The Clippers, still not done dealing after signing Kenyon Martin on Friday, will pursue guard J.R. Smith after the team he plays on in the Chinese Basketball Assn. finishes its season and he becomes eligible to play in the NBA, said a person not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
The Clippers aren’t getting enough production off the bench behind small forward Caron Butler and feel as if Smith can provide the team with a big scoring punch at the position, the person said.
There’s no reason to think that the Clippers wouldn’t be Smith’s first choice of where to sign once he’s freed from his obligation in China. Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin played with Smith in Denver, and know exactly how to deal with the sometimes-volatile guard who has been known to shoot the lights out when given the chance.
As the Clips continue their apparent quest to re-form the Denver Nuggets of the first half of last season (that’s a joke, people), it’s worth noting that this sudden frenzy within the organization to trade for and sign talented players at every turn is a pretty big departure from the way the team has operated in the past.
The Clippers are actually being smart about decision-making, and in the short term, it’s paying off.
The Chris Paul trade was a gift from God David Stern, but Blake Griffin is an asset that was earned through one of many seasons of dismal losses and assembling an embarrassingly-poor collection of talent. Billups was a victim of the new amnesty clause, and L.A. was the only team to put in a claim for him, risking the possibility that Billups may be disgruntled and not want to play there after being tossed aside by the Knicks.
Mo Williams was a throw-in in the deal that got rid of Baron Davis’ albatross of a contract at the trade deadline a season ago, and at the time, many questioned whether the Clippers, who gave up their unprotected 2011 first round draft pick that turned into Kyrie Irving, gave up too much.
Well, Williams is averaging 18.4 points per game off the bench in his last 10, and as good as Irving has been in his rookie season, he’s not needed on a team that’s fortunate enough to have Chris Paul in its starting lineup.
The Clippers haven’t exactly become the New York Yankees of the NBA, but bringing in new talent left and right to surround Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan with has to be satisfying for the small group of fans who have chosen to suffer with this squad over the years. Martin will add some much-needed front court depth (seriously, no contending team should ever be forced to play Brian Cook), and Smith will add yet another strong scoring punch off the bench.
There’s no question that the league began the power shift in Los Angeles by not allowing Paul to go to the Lakers. But the Clippers, by going out and getting as much additional talent as possible, should be credited for doing everything they can to finish the job.
