Doc Rivers believes Clippers now match up with best in the West

DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan re-signed with the Clippers for four years and $88 million/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers

 

The Clippers have made several additions to their roster during the off-season. The players brought on board include Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson, Josh Smith, Cole Aldrich, Wesley Johnson and draft pick Branden Dawson.

That’s not to mention the Clippers re-signed DeAndre Jordan and Austin Rivers and are expected to soon make the signing of Pablo Prigioni official once he passes his physical, which, according to a league source is all that remains for that to be a done deal.

The question is, how do the Clippers now stack up with the best in the West? Golden State is NBA champion, San Antonio now has LaMarcus Aldridge and Oklahoma City figures to be very tough, providing it stays healthy.

Coach Doc Rivers believes his team is right there with anyone and everyone in the conference.

“Well, I think we’re better,” Rivers said. “And I think you have to be better. The West is better in a lot of ways. Oklahoma is better because they’ll be healthy. I think people are forgetting about them. San Antonio has gotten a lot better. But I think we have gotten a lot better as well. And Golden State, they’re the champs. So they’ve gotten better by winning it. Their swag, their confidence now will be hard. You have to knock that off.

“But the one thing I do look at this team is you look at the last two champions, we’ve beaten the last two in the playoffs. Two years ago we beat Golden State and last year we beat San Antonio. So the last two teams that have won titles we knocked them out in the last two years as well.”

That means a lot, Rivers said.

“So (that) tells us we’re right there,” he said. “But we’re not over the hump yet. And that’s what we have to get this year.”

Branden Dawson talks about what Clippers fans can expect from him

Branden  Dawson

Branden Dawson/Photo courtesy of Michigan State

 

Branden Dawson, who was picked 56th in the recent NBA Draft, was asked at a recent news conference what Clippers fans can expect to see from him in the upcoming season.

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward was not shy in his response.

“I’ll say definitely my energy, my toughness, and I’m just a team player,” Dawson said. “I come from Michigan State. Always been competitive, playing with (coach) Tom Izzo, it’s something that he instilled in me, just being competitive, playing with energy and I’m going to do whatever it takes.

“I love to win and I like being around a good group of guys. And I’m willing to do anything, so I’m excited.”

Dawson averaged 10.3 rebounds in the recently concluded Orlando Summer League, second only to the 11.7 averaged by Aaron Gordon of Orlando Blue.

 

Cole Aldrich stoked to be with Clippers after escape from New York

Cole Aldrich

Cole Aldrich/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers

 

You have to wonder who might have been the happiest guy in the room Tuesday when the Clippers hosted a news conference at Staples Center to re-introduce DeAndre Jordan and Austin Rivers to L.A. reporters, as well as introduce newcomers Paul Pierce, Wesley Johnson, Josh Smith, Branden Dawson and Cole Aldrich.

Well, since Jordan just signed a four-year contract worth an estimated $88 to stay with the Clippers, he was probably the most stoked in a room that also included coach Doc Rivers. But Aldrich was, perhaps, almost as thrilled because he went from the rebuilding New York York Knicks to the contending Clippers in a New York minute.

“I love it,” said Aldrich, a 6-foot-11 post who will back up Jordan. “You know, going from New York last year, where we struggled, to being on a contending team, it’s going to be awesome. You’ve got a bunch of guys that are going to come in every day and work hard and have fun doing it.”

Aldrich, 26, played his college ball at Kansas. He has career scoring and rebounding averages of 3.1 and 3.4. But he’s coming off his best season, in which he averaged 5.5 points and 5.5 rebounds as well as 1.1 blocks.

Aldrich signed a two-year contract with a player option for the second season. He is slated to make the veterans’ minimum this coming season, which for him is $1,100,602.

Wesley Johnson may have changed teams, but he’s still in the West

Wesley Johnson

Wesley Johnson/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Lakers

 

Wesley Johnson recently moved down the hall to sign with the Clippers. He may have changed teams, but he’s still in the ultra-tough Western Conference.

“It’s tough,” said Johnson, who played the past two seasons with the Lakers. “Everybody can see that. Night in, night out, the teams you go up against, it’s a battle. So definitely with the people we added to the team and me coming along, I think we’re able to compete every night with them and stand toe to toe with anybody. But night in, night out, the West it’s a tough conference.”

Johnson averaged 9.9 points this past season for the Lakers.

Clippers agree to terms with guard Pablo Prigioni on 1-year deal

Although no contract has been signed, the Clippers have come to terms on a 1-year agreement with guard Pablo Prigioni, a league source has confirmed.

Prigioni, out of Argentina, would be paid the veterans’ minimum, which in his case is $981,348. Prigioni, 38, has played three seasons in the NBA. He played two-plus seasons with the New York Knicks before being traded to the Houston Rockets in February.

Prigioni has a career scoring average of 3.8 points. He’s also averaged 3.0 assists.

Paul Pierce would not have signed with Clippers if title were not possible

Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce/Photo courtesy of Washington Wizards

 

Paul Pierce won a title with the Boston Celtics in 2008 under current Clippers coach Doc Rivers. Pierce was Finals MVP. Interestingly, if Pierce – signed by the Clippers as a free agent – didn’t think the Clippers had the goods to win a championship in this upcoming season, he likely would have gone elsewhere.

Pierce on Tuesday was one of seven players introduced or re-introduced as members of the Clippers at a news conference at Staples Center. First, Pierce talked about what he believes his role on the team might be. The 6-foot-7 Pierce could take the departed Matt Barnes’ starting spot at small forward, or he could come off the bench.

“Like I said, I’m at the point in my career where it’s winding down,” he said. “I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I want another opportunity to win a championship. I just thought being here would be a great fit. I’m a veteran, I could be another voice for the locker room. And I could just pretty much fill any role they need me to play, whether it’s in the locker room, on the court, as 3 man, 4 man, team leader in the locker room, on and off the court. I feel I can just be that kind of like a glue guy.”

Most of all, he wants another ring.

“And I’m here with the same goal in mind that everybody else’s goal is and that’s to win a championship, truthfully,” he said. “If I didn’t think the Clippers were close, then no matter home or not, I probably wouldn’t have made this decision.”

Pierce, 37, played his high-school ball at Inglewood High. He will be entering his 18th season in the NBA. He played his first 15 seasons for the Celtics, the past two for Brooklyn and Washington, respectively.