Phoenix Suns vs LA Clippers Starting Lineups and Depth Charts for Oct. 23 | 2024-25 NBA Season

The LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns will begin their 2024-25 campaign in what is set to be a historic opening day for the home team. This will be the first-ever regular-season game at the newly-constructed state-of-the-art Intuit Dome and a full house is expected for this heavyweight matchup between two of the Western Conference's top teams.

There are high expectations this season for a Phoenix Suns team that is set to start the year with a healthy Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. With the talented trio, the Suns boast of one of the most talented starting lineups in the West.

Phoenix is coming off a 49-33 season where it finished sixth in the Western Conference standings. It was eleminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Newly-appointed head coach Mike Budenholzer has been brought in to help get this team over the hump, and guide the franchise to its first-ever NBA championship.

The LA Clippers are coming off an impressive 51-31 regular season, but once again failed to deliver when it mattered most. Tyronn Lue's team was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks in a one-sided series.

The departure of All-Star forward Paul George and former MVP Russell Westbrook this offseason will be a major blow for the home team. The Clippers did add experienced NBA players such as Kevin Porter Jr., Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr., and those moves should provide some much-needed depth to the roster.

Phoenix Suns vs LA Clippers: Starting lineups and depth charts

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker shoots against Los Angeles Clippers guard Bones Hyland at Crypto.com Arena. Photo Credit: Imagn

The Phoenix Suns come into Wednesday's game with three reported injuries. Grayson Allen, Damion Lee are probable, while Josh Okogie is out for the Suns' opener.

Mike Budenholzer addressed the starting lineup in late September while speaking to NBA.com's Steve Aschburner. The veteran coach is looking to establish a firm Starting 5 in his first season with the organization and is set to go with with Tyus Jones, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic.

Phoenix Suns depth chart:

G	Tyus Jones	Monte Morris
G	Devin Booker	Grayson Allen (O)	Damion Lee (O)
F	Bradley Beal	Royce O'Neal	Josh Okogie (O)
F	Kevin Durant	Ryan Dunn
C	Jusuf Nurkic	Mason Plumlee	Oso Ighodaro	Bol Bol

Kawhi Leonard's injury issues have been the major talking point for the LA Clippers over the offseason. The six-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year is set to miss the start of the season due to a right knee injury. Center Mo Bamba is also on the sidelines for the Clippers.

Tyronn Lue has some new faces in the roster and it will be interesting to see how he distributes minutes and utilizes some of the fringe players in the lineup. Expect a starting lineup that includes James Harden, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Derrick Jones Jr. and Ivica Zubac.

Los Angeles Clippers depth chart:

G	James Harden	Kevin Porter Jr.	Bones Hyland
G	Norman Powell	Kris Dunn	Cam Christie
F	Terance Mann	Amir Coffey	Kobe Brown
F	Kawhi Leonard (O)	Derrick Jones Jr.	Nicolas Batum
C	Ivica Zubac	Mo Bamba (O)	Kai Jones

Phoenix Suns vs LA Clippers: Players to watch

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) dribbles the ball during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Former NBA MVP Kevin Durant will be the key player for the Suns going into the 2024/25 season. The two-time NBA champion was brought over from the Brooklyn Nets in a highly publicized trade and will be desperate to win a title in Arizona. Last season, Durant averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and five assists over 75 games.

With Leonard set to miss out on the early stages of the season, James Harden will be called on to play a bigger role for the Clippers. The talented guard has been inconsistent over the last few seasons, but remains one of the league's most dangerous scorers, when healthy. Last season, Harden averaged 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game.