The NBA Free Agency has kicked into high gear, and one of the teams that has made notable moves has been the Los Angeles Clippers. Coming of an incredibly disappointing second round exist to the Houston Rockers in a series they where leading 3-1, the Clippers made the most dangerous move so far of the offseason by acquiring Lance Stephenson from the Hornets in exchange for Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes. Stephenson is coming off a disappointing season in which he shot a mere .376 percent from the field. But he has a great chance to redeem himself by performing at a high level for a championship caliber team, with Doc Rivers as his mentor. These circumstances serve as an indicator Stephenson may have a bounce back year.
However, their biggest move of the offseason has been the signing of Paul Pierce, the 17 year veteran coming of a very impressive playoff performance with the Washington Wizards in which he showed he still has the ability to will his team to victory by performing extremely well under pressure. Although the contract is for three years and is worth almost $10 million, this will very much likely be his final season.
This move was almost perfect from a financial standpoint. They can now spend some more money on other free agents that can add much value to the team, and be better prepared for the highly likely possibility that DeAndre Jordan might be leaving.
From a basketball standpoint, the move is arguably the best of free agency in terms of what the player can bring to the table for his new team. The locker room leadership and experience he commands are of extreme importance to a team like the Clippers, as it’s something they have struggled on for well over four years. Chris Paul is a great leader himself, along with Blake Griffin, who has greatly matured in over the past seasons and has become a very effective leader himself, but Pierce’s presence now shifts the dynamic in different ways and into new heights. He is a player with a passion to win, and comes from a winning mentality with Doc and the Celtics, bringing a title to Boston after more than 20 years without the franchise winning one. He, along with Rivers, will instill this mentality on the team with more fervor than ever before, and this will make them mentally tougher, which is another area of struggle they must work on.
It is still unknown what Pierce’s contribution to the team will be; whether he will come off the bench or be a starter. Regardless of what it’ll be, he will surely contribute to the best of his abilities. It is more than likely he will come off the bench, however, as it is the Clippers’ most notable weakness for over two years. Him coming off the bench would solidify it, and this will allow him to be the anchor for the second unit to much effectiveness. In today’s NBA, the performance of the bench is extremely important, as the past two champions have both been teams with really good and solid bench play. The Clippers must fix this glaring deficiency if they wish to be more successful than what they already are, and Paul Pierce could very well be the answer (or in this case, the truth) toward fixing it.
The Clippers have been in a cultural rebuilding mode ever since the ending of the Donald Sterling fiasco through many forms. They have changed their uniforms and logo, as they try to distance themselves more and more from that old regime, and have made notable efforts into changing their mentality as well. The talent to win has always been there, but their minds and attitudes have always been in the way. With Paul Pierce now part of the team, he will be a huge part in those changes that can get them over the hump, and allow them to set up the blueprint to seriously contend for more championships.
