J.J. Redick Says Paul Pierce Gives The Clippers A ‘Certain Juice And Swagger’

Paul Pierce
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Everything was going so well for the Los Angeles Clippers. With a 20-plus point lead in what was the apparently-deciding Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals, the Clippers seemed well on their way to a date with the Golden State Warriors in the conference finals. Then, it happened. The Clippers collapsed, embarrassingly, totally, and would never recover. The Houston Rockets, not Los Angeles, advanced, while the Clippers were eliminated in a haze of complete confusion.

Part of the reason for the Clippers’ collapse was their lack of a bench. Austin Rivers was their main backup, for crying out loud. That nonexistent depth, especially on the wings, doomed them. But there was another reason for their demise – a lack of a certain amount of swagger. To address both of these issues, they brought in Paul Pierce.

Pierce’s killer instinct has never been in question, nor has his ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. He’s diminished at this stage in his career, to be sure, but he still has the will and skill able to put the nail in the opponent’s coffin every now and then.

If the Clippers should once more find themselves in a situation similar to last year, this time they’ll have Pierce – and his swagger – to lean on.

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