The Los Angeles Clippers were blown out by their cross-town rivals, the Lakers , on Tuesday night in the latest installment of the Battle of L.A. However, the game was so one-sided that it hardly resembled a battle.
Afterward, Kawhi Leonard was asked about why the team hasn't been able to overcome injury issues and stay afloat like they have in previous seasons. The Clippers superstar said they need to "Get some more talent," a remark that immediately drew the attention of former player Eddie Johnson.
"Missed 10 games already this year, averaged 52 games played in 5 years, plus add the year he missed. Started the season hanging a cloud over team with off court endorsement, and has audacity to return from latest injury and say I need better teammates! I think they need a LEADER!" Johnson wrote on X.
With Tuesday's loss to the Lakers, the Clippers fell to 5-13 on the season. Bradley Beal is out for the entire 2025-26 campaign after playing just six games. Derrick Jones Jr. suffered an MCL sprain and will miss at least six weeks, while Bogdan Bogdanovic is out with a hip injury.
Kawhi, meanwhile, has played just eight games, and the Clippers are 3-5 in those contests.
Leonard clarified that his remarks about "getting some more talent" were not a public plea for additional help. Instead, he called on each player on the roster to raise their level of play, both individually and as a team.
"I'm saying like playing better. Like, we all just gotta play better. Make shots, move the ball a little more, trust one another, and just get better," he added.
While Johnson called for Leonard to step up as a leader, Kendrick Perkins proposed that the Clippers take a more drastic approach.
The retired NBA center urged Steve Ballmer to fire Lawrence Frank because, among others, he made a massive mistake of trading Norman Powell to the Miami Heat to make room for Beal — the latter is out for the season, while the former is having a career year in Florida.
"Nico just got fired for Dallas having a 3-8 record. It's time for Lawrence Frank to do the same. I feel sorry for Bradley Beal, but over the past three years, history has shown us that something has been bothering him. And so you replace a guy that was averaging 24 points for you, knockin' at the door of being an All-Star in Norman Powell, to go get a Bradley Beal that showed and proved nothing over the last three years, with Phoenix. And look at what Norman Powell is doing," said Perk.
The Clippers do need a leader on the court. But they also need a leader in from the higher-ups. Based on his track record — trading Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Paul George only to let him walk away in free agency and see the former lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to the 2025 NBA title — he might not be the right person for the job.
The injury bug has been a big factor in the Clippers' woes. But that doesn't change the fact that it might be time for more drastic changes.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
