The Los Angeles Clippers continue to struggle through a tough start to the 2025-26 season, and head coach Tyronn Lue is asking for patience as his team works through growing pains on both ends of the floor.

After Monday night's 110-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers dropped the Clippers to 4-10 on the season, Lue spoke about the process his team is going through and emphasized the importance of staying the course despite the rocky beginning.

"Just continue to keep stacking days," Lue said after the defeat. "I think defensively we are getting better, and we had some breakdowns here and there, but then offensively, continue to keep trusting."

Law Murray ⛲️ (@LawMurrayTheNU) on X Tyronn Lue last night in Philadelphia on: - his defense's effectiveness based on "attention to detail" - Kobe Sanders - approach to rest of road trip with two days off

Defensive Struggles Mount

The Clippers' rough start has been backed up by concerning advanced statistics that show just how far this team has fallen from their defensive identity.

Currently sitting at 12th in the Western Conference, the Clippers have posted a defensive rating of 118.5, ranking 24th in the NBA, while their net rating of -6.2 places them 23rd overall.

These numbers represent a stark departure from last season, when the Clippers finished with the league's third-ranked defense.

SleeperClippers (@SleeperClippers) on X Through 14 games, the Clippers rank 24 in defensive rating (118.5), a stark contrast from a team that ranked 3 last season (109.4). Yes Kawhi has missed time this year, but he played just 37 games last season and LA was one of the best defensive units in the league. Hard to

The team is allowing 116.3 points per game, and opponents have been able to exploit their defensive breakdowns with regularity. In the loss to Boston on Sunday, the Clippers gave up 47 points off turnovers and offensive rebounds, highlighting their issues with protecting the ball and defending the glass.

James Harden has tried to carry the offensive load with 26.0 points per game, but even his strong individual performance hasn't been enough to overcome the team's defensive shortcomings. 

Ivica Zubac has been solid on the boards with 10.6 rebounds per game, yet the Clippers rank just 25th in rebounding at 41.4 per contest.

Injury Concerns Compound Problems

The Clippers' struggles have been made worse by injuries to key players. Kawhi Leonard has missed seven straight games with an ankle/foot sprain, and the team has lost eight of their last nine contests.

Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) on X Celtics face the Clippers at 3:30pm today Kawhi Leonard remains out with an ankle injury, but he’s running stairs here at TD Garden a few hours ahead of tip-off

Derrick Jones Jr. also went down with an MCL sprain against Boston, further depleting their rotation.

With Bradley Beal having played in only four games before being shut down for the season with a hip fracture, the Clippers have been unable to establish any sort of chemistry or consistency with their full roster.

What's Next?

Looking ahead, the Clippers have a chance to turn things around with some winnable games on the schedule. They'll travel to Orlando on Thursday to face a Magic team that's 7-7, followed by a matchup against the struggling Charlotte Hornets (4-10) on Saturday.

While Lue's message of patience and trusting the process makes sense for a team dealing with injuries and roster turnover, the clock is ticking on the Clippers' season.

Jason Beede (@therealBeede) on X #Magic forward Paolo Banchero (left groin strain) remains OUT for Thursday’s game against the Clippers. It’ll be his 4th game in a row missed.

With nearly 70 games still to play, there's time to right the ship, but the Western Conference is unforgiving, and every loss makes it harder to climb back into playoff position.

The question now becomes whether the Clippers can truly improve defensively as Lue suggests, or if this veteran-heavy roster simply isn't built to compete at the level they need to.

The coming weeks will be telling as Los Angeles tries to stack those days and build momentum before it's too late.