Bleacher Report’s 22-win projection for the LA Clippers is drawing serious skepticism, and for good reason. The number paints a picture of a team that’s barely going to survive the season, but the Clippers have enough going for them to make that kind of collapse look wildly overcooked.
Yes, the roster is imperfect. They’re short-staffed heading into opening night, most notably without Brandon Ingram, and there are clear depth issues in certain spots that could drag down the team’s overall ceiling. But even with those concerns, a finish that low feels extreme.
A more realistic target would have landed closer to 35-47, or at least somewhere in that neighborhood if the doubt around the Clippers is truly that strong.
The biggest reason the 22-win mark feels off is Tyronn Lue. Elite coaching matters, and Lue has built a track record that makes a losing season hard to imagine.
In fact, the source material points out that he has never finished a season with a losing record. That kind of steadiness changes the floor for a team immediately.
Then there’s Darius Garland, who is positioned for a major breakout. Garland was never really the first option with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but at 26, he remains an elite scorer and playmaker who can carry a heavy workload and still impact winning.
The supporting cast also gives this roster more substance than a 22-win team usually has. Rui Hachimura, Kris Dunn, and Derrick Jones Jr. are all described as some of the league’s best role players, and that alone gives the Clippers a functional base on both ends of the floor.
And that’s before getting to Keaton Wagler, Kobe Sanders, and Isaiah Jackson, who haven’t even been factored into the discussion yet.
There’s also the matter of Brandon Ingram, Max Strus, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser. All three are already doing work on the court, and while there’s no timetable for any of their returns, the expectation is that they will be back at some point in the near future.
If they had been ruled out for the entire season, the Bleacher Report projection would look a lot more believable. With those players eventually coming back into the mix, though, the Clippers should comfortably clear 30 wins.
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