Here's the next installment of our team-by-team season preview series on the Los Angeles Clippers.

2014-15 Record: 56-26

Notable Acquisitions: Josh Smith (FA), Lance Stephenson (Trade), Paul Pierce (FA)

Notable Departures: Matt Barnes, Spencer Hawes

Temperature Check:

Coming off an extremely disappointing collapse in the second round of last year’s playoffs, the Clippers went into the offseason with a top heavy roster and little hope for big changes. But thanks to some offseason recruiting and a risky deal, L.A. finally has something that haven’t had in the Chris Paul-Blake Griffin-DeAndre Jordan era: depth.

Inside the Playbook:

The exploits of Griffin, Paul and Jordan have dominated the conversation about the team for the past few seasons. But one player who has been a key factor in this group’s success is the team’s starting shooting guard: J.J. Redick.

While Redick’s shooting does bind the starting lineup together, labeling him as just a shooter would be a total misnomer. For years Redick has been much more than that. Fans would probably shocked to know that Redick actually ranks as a sneaky awesome pick-and-roll player, finishing in the 96th percentile of the league in terms of derived offense (which also measures passes out of those situations), per Synergy data. But that isn’t even where Redick is the most difficult to guard.

In NBA lingo, Redick is a beast to guard in “hand-back” situations.

Instead of having someone like Jordan or Griffin catch and dribble at a player for a hand off or pass and follow into a pick-and-roll, a hand back allows the perimeter player to operate as a cutter around a stationary big. For a shooter like Redick, this makes him even more dangerous because without the ball slowly him down, Redick can fake, plant and then quickly move into enough space to launch a shot.

Because of the fact that Redick doesn’t have to worry about changing direction with a dribble, he can make his defender simply lean the wrong way one time, then get the ball back before a scrambling opponent recovers. And if the player guarding Redick find himself in a bad spot, overzealous help defenders can be forced to scramble out and do something like this:

While the skills of Griffin, Paul and Jordan power the offense, it’s unlikely this team would be the best offensive outfit in the league without the help of Redick and the hand back.

Lineup to Watch:

Austin Rivers-Jamal Crawford-Lance Stephenson-Paul Pierce-Josh Smith

After years of struggling to field a full rotation, the Clippers have one of the most interesting, and potentially one of the most production, benches in the league. While it’s unclear if Rivers will commit to Pierce coming off the bench for an entire season, his inclusion as a stretch-4 in a bench role could unlock this versatile, attacking group of players.

This lineup is far from a sure bet to be successful, however. None of these players have reputations as playmakers and most actually lean toward the “ball stopping” end of the spectrum. On top of that, Pierce is the only member of the group that actually shot above league average from 3-point territory this past season. So while Smith could be a nightmare as a smallball 5, making plays on his rolls to the rim and backcourt can conjure up some magical nights putting the ball in the basket, this group could be undone by a lack of spacing.

Still, it’s a unit that’s a far cry from the woeful reserve units of years past. And given the success of the Clippers starting 5, a bench upgrade from ‘terrible’ to ‘okay’ could lead to a Finals appearance this season.

The Wildcard:

Lance Stephenson

After breaking out for the Pacers in his final season in Indianapolis, Stephenson found himself the proud owner of a new, lucrative long-term deal. Just a year later, the team that signed him to that deal was already resigned to shipping him off in a trade of spare parts. And for good reason as Stephenson's numbers last year were beyond brutal -- 37.6 percent from the field, 17.1 percent from beyond the arc and a ghastly true shooting percentage of 41.9.

If the Clippers get that Stephenson, it will force them to reshuffle their rotation and perhaps extend the 38-year-old Pierce far more than Rivers would want. But if Rivers and the rest of the team help tap into the player that broke out in Indiana -- the one that averaged 13.8 points per game with a true shooting percentage of 56.4 and a whooping (for a wing) 7.2 rebounds -- it would help them rise to the top of a loaded Western Conference.

Coach’s Question:

How will Doc Rivers handle Pierce, Griffin and Jordan in crunch time?

It’s presumed the the Clippers will close games with those three joining a backcourt of Redick and Paul. That group is the team’s best lineup by far and away. But given the match up madness going on in the NBA by a league trending toward smaller more versatile lineups, the Griffin-Jordan frontcourt duo may not be the best option some nights, especially if Jordan’s free throw shooting doesn’t improve.

On some nights, sliding Pierce to the 4 with Griffin (probably) at the 5 and using the wily vet’s outside shot to loosen up the floor as defenses attempt to tighten up in crunch time may be the team’s best option. Other nights, against more traditional teams, Rivers can probably roll with his best five and put himself in a good position for success. On a nightly basis, Rivers will face the existential dilemma every coach hates -- do you stick with what your team does best or counter to something that neutralizes your opponent?

No matter which way it plays it, it’ll be a fun game-within-the-game type situation to monitor all season long, especially as the postseason rolls around.

Best Case Scenario:

68-14 If…

Rivers is able to integrate the new supporting cast seamlessly around his three stars. Stephenson bounces back from his dreadful season. The bench finds enough defense and shooting to be productive for long stretches and Griffin’s play has him as one of the leading candidates for the M.V.P. award.

Worst Case Scenario:

54-28 If…

Chris Paul misses extended time. Stephenson and the rest of the wing players on the bench either regress or fail to become consistent threats from the outside. Rivers struggles to find a consistent fifth starter and a constant shuffling of Pierce between the bench and the starting lineup contributes to inconsistent performances by the rest of the team.

Click here for a full list of NBA Season Previews from Brett Koremenos.