Former Cincinnati Bearcat and New York native Lance Stephenson has found a new home with the Los Angeles Clippers. The hot-headed shooting guard looks to get back on track after a disappointing 2014-15 campaign with the Charlotte Hornets. After a little bit of a disappointing freshman year for the Bearcats, Stephenson decided to declare for the draft where he was selected 40th overall by the Indiana Pacers. Stephenson burst onto the scene after an impressive 2013-14 season where he averaged 13.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 4.6 APG. On top of these numbers, Lance also led the league in triple-doubles with five and shot a remarkable 49% from the field.
Regardless of how Stephenson has played on the court, the perception of his attitude and antics around the league has not been exactly pristine. Most remember Lance's infamous "ear blow" on Lebron James during the Eastern Conference Finals in 2014, but the Clippers definitely added some much needed depth at the wing. The Clippers Achilles' heel the last few years has been perimeter scoring and defending, which is Stephenson's forte. He is a solid on-the-ball defender and can also create for himself and others, which should pay dividends to shooters such as JJ Redick. His versatility and ability to play multiple positions should also help the Clippers out in the long run as Stephenson can defend the point, the two and the three.
With a star-studded team that already includes Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, Stephenson should be able to step into his role comfortably, whether he starts or comes off the bench as a sixth man. Clipper fans should be excited with what they got in Stephenson, especially coming off of a down season where I'm sure he is looking to bounce back.
If Stephenson doesn't live up to the hype with LA, he may still have a future in the rap game. Check out Lance's new track "poppin", where he raps about chicken and waffles and playing in his new found home LA.
