One of the best parts of covering the Clippers is guessing what Doc Rivers would do as GM.
Making a trade at the deadline? Something Doc would do. Trading Blake Griffin to save his job? Something Doc would do. Acquiring an 1) over-the-hill talent or 2) a not-good NBAplayer after the trade deadline via the buyout market? Definitely something Rivers would do (see: Turkoglu, Hedo), which is why the revelation of Denver’s J.J. Hickson and Boston’s David Lee being one of several players that could be headed to free agency via buyout, per Woj of The Vertical.
"Several players almost assuredly who’ll get bought out and become free agents if they are not traded this week, leagues sources said, include Boston’s David Lee, Denver’s JJ Hickson and Brooklyn’s Andrea Bargnani."
(For reference, the reason Bargnani wasn’t included in the article header was because Bargs is beyond something Doc would do as GM.)
Onto the two named, both power forwards could help the Clippers in theory, and in theory is how Doc Rivers chooses to work as general manager. Appearing in 20 games for the Nuggets this season, Hickson is averaging 6.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest, and in Boston, Lee is averaging 7.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 30 games.
Neither forwards are key in what their respective teams are attempting to accomplish this season, with Lee falling out of favor early in the season for the likes of Amir Johnson, Tyler Zeller, etc. while Hickson — behind an impressive collection of young frontcourt talent in Kenneth Faried, Nikola Jokic, Jusuf Nurkic, and others — has been unable to break through Denver’s rotation.
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If you’re keeping score, that’s two players who just aren’t good enough for their teams, and could find themselves in a position to be acquired post-trade deadline under the lure of help. But these forwards aren’t exactly what the doctor should prescribe for the Clippers’ current situation.
Without Blake Griffin in the picture, to make up for the lost figure, Rivers has tabbed Luc Mbah a Moute, Paul Pierce, Wesley Johnson, and sometimes Lance Stephenson for membership of the “power forward by committee club”.
Excluding the seldom-used Stephenson from the equation, if comparing the other three forwards to a possible addition of Hickson or Lee, what the Clippers have on staff stands as superior, even with Pierce amidst the worst season of his career — neither Hickson or Lee can space the floor like Pierce which gives the vet added value.
Finding a player who can rebound? The D-League is likely filled with those guys, and if the talent pool doesn’t have available a guy the front office believes to be capable of manning fourth or fifth-string duties, then surely enough the free agent pool does.
Neither can defend so you don’t have to speak on that, and neither are better power forward defenders than small-ball guys in Johnson and Mbah a Moute. Shooters? Neither Lee or Hickson can shoot. What’s left after those named qualities? Much of nothing.
Sadly, none of this means anything because Doc has become unpredictably bad in judging talent for this team.
Another buyout name to keep an eye out on, who wasn’t listed in Woj’s report, is Brooklyn forward Joe Johnson. Despite having the worst season of his career statistically, averaging 11.5 points on 40% shooting (37% from three) while boasting a career-low 10.6 PER, Johnson would be an immediate improvement on Joe Johnson, and surely has all of the qualities of a player Doc would thrust into the rotation over Lance Stephenson — if kept — regardless of the results. Factor in the image Johnson did Doc’s Boston Celtics many years ago and it’s a match made in heaven.
If no major player (aka Blake) is moved, the buyout span will be far more interesting for the Clippers than the trade deadline, so we’ll keep an update on buyout rumors involving all guys who Doc Rivers would love to be a Clipper, good or bad.