With Lance Stephenson In, What's the Los Angeles Clippers' Next Move?
PLAYA VISTA, Calif. — On Thursday, the Los Angeles Clippers spent the morning and early afternoon "gearing up" the town with their new, edgier logo.
Gillian Zucker, the team's president of business operations, greeted commuters at Union Station with freshly emblazoned t-shirts. Team owner Steve Ballmer passed out cupcakes and more t-shirts at Sprinkles downtown. Head coach Doc Rivers and Ralph Lawler, the longtime voice of the Clippers, joined fans for hot dogs and even more t-shirts at Pink's near Hollywood.
But the real reveal came later on, when the Clippers introduced their newest, edgiest member: shooting guard Lance Stephenson.
In terms of skill and production, L.A. didn't have to sacrifice much to pry the brash Brooklynite from the Charlotte Hornets. Spencer Hawes, the most expensive of several "busts" from last summer's free-agent haul, will take his three-point stroke (35.1 percent for his career) and approximately $18.5 million left on his contract with him to the Queen City. Matt Barnes, in some ways the Clippers' heart and soul—if not, at times, their "id"—is also on his way, though the Hornets could cut him for cap savings before the end of the month.
But the departures leave L.A. thinner than ever at two of its most threadbare spots from last season (i.e. backup center and small forward) and, with Stephenson aboard, more crowded than ever at guard.
It's only natural to wonder, then, what other makeover measures are in store for the Pacific Division runners-up.
Rivers refused to delve into specifics about his next moves at Stephenson's introductory press conference, albeit while tacitly acknowledging the deficiencies that his latest deal opens up.
"Well, we need to add players, obviously," Rivers said when asked about his plans going forward. "This was a two-for-one, so that means one more, but we still have a lot of work to do. I don't want to say what positions. I think it's pretty easy to figure out."
Indeed, you only need to look at the vacancies left behind by Hawes and Barnes to figure out where the Clippers could turn to from here.
Without Hawes, L.A. is no closer to filling out a frontcourt that, even with the seven-foot tonsorial enthusiast, left much to be desired behind Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. According to NBA.com, the Clippers ranked right around the league average in terms of defensive efficiency (15th) and rebounding percentage (17th), despite sporting Jordan, the back-to-back rebounding champ and one of the game's foremost interior defenders, at center.
The possibility of Jordan's departure only intensifies the need for the Clippers to bolster their corps of bigs. Jordan will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and though L.A. holds a clear home-court advantage (i.e. more money, a clear-cut role on a title contender and a continuation of his fruitful relationship with Rivers), DeAndre's reported rift with Chris Paul could steer him elsewhere.
Barnes' shoes, on the other hand, may be easier for the Clippers to fill, and not just because small forwards are in steadier supply than athletic bigs. Rivers hinted at Stephenson's proficiency as a two-way wing.
"We've been looking at Lance longer than just this summer because of the dual roles he can play," Rivers revealed. "I think he has the ability defensively to play three positions: the point, the two and the three. And I think offensively, with his ball-handling ability, his ability to play in the open court and his power, I think it fits our team very well."
It might even fit too well, given what (and who) is already on the roster.
Rivers said he envisions Stephenson as the Clippers' primary ball-handler off the bench—a role currently occupied (to great effect) by Jamal Crawford, a two-time Sixth Man of the Year. According to ESPN's Arash Markazi, the Clippers could trade Crawford for help elsewhere, with Denver's Wilson Chandler as a potential target. Crawford's contract will expire at the end of the 2015-16 season, and he can be cleared out even sooner, with the full amount ($5.675 million) guaranteed only if he's still on a roster come July 1, per Spotrac.
Though he's one of the club's more popular players, Crawford's skill set will essentially be rendered redundant by Stephenson's arrival. And as far as youth, strength and athleticism, there's no contest between the spindly, 35-year-old Crawford and the brawny, 24-year-old Stephenson.
Stephenson appears to be a better fit than Crawford for the type of team Rivers is attempting to put together this offseason.
"We feel like we have to get deeper, we have to get more athletic, we have to add toughness, we have to be a better defensive team," Rivers stated.
Stephenson checks off all of those boxes, albeit only when he's locked in. Stephenson arrives in L.A. with a reputation for rubbing those around him—friend and foe alike—the wrong way and troubling his team in the process.
When asked about restoring that sullied reputation of his, Stephenson vowed to "work hard on getting them rumors out because that's not the issue."
"When I'm on the court, I've got that type of energy where it looks like I'm yelling at somebody, but I feel like when I talk to my teammates, it amps them and makes them work harder," Stephenson explained. "I want to take that title off my name, because that's not me. I'm a very good locker room guy."
Who else will be in that locker room remains to be seen. Rivers, though, insisted that Stephenson and Crawford would be able to "figure it out" on the court if need be.
"You bring in as much talent as you can get and then you figure it out," Rivers said. "That's basically how it works, and we will be able to do that."
Rivers' work from the front office thus far has been spotty, at best, from trading away Eric Bledsoe in 2013 and using a first-round pick to offload Jared Dudley last summer, to signing Hawes and Jordan Farmar, to acquiring Austin Rivers, his son, from the Boston Celtics during the 2014-15 slate.
What's clear, though, is that the Clippers still have holes to fill before the fall. No rebranding campaign, however vast or aggressive, can mask that.
Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
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