Believe it or not, but the Los Angeles Clippers have been the most consistent team in the NBA for the past several years. Right now, the Clippers hold the record for the most consecutive winning seasons in the league with 14. The streak began when Chris Paul joined in 2011. Since then, the Clippers have not had a losing record at the end of the season. What was once the laughing stock of the NBA franchise has turned into a stable, consistent, and winning team. But can all that come to an end this season?
Clippers Risk Losing Record Streak Due to Kawhi Drama
Since their streak began in the 2011-12 season, the Clippers have had seven 50+ win seasons. They have been close to having a losing season two times. They won 42 games in 2017-18 and 2021-22. No other team in the league right now has more than nine winning seasons. On the list of active streaks with a winning record, the Milwaukee Bucks are second with nine, followed by the Denver Nuggets with eight, the Golden State Warriors with five, and the Boston Celtics with four.
In an era when teams have had poor seasons, the Clippers are a model of consistency. They have missed the playoffs only two times during the period, when they won 42 games. The Clippers made the Western Conference Semifinals four times and the Western Conference Finals once. They have had three different coaches, from Vinny Del Negro, to Doc Rivers and Ty Lue.
Can Kawhi Drama Impact Clippers’ Winning Record?
The Clippers are right now the most talked-about team in the league. Since they signed Kawhi Leonard as a free agent in 2019, they have had several investigations. But the latest one threatens to set the franchise back several years. According to the CBA, if they are found guilty of cap circumvention, the penalties will be severe.
The worst-case scenario for LA is if they lose future draft picks. Voiding Kawhi’s contract and banning him from re-signing with the Clippers is another problem. Monetary fines won’t make much of a difference, considering their owner is one of the wealthiest people in the world.
On media day, the first question people will have for Leonard and the Clippers is whether he did something for Aspiration to earn the money. There might not be noise during every single game, since reporters cannot ask the same question again and again. Until there is a resolution to the investigation, there might not be much noise.
Last season, the Clippers finished fifth in the Western Conference, winning 50 games. Their team looks deeper and better suited for the regular season this time around. Winning nine fewer games doesn’t look realistic right now. Even if they are without Kawhi for a prolonged period, the Clippers can survive it. Last season, Leonard played only 37 games, and they still won 50.
Even if they lose him for the entire season, they have shown they can withstand such a problem. During the 2021-22 season, he didn’t play due to a torn ACL. The Clippers still won 42 games. Yes, the Western Conference is tougher, but the Clippers are deep and have 10 players who can contribute.
The Risk of Future Planning
While the Clippers might continue their winning streak this season, the risk for their future persists. Right now, they do not control their future draft picks until 2030. If the NBA decides to forfeit any more of their first-round picks, the Clippers will have a hard time building for the future.
The Clippers have set their eyes on the summer of 2027, when big names like Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo might be free agents. And while they will be able to get plenty of cap space that offseason, without future draft picks, it will be almost impossible to put a championship contender on the floor.
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