One is the top ball holding core, and the other is the best championship puzzle! But the Clippers need to rely on small cards to win the championship

In the 2024-2025 season, the Clippers finally ranked fifth in the Western Conference in the regular season. At the beginning of the season, players such as Harden, Powell and Zubac led the team, and the team's record was quite good. After half of the season, Leonard returned from injury and the team went through a period of poor form; fortunately, his condition later rebounded and he scored an excellent record of 18 wins and 3 losses at the end of the regular season, successfully entering the playoffs. In the first round of the playoffs, the Clippers and the Nuggets fought fiercely. The two sides fought in seven games, but unfortunately the Clippers still lost the series in the end. It is worth mentioning that the Nuggets and the No. 1 Thunder, which ranked No. 1 in the West, also reached a tiebreak in the subsequent series. This shows that the Clippers' lineup strength is actually not much different from that of the Nuggets and Thunder.

Entering the offseason, the Clippers management has made important decisions. According to reports from US media NBA reporters, they have determined to renew their contract with Harden and persuade Batum to continue playing.

Harden is likely to re-sign a two-year, $75 million contract with the Clippers. He is now 35 years old. During the regular season this season, he averaged 22.8 points per game, 5.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists, shooting 41.0% from the field and 35.2% from three-pointers during the regular season. However, in the playoffs, he averaged 18.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 9.1 assists, and in the crucial G5 and G7 games, Harden failed to help the Clippers win.

Look at Batum, the veteran performed very well in the playoffs, averaging 5.6 points per game, plus 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.7 blocks, and his three-point shooting percentage was as high as 40%. In the Clippers and Nuggets series, Batum sent a total of 12 blocks, the most of the players of the two teams. On the offense, he also made consecutive key three-pointers to help the team win the game. In contrast, other Clippers pitchers, such as Powell, Bogdan and Dunn, have pitifully low three-point shooting percentage in the playoffs.

In my opinion, the Clippers have performed well this season, but there are many problems. Let’s talk about Harden first. He is really hard in the regular season, with a very high attendance rate. He played in a total of 79 games and only rested 3 games. He is definitely a "model worker". Everyone sees his offensive and organizational skills. If he had not been able to make it to the playoffs without him in the regular season, it would have been difficult for the Clippers to enter the playoffs.

However, in those key games of the playoffs, his performance was not satisfactory, which made the fans particularly disappointed. After all, he is there, and his physical fitness and explosiveness are definitely not as good as when he was young. In high-intensity games like the playoffs, his opponents defended against him, and his condition was normal. However, as the core player of the team, you have to show your true skills at critical moments, otherwise the fans will definitely not agree to such a high salary.

Let's talk about why the Clippers renewed their contract with Batum. Although Batum is old, he is very experienced. In the playoffs, he plays a particularly strong role in the defensive end, can effectively limit the opponent's key players and actively grab rebounds. When attacking, he can make key three-pointers from time to time, bringing timely rain to the team. Veterans like him can also stabilize everyone's emotions in the team's locker room. If the young players in the Clippers can learn more from Batum, they can avoid many detours.

From the inside of the team, the Clippers' tactical system is really too dependent on Harden and Zubac. Once Harden plays, the team's offensive rhythm will be easily messed up immediately; if Zubac is restricted by his opponent, his inside advantage will be gone in an instant. Moreover, the team's substitute lineup has too weak three-point firepower, Powell and Bogdan are not accurate in three-point shooting, and Dunn's defense is good, but the three-point level is too poor. This is like fighting a war. The main force is very powerful, but the reserve team is not strong. When it comes to critical moments, it is difficult to win the battle.

From the perspective of external environment, the competition in the West is too fierce. The Thunder, Nuggets, and Timberwolves have outstanding players in every position, and the lineup is deep enough. If the Clippers want to stand out in such fierce competition, the existing lineup will definitely not work. So during the offseason, the team has to work harder on signings, find a few players with particularly accurate three-pointers, and enhance the offensive firepower of the outside. It would be even better if we could introduce an inside player with strong defense and strong frame protection.

After all, if the Clippers want to win the championship, they cannot expect Harden to play alone. Leonard's role is too critical. He is excellent in both offense and defense, and can score stably when attacking, and can cause big trouble for his opponents when defense. As long as he can stay healthy and Harden's organizational connection and other players play their own roles, there is still hope for the Clippers to strive for the championship. But if Leonard is in poor condition or is affected by injury, the Clippers' road to winning the championship will become particularly difficult.