Clippers’ Season Woes Continue as Practice Plans Derail, But Harden Hits Milestone
The LA Clippers’ rocky start to the 2025-26 campaign hit another bump Saturday, and this time it wasn’t because of anything that happened on the court-it’s because the team couldn’t even get on the court.
Head coach Tyronn Lue confirmed that the Clippers were forced to cancel their scheduled full practice due to multiple player absences. While Lue chose not to name names beyond one, the message was clear: the team is banged up, and the depth chart is thinning.
Instead of running through drills or scrimmaging, the Clippers pivoted to a film session. It wasn’t the high-intensity day they had planned, but Lue emphasized that the players who were available still got some productive work in.
“Nico [Batum] had to go home sick, and we had a couple of guys that weren’t going to be able to practice today,” Lue said. “So, I thought our film session was really good. I thought our guys understood what we were looking for, what we were talking about.”
The hope now is that the team can regroup quickly. Lue mentioned the possibility of going “live” in Sunday’s session-assuming more players are healthy enough to participate. In the meantime, the healthy bodies were limited to individual work and walkthroughs.
As for the other missing players? Lue kept things tight-lipped.
“I can’t say anything. I don’t think I can say that,” he responded when asked directly about who else was unavailable.
It’s the latest in a string of setbacks for a Clippers squad that hasn’t found its footing. Sitting 14th in the Western Conference with a 6-19 record, they’ve dropped eight of their last nine games. For a team that came into the season with high expectations and star power, the first two months have been anything but smooth.
But amid the mounting losses and growing frustration, there’s at least one bright spot: James Harden is still making history.
On December 6, Harden poured in 34 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Clippers came up short in that one-falling 109-106-but Harden’s performance etched his name deeper into the league’s record books. With that outing, he passed Carmelo Anthony to move into 10th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
“Blessing,” Harden said after the game. “A testament to the work I’ve put in.”
And he’s not just padding stats-Harden’s been one of the few consistent producers during this turbulent stretch. Through 24 games, the former MVP is averaging 26.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. Even as the team struggles to find rhythm, Harden has managed to look like the version of himself that once carried teams deep into the postseason.
Still, the Clippers need more than individual brilliance to turn this season around. Availability has become as big a concern as execution. If they can’t get healthy bodies back on the floor soon, even Harden’s heroics won’t be enough to stop the slide.
There’s still time to salvage the season-but the clock is ticking, and the margin for error is shrinking fast.