Lance Stephenson has officially played his first game as a Los Angeles Clipper. In a preseason game that is.
While there were many who had reservations on what the temperamental forward could contribute after a bust with the Charlotte Hornets, well, his first game didn't exactly pan out in getting a high mark.
His debut was, of course, expected to be a rough one and besides, it is just a preseason game. But then again and seeing how talented the Clippers are, blowing a 20-point lead and laying the blame on Stephenson isn't exactly the way to get things started.
Stephenson had a bad shooting night but at least for now, all that could be forgiven. Seeing that he is coming off injury and is allegedly nursing another right now, simply seeing him on the floor and trying to blend in is a consolation on his part.
So perhaps the better question here is up to when will the Clipper fans wait on Stephenson? Will he indeed measure up to expectations and rebound from a dreadful experience with Charlotte?
Despite all the adversities, there is one man who believes he can — Doc Rivers.
There is a reason why he took in Stephenson and this early in the season, it would be unfair to give him a failing mark. Grading could come in somewhere in the middle of the regular season, a time perhaps when most people will see if his addition is indeed worthy or not.
The Clippers are expected to improve and Stephenson to blend in. If he doesn't, well you can expect to see him more on the bench. Once that happens, the likelihood of seeing him a Clipper for long could be in question.
So until that happens, Stephenson stays. If he truly wants to fit in and show he can play, the regular season should be the best stage to do all those.
