The 2026 NBA playoffs are around the corner and the Los Angeles Clippers continue to be one of the biggest wild cards in the NBA. The trajectory for the team teeters on the edge of disaster and a glorious playoff run.
The Clippers currently sit in 9th in the Western Conference. LA has a great chance of making their way, however, many things could send their run into oblivion.
The season has been a nail-biter for fans. They started the season horribly, going 8-15 and becoming the worst November the franchise has ever seen. Injuries also stacked up against the team as well, such as losing position here Bradley Beal to a hip injury.
However, in mid-December, that destiny was altered completely, as the LA-based team pulled off winning 16 of the next 19 games. The stretch was improbable from the previous poor start, but the Clippers proved the NBA community wrong.
Going into Feburary, the Clippers have a shot at either creating the biggest revival the NBA has ever seen or heading back to the drawing board for the 2026-2027 season.
The biggest problem that faced the Clippers was the recent NBA draft. The Clippers have a history of missing out on high-value draft selections, making it hard for them to build draft capital. However, with the draft came some blessings. Or some curses. It is up to the Clippers to decide that.
Before the draft, the Clippers average age was 33-years-old, making them the oldest NBA team in history. Kawhi Leonard is one of the older players, performing at an All-Star level, showing he’s a two-way player. He’s averaging 27.6 points and is second in the NBA an average of two steals.
But James Harden, another key veteran, went to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for guard Darius Greenland. Harden was a great late-game scorer for the Clippers and third in the NBA for most assists - averaging 8.1. But Greenland, the two-time All Star, is going to add a new game to the roster.
Simliarily, the Clippers lost a huge member of their defensive unit. Center Ivica Zubac was given to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson. Zubac held down the fort in the defensive end, averaging 11 rebounds and standing fifth in the defensive leaders stats. He is a main reason why the Clippers are remaining in playoff contention.
However, Jackson and Mathurin are the young talents the Clippers need to keep up with other rookie studs, like forward Dallas Maverick Cooper Flagg.
The real consensus of whether or not the Clippers will make an appearance in the 2026 NBA playoffs is truly unknown. In the beginning, the LA-based team would have been completely written off, but as they have proved many times this year, nothing is set in stone. If the veterans continue to show up against some of the league’s freshest faces and if the new additions to the roster play well, the Clippers have a shot at making playoff noise. However, on the other hand, if they fall into another slump, they are completely thrown to the wolves.