Rowan Kavner
SHENZHEN, China - Head coach Doc Rivers finally has multiple viable options to start at small forward.
And yet, they couldn’t be more different.
Rivers said during training camp he’d prefer to keep Lance Stephenson among a backup trio with Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford. That leaves Wesley Johnson and Paul Pierce as Doc Rivers’ starting options, with both players already notching one start apiece through two preseason games.
“I think it’ll be one of those things we change it night to night,” Doc Rivers said. “We’re versatile enough to be able to do that.”
On one side is Pierce, an All-Star, former NBA Finals MVP and champion who spent the first 15 seasons of his career on a dangerous Boston team, developing his relationship with Rivers and defining himself as one of the league’s top clutch performers. He has 17 NBA seasons under his belt, 12 of which included postseason appearances.
Doc Rivers’ comfort with Pierce is evident in interviews, practices and games. Despite years away from each other, as Rivers drew up a play he hadn’t discussed prior with the team in the preseason opener, Pierce immediately remembered running it in the past with Rivers.
“Doc runs a certain system,” Pierce said. “I’ve been around and played with it for 10 years, a lot of the same stuff, some new stuff. I’ve got a great understanding of the offense and know the spots to be in.”
On the other side is Johnson, a former top-five pick who’s never had the luxury of playing for a winning team in his five previous NBA seasons and is still looking to make his mark in the league at age 28. He’s not only learning a new offense, but a new offense at two different positions, as Doc Rivers is having both Pierce and Johnson get reps with the starters at small forward and the backups at power forward.
“We changed a lot of stuff up,” Johnson said. “For me, learning that four position…I’ve got to learn on the fly, watch a lot of film and get it as quickly as I can.”
Their level of experience is vastly different. Their challenge, however, remains the same.
Pierce and Johnson need to replace Matt Barnes’ production in the starting lineup. Barnes started the season as the only legitimate option to start at small forward, but he finished it with one of the best seasons of his career and served as an example of what can happen at the position in this offense with this supporting cast.
Barnes shot 36.2 percent from 3-point range last year, marking one of two seasons in his career he’s shot at least 36 percent from deep. He also averaged double digits in scoring for the third time in his career.
Many of his 3-pointers came on open looks in the corner, which Pierce and Johnson both know they have to hit and be ready for more than ever before. Each player has hit one corner 3-pointer through two preseason games.
Chris Paul said it just works that way in this offense, with a bevy of strong passers finding the small forward in that particular spot. While both Pierce and Johnson are used to shooting more above the break 3-pointers in the past, Pierce is well aware where most of his looks will come from with this starting unit.
“I understand my role at this stage. I think the transition’s going to be easy – get to the corner and make 3-pointers,” Pierce said with a laugh.
So far, he’s looked more comfortable in his role. But the Clippers know they’re going to need both Pierce and Johnson for the group to look the way it wants to this season in replacing Barnes, a player Paul called “one of a kind.”
“Replacing Matt, I think we have a lot of different guys,” Paul said. “Wes is going to be amazing. Paul is going to bring that veteran leadership as well as playing. It’s going to be Lance, it’s going to be different guys.”
And it’s going to take time.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that Pierce has fit right in, nor should it come as a surprise that Johnson needs to figure out the ins and outs of the new system. Doc Rivers said during the preseason he wants to try different combinations, and if the Clippers happen to win, that’s great.
The primary concern, though, is on getting his team ready for when it counts. That means trying players in different spots, and, for Johnson, going through stellar days and pitfalls while figuring out two different positions.
“It’s what he’s going to have to learn,” Doc Rivers said.
And his teammates believe he will.
“Wes is an amazing player, great defender, can really shoot it well,” Paul said. “That athleticism is going to be something I think will help us a lot.”
Blake Griffin said Johnson’s long and athletic defensively, which has created problems for players. J.J. Redick said he believes Johnson’s similar to Barnes in his ability to hit shots from deep and space the floor.
“We're going to ask him to do a lot of the same things that Matt did,” Redick said. “It will take a little bit of time. And then if it's Paul, Paul can kind of fit in and plug in wherever – he's that smart and that savvy.”
Doc Rivers has two options. He can go with the smart, savvy vet, or he can go with the young, athletic newcomer, who finally has an elite supporting cast. Because of the situation and the players around him, Johnson believes the ups and downs throughout his career will turn into more of the former.
“That consistency, that knock I have,” Johnson said, “I think that’ll go away.”