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The Retooled Clippers Have No Room For Excuses

By Pablo Jacobo

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The Los Angeles Clippers were on the verge of seeing their title hopes crumble with the news of DeAndre Jordan agreeing to terms with the Dallas Mavericks during the moratorium. To the Clippers good fortune, Jordan had a change of heart and eventually re-signed with LA.

The whole saga was comical to say the least. The controversial indecision sparked an epic twitter emoji battle that involved Clippers and Mavs players, the Golden State Warriors, Kobe Bryant and the Jordan brand. The whole ordeal was probably the first and only time Laker and Clipper fans were united against a common foe, Mavs owner Mark Cuban.

Laker fans are still bitter at Cuban for his involvement in the nixing of the Chris Paul trade to the Lakers.

Ultimately DJ made the right choice in re-upping with the Clippers because with him anchoring the defense, they are once again title contenders. If Jordan had left the Clippers, they would have immediately dropped down to 6-8 seed territory in the Western Conference.

With Jordan back, there will be no more excuses left for the franchise to falter in the playoffs. The organization has made some quality moves that will improve their chances of challenging for the title. They’ve addressed their bench depth and added some talent that will surely help the team be one of the top squads in the WC.

Clippers have just added versatile defensive-minded forward Josh Smith. He signed with LA for the veteran’s minimum. Smith simply is an enigma to everyone because he is a terrible perimeter shooter and an even worse free throw shooter. To his credit, he makes a higher percent than Jordan. Smith brings an excellent defensive presence off the bench that can block shots, rebound, run the floor, pass the basketball and score in different ways. He would primarily back up Blake Griffin, which could mean the end of the Glen Davis era. Josh was abruptly cut by the Pistons last season for his sporadic play. He latched onto the Rockets and became a key part of Houston’s team. He played a huge role in helping the Rockets eliminate the Clippers. This could turn out to be a nice value pick up for the Clippers.

The Clippers signed hometown product Paul Pierce. The Truth is a clear upgrade over Matt Barnes given that their point of weakness in the starting lineup was small forward. Pierce is a proven player in the NBA that will bring a clutch factor that the team is in dire need of. He will provide much needed scoring from the outside to compliment J.J. Redick’s three-point shooting. He will spread the floor for the tandem of Jordan and Griffin to work inside and will be a security blanket for CP3 when the team needs a shot made. The Clippers signed the 37-year-old to a three-year deal for about $10M – a bargain for what he brings to the table.

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The Clippers also flipped the bloated contract of Spencer Hawes and Barnes for the volatile and talented Lance Stephenson. The 24-year-old has plenty of talent that will help the Clippers off the bench. Stephenson is the type of player that fits Doc Rivers’ system. He plays on both sides of the court and will be a huge addition to the second unit. On offense, Stephenson provides another playmaker on the floor and can also score the basketball. A walking triple-double when he’s zoned in. With so much talent on the court, the 6-foot-5 versatile guard is going to be a huge boost to the team. The Clippers have provided plenty of options for Stephenson when he comes off the bench. Lance is one of the best rebounding guards in the league and will be able to push the basketball once he crashes the defensive glass. His shooting was putrid last season but to his defense, it was a bad fit from the beginning. His attitude is a huge question mark, but with strong personalities like Paul and Rivers guiding him, they will keep him in check. If the Clippers get the Stephenson from the Pacer days, then $9M a year is going to be a great piece of business.

Finally the Clippers still have former sixth-man of the year Jamal Crawford in their ranks. He had a tough year last season trying to fight off injuries but unfortunately his shot struggled. Look for Crawford to bounce back next season. Austin Rivers who had a breakout performance in the playoffs has also been brought back. If Rivers can continue to build on his playoff success, then it will be another option for the Clippers. LA added two solid pieces in Wesley Johnson and Cole Aldrich too. Both are coming off career years and will provide even more depth to the roster.

The Clippers are going to be stacked this season. They have addressed their needs and have greatly improved the team. They should be considered favorites to come out the West with the 2015 NBA Champions Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. This team should enter the new campaign with a chip on their shoulders. They were supposed to be in the WCF last season. But they melted under pressure and lost a 3-1 lead in the playoffs becoming the 9th team to do so in NBA history.

Time to put up or shut up for the Clips. The team is armed and ready to finally become a viable title contender not just a playoff team. The Clippers are past that.

Next: Does DeAndre Jordan Make The LA Clippers A Title Contender?

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