Today on NBA Tuesday, it’s time for the Los Angeles Clippers as we travel as west as we can from last week’s stop in the heartland. From the franchise’s origin as the Buffalo Braves through San Diego to the City of Angels, this organization never has won an NBA championship. In fact, the Clips have made the conference finals just a single time (2021) in 53 full seasons of existence. Maybe this year will be different for them?!

No. 10: Kawhi Leonard, SF—31.5 WS (2019-2021, 2022-present)

After leading the Toronto Raptors to an NBA title in 2019, he joined the Clippers, and the results have been mixed so far … yet still enough to land on this list despite missing an entire season (2021-2022) due to injury. Leonard has played in just 206 regular-season games for the team, but they’ve mostly been good games: 25.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 4.5 apg, and 1.6 spg. His problem has been merely staying healthy long enough.

No. 9: Ivica Zubac, C—33.0 WS (2019-present)

Originally a late second-round pick by the crosstown Los Angeles Lakers, he moved across the city and has played 361 regular-season games now for the Clippers, starting 319 of those. He’s never been an All Star, but Zubac has been steady in the middle: 9.9 ppg and 8.4 rpg. In 39 playoff games, he’s been a little less effective: 7.5 ppg and 6.7 rpg. But at age 26 this current season, he still has a lifetime of hoops ahead of him.

No. 8: Loy Vaught, PF—34.1 WS (1990-1998)

The No. 13 pick overall, Vaught never made an All Star team, which might qualify him as a disappointment. He averaged 11.9 ppg and 8.0 rpg in his 8 seasons with the team, and he played in just 11 playoffs games (7.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg) overall with the franchise, over 3 postseasons combined. He’s clearly on this list only because of the duration of his stint with the team, not for any particularly impressive statistical performance.

No. 7: Corey Maggette, SG/SF—45.8 WS (2000-2008)

Drafted No. 13 overall by the Seattle SuperSonics, he never played for them; Maggette spent his rookie season with the Orlando Magic before being traded to the Clippers—where he never made an All-Star team across 8 seasons with the team (17.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.4 apg). The team made the postseason just once with him (2006), too, but he played decently in 12 playoff games: 15.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.4 apg. He just wasn’t “great.”

No. 6: Randy Smith, SG/SF—50.0 WS (1971-1979, 1982-1983)

A seventh-round pick of the Buffalo Braves, he had a relatively great career: 2 All-Star nods (1976, 1978) and a chance to move west with the team to San Diego in its first year there (1978-1979). He also played most of his final NBA season with the Clippers, too. Overall, Smith posted 17.8 ppg, 4.9 apg, 4.2 rpg, and 1.9 spg over 715 regular-season contests; he was better in the postseason, too (18.8 ppg, 7.0 apg, 4.9 rpg, 1.9 spg). Not bad.

No. 5: Bob McAdoo, SF—50.9 WS (1972-1976)

The No. 2 overall pick in the draft, McAdoo was an NBA god: he made 4 All-Star teams in his short time with the club, and he was the 1973 NBA ROTY. He also topped the league in scoring 3 straight years (1974-1976). His career with Buffalo featured 28.2 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.4 bpg, and 1.1 spg. He was a monster in the postseason for the Braves, too: 32.0 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 2.3 bpg, and 2.3 apg. He later won 2 rings with the Lakers.

No. 4: Blake Griffin, PF—65.4 WS (2010-2018)

The No. 1 overall pick in 2009, he sat a year with injury before first taking the court; Griffin still made the All-Star team in his first 5 seasons in the league, though, while also winning the 2011 ROTY vote. In 504 games with the team, he posted 21.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 4.2 apg, and 1.0 spg, although injuries eventually caught up with him again. He also was solid in 51 playoff games: 21.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.9 apg, and 1.1 spg. Pretty good.

No. 3: Elton Brand, PF—68.3 WS (2001-2008)

Another overall No. 1 pick (albeit for the Chicago Bulls), he found himself with the Clippers in his third NBA season and made 2 All-Star squads while with the organization. Over 459 games, Brand posted 20.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.3 bpg, and 1.0 spg—an all-around presence, for sure. In the postseason? He might have been even better: 25.4 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 4.0 apg, and 2.6 bpg. But his teams only reached the playoffs once.

No. 2: DeAndre Jordan, C—76.3 WS (2008-2018)

A second rounder, he only made 1 All-Star team with the Clippers, despite leading the NBA twice in rebounding (2014, 2015) and topping his peers multiple times in various shot-percentage categories. Both those top-rebounding seasons? We named him our DPOY pick. The stats: 9.4 ppg, 10.7 rpg, and 1.7 bpg in 750 regular-season games, in addition to 9.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg, and 2.0 bpg in 57 playoff games. Consistency, for sure.

No. 1: Chris Paul, PG—78.2 WS (2011-2017)

The best player in organizational history only played 6 seasons for the team, but he made 5 All-Star teams in the process. Paul led the NBA in steals 3 times and assists 2 times while with the Clippers, too, earning our MVP hardware in 2015. We obviously think highly of him, but here are the stats: 18.8 ppg, 9.8 apg, 4.2 rpg, and 2.2 spg in 409 regular-season games and 21.2 ppg, 8.7 apg, 4.5 rpg, and 2.3 apg in 53 playoff games.