Clippers coach Doc Rivers suggested that Pierce and Wesley Johnson could share starting duties at small forward this season, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register reports.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers suggested that Pierce and Wesley Johnson could share starting duties at small forward this season, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register reports.

Analysis:

Pierce is the more accomplished player of the two and still projects to see more minutes over the course of the season, but Rivers doesn't seem to have much hesitation about handing playing time to Johnson. Rivers said that "matchups and [Paul's] age" would dictate which player starts on a given night, with the latter reason seemingly indicating that the Clippers may be reluctant to play Pierce for both games of a back-to-back set. Because of the uncertainty regarding his availability on a given night, Pierce may represent something of a risky commodity in season-long formats, though he could still be useful in daily formats when he's confirmed as the starter on a particular night.