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Los Angeles Clippers: An Early Look At The New Additions

By Cameron Stewart

Jul 21, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers players pose with jerseys at press conference at Staples Center. From left: Branden Dawson (22), DeAndre Jordan (6), Austin Rivers (25), coach Doc Rivers and Josh Smith (5), Cole Aldrich (45), Paul Pierce (34) and Wesley Johnson (33). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 21, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers players pose with jerseys at press conference at Staples Center. From left: Branden Dawson (22), DeAndre Jordan (6), Austin Rivers (25), coach Doc Rivers and Josh Smith (5), Cole Aldrich (45), Paul Pierce (34) and Wesley Johnson (33). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 14, 2015, Shanghai, China; Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul Pierce (34) during the game as the Los Angeles Clippers take on the Charlotte Hornets at Mercedes-Benz Arena. Hornets beat the Clippers by a score of 113-71. Mandatory Credit: Danny La-USA Today Sports
Oct 14, 2015, Shanghai, China; Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul Pierce (34) during the game as the Los Angeles Clippers take on the Charlotte Hornets at Mercedes-Benz Arena. Hornets beat the Clippers by a score of 113-71. Mandatory Credit: Danny La-USA Today Sports /

Paul Pierce

The new addition with the best career accomplishments is undoubtedly Paul Pierce. The future Hall of Famer has made one of the better transitions from star player to veteran role player in recent memory.

Pierce didn’t replace Matt Barnes as the starter as most people penciled him in for. Instead, he has joined the bench unit as a small-ball power forward. Pierce’s minutes have been down even more than expected at 19.6 minutes per game. The Clippers’ commitment to keeping his minutes down was evidenced in the game against the Warriors, in which he played only 18 minutes and wasn’t on the floor during crunch time.

Pierce is averaging 19.6 minutes per game and it seems like the goal is for him is to keep him at around 20 minutes per game and keep him fresh for the playoffs.

When Pierce is on the floor, he’s had mixed results but comes with a track record to give him the benefit of the doubt. Pierce is averaging 6.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He hasn’t been shooting the ball well (37.5 FG% and 20 3P%). Both of those numbers are well below his career averages and are probably due more to lack of good looks than his ability. Pierce hasn’t played much with the starting unit at the small forward spot, which is surprising.

I already talked about the advantages, disadvantages, and team strategy that come with playing Pierce as a small-ball power forward so I won’t go too deep into that. But he has held his own defending bigs and has given the Clippers’ bench unit a few good opportunities with advantages in matchups and spacing despite the bench’s Jekyll and Hyde routine.

Pierce did show one glimpse of why the Clippers signed him in their season opener against the Sacramento Kings. The Clippers had a lead that hovered around double-digits for the majority of the game until a 15-1 run by the Kings gave them a fourth quarter lead. That’s when Paul Pierce did something he’s done numerous times throughout his 18-year career.

It seems like Paul Pierce only exists nowadays to knock down daggers and important jumpers that kill the momentum of opposing teams. When other players are tightening up and perhaps succumbing to the pressure of stopping a run, Pierce excels in those moments. The Clippers had suffered with tightening up last season and it ended up costing them their title run.

Next: Wesley Johnson

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