One of the ways the LA Clippers can prove to fans around the league that their newest additions were worth signing and trading for is by taking down the best teams in the league and overpowering those that had their number last season.
Over the years, the New Orleans Pelicans, for an unknown reason, play their best basketball against the Clippers, and in the toughest moments, LA typically falls. One loss in particular came at a poorly timed moment last season, as New Orleans snapped a three-game winning streak on March 11, 2025.
Furthermore, New Orleans is one of, but not the only, teams that missed the postseason, but still prospered against the Clippers. The other is the Phoenix Suns, who won 36 games and were in the same tier as the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs, without Victor Wembanyama for 36 games.
Right next to a loss to New Orleans was LA's final matchup of the year with Phoenix, which took place on March 4, 2025. Star big man, Ivica Zubac, had 35 points and 10 rebounds, while James Harden sauced the Suns with 15 assists, but the Clippers gave up 34 points to Kevin Durant and ten major ones to Collin Gillespie, which forced a loss in the books.
Moreover, the regular season schedule for 2025-26 has been released. After losing every game to the Suns last season, the Clippers' first test against them will take place on October 24, their home opener.
The LA Clippers' first opportunity to display their new championship talents will take place late October
The Phoenix Suns team that the LA Clippers will face on October 24 is completely different from last season, as Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and others have settled down into their new homes, some with recently signed contracts.
However, sometimes it is not the players the Clippers struggle against, but rather the team and their uniforms. This may be what it is like playing Phoenix, explaining why James Harden and Ivica Zubac got swept in the regular-season series.
The home-opener for the Clippers next season will be a special day because Chris Paul will be introduced at home, against the former squad he helped take to the NBA Finals, and Bradley Beal will have the floor to remind Phoenix fans their issues were not rooted in him.
That said, this is a contest that will hopefully be the second in a row to start the new season, marking a flawless start with the additions of Paul, Beal, and more.