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Los Angeles Clippers: 2015-16 Season Outlook

By Gerald Bourguet

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May 8, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) and guard Jamal Crawford (11) congratulate guard Austin Rivers (25) against the Houston Rockets during the second half in game three of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Three Key Storylines

1. Did The Clippers Fix Their Bench?

When Jamal Crawford, Austin Rivers, Spencer Hawes, Glen Davis and the ghost of Hedo Turkoglu comprise your bench unit, you know that’s going to be a cause for concern. Here’s a look at how the Clippers reserves fared last year during the regular season and the playoffs (with league ranks in parentheses):

  • Points:  30.4 PPG (22nd out of 30 teams) —> 25.9 PPG (13th out of 16 teams)
  • Plus/Minus:  -0.9 (17th out of 30 teams) —> -1.9 (13th out of 16 teams)
  • Field Goal Percentage:  40.9 FG% (26th out of 30 teams) —> 39.6 FG% (15th out of 16 teams)

By almost every available offensive or defensive metric, the Clippers’ bench was quite clearly their biggest weakness last year. With limited cap space to sign free agents this summer, Doc Rivers did a pretty admirable job filling out the roster with players who could either launch Lob City into the next stratosphere or be the scapegoat for another failed season.

First, the Clippers traded the rarely used Spencer Hawes and useful 3-and-D enforcer Matt Barnes to the Charlotte Hornets for Lance Stephenson, whose value had never been lower after becoming the worst three-point shooter in NBA history (17.1 percent) among players who attempted at least 100 threes.

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    • He almost singlehandedly derailed Charlotte’s season and was eventually demoted to a bench role when the ugly fit could no longer be ignored.

    But it was only a year before that that Born Ready led the league in triple-doubles and seemed poised for a breakout year as a two-way playmaker. Stephenson is a long defender and in the right environment, he could thrive like he did on those tough Pacers teams. Under the right leadership of Doc and CP3, he has a chance to contribute to a winning team again.

    Then there’s Paul Pierce, who happily reunites with his former head coach in his hometown to help a title contender after serving as a mentor for the young Washington Wizards. Pierce may be turning 38 in a few weeks, and he may not even start on the wing, but he’s still got that old man game and a penchant for knocking down big-time baskets in crunch-time.

    Lob City also added Josh Smith, a bit of a surprise considering Smoove abandoned ship from the team that sank the Clippers last season. The jokes about his inefficient three-point gunning will always bring joy into our lives, but Smith turned quite a few heads in the playoffs last season, throwing lob after lob to Dwight Howard in the frontcourt — in a way that was eerily reminiscent of the connection Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan have now.

    Other additions like Wesley Johnson, Pablo Prigioni and Cole Aldrich may not move the needle much for some, but they add depth to a team that seriously needed it last year. As for Austin Rivers, another year playing for his father could very easily help him fully transition from this infamous moment:

    to the player who emerged in the postseason and silenced the naysayers, dropping 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting against the Rockets in a crucial Game 3 victory:

    With Jamal Crawford still on the roster and plenty of help around him now, the only thing that could derail this team from finally solving its bench problem is a personality clash with so many vibrant characters in that locker room.

    Next: Storyline: How Much Longer Will CP3 Be Elite?

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