The 2023–24 Los Angeles Clippers season was the 54th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), their 46th season in Southern California and their 40th season in Los Angeles. This was also the Clippers' final season at the Crypto.com Arena, as the team will move to the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California starting in the 2024–25 season.[1]
| 2023–24 Los Angeles Clippers season | |
|---|---|
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Tyronn Lue |
| General manager | Trent Redden |
| Owner(s) | Steve Ballmer |
| Arena | Crypto.com Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 51–31 (.622) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Pacific) Conference: 4th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | First Round (lost to Mavericks 2–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Bally Sports West Bally Sports SoCal KTLA |
| Radio | KLAC |
Into the start of the 2023–24 season, the Clippers acquired 10-time NBA All-Star and 2018 League MVP James Harden in a blockbuster trade on November 1, 2023.[2] The acquisition reunited him with former Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets teammate Russell Westbrook in addition to Harden being added along to perennial All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to form a new superteam in the West.[3] The trade also set a new aggregate All-Star milestone spanning 32 All-Star appearances totaled between that of George, Harden, Leonard and Westbrook. In the ensuing aftermath of the transaction, the Clippers were heavily criticized for refusing to deal Terance Mann as part of the agreement in a do-or-die season where they were at risk of losing all their All-Stars to free agency prior to the move to the new arena next season.[4][5][6] What was initially expected to commence of as a highly promising start into the 2023–24 season in October that saw Clippers attain a 3–1 record, the team suffered a regrettable succession of six consecutive losses. As the series of unfortunate streak of defeats between November 1 to November 14 unfolded following a favorable beginning to the season in October, the Clippers finally managed to break their unfortunate string of ill-fated losses by securing a triumphant win over the Houston Rockets on November 17, 2023.
Since December, the Clippers emerged as a formidable force in the league, commencing with a remarkable 9-game winning streak characterized by several lopsided victories. Their ascent led them to establish themselves as one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Securing their 2nd consecutive playoff berth, the Clippers also clinched their first division title for the first time since 2014 while also achieving a milestone of 50 wins for the first time since 2017. Despite the team's strong performance in the regular season, the Clippers witnessed a disheartening premature First Round exit from the playoffs for the second consecutive year, this time falling to the Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving-led Dallas Mavericks in a six-game series. The Mavericks would go on advance to the 2024 NBA Finals, marking their first appearance in the championship series in thirteen years. However, the Mavericks were ultimately bested by the Boston Celtics in five games.
Draft
edit| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College / Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | Kobe Brown | SG/SF |  United States
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Missouri (Sr.) |
| 2 | 48 | Jordan Miller | SF | United States
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Miami (FL) |
The Clippers entered this draft with a first round pick and a second round pick.[7]
Roster
edit| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
