At 1-4 with a four-game skid, the Clippers are on a pace that projects to 16-66, uncomfortably close to the franchise's 12–70 floor of 1987. History says injury-gutted Clippers rosters tend to sink, but this one has four regulars targeting Nov. 8.
Injuries have sunk Clippers rosters before.
The "Clipper Triangle" years were defined by injuries to Derek Smith, Norm Nixon and Marques Johnson, and they ended in a 12–70 finish in 1987, then the second-worst record in league history. The current list is just as long. Brandon Ingram (Achilles), Bradley Beal (knee), Max Strus (foot) and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) are all out with a projected return of Nov. 8, and Jordan Miller's shoulder keeps him out until March 2. Unlike in 1987, the help has a date attached. Until it arrives, a 38-year-old Brook Lopez and a 19-year-old Keaton Wagler are carrying real minutes.
Halloween has usually gone the Clippers' way, and Golden State is a fitting opponent.
On Oct. 31, 1980, the San Diego Clippers beat Golden State 120-104. The same date brought a 116-98 win over Phoenix in 2016 and a 118-102 win over Orlando in 2023. The 1982 game is the warning: a 109-127 loss to Seattle, the same 127 points Minnesota scored on Friday. The Warriors are 3-3 and have won three straight, but Jimmy Butler III, Kristaps Porzingis, Moses Moody and Stephen Curry (rest) are all listed out. The Clippers won the October meeting 104-101.
Friday's collapse was the old Clippers script: a winnable game that slipped away late.
An 11-0 Clippers run cut Minnesota's lead to 90-98 early in the fourth. Then the Timberwolves went 8-0, and later 15-0, opening a 92-121 gap. Wagler finished 2-for-11 and minus-24 in 25 minutes. Darius Garland scored 24 but turned the ball over five times. The bench managed 35 points, though Kobe Sanders made 3 of his 4 shots.
Lob City could reload; this group cannot.
The Griffin, Jordan and Paul teams made six straight playoff trips from 2012 to 2017 and never got past the second round. The franchise still has never reached the Finals. That core had draft capital to retool. This one has forfeited its 2029 and 2030 firsts, and its 2027 and 2028 firsts are swaps. Payroll is $188.9M against a $200.4M tax threshold, and Garland ($42.2M) and Ingram ($40.0M) take up most of it. The answer has to come from players already on the roster getting healthy.
When are Brandon Ingram and Bradley Beal expected back for the Clippers?
Both are listed out with a projected return of Nov. 8, the same target as Max Strus and Yanic Konan Niederhauser. Jordan Miller is projected out until March 2.
Have the Clippers ever played in the NBA Finals?
No. Their deepest run was the 2021 conference finals, and they are the oldest North American pro franchise never to play in a championship game.
