Clippers Player Chapter: Xiao Ka doubts that Harden still has to carry the flag. Can the four new players help the team to win the championship?

Review of last season

Leonard still played in the regular season last season, and after his comeback, he also suffered from the Los Angeles fire. In the end, he only played 37 games throughout the season, but averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Harden led the team alone most of the time, averaging 22.8+5.8+8.7 per game, and entered the All-Star again after 5 years (three teams in 25 years, the last time was one team in 20 years). Zubac started 80 games, and averaged 16.8+12.6 for the first time in his career, and was selected for the second defense. Powell seized the opportunity to become an excellent scorer, averaging 21.8 points per game with a three-point shooting percentage of up to 41.8%.

The Clippers lacked trusted substitutes in the No. 15 position last season, which left Harden and Zubac almost unable to rest. When Leonard was not around, the front line had only a functional single end point, and Powell could not digest a lot of ball rights, so Harden needed to be responsible for holding the ball on the court for a long time. On the other hand, when Zubac left the game, the Clippers were forced to put into the five small positions, and Leonard and Batum often needed to top the fourth position or even the fifth position. In the middle of the season, the Clippers made some personnel adjustments, replacing Kevin Porter Jr. for Beecham, Terence Mann + Heyland for Bogdan, Bamba + Tucker for Eubanks + Mills, and signed players such as Bency, Kai Jones, hoping to relieve some pressure for Harden and Zubac, but the effect was not obvious. In the end, Harden and Zubac ranked in the top two in the team in the regular season.

The Clippers had eight main rotations last season. Kofi, who played more regular season games, was abandoned. He averaged 9.7 points per game and shot 40.9% from three-pointers. Harden's average playing time soared to 39.4 minutes, while both the interior substitutes Eubanks and Bensey had few chances to play, and the Clippers' lineup problems were further amplified.

In the offseason, Powell, the Clippers' starting second position, was traded. Coffey eventually left the team. Among the players who joined in the middle of the season, only Bogdan stayed. Although he was in poor form in the playoffs, he averaged 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in the regular season, and his three-point shooting percentage was 42.7%. In addition, Jones Jr., Dunn and Batum will continue to play for the Clippers. Jones Jr. played 77 games in the regular season, averaging 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per 24.3 minutes per game, and a three-point shooting percentage of 35.6%; Dunn played 74 games in the regular season, averaging 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals per 24.1 minutes per game, and 33.5% of three-point shooting percentage; Batum played 78 games in the regular season, averaging 4.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per 17.5 minutes per game, and 43.3% of three-point shooting percentage.

The aspects that can be improved

How to use Bogdan to join the Clippers at the end of last season Bogdan, who joined the Clippers at the end of last season, went through a long period of adaptation. Although he had some good performances, the playoffs still did not meet expectations. The main question is, how much ball rights should Bogdan get? Bogdan is not a pure ball-free shooter. Whether in the Kings, the Hawks or the Serbian men's basketball team, Bogdan has many scenes of holding the ball on the outside, which can help him find the rhythm of the game better, but his usage rate in the Clippers has dropped to the lowest level in his career. It is worth noting that Bogdan just recovered from injury last season and his condition has declined significantly. He was injured again in the European Championship in the summer, which undoubtedly made him worse. The state and usage of Bogdan in the new season will have an important impact on the Clippers.

Reduce the burden on veterans

Although there are many young people in the Clippers' team, the main rotation of the Clippers is still mainly veterans. In addition to Zubac, Collins and Jones Jr., three players born in 1997, the remaining eight are all over 31 years old in the main rotation, among which Paul, Daluo, Batum and Harden are even over 36 years old. How to stay healthy in the regular season will be one of the most important topics in the Clippers' new season. Last season, Harden and Zubac took the pressure on the No. 1 position and No. 5 position, and the Clippers were forced to play in many small-squads. After the offseason lineup adjustment, Tyron Lu needs to do more in the rotation and find ways to relieve the pressure on the veterans. The Clippers themselves are a slow-paced team, which is very suitable for veterans to play and can continue to maintain. Only by staying healthy and ensuring efficiency can the Clippers go further.

Contract Situation Inventory

After getting rid of Paul George's big contract last offseason, the Clippers' payroll has been very refreshing, which also allows them to flexibly introduce multiple players this offseason.

The Clippers renewed their contract with Harden during the offseason, a contract with a 2-year, 81.5 million player option. Leonard's contract has 2 years and 103 million yuan left (if it is not cancelled by the league), and the two have the top two contracts in line. If the contract renewal is not continued, the Clippers will get a chance to reshuffle in the 2027 offseason.

