The Los Angeles Clippers brought in Paul Pierce to fill a void on the roster, but head coach Doc Rivers has a humorous plan concerning when to send The Truth into games during the 2015-16 season.
According to ESPN’s Chris Forsberg, Rivers joked that his expectations for Pierce merely include garbage-time contributions:
Doc Rivers on what he expects from Paul Pierce with Clippers: “Well, hopefully make some shots when we are up 20 in the fourth quarter."
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) September 2, 2015
Without a doubt, Pierce’s basketball days are in the past. Last season, he tallied a career-low 26.2 minutes and 11.9 points per game as a member of the Washington Wizards.
However, the Clippers need the soon-to-be 38-year-old to assert himself as a reliable complementary piece, especially considering he’ll likely be the starting small forward.
Los Angeles can lean on a trio of All-NBA players—point guard Chris Paul, power forward Blake Griffin and center DeAndre Jordan—to carry the team, but Pierce and the remainder of the roster’s depth will be the ultimate difference in the Clippers improving on a successful yet not fulfilling 2014-15 campaign.
During the Western Conference semifinals, Los Angeles held a 3-1 series lead over the Houston Rockets. Unfortunately for Rivers and Co., the team collapsed and lost three straight, bowing out in the postseason after topping the vaunted San Antonio Spurs.
The Clippers hope signing Pierce, Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson addressed their biggest weakness, and they’ll certainly need more than garbage-time production from Pierce to make a serious run at an NBA championship.