The NBA's 2022-23 season schedule has officially been released. Fans lining up to watch Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the LA Clippers can start to plan for their trips to Crypto Dot Com Arena. Let's not waste any time and jump right into my personal five must-watch games in the 2022-23 regular season.

5. October 30, 2022 – New Orleans Pelicans @ LA Clippers – 12:00PM PST

Clippers fans will not have to wait long for the team's first weekend afternoon game of the season. On October 30, 2022, the LA Clippers will host the new-look New Orleans Pelicans in what will be a 12PM PST matinee. If that wasn't bad enough, the Pelicans game on the 30th is the first half of a home back-to-back, with the Houston Rockets coming to town on Halloween night.

The Pelicans are getting Zion Williamson back and adding him to an intriguingly good team featuring CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram. Additionally, the game will be the first time Clippers fans get a chance to see Zion Williamson in action in Los Angeles. Williamson only played against the Clippers in a ‘road' game in the Orlando bubble, so fans have yet to see him play in LA.

Given that the game is part of a back-to-back set for the Clippers, there's a chance Kawhi Leonard and/or Paul George don't play in one of the games as the team looks to keep the duo in top shape throughout the season.

4. March 11, 2023 New York Knicks @ LA Clippers – 1PM PST

The New York Knicks made some big offseason moves, adding Jalen Brunson to the mix. By March, there's a chance they may even add Donovan Mitchell to that team. The Knicks are ranked fourth here, however, because of Isaiah Hartenstein.

Hartenstein had a career-year with the Clippers under head coach Tyronn Lue. Both he and the team wanted to work out a deal to keep the big man in Los Angeles, but a big offer from the Knicks that Hartenstein couldn't pass up meant moving from the West Coast to the East Coast.

Hartenstein plays on a team coached by Tom Thibodeau and alongside centers Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims. Julius Randle, who is the starting power forward, has also been used at center at times in New York. It'll be interesting to see how the Knicks use Hartenstein, who was crucial for the Clippers last season.

3. October 20, 2022 – LA Clippers @ Los Angeles Lakers – 7:30PM PST

How much really needs to be said about this matchup? The Clippers season opener will come on the road against their cross-town rival, the Lakers, on October 20th, 2022.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook (for now) will look to take on Paul George (and likely Kawhi Leonard, although he's not a sure thing at the moment) in the first home game of the season for the Lakers and the first game of the season for the Clippers.

Here's a look at the differences in Lakers and Clippers schedules as far as some of the back-to-backs and rest advantages/disadvantages:

Tyronn Lue is 7-0 in his seven games versus the Lakers as head coach of the Clippers.

2. October 23, 2022 – Phoenix Suns @ LA Clippers – 7PM PST

The Phoenix Suns, who have had their history with the LA Clippers, will be the team's first home opponent at Crypto Dot Com Arena. There's also a strong chance that game will also mark Kawhi Leonard's first home game back since suffering a torn ACL back in June 2021 during the NBA Conference Semifinals.

The Suns got past the Clippers in six games of the 2021 Conference Finals, mainly due to Kawhi Leonard's absence. Now, both teams will try to bounce back from disappointing seasons and reclaim their spot among the top of the Western Conference.

1. February 14, 2023 – Golden State Warriors @ LA Clippers – 7PM PST

The NBA Champion Golden State Warriors are only about 383 miles away from the Crypto Dot Com Arena, but their first visit to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers will be all the way in February. In fact, it'll be both teams' final games before the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, which is set to be played in Salt Lake City, Utah.

BONUS FOR CLIPPERS FANS:

If you're a Clippers fan, there's nothing you *love* more than a back-to-back afternoon weekend homestand. Over the last few years, the Clippers have had at least one per year, and in the 2021-22 season, they had one afternoon back-to-back home games.

This season, the Clippers will only have one of those sets, scheduled for November 6 and 7, 2022 against the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively. Kawhi Leonard's return and the arrival of John Wall is more than enough reason to push the Clippers out of afternoon time slots and into more national TV spots.