There is still quite a bit of offseason left before the LA Clippers are set to play their first ever game at Intuit Dome in October. Preseason is still a ways away as well, but fans can begin to look forward to some of the preliminary events that occur in the coming weeks before the season officially begins.
For the remainder of August and the majority of September, NBA players will be continuing their independent training regimens in order to be in top shape before the season begins. Some players will be training in their team's city, and others will be elsewhere. When the end of September rolls around, it will be time for everyone to return to their respective cities for training camp.
Typically, NBA training camp encompasses workouts to ensure proper conditioning, player evaluations by training staff, as well as development of overall team strategy for the upcoming year. This article will provide Clippers fans with the dates for training camp along with other relevant pre-season dates to look out for.
Clippers training camp start date
Official start date for Clippers
The Clippers will officially begin training camp on October 1. This date comes exactly one week before the team's first scheduled preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets. LA will travel to Seattle for a preseason matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers on October 11, before returning home for games against the Mavericks and Kings. This will give the Clippers players seven days' time to get settled in and be ready for their exhibition-style contests.
Location of training camp
After hosting camp at the University of Hawaii's Honolulu campus for the last two years in a row, it appears the Clippers will be staying home and holding this year's training camp at the Honey Training Center. Located in Playa Vista, this facility is the Clippers' primary home headquarters for all their operations. It has not yet been announced if training camp will be entirely closed off from the public or if part of it will be opened up for fans to attend.
Key dates surrounding training camp
Media Day
NBA team media days are typically the team's first public group appearance in a season. Local (and sometimes national) media will gather to speak to the players and coaches, and team photos will be taken by a professional photographer.
The Clippers' Media Day is currently set for Monday, September 30. Fans can expect to hear from their favorite players once again, as well as get a look at what everyone on the roster looks like in the brand new Clippers uniforms set to be used this coming season.
Storylines to watch during training camp
Training camp will likely be most impactful for the players newest to the Clippers. Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Kevin Porter Jr., Mo Bamba and Cam Christie will have the most to gain in getting acclimated with their teammates for the first time in a full-team setting.
Kawhi Leonard's health will obviously be a major point of discussion during training camp. Expect plenty of questions from journalists and reporters inquiring about how Leonard's offseason work has been progressing, and where his health stands ahead of the season.
Perhaps an underrated storyline during training camp will be concerning James Harden and his readiness for the year. Harden of course did not get a proper training camp with his Clippers teammates last year, when he was traded not even 10 days into the season. This week-long event will likely be big for him as he builds chemistry with his teammates.