PLAYA VISTA, Calif. – Marreese Speights saw the impact Cole Aldrich made off the bench with the Clippers last season and felt he could provide much of the same.
That played a role in Speights’ decision this offseason, leaving Golden State after three seasons with the Warriors and officially signing Tuesday with the Clippers, helping them fill the void left by Aldrich in free agency.
“Seeing what a guy like Cole Aldrich did last year, get a role like he had, get a chance to play every night and get a chance to be an impact player on this team…I feel like this is an opportunity right here that’ll prepare for me the future,” Speights said.
Speights said he talked to Clippers head coach Doc Rivers “a lot” throughout the free agency process, and that Rivers stressed the kind of effect Speights could have with the Clippers’ second unit, using Aldrich as an example of a center who helped himself out by coming to Los Angeles.
“Doc was a big key of this process,” Speights said. “I’m going to have an opportunity to come here and play and be consistent every night.”
“Consistent,” after all, might’ve been the word most used to describe Aldrich’s play last year.
Whatever role the Clippers needed from Aldrich, the backup center proved more than capable of filling it. That even meant the occasional start, which he always seemed to take advantage of, averaging 15.8 points and 11 rebounds in his five starts. He make an immediate difference once joining the rotation in late December, and by season’s end, Aldrich averaged a career-high 14.8 points per 36 minutes.
From a distance, Speights was watching.
“You look at that,” Speights said, “especially a situation like my situation, not knowing if I’m going to play every night. But when I do play, I see other teams, like, ‘Man, this guy’s doing all this and all that, I could be in that position.’”
Speights described himself as a big basketball fan, so he looks at players at his position across the NBA. He’s particularly familiar with the Clippers’ roster, having played for rival teams in recent years in Golden State and Memphis.
He was on the Grizzlies when they played the Clippers in the 2011-12 postseason and the Warriors when they played the Clippers in the 2013-14 postseason, so he admitted it’s “going to be a little bit different” playing for instead of against the Clippers.
But, as strange as it may be, Speights said he looks forward to starting this chapter in his career.
He could be in for an uptick in playing time after averaging 7.1 points per game in 11.6 minutes per game last season with the Warriors. That came after averaging a career-high 10.4 points in 15.9 minutes per game two seasons ago.
Speights said he feels there’s more to his game than everyone sees, and he thinks he’ll have an opportunity to show that with the Clippers. He also hopes his championship mentality after winning a title with the Warriors can help a Clippers team looking to get over the hump, and he’s excited about the looks he’ll get with as many capable passers as the Clippers have, calling Chris Paul “the best passing point guard in the league.”
“It’s going to be fun playing with these guys,” Speights said. “Can’t wait.”