The Los Angeles Clippers have won five of their last six games to get their record up to 15-10 and they seem to be back on track. One of the big contributors to this turnaround has been seven year veteran Luc Mbah a Moute who was not in the Clippers' plans at all coming into the season. Mbah a Moute has started nine straight games for Los Angeles and it now appears that he will stick with the team for the remainder of the season, according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
Mbah a Moute initially signed with the Sacramento Kings this offseason but he had his contract voided after they did not like what they saw on the physical. Mbah a Moute then signed with the Clippers but the contract was non-guaranteed and making the roster was not a given for him. On January 10th if Mbah a Moute is still on the Clippers roster his $1.3 million salary for this season becomes fully guaranteed but it doesn't seem like he should have any concern about being released before that date.
Head coach Doc Rivers all but guaranteed he's safe and the fact that Mbah a Moute has been starting likely puts any sort of doubt to bed. Mbah a Moute is not a flashy player and he still isn't getting big minutes but he is considered an integral part of the Clippers defense whose improvement has coincided with Mbah a Moute entering the starting lineup.
Coming into the season lance Stephenson was starting at small forward and Rivers considered him his defensive stopper but Stephenson has gotten a couple of DNP- Coaches decisions lately including in the last game so Mbah a Moute has taken over that role. Mbah a Moute's numbers don't jump out at you by any means, including the advanced defensive metrics, but there is no denying how much better the Clippers team defense has gotten since he entered the starting lineup.
Mbah a Moute is a long athletic defender at 6 foot-8 that doesn't bring much of anything to the table offensively but the Clippers don't need him to as the rest of the starters provide plenty of offense. With Stephenson seemingly out of the rotation and reportedly on the trading block and Paul Pierce struggling mightily, the starting small forward spot might be Mbah a Moute's for the foreseeable future and that is pretty impressive for a guy whose contract is not guaranteed, yet.
