"The Clippers made an offseason push with a win-now perspective, adding a pair of former All-Stars in the backcourt and a pair of veterans up front, plus a promising 6-foot-11 rookie center. The two areas of concern for the Clippers as they again take aim for the playoffs - and the hopes of advancing past the first round for the first time since their trip to the Western Conference finals in 2021 - are age and chemistry."
"Then there's the annual concern about the health of Kawhi Leonard, a six-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP, who has not played in at least 70 games in a regular season since 2016-17. While he starts his 14th season healthy, he played in only 37 games last season, missing the first 34 because of lingering knee problems. He did play the entire seven-game playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, averaging 25.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists."
"The Clippers added former All-Stars Bradley Beal and Chris Paul but field the league's oldest roster at an average age of 33.2 years. Kawhi Leonard begins his 14th season healthy after playing only 37 games last season because of lingering knee problems that limited his availability. Coach Tyronn Lue expects it will take 15 to 20 games to establish chemistry and rotations with the revamped veteran-heavy roster."
The Clippers added former All-Stars Bradley Beal and Chris Paul, two veteran frontcourt players, and a 6-foot-11 rookie center in a win-now offseason push. The roster now likely has the league's highest average age at 33.2 years, creating concerns about durability and long-term mobility compared with younger contenders. Coach Tyronn Lue projects 15 to 20 games to settle rotations, chemistry, and playing roles. Kawhi Leonard begins his 14th season but has missed many games in recent years due to lingering knee problems, appearing in 37 games last season. Off the court, the Clippers, owner Steve Ballmer and Leonard face an independent investigation.
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