The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center on Monday.

The Thunder (1-5) had low expectations coming into the season, and they've lived up to those so far. They have just one win through six games, getting it over a dysfunctional Los Angeles Lakers team. They actually had to overcome a 25-point deficit in that victory, and that's been a huge issue all season. The other five losses have all been decided by eight points or more, with the Lakers game being the only competitive one of the bunch. It'd be easy to blame it on a rebuild, but this team has too much talent to be losing games like that. Wins and losses are no real concern for this organization though, because building for the future is the only real goal management has right now.

The Clippers (1-4) were expected to be one of the better teams in the west, but early results are not encouraging. They have just one win through five games, grabbing their one win in a blowout victory over a struggling Portland Trail Blazers team. What's really discouraging is the fact that they're playing so poorly despite Paul George posting monster numbers. Everyone anticipated that he'd step up in the absence of Kawhi Leonard, but most people thought the role players would do more, too. Guys like Reggie Jackson, Terance Mann, and Ivica Zubac have all been way too inconsistent, and it has fans wondering if this is even a playoff team. In any case, this club still has a lot of talent, and this is a great opportunity for them to right the ship.

These teams played three times last season, with Los Angeles winning two of the three games. That gives the Clippers six wins in their last eight meetings with the Thunder in total.