Report: Clippers considering starting Wes Johnson at small forward

When the Los Angeles Clippers signed Paul Pierce this summer, it was thought that the team had finally solved its vacancy at small forward.

At 38, Pierce is squarely in the twilight of his Hall of Fame-caliber career. But as he proved in last season's playoffs, "The Truth" remains a force to be reckoned with, especially in crunch time.

However, Pierce isn't a shoo-in to start at small forward. The OC Register's Dan Woike reports that journeyman Wesley Johnson is also in consideration to draw the assignment.

Bringing Pierce off the bench could be a strategic tactic to limit Pierce's workload. Head coach Doc Rivers noted last week that he'll carefully manage Pierce's minutes.

"Paul, I don't want to overuse him," Rivers said. "I know that. So, I don't even know how we are going to use him yet. I want to play him at (power forward) a lot. What I want him to be is healthy in the playoffs."

However, the Clippers don't have a reliable replacement at small forward if Pierce comes off the bench.

Johnson is an athletic wing with a passable jump shot, but he's not nearly as effective as Pierce. Lance Stephenson could also presumably start, though he's coming off a woeful season with the Charlotte Hornets.

Starting Johnson in order to give Pierce some rest could cause Los Angeles to lose some ground in the fiercely competitive Western Conference standings.

But the Clippers are ultimately focused on the postseason, where they've bowed out prior to the conference finals in each of their last four playoff pushes.

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That's when they'll need Pierce, who averaged 14.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in the playoffs last season while shooting 52.4 percent from deep on 6.3 tries per game.