The Clippers added scoring and shooting throughout their lineup, but defense and durability could determine their ceiling.
The Los Angeles Clippers have constructed an almost entirely different roster around Darius Garland, Brandon Ingram and a mixture of proven veterans and developing prospects.
Their latest move added Max Strus, whom the Clippers acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a five-team trade. Los Angeles absorbed Strus’ contract with the trade exception created by the John Collins deal and sent Cleveland a 2027 second-round pick.
Strus joins a projected rotation featuring Garland, Ingram, Rui Hachimura, Brook Lopez, Kris Dunn, Bradley Beal, Derrick Jones Jr., Gradey Dick and No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler.
The Clippers have enough offensive talent to remain competitive in the Western Conference. Whether their defense and health can hold up is a different question.
Shooting and shot creation lead strengths
The Clippers’ biggest strength should be their spacing.
Strus is a career 36.9% 3-point shooter who can operate without the ball, sprint around screens and punish defenses for helping on Garland or Ingram. After returning from foot surgery last season, he averaged 11.2 points and shot 40.2% from behind the arc.
Lopez stretches opposing centers away from the basket, while Dick provides another movement shooter off the bench. Hachimura has also become a reliable catch-and-shoot threat.
That spacing should create driving lanes for Garland, who gives the Clippers a true lead guard capable of organizing the offense and creating advantages in pick-and-roll situations. Ingram offers a second primary scorer who can attack mismatches and generate shots late in the clock.
The roster is also deeper than it initially appears. Beal supplies another proven scorer if healthy, while Dunn, Jones and Wagler give head coach Tyronn Lue several lineup options.
Mar 18, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los AngelesClippersforward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers guardMaxStrus(1) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesDefense and durability create concern
The perimeter defense is the Clippers’ most obvious weakness.
Garland, Strus, Ingram and Beal are all offense-first players.
Playing too many of them together could leave the Clippers vulnerable against bigger guards and athletic wings.
Dunn and Jones can cover difficult assignments, but their presence may compromise the spacing that makes the offensive group dangerous. Lue will have to consistently balance scoring with defensive resistance.
The Clippers could also struggle against physical frontcourts. Lopez remains an effective positional defender and rim protector, but he is 38 and has limitations when pulled away from the basket. Isaiah Jackson and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser provide depth, although neither is a proven high-level replacement.
Health is another significant concern.
Garland, Ingram and Beal have each missed substantial time during recent seasons. Strus appeared in only 17 games last season after undergoing surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot.
The Clippers have assembled enough shooting and creation to produce an efficient offense, especially if Garland and Ingram stay available. Their ceiling, however, depends on finding dependable defensive combinations and keeping an injury-prone veteran core on the court.
This new roster is talented enough to reach the playoffs, but its weaknesses could become difficult to hide in a long postseason series.