Standings
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Division
edit| Pacific Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Los Angeles Clippers | 51 | 31 | .622 | – | 25–16 | 26–15 | 9–7 | 82 |
| x – Phoenix Suns | 49 | 33 | .598 | 2.0 | 25–16 | 24–17 | 9–9 | 82 |
| x – Los Angeles Lakers | 47 | 35 | .573 | 4.0 | 28–14 | 19–21 | 7–10 | 82 |
| pi – Sacramento Kings | 46 | 36 | .561 | 5.0 | 24–17 | 22–19 | 10–7 | 82 |
| pi – Golden State Warriors | 46 | 36 | .561 | 5.0 | 21–20 | 25–16 | 7–9 | 82 |
Conference
edit| Western Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | c – Oklahoma City Thunder * | 57 | 25 | .695 | – | 82 |
| 2 | x – Denver Nuggets | 57 | 25 | .695 | – | 82 |
| 3 | x – Minnesota Timberwolves | 56 | 26 | .683 | 1.0 | 82 |
| 4 | y – Los Angeles Clippers * | 51 | 31 | .622 | 6.0 | 82 |
| 5 | y – Dallas Mavericks * | 50 | 32 | .610 | 7.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x – Phoenix Suns | 49 | 33 | .598 | 8.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x – New Orleans Pelicans | 49 | 33 | .598 | 8.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x – Los Angeles Lakers | 47 | 35 | .573 | 10.0 | 82 |
| 9 | pi – Sacramento Kings | 46 | 36 | .561 | 11.0 | 82 |
| 10 | pi – Golden State Warriors | 46 | 36 | .561 | 11.0 | 82 |
| 11 | Houston Rockets | 41 | 41 | .500 | 16.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | 31 | 51 | .378 | 26.0 | 82 |
| 13 | Memphis Grizzlies | 27 | 55 | .329 | 30.0 | 82 |
| 14 | San Antonio Spurs | 22 | 60 | .268 | 35.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Portland Trail Blazers | 21 | 61 | .256 | 36.0 | 82 |
Game log
editPreseason
edit| 2023 preseason game log Total: 2–2 (Home: 2–2; Road: 0–0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 2–2 (home: 2–2; road: 0–0)
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| 2023–24 preseason schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
edit| 2023–24 game log Total: 51–31 (Home: 25–16; Road: 26–15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 3–1 (home: 3–0; road: 0–1)
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November: 5–9 (home: 2–3; road: 3–6)
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December
: 11–2 (home: 8–1; road: 3–1)
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January: 12–3 (home: 6–0; road: 6–3)
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February: 6–5 (home: 1–4; road: 5–1)
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March
: 10–7 (home: 2–5; road: 8–2)
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April: 4–4 (home: 3–3; road: 1–1)
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| 2023–24 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Postseason
edit| 2024 playoff game log Total: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First round: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2)
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| 2024 playoff schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In-Season Tournament
editThis was the first regular season where all the NBA teams competed in a mid-season tournament setting due to the implementation of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament.[8][9] During the in-season tournament period, the Clippers competed in Group B of the Western Conference, which included the defending champion Denver Nuggets, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Houston Rockets.
West group B
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification | NOP | HOU | DAL | DEN | LAC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans Pelicans | 4 | 3 | 1 | 463 | 430 | +33 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 101–104 | 131–110 | 115–110 | 116–106 | |
