The Portland Trail Blazers’ first road game of the 2025-2026 season has them facing off against the revamped Los Angeles Clippers. Tipping off tonight at 6pm, the Blazers aspire to take home their second-ever win at the Intuit Dome.

The Los Angeles Clippers made numerous notable moves this off-season: Bradley Beal, following his unceremonious buyout with the Phoenix Suns, signed with the Clippers for two years and $11 million. Chris Paul returned to the Clippers on a one-year, $3.6 million dollar contract. Brook Lopez, not to be outdone by the other old guys, signed for two years and $18 million. Lastly, John Collins finally escaped Salt Lake City through a three-team deal that sent Clippers’ guard Norman Powell to the Miami Heat.

What the Clippers lack in 21st century birthdays, they more than make up for in depth. That said, even their bench is old! John Collins is the only member of the Clippers’ second unit younger than 31, and even he can legally rent a car. The Blazers’ tried-and-might-be-true formula of “GO!” may be too much for the Clippers to handle. Even still, the Clippers are loaded with talent, and can out-skill any game plan they may face.

The Blazers, meanwhile, are riding high off a blowout victory against the Golden State Warriors. In game one, we saw what the Blazers wanted to be: Gritty, disruptive, and fast. However, poor fourth quarter execution and that one Anthony Edwards guy stifled the elation of victory. In game two, we saw the Blazers be what they wanted to be: Breakneck pace, stifling defense, and quality shooting led the Blazers to their first victory against the Warriors since February of 2023. As stated previously, this game plan may be especially effective against the aging Clippers. If their strong shooting holds, the Blazers will continue to produce positive results.

Portland Trail Blazers (1-1) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (1-1) – Sun. Oct. 26 – 6pm Pacific

How to watch via antenna or cable: See your options on the Rip City Television Network.

How to watch via streaming: BlazerVision in Oregon and Washington; League Pass everywhere else

Trail Blazers injuries: Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard, Robert Williams III (out).

Clippers injuries: Bradley Beal (day-to-day); Jordan Miller (out).

Jerami Grant’s 6MOTY Campaign. 2025-2026 Jerami Grant has come for revenge. Against whom or what, I’m not exactly sure. However, through two games, Grant has averaged 25.5 points on 54% from three. Though those stats will likely normalize, his instant-offense stabilizes an otherwise offensively-challenged bench. Look for Grant to continue to abuse the Clippers bench with a variety of dream-shakes and no-dip threes.

Kris Murray. If you have any savings left after Yang Hansen’s summer league eruption, I would recommend buying a sizable amount of Kris Murray stock.

Kris Murray had something of a mild-mannered, two-handed-dunk-style breakout game against the Warriors. He was effective and poised on his way to dropping 13 points, one rebound, one assist, two blocks and a steal.

The stat sheet did not read, “Kris Murray looked exceedingly comfortable in Tiago Splitter’s movement-heavy offense,” but it’s true! His heady off-ball cuts and dribble penetrations are reaping greater results in the Blazers’ new system. Murray’s offensive revelations, alongside his stellar perimeter defense and disruptive defensive actions, position him to become a valuable contributor on this Blazers squad.

Bench Performance. The Portland Trail Blazers’ identity is reliant upon the ability to run, then keep running. And then once you’re tired, they’ll run a little more. Maintaining that pace requires frequent substitutions and quality performances from the bench. Though the Blazers’ bench outscored the Warriors’ handily, they will need to maintain their exceptional shooting to weather the depth of the Clippers.

Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi Leonard followed a 10-point outing against the Utah Jazz with a much more Kawhi-ish, 27-point performance in a blowout victory against the Suns. Though this oscillation is to be expected from a player so dedicated to his ecology career, the Blazers must be diligent in containing his offensive impact.

DEFENSE *clap clap* DEFENSE *clap clap. Finally, that chant means something. With more gritty wings than a flock of geese made of sandpaper, the Blazers can guard with the best of them. The first two games of the season have indicated that a top-10 defensive rating is not just possible, but likely. Even then, it will require a special effort to contain the offensive onslaught that James Harden, Bradley Beal, and Kawhi Leonard are capable of producing.

ESPN’s Kevin Pelton feels optimistic about the Clippers’ chances, projecting them to finish fourth in the Western Conference. Pelton feels that L.A.’s overwhelming talent may outweigh their ever-looming threat of injury:

A rosy projection for Kawhi Leonard’s health is a key factor. Leonard is projected for 66 games, along the lines of the 68 he played in 2023-24 but more than he has played in any other season with the Clippers. The Clippers also benefit from having no player rated worse than minus-0.5 points per 100 possessions projected for more than 200 minutes.

Dan Devine of Yahoo! Sports has concerns over the age of the Clippers’ rotation. Though the season is young, look for Ty Lue to be particular in his rotations:

If — when — multiple members of the oldest rotation in NBA history suffer some bumps and bruises, it seems like a lot to ask end-of-the-bench youngsters like Kobe Brown, Cam Christie, Jordan Miller and No. 30 pick Yanic Konan Niederhäuser to offer any respite.

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