J.R. Smith Not Best Fit for Los Angeles Clippers Team That Is Down but Not Out

Losing Chauncey Billups was a huge blow to the Los Angeles Clippers.  He was their best three-point shooter and a calming influence and coach on the floor when Chris Paul was out of the game. 

With him gone, the Clippers have no true shooting guard to replace him.  Randy Foye is a decent replacement, but he is undersized.  Should the Clips meet teams with guards that post—Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat to name a few—this will cause all sorts of mismatches and the need to double-team. 

I noted in an earlier article it was a mistake to let Eric Gordon, their only true 2, go in the Paul trade as it seemed unnecessary, but with the addition of Billups it was an expendable option.  Now, with Billups gone, their need for a 2-guard who can spread the floor, make plays and defend is a glaring hole in what was just starting to become a fluid offense.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Clippers will pursue J.R. Smith as a possible replacement.  I was in favor of this initially in a previous article, but I would like to be the first to retract that opinion.  Seeing the addition of Kenyon Martin receive a technical in his first game with the Clips and being reminded of his hotheadedness—or as Charles Barkley would put it, "knuckleheadedness"—I don't see it being healthy to add another headcase in Smith to an otherwise level-headed lineup. 

Especially with Chauncey now gone, as he was the voice of reason to keep these former Nuggets in line.  Without him, I just don't trust Martin nor Smith to maintain their focus in the playoffs, especially when things don't go their way.  I saw them lose their composure with Denver against the Lakers and rack up technical after technical. 

We don't need that here—not from two guys—and it definitely would happen.  With J.R., it's not a matter of if he'll cause problems—it's when. 

Instead, I believe the time is now to trade Mo Williams.  Mo has been grumbling all season about his demoted role, and his recent comments about wanting a contract extension only reiterate that his happiness about his current role has yet to change. 

Meanwhile, they have a healthy young PG in Eric Bledsoe starving for minutes.  Yes, Mo has been playing well as a sixth man, but in the playoffs it's easier to shut down bench scoring when all you have to do is focus on one man.  In Bledsoe, I believe they have someone who can replace the speed of Williams (maybe not his shooting) and by trading Mo, they can get some valuable bench pieces in backup 3 and 5 positions, or maybe even a quality starting 2. 

They also have small trade exceptions they received in the Paul deal.  With Denver on the verge of re-signing SF Wilson Chandler, who's been playing in China, they may be willing to let go of one of their small forwards in Corey Brewer or Rudy Fernandez.  Both can play at the 2 or 3 spot and could be had for the trade exception the Clippers possess. 

Fernandez is the better three-point shooter and does possess some playmaking ability, while Brewer is the superior athlete, defender and can provide a slasher to the lineup.  Either would be a good fit. 

Should the Clips turn Mo's contract into solid backups from a team in need of a point guard, say Iman Shumpert and Jerome Jordan from the New York Knicks, they could potentially have a starting 2-guard to play in Shumpert, Brewer or Fernandez (depending on which they could get) and have a bench consisting of Bledsoe at 1, Foye at 2, Shumpert/Fernandez/Brewer at the 2 or 3, Reggie Evans at 4 or 5, Martin at 4 or 5 and Jerome Jordan at 5 for the bigger center matchups. 

While none of these players are the player Williams is, collectively it makes the Clips much deeper and more importantly, flexible with lineups.  And as we've seen with the Nuggets, sometimes it's better to have multiple guys who can play over one guy who is individually better.  

With over half the season left, there still would be enough time to develop chemistry with a slew of new players but these trades would have to be made sooner than later.  The Clippers then could boast an All-Star starting five with the bench depth of a Denver squad. 

I'd take that over a tiny starting backcourt and a one-man bench any day.