The Clippers were the fourth seed in 2020-21, falling a spot in the final weekend after selectively managing the workload of their rotation players during the last two games of the season. For most of the year, they comfortably resided in third place, however; so when considering how far the team will drop off without Kawhi Leonard, third is perhaps a better starting point than fourth.
In ESPN’s projections for the upcoming season, the Clippers are slotted to finish seventh in the West, in the most advantageous play-in position for the right to advance to the playoffs.