-known starting method that can steadily attract double-teams on the upper line (Harden) and rotations on the lower line (Zubac cutting inside). Powell's weak-side reception can handle the output. Harden, Zubac, and Powell form a corner with each other. The Clippers' three-axe combination formed a rigorous, scientific, and efficient offensive chain.

Now, as Powell's replacement, Bill cannot meet the needs of the Clippers system in terms of attendance (20.2 minutes per game in 6 games) or production (8.2 points per game, 37.5% shooting per game) - especially in the absence of Kawhi, the effect of Harden + Zubac + Bill at the beginning of the season was crushed by Harden + Zubac + Powell in the same period last season.

In other words, Harden + Powell can still use their offensive firepower when Kawhi was absent last season. This season, with the lack of a weak-side secondary attacker, it will be difficult for Harden to win without scoring 40+/50+.

Coach Lu has also tried different people to fill the role of weak-side secondary attacker. Facts have proved that the unpredictable Bogdan (average field goal percentage of 37.3% per game), Dunn (average of 0.8 three-pointers per game), and Collins (average of 31.7% of three-pointers per game) are not ideal candidates.

The underlying logic of the Clippers' offense is to start the Harden + Zubac pick-and-roll to attract double-teams. Among the other three, they just need a weak-side deputy attacker who can catch the ball and finish, break through the compressed defense, and handle the ball twice to disrupt the opponent's rotation. With Kawhi unable to guarantee attendance, the Clippers obviously cannot take out this card, so Harden has to do it himself.

Aging and injuries have made the Clippers' game more difficult, and even changing Lu's guidance cannot fundamentally solve the problem.

Kawhi has missed 9 games since the start of the season, Beal has been reimbursed for the season, and Jones Jr. has sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee and will be out for at least six weeks. The Clippers have been missing three starting players most of the time. The unsatisfactory results are understandable. The recent 2 wins and 10 losses in the last 12 games directly reflect the lineup problems.

Dunn can defend but is left open due to his three-point ability. Paul can assist but is unable to shoot and defend well. Los Angeles can shoot but the defensive movement is really too slow. The characteristics of the players determine the complexity and difficulty of the Clippers' formation. No matter who is the head coach, they will face the same problem.

Sanders' playing time has skyrocketed recently. He is young and has 3D attributes. Tapping the potential of young players is one of the ways for the Clippers to solve their current predicament. After all, Paul and Luo are too old, and the vitality of the second team is what is needed for the game..

Bill is reimbursed for the season, Paul announced his final season, Luo is unable to make ends meet on the field, and Collins has an expiring contract of 26.58 million. If the Clippers want to save this season, they need to complete a major lineup overhaul before the 2026 trade deadline.

The management's original intention in the offseason was good. Zubac + Collins + Kawhi + Beal + Harden, Luo + Batum + Dunn + Jones + Bogdan + Paul. There is no doubt about the strength of this lineup on paper when all members are healthy and in full condition. However, many factors such as injuries, aging, player degradation, etc. made them fall far short of expectations. Bill's season reimbursement directly caused the Clippers to lose the starting No. 2 position. Paul and Bogdan's poor condition also caused the Clippers to have no suitable backup backcourt. The offensive and defensive system was strained, and the aircraft carrier became smaller and sank again.

The Clippers will not have their own first-rounder before 2030, and they will not be able to perform badly for many years to come. Harden is 36 years old and Kawhi is 34. Harden has a player option for next season, and Kawhi's contract expires in 2027. Considering Kawhi's attendance rate, the Clippers' current and future competitiveness is extremely limited. Fortunately, there are only the top six in the Western Conference this year. The Pelicans, Kings, and Mavericks are ranked first, second, and third from the bottom. The Spurs, Suns, Warriors, Trail Blazers, Grizzlies, Jazz, and Clippers are actually in the same echelon. It is not difficult for the Clippers to hit 8-10. If they don't send the Thunder lottery next year, they will win.

The Clippers' problem is not one person's problem. In essence, the luxury lineup formed during the offseason did not meet the expectations. Players were seriously injured and degenerated. The advantages and disadvantages of different players were too obvious. It was difficult to balance offense and defense with the lineup. After all, the lineup is constructed like this, and it is not a problem of any one person. Apart from the fact that trading is difficult to break, changing the coach or not actually solves the symptoms but not the root cause!