It was a disastrous start to the offseason for the Los Angeles Clippers, as their starting big man had agreed to terms with another team. However July 8, 2015 was the turning point to their summer when DeAndre Jordan expressed a change of heart and re-signed with the Clippers, spurning the Dallas Mavericks.

Before the whole Jordan saga, the Clippers made a couple of other brilliant moves to finally improve their small forward position. First, they traded Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes to the Charlotte Hornets for Lance Stephenson. Later, they signed Paul Pierce to a three-year deal to reunite him with Doc Rivers.

Stephenson, who was a poor fit in Charlotte and ultimately became an off-court distraction, will get a brand new start with a championship caliber team. When playing his role and detaining himself from causing trouble, Stephenson could be a valuable player due to his ability to rebound and play make.

For his size, Stephenson is a magnificent rebounder, as he plucked 7.2 rebounds per contest during his final season with the Indiana Pacers which was his best year. The 24-year old out of Cincinnati plays with a sense of urgency and passion every night on the court, but he will need to repair his attitude problems off the court if he wants to succeed.

The Clippers and Doc Rivers strongly believe that they will be able to control Stephenson, and in a winning environment, they can get the best out of him.

Obtaining Pierce has been a long-time mission of Doc Rivers. When he first joined the Clippers as their head coach and team president, Rivers wanted to bring Pierce along with him, but Los Angeles was unable to attain him via trade. Now, they have acquired him via free agency to polish their small forward position.

Although he is 37 years of age, Pierce is an upgrade over Matt Barnes. Not only will he be a more consistent and efficient spot up shooter, but Pierce will hit shots when it counts. The 17-year veteran proved that last season when he knocked down a handful of clutch shots for the Washington Wizards, most famously the “I called game!” buzzer beater he had against the Atlanta Hawks.

When Jordan decided he will return to Los Angeles, he immediately changed the outlook of the team. At one point, it looked like the Clippers would have an enormous void at the center position, but Jordan restored order when he re-signed.   

Jordan, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate last season, is a major component on that end of the floor. Without him protecting the paint, the Clippers defense instantaneously becomes lackluster. He finished fourth in blocked shots last season and led the league in rebounds with a 15.0 average. If Jordan did indeed sign with the Mavs, the Clippers were going to have plenty of trouble trying to find a replacement for him.

With Jordan in place, the Clippers moved forward by adding more depth to their bench. They re-signed Austin Rivers and signed Wesley Johnson, Cole Aldrich, Josh Smith, and Pablo Prigioni, all very nice complimentary pieces.

Johnson gives the Clippers athleticism at the backup small forward slot, with the ability to defend around the perimeter. The 2010 fourth overall pick occasionally has offensive outbursts, but being part of an already potent offensive attack, those will just come as bonuses for the team.

Smith, the 6-foot-9 versatile power forward, adds more defense in the paint with his athleticism and sufficient shot blocking ability. The 11-year veteran is also capable of handling the ball and setting up teammates. He made for a terrific alley-oop duo with Dwight Howard last year with the Houston Rockets, and could do the same with DeAndre Jordan.

Aldrich was simply brought in because of his size in the middle. The 6’11”, 250-pound big man takes up plenty of space in the paint and challenges many shots around the basket. The Clippers hope the 26-year old could log at least 10-15 minutes a game behind Jordan.

Prigioni is an intelligent, high I.Q. player who provides energy and three-point shooting. If Austin Rivers, who we will get into later, has an off night, Prigioni will be the perfect alternative to fill in as a backup point guard.

The coach’s son, meanwhile, made an impact last year during the playoffs, helping the Clippers win a couple of critical games. He is expected to serve as the backup to Chris Paul again and hopes to feed off the confidence he gained last season. Playing under his father, Rivers has thrived so far and is slowly living up to his expectations.

Therefore, it has turned out to be a superb summer for the Los Angeles Clippers, as they have finally added much-needed bench depth and have renovated their three position, something they had been seeking to do for the past few years.

The mixture of talent that the Clippers now have off their bench is something they never had in previous seasons. Suddenly, they look like a championship caliber team, but as we know with this franchise, they will have to prove themselves on the court during the postseason. But, there is no denying the off-season success they had this summer.     

Off-Season Grade: A-