Breaking Down the Roles of the Los Angeles Clippers Bench to Start 2014-15
The Los Angeles Clippers bench must contribute early in order for Los Angeles to have long-term success in the 2014-15 NBA season.
Superstars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have a capable supporting cast around them, and how the second unit performs will go a long way toward determining whether the Clips can reach their championship goals.
Last season, Los Angeles ranked 19th in bench scoring with an average of 29.9 points per game. It was near last at No. 28 in field-goal percentage at 41.5 percent. Though it featured NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, those are concerns to address heading into a new campaign.
Fortunately, head coach Doc Rivers has some new additions to add to the mix who should help improve those numbers.
Spencer Hawes is the team's marquee free-agent acquisition, while rookie C.J. Wilcox is the lone draft pick. Their roles, along with that of the rest of the bench, will need to be defined clearly.
Here's how the second unit shapes up.
The End of the Bench
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Hedo Turkoglu, Jared Cunningham, Reggie Bullock and Chris Douglas-Roberts project to find themselves near the end of the bench this season.
Among returning players, Turkoglu and Bullock averaged a team-low 10.3 and 9.2 minutes per game, respectively. Cunningham is hampered by the logjam at guard, while Douglas-Roberts still has to show sustained contributions at the NBA level in his fifth NBA season.
Hawes figures to keep Turkoglu off the floor even more, while Wilcox will threaten to cut into Bullock's minutes.
The challenges for these players lie less in their ability to contribute and more in the fact that too many players are ahead of them in the rotation.
C.J. Wilcox
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The rookie out of the University of Washington will work to do what Bullock couldn't do last year in a similar position—earn a rotation spot at 2-guard.
Wilcox comes in with the right credentials to accomplish that goal.
In four years as a Husky, he amassed a 43.3 percent field-goal percentage coupled with a 38.9 mark from beyond the arc. His goal will be to bring that shooting ability to the table in relief of J.J. Redick.
Glen Davis
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In his first full year reunited with his Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, Davis should see the floor a fair amount after signing as a free agent in 2014.
The NBA champion has a career average of 13.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per 36 minutes, which proves he's capable of chewing up minutes at the key frontcourt position. But in order to do that for this Clippers squad, he'll need to stay healthy and in basketball shape.
Those two factors will make the difference in determining how successful he'll be.
At this stage, injuries have cost him significant time. He missed 69 games in his first two seasons with the Orlando Magic.
His latest ailment, a right groin strain, per ESPN Los Angeles' Arash Markazi, threatens to cost him time at the beginning of this season.
The good news for the Clippers is that reinforcements are available if Davis' injury lingers.
Ekpe Udoh
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Enter Ekpe Udoh, a 6'10" forward-center who brings modest career numbers with him in his first season with the Clippers. Over a five-year career, he's averaged 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game to go along with a 42.8 field-goal percentage.
Those offensive numbers don't jump off the stat sheet.
But on defense, he's managed 2.6 blocks per 36 minutes. He'll spend time keeping DeAndre Jordan out of foul trouble and clogging the middle for stretches.
With Davis' injury question marks, Udoh could log more minutes early on. His time will be mostly spent spelling both Jordan and Griffin with an emphasis on protecting the rim, especially in Jordan's absence.
Jordan Farmar
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When Darren Collison departed over the offseason via free agency, the Clippers had to find a replacement capable of running the offense behind Paul. Farmar could prove to be an ideal fit in the critical reserve point guard role.
The former UCLA Bruin's career has been a wild ride of sorts.
He won two titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010, spent a year playing overseas and had to bear the worst season in Lakers history a season ago.
Despite the struggles with the purple and gold, Farmar emerged from the 2013-14 debacle with respectable numbers.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, his player efficiency rating was a league-average 15.0 in 41 games with the Lakers. Injuries played a role in limiting his effectiveness, so it's reasonable to conclude that he's up for the job behind Paul.
Considering all he's been through in his career, it's hard to believe he's only approaching 28 years old.
Spencer Hawes
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The acquisition of Hawes will do wonders for both Griffin and Jordan.
That's because the big man can play either the 4 or 5 spot and stretch the floor. His perimeter game will take pressure off both starters.
He's a career 36.1 percent shooter from beyond the arc. Furthermore, Hawes is coming off his best stretch in that regard in 27 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, when he shot 44.8 percent from long range.
In addition, he's a capable passer who rebounds well enough to make an impact without the ball in his hands.
Hawes' role will be to keep defenders honest with his shooting and, in turn, open things up for the offense.
With his versatility, he'll fit in neatly and make the game easier for the incumbents.
Jamal Crawford
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The final piece of the Clippers bench is its most important one.
Reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year Crawford will look to recapture the form that won him the coveted honor for the second time in his storied career. This season, he'll serve in the same role.
If he gets anywhere close to the numbers he put up last year, the Clippers' second unit will be much-improved given its added pieces.
Crawford averaged 18.6 points and 3.2 assists per game in 69 contests last season. He did so with a Basketball-Reference.com player efficiency rating of 17.3, nearly two points above his career average of 15.6.
He'll have more support, presumably fewer injuries in front of him and more resources to make his job easier this year. It's not likely he'll recapture the award, but that's a good thing in the context of the bigger picture.
It means the team around him is contributing in a greater capacity and well on its way to title contention.
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