It’s official. After weeks of speculation, the Los Angeles Clippers have finally signed forward Hedo Turkoglu. The Clippers announced Thursday morning that they are adding the 14-year veteran to the roster. This addition comes at a crucial time for the Clippers, as they embark on a long 7-game road trip.
After releasing Stephen Jackson, the Clippers looked to fill that void with a similar player, one who is a versatile forward with adequate ball handling and shooting ability. Turkoglu will suit up tomorrow night wearing number 8 as the Clippers take on the New York Knicks at MSG. Turkoglu will provide solid shooting and handling for the Clippers as they ease J.J. Redick back into the starting lineup. Also, the Clippers will be without Chris Paul for a couple more weeks as he nurses a shoulder injury. Just an interesting fact: Turkoglu has played with both Matt Barnes and J.J. Redick in Orlando.
This is what Doc Rivers had to say on Turkoglu: “Sometimes you don’t bring a guy in because someone’s not doing something. It’s because he does something that our other guys do as well. He can space the floor. He’s very skilled and we’d like to take advantage of that.” Rivers envisions Hedo to be veteran leader on the court, as well as in the locker room for a young Clippers team.