| 2 | Houston Rockets | 4 | 2[a] | 2 | 424 | 414 | +10 | 104–101 | — | 115–121 | 105–86 | 100–106 | ||
| 3 | Dallas Mavericks | 4 | 2[a] | 2 | 489 | 497 | −8 | 110–131 | 121–115 | — | 114–125 | 144–126 | ||
| 4 | Denver Nuggets | 4 | 2[a] | 2 | 432 | 442 | −10 | 110–115 | 86–105 | 125–114 | — | 111–108 | ||
| 5 | Los Angeles Clippers | 4 | 1 | 3 | 446 | 471 | −25 | 106–116 | 106–100 | 126–144 | 108–111 | — |
Player statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Regular season
edit| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicolas Batum† | 3 | 0 | 18.0 | .375 | .286 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.7 | |
| Brandon Boston Jr. | 32 | 0 | 10.8 | .404 | .269 | .697 | 1.6 | .4 | .3 | .3 | 5.2 |
| Kobe Brown | 44 | 0 | 9.0 | .411 | .292 | .500 | 1.4 | .6 | .3 | .1 | 2.0 |
| Amir Coffey | 70 | 13 | 20.9 | .472 | .380 | .859 | 2.1 | 1.1 | .6 | .2 | 6.6 |
| Robert Covington† | 3 | 3 | 23.0 | .333 | .250 | .500 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.0 | .7 | 3.0 |
| Moussa Diabaté | 11 | 0 | 5.8 | .526 | .643 | 2.2 | .4 | .5 | .1 | 2.6 | |
| Paul George | 74 | 74 | 33.8 | .471 | .413 | .907 | 5.2 | 3.5 | 1.5 | .5 | 22.6 |
| James Harden | 72 | 72 | 34.3 | .428 | .381 | .878 | 5.1 | 8.5 | 1.1 | .8 | 16.6 |
| Bones Hyland | 37 | 5 | 14.6 | .386 | .326 | .783 | 1.5 | 2.5 | .7 | .1 | 6.9 |
| Kawhi Leonard | 68 | 68 | 34.3 | .525 | .417 | .885 | 6.1 | 3.6 | 1.6 | .9 | 23.7 |
| Terance Mann | 75 | 71 | 25.0 | .515 | .348 | .832 | 3.4 | 1.6 | .6 | .2 | 8.8 |
| Kenyon Martin Jr.† | 2 | 0 | 15.5 | .400 | .200 | .500 | 1.5 | .5 | 1.0 | .5 | 5.0 |
| Jordan Miller | 8 | 0 | 3.5 | .556 | .500 | 1.000 | .6 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.6 |
| Xavier Moon | 14 | 1 | 8.5 | .326 | .118 | .500 | 1.3 | 1.5 | .2 | .2 | 2.4 |
| Mason Plumlee | 46 | 11 | 14.7 | .569 | .000 | .707 | 5.1 | 1.2 | .3 | .4 | 5.3 |
| Norman Powell | 76 | 3 | 26.2 | .486 | .435 | .831 | 2.6 | 1.1 | .6 | .3 | 13.9 |
| Joshua Primo | 2 | 0 | 5.0 | .333 | .000 | .5 | .0 | .0 | .5 | 1.0 | |
| Daniel Theis† | 59 | 3 | 17.1 | .536 | .371 | .760 | 4.1 | 1.0 | .4 | .9 | 6.3 |
| P. J. Tucker† | 28 | 7 | 15.0 | .356 | .367 | 1.000 | 2.5 | .6 | .5 | .2 | 1.6 |
| Russell Westbrook | 68 | 11 | 22.5 | .454 | .273 | .688 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 1.1 | .3 | 11.1 |
| Ivica Zubac | 68 | 68 | 26.4 | .649 | .723 | 9.2 | 1.4 | .3 | 1.2 | 11.7 |
Playoffs
edit| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Boston Jr. | 3 | 0 | 3.3 | .500 | .500 | .7 | .3 | .0 | .0 | 1.7 | |
| Kobe Brown | 3 | 0 | 3.3 | .7 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | |||
| Amir Coffey | 6 | 3 | 18.7 | .318 | .273 | 1.7 | .3 | .3 | .2 | 2.8 | |
| Paul George | 6 | 6 | 37.0 | .411 | .367 | .840 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 1.2 | .5 | 19.5 |
| James Harden | 6 | 6 | 40.3 | .449 | .383 | .906 | 4.5 | 8.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 21.2 |
| Bones Hyland | 3 | 0 | 4.0 | .429 | .200 | 1.000 | .7 | 1.3 | .0 | .0 | 3.7 |
| Kawhi Leonard | 2 | 2 | 29.5 | .458 | .000 | .667 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | .5 | 12.0 |
| Terance Mann | 6 | 6 | 31.2 | .413 | .455 | 1.000 | 5.0 | 1.8 | .0 | .0 | 9.3 |
| Mason Plumlee | 6 | 0 | 11.0 | .389 | .625 | 3.3 | .7 | .5 | .3 | 3.2 | |
| Norman Powell | 6 | 0 | 29.8 | .426 | .448 | .800 | 2.8 | .3 | .5 | .0 | 12.8 |
| Daniel Theis | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 3.0 | |
| P. J. Tucker | 2 | 1 | 15.5 | .667 | .750 | 1.5 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 5.5 | |
| Russell Westbrook | 6 | 0 | 19.0 | .260 | .235 | .615 | 4.2 | 1.7 | 1.2 | .5 | 6.3 |
| Ivica Zubac | 6 | 6 | 32.0 | .600 | .650 | 9.3 | 1.0 | .8 | .5 | 16.2 |
- † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Clippers only.
