Clippers' new arena is astounding, its team will struggle to live up to it

Intuit Dome Shines Bright as Clippers Kick Off NBA Season

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The undeniable highlight of the NBA opening week in Southern California was the Clippers’ new arena, the Intuit Dome.

The Intuit Dome opener. pic.twitter.com/zWJd3KaIy2— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) October 24, 2024

From the massive halo screen above the court—which coach Tyronn Lue admitted to looking up at for multi-camera angle replays to decide whether to challenge a call—to the USB chargers and heaters at every seat, it feels like the arena has everything fans could ask for. Seriously, everything. There are controllers built into the seats, allowing fans to answer questions and play games on the halo screen for prizes during timeouts. The entire venue is cashless and app-driven, featuring grab-and-go food options. It feels like the future of arenas, although there were still quite a few empty seats on opening night, despite all tickets being sold.

And then there’s “The Wall”—a steep section of special seats reserved only for Clippers fans (if you’re wearing another team’s gear, you’re requested to move). At the heart of the wall is a loud, college-style cheering section that never seems to quiet down.

Welcome Home, #ClipperNation❤️💙 pic.twitter wow888 casino register. asianpknaycom/iwY5Pw8bwI— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) October 24, 2024

“Incredible. I loved it 777 ku casino. I absolutely love the wall that they got. It’s insane…” said Kevin Durant, who missed a couple of free throws in front of that wall. “I was staring at [the wall] the whole time; you’re not used to that.”

Can the Clippers live up to their new home?

“The environment was great,” Tyronn Lue said. “Our fans were fantastic; I wish we could have capped it off with a win, but it was a great atmosphere.” This sentiment could be a recurring theme for the Clippers this season.

The arena lived up to expectations, but the team that calls it home struggled during much of the opening night—a 116-113 overtime loss to Phoenix, despite Los Angeles leading by 10 points with six minutes left in the fourth quarter. There were moments when the Clippers looked worthy of their new venue, especially when James Harden reverted to his Houston form in the third quarter, scoring 16 of his 29 points for the night. However, asking him to perform at that level for 40 minutes—or consistently in every game—is a big ask for the 35-year-old.

For the night, Harden was 2-of-9 from beyond the arc, had as many turnovers as assists (eight each), appeared fatigued as the game progressed, and while he made clutch baskets, he also had crucial mistakes.

“My play has to be a lot better,” Harden said. “I’ve seen a lot of really good things from our group. I think everybody played well, and the great thing about it is that we can improve. So that’s definitely some positive right there.”

The Clippers focused on the positives, discussing their hard work, rebounding, and more. However, the reality is that this season will largely be “The James Harden Show” until the team’s other star can return (reportedly weeks away).

“We need him to be special until Kawhi gets back,” Lue said of Harden.

Without Leonard—and perhaps even with him—the Clippers feel more like a team on the verge of a rebuild in the next couple of years rather than one ready to compete with Oklahoma City, Dallas, and Denver at the top of the Western Conference this season. Furthermore, the Clippers don’t control their own first-round pick until 2030, making a traditional rebuild off the table.

This season, the Clippers are a team with little room for error—in a Western Conference that will be crowded with teams vying for playoff spots. They cannot afford to turn the ball over on 19.5% of their possessions (almost one in four times they have the ball) or shoot 8-of-29 (27.6%) from three-point range.

If the fans in The Wall and around Clippers Nation want to remain optimistic, there is a case to be made: They will eventually get Leonard back, they will improve their three-point shooting, Ivica Zubac is underrated (21 points and nine rebounds), Norman Powell looked good (17 points), and this was just an overtime loss to a talented Suns team that could be a top four contender in the Western Conference this season. It was opening night, a time when teams are typically a bit sloppy—both the Clippers and Suns had their moments of sloppiness—and things could turn around.

However, on opening night, it felt like the Intuit Dome was ready for the future, but the Clippers were not—and that’s a trend that may continue throughout the season. 291 jili 01 com Are the Clippers equipped to rise to the challenge ahead?