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The Clippers needed another big man to solidify their frontcourt rotation, and Jamison was arguably the most talented player available. Also, Chris Paul has yet to play with an offense-minded big man aside from Blake Griffin throughout his tenure with the Clippers, and Jamison's floor-spacing abilities should provide Paul with a handful of new offensive wrinkles.

But the significance of the signing isn't Jamison's potential fit so much as that the move indicates an ideological shift in the design of the Clippers' bench from last season to this season.

Heading into the offseason, it was clear the Clippers' bench could use some offensive firepower, and the team sought to address that concern with a slew of bargain pickups. But after gleaning the composition of this season's roster, it's apparent the bench's makeover has, for better or worse, formed a different identity entirely.

Gone are Bledsoe (101 defensive rating last season), Odom (99) and Turiaf (103). In their place are newcomers Darren Collison (109), Jamison (108) and Byron Mullens (110). While the new additions are upgrades on offense, especially from beyond the arc, they provide little help on the boards and on the defensive end.

But in all likelihood, the Clippers sacrificed their defensive identity for slight offensive gains, which is a tradeoff that normally doesn't prove beneficial. The bench may still find ways to be successful, complementing the starters in different lineup combinations; it just won't be as one cohesive unit.

Rivers' greatest challenge next season has and always will be whether he can turn an average group of defenders into a championship-level defense. With a revamped bench that clearly lacks defensive tools, his job should be slightly more difficult next season.

Jovan Buha, ESPN Los Angeles

mike3 wrote:Good little read but it's dead on.

As good as having offensive firepower is, there's a LOT of pressure on Doc to make this team good defensively.