The Los Angeles Clippers’ 2025-26 NBA season didn’t just start on the wrong foot. It stumbled, fell, and face-planted in Salt Lake City. Following a brutal 129-108 loss to the Utah Jazz on opening night, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue wasted no time sending a clear message to his veteran starters.
“If our first unit can't get off to better defensive starts, subs will be made faster,” Lue said bluntly after the game. “It’s a learning experience, just kind of see what our team is made of. … If I got to make early subs from here on out, then that’s what we gotta do.”
Lue’s words reflected the frustration of a head coach who watched his star-studded lineup, featuring Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac, fall apart early. The Clippers were outscored 43-19 in the first quarter, committing more turnovers than made field goals and showing minimal defensive resistance.
Clippers vets vs Jazz:
Kawhi — 3-9 FG | 1-5 3P
Paul — 1-5 FG | 1-4 3P
Beal — 2-5 FG | 1-4 3P
Harden — 5-12 FG | 2-9 3P
Batum — 1-4 FG | 1-4 3P pic.twitter.com/1K96byiESl— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 23, 2025
For a team that spent the offseason addressing size, shooting, and experience, the lack of effort and focus was alarming.
The Jazz, widely expected to be one of the NBA’s rebuilding teams, looked far sharper, leading by as many as 37 points at one stage. The Clippers’ defense, particularly their perimeter containment and transition rotations, was nonexistent.
Ivica Zubac led the team with 19 points and seven rebounds, but the stars looked disengaged. Leonard shot just 3-of-9 from the field, while Harden and Lopez combined for a quiet 30 points that had little impact on the outcome.
Lue took personal responsibility for the performance but emphasized accountability across the board.
“It’s on me to get them ready, but the guys have to show pride in getting stops early,” he said. “You can’t let a team like that get comfortable right out of the gate.”
Now, with back-to-back home games against the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers looming, the Clippers will have little time to dwell. But if Lue’s words are any indication, the leash on his starting five just got a lot shorter, and early substitutions might become the new norm if the slow starts continue.
