The 2025-26 season was supposed to be the one where the LA Clippers finally put it all together. With a roster loaded with veteran firepower - James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, and Bradley Beal - the expectations weren’t just high, they were championship-level.
But 20 games in, the reality is a far cry from the dream. The Clippers sit at 5-15, stuck near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, and the optimism that surrounded this roster in October is fading fast.
Bradley Beal is already done for the season after undergoing hip surgery, and the rest of the roster - talented but aging - hasn’t been able to pick up the slack. The chemistry looks off, the legs look heavy, and the results speak for themselves. There’s still time to turn things around, but right now, there’s no sign of a spark coming.
On a recent episode of Run It Back, former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins didn’t mince words when asked about the Clippers’ struggles. He didn’t point the finger at the players or even the coaching staff. Instead, he went straight to the top - Clippers executive Lawrence Frank.
“That’s the glaring issue that seems to keep getting overlooked in this scenario,” Cousins said, clearly frustrated. “When you think about the guys involved - the coach is a champion, the franchise guy is a champion - and then there’s this one dynamic that’s never produced winning or championships in any role.
But he’s the one making the decisions, changing the team every year. And they keep getting worse.”
Frank has been with the Clippers in various front office roles since 2017. Under his watch, the team has been a consistent playoff presence and reached the Western Conference Finals in 2021.
That’s not nothing - especially for a franchise that historically struggled to stay relevant. But Cousins’ point is less about regular-season wins and more about the ultimate goal: a title.
And on that front, the Clippers have come up short year after year.
“He’s the decision maker that continues to change this team around every single year; they get worse and worse… It’s just not working,” Cousins added.
It’s a harsh critique, but it’s coming from someone who’s been in NBA locker rooms and understands what it takes to win. Cousins went even further, questioning how many more disappointing seasons it’ll take before the organization starts holding Frank accountable.
“I don’t know how many more seasons we’ll have to go through before we start looking at this guy as the issue,” he said. “It doesn’t go any further than him. I think a lot of things would be different if he weren’t at the head of the realm.”
Cousins also expressed sympathy for Harden and Leonard, two players with Hall of Fame résumés who are now caught in the middle of a season that’s quickly slipping away.
“I do feel bad for the stars in James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. These are proven guys that have won season after season since they’ve come into the league.
They’re proven winners. It just sucks to see them in this scenario so late in their careers.”
And that’s the heart of the issue for LA. This isn’t a young team with time to grow into a contender.
This is a win-now roster, built around veterans who don’t have many more shots at a ring. Harden, Leonard, and Chris Paul are all in the twilight of their careers.
There’s no rebuild on the horizon - this is supposed to be the payoff.
Can it still happen? Technically, yes.
The season isn’t even a third of the way through. A hot streak could push them back into the Play-In mix, maybe even into the top six if things really click.
But that’s a big “if,” especially after their most recent loss - a defeat at the hands of a shorthanded Mavericks team led by 18-year-old rookie Cooper Flagg. That one stung.
And if they can’t handle a depleted Dallas squad, how are they going to survive a seven-game series against Denver, Minnesota, or OKC?
Still, this is a group filled with battle-tested veterans. Harden, Leonard, and CP3 have been through the wars.
They know what it takes to win. And if there’s any pride left in that locker room, you can bet they’re not going down without a fight.
But the clock is ticking. And if things don’t change soon, the Clippers’ championship window - the one they spent years trying to pry open - might slam shut for good.