During a grand reveal of the brand new ‘Intuit Dome,’ Clippers owner’ governor Steve Ballmer set the record straight on expectations for his team going into the 2024-25 season. While Ballmer acknowledged the loss of key players, he remains confident that the Clippers can stay competitive and try to win the title.
“The West is tough but it’s going to be competitive. We still have two Hall of Famers, an MVP and Finals MVP on our team. Let’s face it, most people would be salivating to have two people like that on their team,” said Ballmer, via Mark Medina. “And we have a lot of great players that fill in. They play defense, play tough. The guys we picked up — just take Derrick Jones Jr., everybody saw what he was doing to us in the playoffs. He’s our guy now. Terrence or Kris Dunn who we picked up. Tough defenders. We have Nick Batum back, who is not only a great teammate but a heck of a defender. I think we’re going to be a very good team and I’m gonna concede the West is tough. We got a great coach, I love our coach, and he’s gonna be around for a long time.”
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer on whether team can contend for an NBA title next season pic.twitter.com/9GO2OkAHpi
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) July 19, 2024
Since buying the Clippers, Ballmer has spared no expense to put them in a position to succeed. He came in with amazing enthusiasm that helped inspire a positive community from the top down. He also helped lure Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who took the Clippers back to a state of contention after the breakup of the “Lob City” crew.
Ballmer was also at the helm for the hiring of Tyronn Lue, who maintains his position as one of the best and most well-respected coaches in the game. Between these changes and additions over time, the Clippers have won a lot of games over the years and they went the furthest they’ve ever gone as a franchise during their trip to the Conference Finals in 2021.
But after the departure of Paul George this past summer, who signed a max deal with the 76ers, there was concern among the fans that they would fade into obscurity in the West. With teams like the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Thunder, Mavericks, Suns, Grizzlies, and Pelicans all expected to win 45+ games next season, the margin for error is slim and the fight for the top six will be tighter than it’s ever been.
Even so, Ballmer has faith that his Clippers can keep up with the best of the best. They still have 33-year-old Kawhi Leonard, who is coming off another solid season with averages of 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game on 52.5% shooting.
They also have James Harden. The 10x All-Star averaged 16.6 points and 8.5 assists for the Clippers last season but those numbers are expected to rise with James taking on a bigger role and stepping into Paul George’s shoes.
Between those guys and veterans like Nic Batum, Norman Powell, and Terance Mann off the bench, the Clippers should actually be very competitive next season. Only time will tell if they can compete with the Western elites but losing Paul George has not changed their ambitions one bit and they still feel like they can make a run for the title.
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