The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center on Monday.

The Trail Blazers (1-1) have played just two games, but they've shown why they've been such a volatile team. They actually lost their home opener against the Sacramento Kings but followed that up with a 31-point win over the Phoenix Suns in their most recent outing. The first game against the Kings is a contest they should really win, while the blowout victory over the Suns was more of a coin-flip game. That's pretty much what this team did all of last season, too, making it tough to figure out exactly who they are. The good news is that they're finally healthy. This is a club that dealt with numerous injuries throughout last year, and it's a wonder where they're headed after yet another volatile start.

The Clippers (0-2) lost their final three games in the preseason, and they've unfortunately carried that form into the regular season. They've actually lost each of their first two games, taking defeats at the hands of the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies. Those are two clubs that were in the play-in tourney last year, and it's a discouraging start to see them play so poorly without their superstar player. That happens to be Kawhi Leonard, with the All-Star missing most of this season due to an ACL tear. That means it's up to the rest of these guys to keep things chugging along, and a 41-point performance from Paul George on Saturday shows what sort of mindset he has for the remainder of the season.

Los Angeles has swept the last two season series against Portland, winning six straight in total in this series.