The Los Angeles Clippers head towards the NBA trade deadline with limited assets, but they need to make an effort to deal for these backup big men if possible.
The Los Angeles Clippers continue to grind out wins without Blake Griffin. Lately, they’ve had a couple of scares against the Orlando Magic and an overtime shock against the Philadelphia 76ers. Luckily, they managed to earn two wins, and their record without Griffin has extended to 18-4. Even though their schedule hasn’t been difficult at times since losing their All-Star forward, there’s no way to deny the Clippers have stepped up their game over the last six weeks.
However, one problem with the team that can’t be ignored is their frontcourt situation. Besides DeAndre Jordan, it’s guard play, starting with the likes of Chris Paul and J.J. Redick, that has been driving the team forward. With smaller lineups that use guys like Paul Pierce at power forward, the offense has been moving quickly, utilizing the benefits of having four shooters on the floor at any given moment.
While this can be excellent for the Clippers’ offense, that now ranks 5th in the NBA with 105.9 points per 100 possessions, the defense isn’t favored in quite the same way. Overall, L.A. have still improved in this regard, and the fact they rank 7th in defensive efficiency compared to 15th last season is worth some praise. Yet, with someone like Pierce at the four, they simply can’t match up defensively in the post or on the glass. Ranking 27th in rebounding rate pretty much sums that up.
These issues aside, the lack of frontcourt is the key issue. Now that Josh Smith has been traded back to the Houston Rockets, the only typical big left on the bench is Cole Aldrich, and he can’t do everything by himself.
Even when Blake is back, the Clippers need a new big man. Which is why they need to try to make something happen before the NBA trade deadline next week if possible — despite having such limited assets.
So, let’s just get straight to it and look into a potential backup big who can provide more toughness and rebounding to help the second unit.
Next: A defensive backup
J.J. Hickson
J.J. Hickson is the first of two possible Denver Nuggets big men that the Clippers can consider before the NBA trade deadline strikes. He may have little offensive ability and he has such a small role (receiving frequent DNPs) with the Nuggets because he is a limited player. However, seeing as Doc has so few assets at his disposal to call and offer them, this suits the Clippers just fine.
For a start, L.A. need rebounding help. They’ve elevated their performance defensively to a great extent this season, thanks to DeAndre Jordan’s high-flying rim protection and nightly 14 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. On the perimeter, Chris Paul is an All-Defensive first team talent as always while J.J. Redick, Wesley Johnson and especially Austin Rivers have upped their effort, too.
However, ranking 24th in rebounds per game right now is far from good enough. Against teams like the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder who reside at the top of the NBA in this category, the Clippers will get totally outmatched in the playoffs.
Hickson can help in this area, as he’s always been a physical presence on the boards, despite his moderate 6’9″ frame. This season, he’s averaging 10.3 rebounds per 36 minutes, and his limited role doesn’t indicate his production too well, even when converted to this time frame. Last season, he averaged 11.5 per 36 minutes and the previous two seasons he averaged at least 12.2. With minutes at power forward, he’ll have far more impact on the glass than guys like Pierce have when used in small lineups.
The Clippers need this kind of hustle, and as Hickson is currently holding players to shoot a ridiculous 16 percent lower than normal within six feet of the basket (per NBA.com), he has the kind of physical defense they need off the bench.
While it may be abrupt with the way he’s playing lately, if Doc Rivers doesn’t want Lance Stephenson long-term, he’s still (surprise, surprise) the Clippers’ best trade asset in this potential deal. He still has potential and talent, yet it’s his $9 million salary and team option for 2016-17 that adds value, due to the chance to let him walk for cap space if things don’t work out.
However, seeing as Hickson hasn’t even played in 28 of the last 31 games (nearly all of which are due to DNPs), he has very limited value to the Nuggets at the bottom of their frontcourt rotation. As they know they won’t be getting much back, the Clippers may be able to haggle for a deal giving up even less. A package revolving around someone like C.J. Wilcox, for example, could work.
Next: Looking to Brooklyn
Thaddeus Young
The Brooklyn Nets probably aren’t the first team you’d think of when searching for players the Clippers need to pursue. There are plenty of reasons why they have the third worst record in the NBA, with their severe lack of talent being right at the forefront. Meanwhile, the front office has well and truly dug them a hole. But that’s a story for another time.
Nevertheless, the Nets have some notable pieces in their frontcourt, with their starting power forward being a very worthwhile player for the Clippers to inquire about.
Thaddeus Young is worth some interest, with the kind of athleticism, size and length at 6’8″ with a seven-foot wingspan to be a far better physical presence at the four than Paul Pierce. The Truth has been showing the results of father time a lot this season, although since shooting an improved 36.3 percent from three-point range since Griffin’s absence began, his poor defense has been the glaring issue.
Of course, when Blake eventually returns, Pierce won’t need to be starting or used so frequently at power forward. For the sake of the Clippers’ success, that will be the case. However, the depth of the frontcourt is lacking, and Young can address this and some of the team’s other weaknesses.
At 27 (a full 11 years younger than Pierce), Young has far more lateral quickness and explosiveness when rotating on defense. While Pierce knows when to switch coverages and when to come over to help, Young not only has the know-how but the quickness to do so. Pierce just gets outmatched in the paint whether it’s in post-up situations, closing off drivers to the basket or rebounding, and the Clippers need to make a change if possible.
