The Clippers are 1-1 and seventh, one game behind sixth, with Ingram, Beal, Strus and Niederhauser all estimated back on November 8. The question is whether the bodies they have can protect that standing for five games.
The case for holding on rests on a reshuffled frontcourt and bench.
Brook Lopez scored 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting in 20 minutes at the Lakers, and his minutes are up 8 a night over three games. Kobe Sanders is posting a 73.8% true shooting mark across his last 10. Keaton Wagler, 19, added 13 points in 24 minutes. The bench produced 46 points against 71 from the starters, so the second unit is not a hole.
The case against sits in how Friday's lead disappeared.
The Clippers led by 11 and still lost 125-117. The Lakers ran off 12 straight in the third quarter, turning 76-77 into 76-89, and Los Angeles trailed 103-90 entering the fourth. Darius Garland scored 26 but committed nine turnovers. Rui Hachimura finished minus-17 and Garland minus-16. Last season's team went 42-40 with a net rating of 1.1, and the current pace projects to 41-41. Nothing here suggests a margin for error.
The next five games offer little mercy.
Sunday brings Oklahoma City, 2-0 now and 64-18 last season with a net rating of 11.1. The Thunder do have Otega Oweh, Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber out. Then come the Lakers again on October 28, Minnesota on October 30, Golden State on November 1 and Toronto on November 2. Minnesota is the team holding sixth. A split of those five keeps the Clippers where they are. A 1-4 start turns a one-game gap into a real deficit.
The answer is yes to staying in range, no to climbing.
Payroll is $188.9 million against a tax line of $200.4 million, and the 2029 and 2030 first-round picks are forfeited, so the front office has little to trade and no permanent leader to authorize a move. Jordan Miller is out until March. The sensible plan is to hold within a game of the pack through November 8 and let the returning players decide the rest. That requires Lopez, Sanders and Wagler to keep producing, and Garland to protect the ball. It is a defensible bet, not a comfortable one.
When are Brandon Ingram and Bradley Beal expected back for the Clippers?
Both carry an estimated return of November 8, as do Max Strus and Yanic Konan Niederhauser. Ingram is recovering from a partially torn Achilles.
Where do the Clippers stand in the West after two games?
They are 1-1 and seventh, one game behind sixth-place Minnesota. They face Oklahoma City on Sunday.