Transactions
editTrades
edit| July 8[10] | To Los Angeles Clippers Kenyon Martin Jr. (from Houston) |
To Houston Rockets 2026 LAC second-round pick |
| To Memphis Grizzlies Josh Christopher (from Houston) |
To Atlanta Hawks Usman Garuba (from Houston) | |
| To Oklahoma City Thunder Patty Mills (from Houston) | ||
| November 1[11] | To Los Angeles Clippers James Harden (from Philadelphia) |
To Philadelphia 76ers Nicolas Batum (from L.A. Clippers) |
| To Oklahoma City Thunder 2027 first-round pick swap[d] (from L.A. Clippers) Cash considerations (from L.A. Clippers) | ||
| November 1[12] | To Los Angeles Clippers Draft rights to Luka Mitrović |
To Sacramento Kings Filip Petrušev Cash considerations |
- ^ The most favorable of the picks originally belonging to Cleveland, Indiana, Toronto, and Utah, unless the most favorable pick is that from Cleveland or Utah, in which case Philadelphia will receive the second-most favorable pick.
- ^ The least favorable of the first-round picks originally belonging to Houston (if No. 5–30), the Clippers and Oklahoma City.
- ^ Philadelphia may swap for the Clippers' pick if that pick is No. 4–30.
- ^ Oklahoma City can swap for Denver's pick (if No. 6–30) or the Clippers' pick.
Free agency
editRe-signed
edit| Date | Player | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| July 7 | Russell Westbrook | [13] |
| Mason Plumlee | [14] | |
| October 2 October 21 (waived) November 7 |
Xavier Moon |
Additions
edit| Date | Player | Former team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 29 | Joshua Primo | San Antonio Spurs | |
| November 17 | Daniel Theis | Indiana Pacers | |
| April 13 | Kai Jones | Delaware Blue Coats |
Subtractions
edit| Date | Player | Reason left | New team(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 6 | Eric Gordon | Free agency | Phoenix Suns | [15] |
| October 1 | Jason Preston | Waived | Memphis Grizzlies | |
| April 13 | Joshua Primo | Waived | Chicago Bulls |
References
edit- ^ Rankin, Duane (November 23, 2022). "LA Clippers are spending $2 billion on their new arena. Will it be the best in the NBA?". USA Today. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ "Clippers Acquire 10-Time NBA All Star James Harden and P.J. Tucker in Three-Team Deal". www.nba.com. November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ "Clippers Acquire 10-Time NBA All Star James Harden and P.J. Tucker in Three-Team Deal". www.nba.com. November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Golliver, Ben (October 31, 2023). "Winners and losers of James Harden's trade from the 76ers to the Clippers". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ Murray, Law (October 31, 2023). "With James Harden trade, Clippers go for it and 76ers move on". The Athletic. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ Quinn, Sam (October 19, 2023). "Why is Terance Mann untouchable in a James Harden trade if the Clippers won't even start him?". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ "Ties broken for order of selection in 2023 NBA Draft presented by State Farm". NBA.com. April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ "NBA officially unveils format, groups for new in-season tournament". ESPN. July 8, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ^ "In-Season Tournament 101: Rules, format and how it works". National Basketball Association. July 8, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ^ "LA Clippers Acquire Kenyon Martin Jr". www.nba.com. July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ "Clippers Acquire 10-Time NBA All Star James Harden and P.J. Tucker in Three-Team Deal". www.nba.com. November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ "Los Angeles Clippers trading Petrusev to Sacramento Kings". www.sacbee.com. November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ "Russell Westbrook re-signs with Clippers". www.nba.com. July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ "LA Clippers Re-sign Mason Plumlee". www.nba.com. July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ "SUNS SIGN ERIC GORDON". www.nba.com. July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
