All things considered, the Philadelphia 76ers have gotten off to a more than respectable start this season. Currently, they are boasting a 14-10 win-loss card, which is good for fourth place in the East entering Monday night. The same, however, cannot be said for the LA Clippers, which have been one of the biggest disappointments in the league thus far.
Now, why should 76ers fans even keep track of the disaster that had already unfolded in LA? Well, it just so happens that the franchise will greatly benefit from the Clippers continuing to unravel this season and beyond. After all, they do own their first-round pick in 2028, while also owning the rights to swap first-rounders in the following year.
Those are arguably the best draft assets the 76ers have on their war chest of draft capital, which they managed to replenish two years ago when they traded James Harden to the Clippers. While nothing is set in stone, the Clips are poised to truly bottom out soon enough, and that will most certainly allow the team to get another star for the future.
The 76ers are grinning from ear to ear seeing this Clippers collapse
The Western Conference is as deep as it can get, and despite lofty expectations before the season started due to the big names they snagged in free agency, the Clippers have only been able to muster six wins in their first 25 games, and they are currently slotted in 14th place in the West.
LA has the oldest roster in the league — and it is not even close. They have an average of 31.2 (for context, the Kings have a mean age of 29.6), and there is very little to suggest that the worm will turn for them eventually.
Aside from the disaster that they invited with Bradley Beal and Brook Lopez, as well as the messy divorce they just had with Chris Paul, the Clippers have a ton of problems on their roster. They have a very predictable offense, and their lack of acuity as a team on the defensive end has been even more pronounced.
This is a sinking ship, and the odds are high that this will spill over in the following seasons. As already said, they are way too old to be hanging with the best teams in the league, and both Kawhi Leonard and James Harden are on a decline.
This is basically a perfect scenario for the 76ers, which are almost guaranteed to have a future star with the draft picks they will be thanks to the Clippers. Thanks James Harde, I guess?