Just four games into the 2023-24 season, the Los Angeles Clippers put everything on the line when they acquired James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers. The move was lambasted and scolded by media members and fans alike and took an even darker turn when they started 0-5 with Harden in the lineup.
Since that time, the Hall of Fame roster that includes Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook along with Harden has turned their entire season around. They are 23-7 since that five-game losing streak and find themselves with a 26-14 overall record, good enough for fourth place in the Western Conference.
With such a drastic turnaround and with so much credit due across their roster, we figured it was time for some midseason grades for the Clippers just as we awarded to the Los Angeles Lakers in recent days. As expected, you can expect some high marks from us for this Clippers team who continues to exceed expectations in pursuit of their first NBA championship.
Requirements: Only players who have appeared in at least 5 games will be evaluated
Excluded from this list: Jordan Miller (4 Games), Robert Covington (3 Games), Nic Batum (3 Games), KJ Martin (2 Games), Xavier Moon (2 Games), Joshua Primo (1 Game)
Kawhi Leonard – (A)
2023-24 Stats: 23.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG
We kick things off with the clear leader of the 2023-24 Los Angeles Clippers, Kawhi Leonard. After four seasons in a row of playing less than 60 games, Leonard has responded to the criticism so far this season, playing 36 of 40 games so far in 2023-24, and playing at an elite level.
Leonard is currently second on the team in scoring with 23.8 points per game while shooting 52.0% overall from the field and 44.1% from beyond the arc. His offense returning to top status is a great sign for the Clippers but what has been even more impactful is his return to being an elite defender on the perimeter.
Leonard’s two-way play has been the catalyst to their success as the Clippers have ascended up the standings to fourth in the Western Conference. A healthy and focused Leonard spells danger for the rest of the NBA but that isn’t even close to the end of the Clippers’ attack this season.
Paul George – (A)
2023-24 Stats: 23.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Paul George has also shattered the narratives surrounding his play so far in 2023-24. George has appeared in 38 of the Clippers’ 40 games this season, averaging 23.9 points per game to lead the team while shooting 46.8% overall and 42.1% from beyond the arc. Combined, George and Leonard being healthy has made the Clippers a legitimate title threat at this point in the season.
George has also returned to his outstanding defensive play as well. He is currently averaging 1.6 steals per game and boasts a defensive rating of 113.7. George is playing his most efficient basketball since 2020-21 with a 19.7 PER and career-highs in total field goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage.
You would think that two A-rated players leading the roster are where opponents’ nightmares end when going up against the Clippers but the difficult task of slowing them down is just getting started.
James Harden – (B+)
2023-24 Stats: 16.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 8.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG
From the outside looking in, you could take a look at James Harden’s numbers at face value and ignorantly proclaim he has regressed. That would be a tell-tale sign that you need to look beyond the numbers and watch more of this Clippers team in action.
Harden has adjusted to his role with perfection after joining the Clippers just four games into the season. With the Clippers loaded with offensive weapons, Harden hasn’t needed to be the scoring machine he has been in the past, destroying the narrative that he wanted to return to being a 30.0 points per game scorer rather than the playmaker he has been since 2021.
With Harden at the helm, the Clippers have been a well-oiled machine, ranking ninth in points per game as a team with 117.6 points per game and fifth in team field goal percentage at 49.3%. Harden being a B+ so far in 2023-24 is better than anyone, including the Clippers, could have expected.
Russell Westbrook – (B)
2023-24 Stats: 10.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Russell Westbrook‘s willingness to adapt and adjust to any role for the betterment of his team over the last two seasons has been incredible to watch. After beginning the 2023-24 season as a starter, Westbrook found himself coming off the bench 11 games into the year for more fluidity and continuity in the starting lineup.
The move had paid off for both Westbrook and the Clippers tremendously. In 30 appearances off the bench and 10 starts, Westbrook is averaging 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. More than anything, his energy and the spark he provides to his teammates in this role have been evident throughout the year.
Every night that he touches the court, it is clear to see that Westbrook is not only having fun playing basketball but his teammates are feeding off of him positively, and winning games in the process.
Ivica Zubac – (B)
2023-24 Stats: 12.4 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.2 SPG, 1.4 BPG
Despite a slow start to the 2023-24 season, Ivica Zubac has been pertinent to the Clippers’ success as of late as a finisher around the rim on offense, rebounder, and interior defender. This is why the news of a calf strain due to sideline him for at least the next four weeks comes at an inopportune time for the team rolling with him in the lineup.
Other than leading the team in rebounds and blocks, Zubac has been the physical presence the Clippers have needed in the paint to combat the most elite big men in their conference this season. It will be interesting to see how the Clippers rally without him over the next month without their interior leader.
Norman Powell – (B-)
2023-24 Stats: 13.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG
For the last two-plus seasons, Norman Powell has been the Clippers’ biggest offensive weapon off the bench. While his scoring is down to 13.4 points per game from 17.0 points per game in 2022-23, Powell remains in that same role in 2023-24. The only reason for Powell’s decrease in scoring is the lack of opportunity with four other offensive juggernauts in the Clippers’ lineup. Powell is currently sporting the highest shooting numbers of his career to go along with his 13.4 points per game, shooting 49.6% overall and 45.4% from three.
