ESPN sources say Clippers lobbying DeAndre Jordan to reverse his decision to join Dallas

I don't know if you watched the playoffs this past season, but Paul Pierce had a pretty big impact for the Wizards. The Hawks were double teaming him in the 4th quarter at times. I mean, he is going to turn 38 this year but isn't Tim Duncan turning 40 this year? Pierce, like Duncan, have never relied on athleticism compared to their peers in the NBA. They have both relied on their basketball IQ and that is why they can still be effective at such advanced ages. Even at the age of 38, Pierce will totally kill teams if he is left wide open like Barnes was last season. Additionally, he's a pretty big small forward. If teams want to use their best wing defender on CP3, then Pierce can post up whatever guard isn't covering CP3. This addition totally helps CP3 as well because he won't have to deal with wing defenders covering him so often.

In the case of the Rockets, they will likely keep Ariza on CP3 so that means that Harden will have to either guard JJ Redick or Paul Pierce. I'm thinking the Rockets will have Lawson chase Redick around screens and have Harden guard Pierce. This will give Pierce a good opportunity to get some easy post up points.

 

Paul Pierce cannot play any defense any more.
At his age his offence will fall off at any moment as well.

 

LOL post ups are the easiest to defend for harden

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">DeAndre Jordan stopped Chandler Parsons as he was walking by, said something to him and they both laughed.</p>&mdash; Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) <a href="https://twitter.com/latbbolch/status/631564119800328192">August 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">DeAndre Jordan on what he said to Chandler Parsons: &quot;I told him that I loved him so much.&quot;</p>&mdash; Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) <a href="https://twitter.com/latbbolch/status/631567168405049344">August 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

On paper the Clippers look very dangerous. Still, this is why you play the games. No one had the Warriors winning it all last year. No one.

 

Poor Chandler just wants to be loved.

 

Yeah, I remember thinking the Nets/Lakers looked like they would demolish the league when the Howard/Nash and Pierce/KG trades happened.

Stephenson, Smith, Pierce could end up being great additions, but at the same time Stephenson and Smith can return to their toxic forms, Pierce can crumble under his age, Prigs + Aldrich + Johnson can turn out to be non contributors as well. On top of that Reddick/Crawford are getting up their in age.

Time will tell how good they are.

 

I think Chandler is either traded some time this year or he is going to fly off to one of the LA teams at the end of his contract.

 

That's very true. I think there is a thing as too much talent- especially with older guys.

 

Yeah, he's going to be opting in on that player option.

 

Well, I had a bet on the Warriors +1100 to win the Western Conference last year.

 

I think the big difference is that the Clippers still run through their core big three of CP3, Blake, and Deandre who have played together for several years now. The additions are all support players that Doc will need to manage. And Lance and Smith are literally playing for contracts next year so it behooves them to put in the best season they possibly can to get paid next year. Pierce is not expected to carry any load physically as I think Doc see's him more of a coach on the court. The Clippers biggest weakness last year besides lack of bench confidence is that their big three were lacking toughness. Pierce can definitely set an example and show Blake Griffin how to fight back without picking up so many T's. Doc has been telling him the last two years, but it doesn't seem to register. Blake is the man on this team and he needs to act like it. He is too courteous to letting CP3 get his way. He needs to go and get the ball and take charge and I think Pierce will be a big part of that growth process without pissing CP3 off.

 

Granted they have 'better' known names on the bench. But I just don't see any of them picking up the slack when Jordan, Blake or CP3 are resting.
38+min per game is not sustainable for 80+ games plus finals not to mention if they get injuries.

 

The Warriors had a change in the coaching staff and Draymond Green became an all star during the season. The Clippers are still run by Doc Rivers and have the same core of players.

 

The Clippers were a dangerous team last year already! Doc is a good coach and they added depth, which is the one thing they were missing. The core is still the same, but don't forget that they had one of the best starting 5s in the entire league.

 

I think the Clippers fans are going to have a roller coaster of a season with huge ups and downs.

We all know how good Stevenson/Smith can play and also how unbearably terrible they can play and that changes almost on a nightly basis. They'll be an interesting team to watch for sure.

 

The Clippers are a team that could get eliminated in the first round or go all the way. In part due to how deep the West is, but also because of how erratic their players are. Just look at how well they played from Game 6 vs the Spurs all the way through Game 4 vs the Rockets(the last quarter and a half of Game 2 notwithstanding) before going into the toilet in Games 5-7.

There are some issues with that roster. They don't have many options at small forward. Pierce is a clutch player, but he's also 38 years old. He can't start for them at that position if they hope for him to have anything left in the tank in the playoffs. Wesley Johnson is 10 years younger, but I don't know if he can be counted on to be a starter.

Also, the rest of the bench while deeper, isn't perfect. Austin Rivers and Pepperoni are their backup PGs. Smith can look brilliant in one game and remind everyone why Detroit paid him to go away in the next game. Lance Stephenson is coming off a disastrous season in Charlotte. Jamal Crawford will be 36 next season. And they don't have much at the backup center position.

And one other thing. They'll constantly be getting hacked intentionally with both Jordan and Smith on the roster. Popovich must be drooling at the prospect of playing the Clippers again.

 

Too much talent is not a problem. Too much ego is. Unfortunately, talent and ego often go hand in hand. There aren't many Tim Duncans in the league. Also, old guys are more prone to injury risk.

Relying on a core of some 35+ stars is quite risky. If you add to it the ego which would not take a lesser role, then it just kills the team morale.

 

I can see him going to Orlando to be honest

 

Clippers fined $250K for 'violating anti-circumvention rules' in DeAndre Jordan pitch