Young is averaging a career-high 9.1 rebounds per game this season (10 per 36 minutes) and is still one of the best power forwards when it comes to steals with 1.5 a night. Even though he isn’t the best low-post defender himself, he’s still better than Pierce. And from distance, he even holds opponents to shoot five percent worse than normal from three-point range (per NBA.com). Offensively, he also has a solid mid-range jumper and can drive fairly well when he puts the ball on the floor, too.
Again, the Clippers’ best bet to acquire Young will be a deal involving Stephenson or Jamal Crawford. The option to waive away Lance’s $9 million salary should be enticing for the Nets who need to make moves in free agency to improve. Alternatively, they may just want to start blowing up their troubled roster and acquire a proven scorer like Crawford or a young shooter like Wilcox.
On talent and current production alone, Stephenson hasn’t been able to prove himself on level with Young in such a limited role this season. However, if there’s one team in need of making changes, it’s the Nets.
To add frontcourt depth, defense and rebounding, Young addresses three of the Clippers’ main weaknesses.
Next: The ideal stretch-four
Darrell Arthur
Darrell Arthur is probably the perfect frontcourt target for the Clippers before the trade deadline. Now that Smith is gone, Arthur can offer far better defense than Pierce at the four and he’s an incredibly reliable option from distance. As a new pick-and-pop or catch-and-shoot player from just inside the arc, Arthur really is the perfect target for the Clippers.
In order to acquire him, Doc will have to make the best of his relatively low importance to the Nuggets. They favor their young talented centers such as Nikola Jokic, Jusuf Nurkic, Joffrey Lauvergne and, of course, Kenneth Faried as the starting power forward. Arthur is playing 20.7 minutes per game this season and as one of the bigs further down the rotation, he shouldn’t be out of the reach for a team with limited trade assets like L.A.
What could the Nuggets want in return? Well, yet again this comes down to Stephenson. Crawford is another potential trade chip in this situation, but it’s still hard to see Doc sending him away, especially now that he’s found more consistency with 16.6 points per game on 44.3 percent shooting over his last 16 outings. With this efficiency, his value has increased again, especially in the absence of Griffin.
If Stephenson’s potential and talent interests them or they just want a salary cap boost, he’s probably still the Clippers’ best bet.
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However, while Doc can’t go throwing too much at Denver (after all, he hardly has much to entice them with), Arthur is worth the attention.
He’s shooting 47 percent from 16-24 feet this season, which is only made more impressive by the fact that he takes 43 percent of all his field goal attempts from that range. He’ll be a seamless fit off the bench as a floor spacer and pick-and-pop option with Pablo Prigioni, to add another dynamic to the second unit’s offense besides guards shooting and the occasional Cole Aldrich pick-and-roll.
Finally, Arthur is a far better defender than Pierce is at the four. He’s agile away from the basket and much better bodying up against bigger players in the post, holding opponents to just 47.5 percent shooting at the rim. On top of that, he even forces players to shoot 8.5 percent worse than normal within six feet and 4.5 percent worse on two-pointers overall (per NBA.com).
Without doubt, he could be the best player the Clippers can target. If this fails, though, Hickson is still waiting further down the bench for offers.
Next: A sharpshooting power forward
Mirza Teletovic
Editor’s note: here’s a look at Mirza Teletovic — a lower priority target for the Clippers after the previous three players, but someone who could be worthy of some interest, as I discussed here last month.
The previous three players should be Doc’s priority if he’s going to target a backup big. Simply because his team are already elite offensively and they struggle more on defense with the bench and are useless on the boards. The previous three options address these issues more than who the Phoenix Suns could have to offer.
However, this idea isn’t without merit. It can allow the Clippers to replace the recently departed Josh Smith as a backup big to give them a totally different kind of option off the bench. Instead, they can have a power forward with a simple, yet vital role for any NBA team: a three-point, catch-and-shoot big.
That’s exactly what Mirza Teletovic is for the Suns, and as he’s started just one game for them this season and averages a modest 18.2 minutes a night, he’s probably not going to be totally off-limits for trade suggestions. If the Clippers can think of some kind of package deal to help ease Phoenix’s defensive struggles (perhaps with Stephenson), maybe they can look into Teletovic.
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This season, he’s averring 9.8 points and 2.1 made threes per game. If you convert his 40.6 percent three-point shooting to 36 minutes of playing time, he averages a highly respectable 19.4 points and 4.1 made threes in that time span.
To replace the now departed Smith, to take a few minutes away from Pierce with some more size, Teletovic could be a perfect, low maintenance addition.
If combined with either Griffin or Jordan, it would obviously work well, as the former’s post play/interior passing and the latter’s rebounding will benefit from Teletovic spacing the floor. As for his fit with the bench, his weak defense will at least be less obvious next to Aldrich’s energy and presence in the paint, while he can still serve as an additional option for ball handlers like Rivers and Crawford when they can’t find their own shot or attack the paint successfully.
Next: Clippers won't overreact enough to trade Blake Griffin, right?
Teletovic won’t need to be a player in a big role. He can simply step in as a complimentary piece to space the floor and take some pressure off the second unit guards trying to do all the scoring by themselves.
Another 40 percent three-point shooter always helps, and for that to come in the form of someone who can play at the four makes this target even more eye-catching for the Clippers if the Suns don’t ask for too much in return.