This type of efficient play from the bench is rare across the NBA and the Clippers find themselves fortunate to have Powell providing them with elite play in his role.
Terance Mann – (C+)
2023-24 Stats: 7.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Even after being given the starting role at shooting guard for the Clippers 11 games into the season, the 2023-24 campaign has been a bit disappointing for Terance Mann through 40 games. Mann has failed to take the leap the team has hoped he would since his scintillating performance in the 2021 playoffs, regressing to numbers that mirror his second season in the NBA in 2020-21. One glaring issue has been his shooting which sits at career lows of 43.3% overall and just 28.6% from three.
I would not be surprised to see the Clippers dangle Mann in trade talks, especially if they become in need of a frontcourt player as Ivica Zubac’s recovery drags on.
Daniel Theis – (C+)
2023-24 Stats: 6.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.9 BPG
When Daniel Theis came over from the Indiana Pacers in mid-November, his role wasn’t expected to be massive with the Clippers moving forward. With injuries to Mason Plumlee and a lack of depth in their frontcourt, Theis has played decently and received an average of 17.1 minutes of play per game. Theis has finished the few opportunities he does get with Los Angeles at a 52.1% rate, providing 3.8 rebounds per game as well as 6.6 points per game. In his role, Theis has played well enough to be considered a positive presence and a C+ player this season.
Amir Coffey – (C)
2023-24 Stats: 4.4, PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.0 BPG
Fifth-year forward Amir Coffey has seen his role fluctuate with the Clippers over the last three seasons. In 2023-24, Coffey has made 28 appearances for Los Angeles including six starts for a total of 15.4 minutes of play per game. Getting just 3.1 field goal attempts per game, Coffey is shooting the ball well at 54.0% overall and 38.6% from three. Minimal opportunity has led to minimal production but he has made the most of everything presented to him.
Coffey should be another name on high alert come deadline season if the Clippers are active on that front.
Mason Plumlee – (C)
2023-24 Stats: 6.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG
The only reason Mason Plumlee isn’t ranked a bit higher in this format is due to his limitations on the court this season. Plumlee has appeared in just 10 games for the Clippers in 2023-24, having just returned to action from injury last week. In his latest appearance, Plumlee recorded 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks filling in for an injured Ivica Zubac in 28 minutes in a win over the Thunder. If he continues to play this way in a starting role, his grade could easily go up to a C+ or B-.
P.J. Tucker – (C-)
2023-24 Stats: 1.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Since coming over in the deal that brought James Harden to town, P.J. Tucker has seen his role decrease tremendously in 2023-24. Appearing in just 12 games for the Clippers so far, Tucker has been on the court for just 14.4 minutes per game. While it may have been harsh to dub him the Clippers’ most disappointing player this season a week ago, he has yet to match the impact in Los Angeles even as a defender and rebounder that he had in other places throughout his career.
Bones Hyland – (C-)
2023-24 Stats: 7.1 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG
After playing a major role off the bench for the Clippers in their first eight games and averaging 11.8 points per game in those appearances, Bones Hyland’s role with the team has dropped tremendously. Since December 1, Hyland has appeared in just four games for the Clippers, averaging 8.2 minutes and 3.5 points per game. With Hyland’s drop in opportunity on the court, I would not be surprised if he is moved at this year’s trade deadline or sooner.
Kobe Brown – (D+)
2023-24 Stats: 2.2 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Of the three players remaining on this list who received D+ ratings, Kobe Brown has seen the most time on the court for the Clippers in 2023-24. Brown has appeared in 25 games this season for Los Angeles, averaging 10.0 minutes per game of action and just 2.2 points per game. On three different occasions this season, Brown has been given 20 minutes of action on the court, resulting in three seven-point performances on 60.0% shooting or better. Brown’s low rating is a result of little opportunity to showcase his abilities rather than how he plays.
Moussa Diabate – (D+)
2023-24 Stats: 2.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.0 BPG
Second-year big man Moussa Diabate has seen little opportunity on the court in 2023-24 for the Clippers as well. So far this season, Diabate has appeared in just 10 games for just 5.8 minutes per game. During these appearances, he has scored a total of 27 points and grabbed 20 rebounds while shooting 9018 from the field and 9-12 from the free throw line.
Brandon Boston Jr. – (D+)
2023-24 Stats: 4.5 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.1 SPG, 0.0 BPG
Third-year small forward Brandon Boston Jr. is another player on the Clippers’ roster who has failed to develop at the rate the team hoped he would at this point in his career. After a promising rookie season, Boston has seen his playing time decline since 2022, seeing just 7.4 minutes of action per game in 2023-24. In eight appearances off the bench this season, Boston is shooting 13-32 from the floor including 4-14 from three for a total of 36 points and 40.6% shooting.
