The Portland Trail Blazers’ first road game of the 2025-2026 season pits them against the revamped Los Angeles Clippers. Notified this evening at 6 p.m., the Blazers strive to earn their second victory at the Intuit Dome.
The Los Angeles Clippers made many notable moves this offseason: Bradley Beal, following his unceremonious buyout from the Phoenix Suns, signed with the Clippers for two years and $11 million. Chris Paul returned to the Clippers on a one-year contract worth $3.6 million. Brook Lopez, not to be outdone by the other old guys, signed for two years and $18 million. Finally, John Collins finally escaped Salt Lake City thanks to a three-team deal that sent Clippers guard Norman Powell to the Miami Heat.
What the Clippers lack in 21st century anniversaries, 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 under the age of 31, and even he can legally rent a car. The Blazers’ proven formula: “GO! » it may be too much for the Clippers to handle. Even so, the Clippers are loaded with talent and can outperform any game plan they might face.
The Blazers, meanwhile, are enjoying a resounding victory against the Golden State Warriors. In Game 1, we saw what the Blazers wanted to be: serious, disruptive and fast. However, poor fourth quarter execution and that Anthony Edwards guy dampened the elation of the victory. In game two we saw the Blazers be what they wanted to be: A fast pace, stifling defense and quality shooting led the Blazers to their first win against the Warriors since February 2023. As previously noted, this game plan could be particularly effective against the aging Clippers. If their strong shooting holds up, the Blazers will continue to produce positive results.
Portland Trail Blazers (1-1) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (1-1) – Sunday. October 26 – 6 p.m. Pacific
How to watch via antenna or cable: Check out your options on the Rip City TV Network.
How to stream: BlazerVision in Oregon and Washington; League Pass everywhere else
Trail Blazers Injuries: Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard, Robert Williams III (outgoing).
Mower injuries: Bradley Beal (daily); Jordan Miller (outgoing).
Jerami Grant’s 6MOTY campaign. 2025-2026 Jerami Grant came for revenge. Against who or what, I’m not exactly sure. However, over two games, Grant averaged 25.5 points on 54% from three. While those stats will likely normalize, his snap offense stabilizes an otherwise offensively challenged bench. Look for Grant to continue to abuse the Clippers bench with a variety of dream shakes and bottomless threes.
Kris Murray. If you have any savings left after Yang Hansen’s Summer League blowout, I would recommend purchasing a significant amount of Kris Murray stock.
Kris Murray had a mild-mannered, two-handed dunk style breakout game against the Warriors. He was efficient and willing to drop 13 points, one rebound, one assist, two blocks and one steal.
The stat sheet didn’t say, “Kris Murray looked extremely comfortable in Tiago Splitter’s move-heavy offense,” but it’s true! His off-ball cuts and dribble penetrations yield better results in the Blazers’ new system. Murray’s offensive revelations, along with his stellar perimeter defense and disruptive defensive plays, position him to become a valuable contributor on this Blazers team.
Bench performance. The identity of the Portland Trail Blazers depends on their ability to run, and then keep running. And then once they get tired, they will run a little more. Maintaining this pace requires frequent substitutions and quality performances from the bench. Although the Blazers’ bench has largely dominated that of the Warriors, they will need to maintain their exceptional shooting to resist 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 win against the Suns. While this wobble is expected from a player so dedicated to his green career, the Blazers must be diligent in containing his offensive impact.
DEFENSE *clap clap* DEFENSE *clap clap. Finally, this song means something. With wings tougher than a flock of sandpaper geese, the Blazers can keep the best of them. The first two games of the season have indicated that a top-10 defensive ranking is not only possible, but likely. Even then, it will take a special effort to contain the offensive onslaught that James Harden, Bradley Beal and Kawhi Leonard are capable of producing.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton is optimistic about the Clippers’ chances, projecting them to finish fourth in the Western Conference. Pelton believes Los Angeles’ overwhelming talent could offset the 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 played in any other season with the Clippers. The Clippers also benefit from no player having a rating lower than minus 0.5 points per 100 possessions projected for more than 200 minutes.
Dan Devine of Yahoo! Sports is concerned about the age of the Clippers’ rotation. Although the season is young, expect Ty Lue to be particular in his rotations:
If – When — with several members of the longest-tenured rotation in NBA history suffering from bumps and bruises, it seems like a lot to ask of young guys at the end of the bench like Kobe Brown, Cam Christie, Jordan Miller and No. 30 pick Yanic Konan Niederhäuser to provide respite.
