On one end is a team that had a pretty dramatic and interesting summer while the other is trying to see if all is well between the head coach and the team's franchise player.
The Los Angeles Clippers had a chaotic summer, mostly centered on DeAndre Jordan who almost left the team. As it turned out, DJ never really wanted to leave and the move was more of an impulsive reaction to an alleged misunderstanding between Jordan and Chris Paul.
The Dallas Mavericks are, of course, unhappy with that; but the Clippers are more than just Jordan. There is the coming of Lance Stephenson and Paul Pierce, two wingmen who could fill up the spot that head coach Doc Rivers wants to improve.
Then there is also Josh Smith who is expected to come off the bench too. Blake Griffin will be around and expected to play his usual but it is his matchup with DeMarcus Cousins that will be interesting watch.
The Kings as a whole will also be on the radar. Head coach George Karl and Cousins are reportedly over their misunderstanding, and hopefully, such will render some positive stuff for Sacramento.
Then there is the addition of Rajon Rondo, someone many see as the right fit, although many are more interested how he and Cousins will get along. The same also holds true on how he can fit into Karl's system and obey his wishes, considering he has had a past of clashing (remember the Rick Carlisle incident?) with his coach.
Moving beyond that, this should be a matchup to watch. Both are among the top teams seen in the Western Conference, with the Clippers gaining a slight advantage due to bench depth.
The Sacramento Kings host the Los Angeles Clippers at the Sleep Train Arena today starting at 10 p.m. EST. The game will be shown via CSN. For those who want to catch it online, live streaming is available here.