The Clippers currently have the longest guarantee contract, Zubac, the three-year, $58.65 million early contract renewal signed with the Clippers last year, will begin execution. Compared with his contribution, an average salary of less than 20 million is stable and profitable.

The Clippers need to examine the performance of multiple players in the new season. Collins is an expiring contract, Bogdan, Daluo, Batum and Kobe Brown have team options, and Dunn is an unsecured contract in the last year. The Clippers can decide how many people will stay and stay based on their performance. Bill signed a two-year, 11 million player-trading option with the Clippers during the offseason, and he can decide to stay next summer.

Since the Clippers used full middle-class special cases (signing to Daluo and Bills) during the offseason, the Clippers have triggered the first hard hat, and the total salary cannot exceed the first rich line. Currently, the Clippers have less than 1.28 million space to get a hard hat, even if they use the basic salary signing, they will be more hats.. This means that the Clippers cannot adjust their lineup or strengthen them by means other than trading.

Players worthy of attention can Harden make steady progress in his form?

Harden recovered his form last season after experiencing the sluggish season in 2023-24, not only returned to the All-Star, but also selected for the third team. With the help of new players such as Bill, Collins, Paul, Harden's pressure on both offense and defense will be reduced in the new season, so that Harden can find ways to further improve his efficiency. If the chemistry is good, Harden even has the chance to get close to the average level of 25+10 per game. Harden has the player options in the offseason next year, and his performance next season will have a significant impact on offseason decisions. The next contract is likely to be Harden's last big contract, and Harden needs to maintain his own state at such a node. Can Leonard play normally?

Leonard played in only 37 games in the regular season due to injury last season, but the uncertainty surrounding Leonard is not only injuries, but also contract issues. As long as Leonard plays, he can contribute 20 points per game with his efficiency of 50/40/80, and he is not ruthless at critical moments. But for whatever reason, it will be difficult for Leonard to finish the new season normally. Leonard's situation will determine whether the Clippers are a strong contender in the championship or continue to run in the playoffs. If Leonard can play normally, the Clippers' fault tolerance rate will increase by one level. But if Leonard continues to have problems, even if Jones Jr., Batum, Dunn and Bogdan are on the top, the 50 million annual salary vacancy will be difficult to make up. But no matter what, the Clippers and Leonard have only two years left. The veterans on this ship are likely to have only this last chance. What are the situations of the four new players in

?

The Clippers made targeted reinforcements during the offseason, and introduced Collins and Dalow in the interior. The point guard welcomed Paul back and signed Bill to fill the losses in the second position. Although these four people have many injuries, their game status is still good in recent seasons and are all within the main rotations of each team.

The robbery signing Bill is a very good addition to Powell's departure. Although Bill did not live well in the Suns and even had to play as a substitute for one time, he always maintained good efficiency and his three shooting percentage was still at the 50/40/80 level. After the running-in period, it should be no problem to deliver an answer sheet that is 20 points per game. In occasions where Leonard is injured or Harden has a weak desire to attack, Bill still has the opportunity to gain some unlimited fire rights and find memories of averaging 30 points per game during the Wizards.

Collins and Daluo are the ready-to-fighting power that many teams want. The former's athletic ability and the latter's three-pointers + frame protection are both very competitive attributes. The two will become the best helpers of Zubac, who supported the inside last season. Collins was reborn in the Jazz last season, averaging 19+8+2+1+1+ three-point shooting percentage of 39.9%, and returned to the peak level in many data. As long as he can stay healthy, he can lock in the main player of the No. 4 position, helping the team relieve the pressure of rotation in the frontcourt. Daluo is the best substitute behind Zubac. As the Bucks starts all year round, Daluo has played in 237 games in the past three seasons, averaging 30.9 minutes per game. While having a guaranteed attendance rate, it can also contribute 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, with a three-point shooting percentage of 37.1%. He can not only let the Clippers play style differences, but also continue to protect the basket after Zubac is out.

The new season will be the last season of Paul's career. The Clippers won't ask him for too much. Judging from past performance, Paul can contribute to the team as long as he plays. Paul started all the time with the Spurs last season. Although he averaged only 8.8 points and 7.4 assists per game, he still maintained considerable efficiency. Paul scored 4.7 assists and lost 140 three-pointers last season, second most in his career, second highest in his free throw percentage in 92.4%, and even had the most 22 blocks in his career. Paul's arrival can allow Harden to take a breath when he needs it, reducing the sudden collapse of the game.