Los Angeles Clippers Need To Sign Paul Pierce

For nearly a year, there have been rumors of a reunion between Doc Rivers and Paul Pierce that would take place in L.A. Those rumors just gained even more steam with reports that Paul Pierce declined his $5.5 million player option to return to the Washington Wizards next season and become an unrestricted free agent.

Now that he’s a free agent, the Los Angeles Clippers need to sign Paul Pierce.

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Let’s take a trip back in time to about one year ago. Pierce had just wrapped up his lone season in Brooklyn and was looking to return, along with longtime teammate Kevin Garnett. After negotiations failed, Pierce said he’d like to go home to L.A. and play for former coach Doc Rivers on a contender.

The problem was Rivers and the Clippers had already used their mid-level exception to sign Spencer Hawes. The mid-level exception was the only opportunity for the Clippers to sign a free agent for more than the league minimum. Although the Clippers had a major need on the wing, Pierce just wasn’t an option at that point.

Even though Pierce had signed with the Wizards, he spoke candidly of his desire to join the Clippers in an interview with Sports Illustrated.

"“I thought a lot about L.A. My wife wanted to stay there and put the kids in school. It would have been an easier transition for me being with Doc, being at home. I think I missed out on that opportunity by waiting to see what Brooklyn was going to do. When they eventually said they weren’t going to make any moves, I missed that boat. That kind of upset me.”"

Pierce went on to sign with the Wizards and thrived in a lesser role than the 10-time NBA All-Star was accustomed to. Although the 37-year old Pierce averaged career-lows in just about every statistical category, Pierce proved that he can be an excellent role player who looks forward to taking a shot with the game on the line.

In the Wizards-Hawks playoff series alone, Pierce hit a game-winner, a shot to give the Wizards the lead in the final seconds, and another game winner that was waved off after replays showed that Pierce just missed getting the shot off in time.

His game-winner in Game 3 where he told reporters that he didn’t call bank on the shot but instead called game will be a playoff moment that won’t be forgotten any time soon.

The Clippers head into the offseason without cap space or a draft pick, making it hard for the team to make improvements to a roster that needs a little tweaking in order to win it all next season. The Clippers will have to rely on trades and using the mid-level exception wisely in order to make the necessary changes to be in the mix for a title again in 2016.

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Doc Rivers and the Clippers’ front office should use that mid-level exception to bring Paul Pierce to fill their need at small forward. After trading last year’s starter Matt Barnes and last year’s mid-level exception ~~mistake~~ signing Spencer Hawes for utility player Lance Stephenson, there is a vacancy at the small forward position.

Pierce isn’t the athlete or defender he once was, but he is still a tough defender who can still rattle opponents with his play and ability to get inside their head.

Offensively, Pierce isn’t the 20 points per game player he’s been for most of his career, but the Clippers don’t need him to be. The offense is already led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The Clippers had the number one ranked offensive efficiency rating in the league last year so adding more offense isn’t a need for the franchise.

Pierce is skilled at posting up smaller opponents when defended by wings. Pierce ended the regular season in the 71st percentile for points per possession on post-ups, a ranking better than many players who excel in isolated post-ups like Zach Randolph, Pau Gasol, and Dwyane Wade.

Pierce also thrived as a spot-up shooter for the Wizards last season. Pierce shot 40.7 percent on catch-and-shoot three point attempts last season according to NBA.com’s stats database. Players who are capable of knocking down catch-and-shoot three pointers are crucial for the Clippers, as Chris Paul and Blake Griffin often command extra attention from defenses.

Pierce as a small-ball power forward was a massive success in a small sample size for the Wizards last season. As the trend of bigger small forwards playing power forward has become more and more popular, common sense says that role would help Pierce immensely as he ages.

Although power forward Pierce was nowhere to be seen for most of the regular season, Randy Wittman added that wrinkle in the postseason and his time spent in smaller lineups worked to the Wizards advantage. Pierce can’t be counted on to log heavy minutes at power forward, but in certain situations could be used at power forward to space the floor.

For a team that lacked depth, a weapon such as Pierce who can play multiple positions can help serve as a band-aid to cover their depth problems.

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Perhaps more than anything else Pierce brings, the Clippers sure could use the intangibles that he possesses. The Clippers’ meltdown in Game 6 in their playoff series against the Rockets came as the Clippers were shell-shocked by their lack of rhythm and a lack of poise. No one wanted to take a shot and nobody took charge.

After the epic collapse of a 3-1 series lead, the Clippers’ mental toughness was brought into question yet again. If the Clippers add Pierce, they’ll be eliminating that problem. Pierce brings leadership that made him a favorite in Washington among players and fans. Pierce is one of the NBA’s most intense competitors and is sure to bring it when it matters.

Chris Paul hit an insane game winner to beat the Spurs and make it past the first round, but the Clippers seemed to struggle in crunch time when the game slows down. Pierce could help fix those problems or at least serve as a decoy for the offense in a way that Matt Barnes failed to do last season.

The Clippers don’t have much flexibility in the roster-building process this offseason, which makes each move they make critical for the team’s title chances going forward. If Pierce is as willing to finish his career near his hometown of Inglewood while playing an important role for a title contender, the Clippers make perfect sense to be the organization to do it for.

There aren’t too many starting small forwards who will be available for the mid-level exception, so why not go after the only one with the leadership, big game experience, and skills that would mesh so well with the team’s core of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan? For both sides, bringing Pierce to the Clippers makes too much sense not to happen.

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