As the Los Angeles Clippers prepare to open the 2025-26 NBA season next week, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes they could pose a serious challenge in the Western Conference — if Kawhi Leonard remains healthy.
During a recent episode of NBA Today, Windhorst discussed the Clippers’ outlook following their 102-94 preseason loss to the Denver Nuggets, noting that the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder should be wary of what this Clippers team could become.
“This is like the conversation with Joel Embiid, it’s very hard to make an assumption about health,” Windhorst said. “But if Kawhi [Leonard] is going to be this player, the Clippers can win the Western Conference. As good as the Thunder are – I think the Nuggets should be the second favorite team. That team I watched last night is a conference championship level team if they’re able to hit.”
The Clippers entered the offseason determined to strengthen their roster around Kawhi Leonard and make a deeper postseason push. The team signed veteran guard Chris Paul, scoring wing Bradley Beal, and former All-Defensive center Brook Lopez in free agency. Los Angeles also acquired forward John Collins in a multi-team trade that sent Norman Powell to the Miami Heat, signaling an aggressive push to contend in the Western Conference.
“If Kawhi [Leonard] is going to be this player, the Clippers can win the Western Conference. As good as the Thunder are… that team that I watched [Sunday] night is a conference championship level team.”
– Brian Windhorst
(via @ESPNNBA)pic.twitter.com/FPeWbDdZPU
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 14, 2025
Healthy Kawhi Leonard positions Clippers to challenge Thunder in Western race
Leonard enters his sixth season with the Clippers following a year shortened by injury management and limited availability. During the 2024-25 season, the two-time Finals MVP averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 49.8% from the field and 41.1% from beyond the arc across 37 appearances.
In Sunday’s preseason matchup against Denver, Leonard showed flashes of his All-NBA form, leading the Clippers with 17 points, two rebounds, two steals, and a block. He connected on five of his 10 field-goal attempts and went a perfect six-for-six from the free throw line.
The renewed optimism surrounding the Clippers comes amid skepticism about Leonard’s durability, which has limited the team’s playoff ceiling in recent years. However, Windhorst’s assessment points to a belief that when Leonard is healthy and surrounded by a balanced supporting cast, Los Angeles can contend with the league’s elite.
The Clippers are set to continue their preseason schedule with a road game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center. They will then turn their focus to the regular-season opener on October 22 in Salt Lake City, where they will face the Utah Jazz.
With Leonard healthy and a roster filled with veteran depth, the Clippers are once again viewed as one of the Western Conference’s biggest wild cards — a team capable of either dominating the field or falling short if health becomes an issue.
