Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have taken over Los Angeles from the Lakers, but they aren’t deep enough to make a serious run at a championship.

Is J.R. Smith the Right Fit for the Clippers?

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They would be ready if they signed free agent J.R. Smith.

Smith is the kind of player that doesn’t mind coming off the bench for a team, as long as he has free range to shot when he needs to while on the floor. The man just shoots, that's it.

With Paul and/or Griffin taking time to rest, Smith is the kind of shooting guard that can carry the team, while the big stars are catching their breath.

Paul told ESPN about the prospects of signing his former teammate:

I think our chances are very high. Who knows J.R. better than me? Also he knows he'll have the opportunity to play here. He can only make us better.

As long as the Clippers don’t have any delusions of what Smith will be with the team, which is an unadulterated shooter, he will walk in and instantly give them the scoring depth to contend with a team like San Antonio or the Lakers in the playoffs.

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If the prospect of playing in Lob City wasn’t enough for the shooting star, the idea of playing with former teammates is a comfort level that Smith may yearn for since he was just trapped in China for as long as he was.

Not only was Paul a teammate of Smith’s in New Orleans, Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin spent a lot of time with the star during their stints with the Denver Nuggets. With all of the familiarity, the addition of a big personality like Smith’s would be easy to deal with.

There may be nothing better for Smith or the Clippers. Adding the bench presence of a legitimate scorer like the former Nugget means the NBA Championship may be heading back to LA.

Sorry Lakers fans, not your LA.

 

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