Our NBA Tuesday miniseries analyzing individual franchise history stays put this week with our assessment of the Los Angeles Clippers. With only two division titles in 53 seasons of existence, this has not been a super successful organization. The 17 playoff appearances are low in a league where more than half the teams made the playoffs for a long time. The Clippers also have never been to the NBA Finals!

Starting in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves, the team lasted just 8 seasons out in the Northeast before moving diagonally across the country to San Diego, where the franchise put down roots for a mere 6 seasons as the Clippers. Since 1984, however, the organization has stayed put and become a fixture in the City of Angels—although we’d guess if the NBA is to get a team in Las Vegas, this would be the one. Time will tell on that one.

No. 5: 2020-21 Los Angeles Clippers

In the Covid recovery season, these guys posted a 47-25 record to finish second in the Pacific Division while making the deepest playoff run in franchise history—all the way to the Western Conference Finals. With the No. 10 offense and the No. 4 defense, the Clippers ranked No. 2 in the overall SRS. They beat Dallas in 7 games and Utah in 6 games, before the Phoenix Suns eliminated L.A. in 6 games to stop a great season.

This was a deep team, with 10 players posted at least 2.1 Win Shares, although there was no single dominant player. The Clippers were led by small forward Kawhi Leonard (8.8 WS) and center Ivica Zubac (6.9). They had to come from behind to win Games 6 and 7 against the Mavericks, and against the Jazz, they dug themselves out of an 0-2 hole. But the Suns went up 3-1 in the WCF before cruising to the Finals with ease.

No. 4: 2012-13 Los Angeles Clippers

With a 56-26 record, this is one of the two teams in franchise history to win its division (Pacific). With the No. 9 offense and the No. 4 defense, these Clippers finished No. 4 in the overall SRS rankings. But after taking a 2-0 lead with home-court advantage in the opening round of the postseason, L.A. dropped four straight games somehow to the upstart Memphis Grizzlies. Every loss was by double digits, as well. Doh!

Legendary point guard Chris Paul (13.9 WS) and power forward Blake Griffin (10.6) formed a powerful duo atop this talented roster, with nine players earned at least 2.5 WS. So what happened against the Grizz in the playoffs? Well, Griffin did not play well, and it was a challenge for the others to step up in his absence. The key game—Game 5 at home—was brutal as CP3 scored 35 points, and no one else really showed up.

No. 3: 2019-20 Los Angeles Clippers

During this Covid-shortened season, the Clips managed a 49-23 mark, placing them second in the Pacific. They were also No. 2 in the overall SRS rankings, thanks to the No. 4 offense and the No. 13 offense. L.A. beats the Mavericks in 6 games to open the playoffs, but the team came up short in Game 7 at home against the Denver Nuggets to see its postseason dreams end—one win short of a WCF matchup with the Lakers.

Leonard (8.7 WS), PF Montrezl Harrell (7.0), and Zubac (6.6) were the team leaders for value on this roster. Nine players posted at least 2.3 WS for the abbreviated season. Against Dallas, the Clippers outscored their opponents by 9.7 ppg, making it look easy. But against the Nuggets, L.A. blew a 3-1 series lead, losing the last three games by an average of 11.3 ppg. Losing Game 7 at home by 15 points was just unacceptable, obviously.

No. 2: 2014-15 Los Angeles Clippers

Another 56-26 record in the regular season meant another second-place finish in the Pacific. This team was No. 2 overall in the SRS rankings, with the No. 2 offense and the No. 16 defense. The latter hurt the Clippers in the postseason, as they needed 7 games to get past the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round, and as a result, L.A. was gassed in the second round: a 7-game loss to the Houston Rockets.

Paul was incredible (16.1 WS), winning his third MVP nod from us. C DeAndre Jordan (12.8) and Griffin (9.0) helped form the Big Three for the Clips. The first-round matchup was just bad fortune, though, as the Spurs were tough to eliminate. L.A. needed to win Game 6 on the road to stay alive, and Game 7 was a 2-point affair. Against Houston, the Clippers outscored the Rockets by 3.2 ppg, but they blew a 3-1 series lead.

No. 1: 2013-14 Los Angeles Clippers

This team posted the best regular-season mark (57-25) in organizational history as it won the Pacific for the second straight year. With the No. 1 offense and the No. 14 defense, the Clippers finished No. 2 in the overall SRS rankings. But L.A. needed 7 games in the first round to defeat division/in-state rival Golden State, and then the Clips couldn’t handle the young and talented Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, at all.

Griffin (12.2 WS), Paul (12.2), and Jordan (11.1) were a united front for Los Angeles against all comers. But the depth might not have been there. Against the Warriors (who would win the title in 2015, etc.), the Clippers lost Game 1 and had to fight back to win the series at home in Game 7. L.A. used that momentum to win Game 1 on the road against OKC, but the Thunder won Games 5 and 6 by a combined 7 points to close it out.