Clippers reload for long-overdue championship run

While all eyes were on DeAndre Jordan's indecision, the Los Angeles Clippers quietly went about building a championship contender this summer.

There were no home runs. Instead, Doc Rivers strung together a few well-placed singles. Josh Smith, Lance Stephenson and Paul Pierce represent solid additions that fit glaring needs for the Clippers as they prepare to go on a deep postseason run.

Addressing the bench

Last season, the Clippers' biggest problem was depth. Their bench averaged 29.7 points per game last season, good for second-fewest in the NBA. Their best bench unit logged a net rating of negative-7.8.

That's not a surprise given their personnel. Their bench rotation in the playoffs included the likes of Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Hedo Turkoglu. They had to rely on breakout performances from the historically underwhelming Austin Rivers to power them past the San Antonio Spurs in Round 1.

This season, the Clippers will bring Smith as their first big off the bench and play Stephenson as their sixth man. Smith completes the frontcourt rotation, while Stephenson is a dynamic playmaker who can defend multiple positions. If Jamal Crawford isn't traded, he's another bench scorer to spell the starters.

More importantly, Davis and Rivers have been knocked down a rung - and they're perfectly suitable as the ninth and tenth men.

Completing the frontcourt

The Clippers already boast one of the league's best starting frontcourt pairings: Jordan is a First Team All-NBA defender and Griffin is a dynamic superstar.

The only thing missing was a third big to complete the rotation.

Rivers tried to solve that problem by snagging Spencer Hawes last summer, trading a first-round pick and dumping Jared Dudley to tie Hawes to a four-year deal. Hawes promptly regressed. He was supposed to stretch the floor, but he shot 31.3 percent from deep while being a complete non-factor on defense.

In signing Smith, the Clippers added a versatile forward who can substitute for both Griffin and Jordan. Smith gives Griffin an alley-oop target off high pick-and-roll action with Paul, while Smith can throw lobs to Jordan if they choose to borrow the Houston Rockets' four-five pick-and-roll, which featured Smith and Dwight Howard. Smith can also stretch the floor, although his jump shot comes and goes.

Defensively, Smith gives the Clippers a second rim protector beyond Jordan. He's also mobile enough to stretch out to the perimeter to check small-ball fours.

Paul Pierce still has 'it'

The Clippers have tried a litany of placeholders to solidify the small forward position. In recent years, players like Ryan Gomes, Caron Butler, and Al-Farouq Aminu have each seen over 1,000 minutes on the wing.

With all due respect to the aforementioned players, Pierce easily tops the list.

Pierce will be 38 next season, but there's still plenty left in the tank for the future Hall of Famer. He proved that during the playoffs last season, where he averaged 14.6 points and 4.2 rebounds on 52.4 percent shooting from deep while helping a banged-up Washington Wizards team to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Pierce gives the Clippers another credible 3-point threat, a playmaking wing, an option as a small-ball four, and another veteran in the locker room.

Jordan gave the Clippers a scare by nearly leaving in free agency. But his return cements the center position for Los Angeles, and by making three key offseason additions, the Clippers are poised to make good on their championship potential. Or, at the very least, to make the Western Conference Finals for the first time in their 45-year history.