Much of the offseason has been centered on the controversial turnaround of DeAndre Jordan, but aside from that, the Clippers have retooled themselves into perhaps a vastly improved roster heading into the 2015–16 NBA wars.
And for Doc Rivers, who until training camp realized this, the season may not be totally reliant on his starters.
Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan are expected to start off with their usual chores. Looking down the bench of the Clippers, though, the men waiting to be called out could technically be starters on any night, making the team pretty much unpredictable.
Imagine the likes of Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson, Wes Matthews, Jamal Crawford, and Josh Smith in one team. These guys are certified starters and could be tapped at any time by Rivers if he chooses.
The Western Conference is then again not like any normal division, seeing teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, and Houston Rockets having their own talented rosters that make the Western Conference matchup something to watch.
So the question now is how will the Clippers match up against them?
Rivers seems to be focusing at something that has been proven to be a winning formula — defense. And as everyone knows, that is why the Clippers could not afford to lose Jordan. He is a pillar of strength on the defensive end and had the Clips lost him to the Dallas Mavericks, such would have made their middle pretty much penetrable.
Flexible and versatile, the Clippers indeed look good on paper. But Rivers may have other things in mind. Among those include plans of going small and using Josh Smith at center, something that the Golden State Warriors used to win the NBA title last season.
Would it work for the Clippers too? It is worth a try.
Aside from that, the Clippers have the experience with Pierce around. He may not be young as before but he still has the nerves of steel to step up when the need arises, including when the game is on the line.
As for the rest, well, it depends. Basketball is a team game so in the end it may be all about blending in and accepting your role which Rivers is working on as early as now.
"This year, this team, you can see that they have this thing. They want to bring somebody along with them," Rivers said. "My vision of this team in the past was everyone worked on their game," he added.
