NBA Rumors: Why the Los Angeles Clippers Are the Best Fit for J.R. Smith

J.R. Smith is reportedly set to return to the NBA Wednesday following his Chinese excursion as teams are lining up for his signature.

Smith would do well to follow the path laid by former teammate Kenyon Martin and sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Chris Paul appears to be doing whatever he can to get Smith to sign with LA.

Smith has always been a target for the Clippers. The injury to Chauncey Billups exacerbated the need for Smith's talents.

The Clippers have gotten almost no production behind Caron Butler at small forward, with backup Ryan Gomes only averaging 2.8 points a game.

Following the injury, which may be season-ending, there is an even bigger hole in the Clippers' lineup at shooting guard.

Randy Foye has done well coming off the bench this year, averaging almost eight points and a little over two assists a game. But if the Clippers really want to compete for a title this year, they'll need to find a replacement for Billups.

He was third on the team in scoring at 15 points a game as well as being the main threat behind the three-point line, as he averaged 2.4 made per game.

Smith's ability to play at small forward or shooting guard could kill two birds with one stone.

J.R. Smith's best trait is his shooting ability. He is a career 37.1 percent shooter from behind the three-point line.

While Smith has nowhere near the passing ability Billups possesses, he is almost a like-for-like substitute for Billups when it comes to the offense either can provide.

With Paul's playmaking abilities and Blake Griffin's post presence, adding in Smith is almost a perfect fit.

While Paul makes one of his penetrating drives or defenses surround Griffin in the post, Smith can sit wide open out on the wings.

One of the biggest drawbacks on Smith is his personality. He's caused a few off-court incidents, but let's only focus on the on-court issues.

He can be very streaky. It's all great when all of his shots are falling. Smith scored 60 points earlier in the month during a Chinese playoff game.

But look out when things start going bad. There's nothing worse than watching a cold shooter continue to put up brick after brick.

Smith also butted heads with Nuggets head coach George Karl during his time in Denver. Usually the problem between the two was either Smith's lack of effort or his shot selection.

However, the Clippers have a bit of help when it comes to handling Smith. He has played with both Billups and Martin. Those two definitely have plenty of experience in dealing with him.

J.R. Smith is a real wild card this season. While he may not be a game-changer, he can provide a very good team that extra little bit required for a championship push.