Injuries have been the thorn in the Los Angeles Clippers' side throughout this season and in many ways it's what held the team back. 

They don't discriminate between young or veteran players and the effects they have on a team can be frustrating setbacks that hold back team chemistry or disrupt the rhythm of a roster. 

For veterans, the setbacks can slow down their process of getting back into the swing of things on the court, but for younger players, especially those fighting for a spot on the roster, an injury can completely throw off the rapport they're trying to build with the squad as they figure themselves out too. 

That's been the case for Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who has moved between the G-League and NBA squads this season and missed two games earlier in the week with knee soreness. He's since been cleared to play and since getting on the court he's been working with James Harden to get going again. 

"It's a process. Everybody's a process. After Yanic, I was working with Kobe Brown and it's a process and part of the journey of the season," Harden said. 

Niederhauser was the Clippers' first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and despite his brand new status in the league he's been able to impress at the G-League level and show flashes of talent in the NBA. 

In 13 career games, Niederhauser is averaging 2.8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.2 blocks in just 5.8 minutes per game. It's obviously a limited sample size and there's still a lot the young center needs to learn, but that's what makes the tutelage of a star like Harden so valuable. 

The Clippers roster is full of older players and decade-plus long veterans of the NBA that have been competing at a high level for a long time.

There are benefits and drawbacks in-game when it comes to an older roster, but the other benefits outside the game are the opportunities to mentor and train young players so the next generation of Clippers can feel more secure when the old guard finally moves on. 

Players like Niederhauser, Brown and Kobe Saunders represent the future of the Clippers' franchise and there's a lot invested in them to become stars or at the very least, solid role players, that the Clippers will be able to benefit from. 

This season so far may not have always been what the Clippers wanted in terms of wins and losses, but they're still focused on improving their present with a two-game win streak and they have an opportunity to improve their future as well.