Who's The Clippers' Biggest X-Factor For Championship Contention In 2025-26?

That meant everyone needed to step up, with most players required to have career years, for the Clippers to shock the NBA and return to the playoffs.

That is just what they did.

With the additions of Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., and Nicolas Batum, the Clippers won 18 of their last 21 games to end the season at 50-32, good for fifth in the Western Conference.

The Clippers Load Up

A seven-game series with the Denver Nuggets ended in despair, as the Clippers were dominated in three of the four games in Colorado and were eliminated. A roster that looked ready to make a deep playoff run came up short, and the front office went to work in Los Angeles.

Brook Lopez was signed to replace Ben Simmons as the backup center, Norman Powell was traded for John Collins to cover the power forward position, Bradley Beal was signed to replace Powell's offensive output, and Chris Paul returned to the Clippers as the backup point guard.

The Problem John Collins Solves

In the 2024-25 season, the Clippers' offense was centered around a high-volume, perimeter attack featuring James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. However, their lack of size next to standout center Ivica Zubac was evident in the playoffs.

The Clippers ranked 20th in points per game at 112.9 and were in the bottom part of the league in offensive rebounding, struggling against teams with strong interior defense.

Collins brings a versatile skillset that complements the Clippers' core and fills multiple gaps on the roster.

His ability to be one of the best vertical threats in the NBA and an excellent pick-and-roll partner for Chris Paul and James Harden makes him the easy "X-Factor" going into the 2025-26 season.

While Zubac is a strong center with a traditional skillset, Collins' athleticism and ability to finish above the rim will force the defenses to respect the pick-and-roll more, creating a more evenly spaced floor for Leonard and Harden.

Why Collins Will Be Crucial

As mentioned before, the Clippers were a below-average offensive rebounding team in 2024-25, and Collins has a career average of over two offensive rebounds per game. His aggressiveness on the boards and ability to create second-chance opportunities will be an added dimension for the Clippers.

Collins is around 35 percent from beyond the arc in his career, and while he is not a high-volume shooter, he can stretch the floor, pulling opposing bigs out of the paint and creating driving lanes for other players on the offensive end for Los Angeles.

By adding a player with high athleticism, a dynamic skillset on the offensive end, and a quality rebounder, the Clippers have addressed a key weakness from last season, and it makes them a much more unpredictable team in a loaded Western Conference in 2025-26.