The bulk of the free agent maneuvers have taken place, the movers and shakers of the NBA have exhausted their cap space, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t significant roster additions and subtractions that can still take place. One such maneuver was the Los Angeles Clippers quietly attaining the services of power forward Josh Smith, signing him to a one year veterans minimum contract. On it’s face, quite the coup for Balmer’s baby, but let’s not forget that Smith, having been waived by the Pistons, is provided the luxury of signing such a diminished deal, due to Detroits subsidization of his salary. Smith’s selection of Los Angeles as his workplace grants the Clippers a far more advantageous standpoint to begin the season, at the same time relegating that of his former team and Clippers eliminator, Houston Rockets. Detroit’s casting off of the mercurial forward belies the robustness of Smith’s contribution to Houston’s Western Conference Finals trip this past season. Inarguably, Smith was a key piece of Houston’s charge through the Playoffs, going so far as to rank second in usage, in the Rocket’s Harden-dominated offense. Smith’s departure drastically effects Houston’s chances and leaves them lacking the much needed veteran depth to progress to the Playoffs latter rounds. For the Clippers on the other hand, well they go deeper than Laurence Fishburne in 1992.
For the entirety of the Clippers 2015 Playoff run, they primarily employed a six man rotation. There’s no question, benches shorten in the big games, but six runs the risk of wearing your players thinner than Manut Bol in a swimming pool. This offseason, problem solved. LA pulled off it’s most critical operation in snatching back Deandre Jordan from the clutches of Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks, traded for Lance Stephenson and signing, Doc Rivers favorite and all around assassin, Paul Pierce. Now, with Smith in the mix the Clippers actually possess a legitimate, experienced lineup that will prove to be a valid threat in the powerhouse Western Conference. Los Angeles was able to add the aforementioned pieces while only parting ways with rarely used center Spencer Hawes and starter Matt Barnes, whom, while a solid player, has always been accurately perceived as the weakness of the Clippers starting five. Throw in a little Chris Paul, some Blake Griffin and a J.J. Redick and the Clippers should be sitting pretty. It remains to be seen what the team will chose to do with premier sixth man Jamal Crawford, a player whose shipping out would be a disastrous decision, scoring off the bench is as valuable as it gets.
Nevertheless, with Smith the Clippers now have what they sorely missed in their far too brief Playoff run, a solid bench of veterans to blend into their stellar starting core. The Clippers have long been a contender, but never a true threat to win it all. Well, times have changed. Much of the offseason discussion has revolved around the revamped Spurs, their ability to retain their key players while adding star power forward Lamarcus Aldridge. With the best coach in the league, they’ll be terrific. The Warriors have somehow been able to fly completely under the radar and managed to be he-who-shall-not-be-named in regards to championship defense. Assuredly, the Clippers are now in line with the two preeminent Western teams and whoever tops the depleted East. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Deandre Jordan, JJ Redick, Lance Stephenson, Paul Pierce, Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford, that a championship contender does make.
