Clippers Player Spotlight: Paul Pierce

By csnJulianAndrews2015
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Updated: October 29, 2015

The Los Angeles Clippers have been on the rise these past few years. The Clippers franchise have gone through a rough patch by making the playoffs four times in thirty years. Now with a change of culture, the Clippers have made the playoffs four times since the 2011 season. Doc Rivers is creating a system with a group of guys that have been around his system or the organization.

The new curse for the new look Clippers is known as the “semifinal curse.” After acquiring Chris Paul, the Clippers haven’t been able to get passed the semifinals. They had a great chance last year in the Semifinals against the Houston Rockets, as they were up 3-1 in the series, ultimately losing the series in 7 games. The Clippers are now under a rebuilding process, starting with changing their team logo and also adding eight new guys on the roster. Paul Pierce is the key addition to the Clippers, as he brings his leadership and experience of winning at the highest stage. Pierce was born in Oakland, but raised in Los Angeles as he attended Inglewood High School. He should be comfortable playing in front of his loved ones and his former coach, Doc Rivers. Paul is no stranger to the playoffs; he’s made the postseason 12 times out of his 17-year career. He’s proven himself by averaging 20 points per game in the regular season and postseason.

The Los Angeles Clippers replaced Matt Barnes and slide Paul Pierce into the starting lineup. We were able to see Paul deliver a clutch shot against the Blazers this preseason. The confidence he showed in the preseason will give his teammates and coaches a reason to trust him faster. But during the course of the season, Paul will need to find his rhythm and the spacing on the court. As he gets older, Pierce still knows how to pick his spots of hitting big shots for his team. The Clippers went into a slump last year of finding that guy to hit a big shot when Chris Paul is being hounded by the defense. Paul will be able to help CP3 with buzzer-beater shots.

This season, the LA Clippers will need to focus on the defensive side of the ball, they were tied at 14^th in NBA for points allowed (100.1), tied for 24^th for three pointers allowed (8.3), and tied 15^th at forcing turnovers. Paul Pierce isn’t going to be much help on this side of ball, because of his age and the minutes he has put in the NBA. With Pierce being in the starting lineup on Opening Night against the Kings, he will add scoring to the small forward position. His toughness and experience will help the Clippers get through minor obstacles this season.

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