The Clippers’ path to being more than just another Western Conference team in the mix starts with one number: 25.
Brandon Ingram, a two-time All-Star, is the player who could tilt this whole season. If he comes in and averages 25 points per game or better in his first year in LA, the Clippers become a legitimate playoff threat. If he falls short of that, they can still make noise, but their ceiling changes fast.
That expectation is built around what the Clippers have lost and what they still need to replace. The organization is also focused on developing Keaton Wagler, along with the growth of Kobe Sanders and Yanic Konan Niederhauser once he returns from injury.
But none of that changes the main objective: make the playoffs. Whether that happens as a top-six seed or through the play-in tournament, that’s the target.
The tricky part is that Ingram has never actually hit 25 points per game in his veteran career. His best scoring season came in 2022-23 with the New Orleans Pelicans, when he averaged 24.7 points, though he played only 45 games.
The Clippers need more than a near miss. They need him to sustain that level across a full season.
If he does, though, the rest of the roster gives LA a real shot. Darius Garland is expected to provide star-level production, while Rui Hachimura, Derrick Jones Jr. and Max Strus are positioned to deliver strong role-player impact. Tyronn Lue brings championship leadership, and Keaton Wagler could even factor into the Rookie of the Year conversation while contributing on both ends of the floor.
That combination, with Ingram crossing the 25-point line, is what could make the Clippers a serious problem in the postseason.
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Harrell also made clear he still sees that moment as part of the reason his Clippers tenure ended the way it did. Instead of returning, he moved on in free agency and eventually left the NBA altogether, though he is now reportedly exploring a comeback through the G League. For the Clippers, it is another glimpse at how much the 2020 season still echoes through the franchise, especially when former players are still connecting present-day decisions to what happened in Orlando. [Read more 🡒]