Clippers forward aims to be more than a defensive force

He is a defensive savant for the Clippers who is willing to defend the top scorers in the NBA no matter the position.

He is an offensive afterthought who quite often is the forgotten man by opponents.

This is the life Luc Mbah a Moute has fully embraced for the Clippers and he’s sticking to his role as a team-first operator.

He says his offensive job is to “just be a threat” on a team with Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, DeAndre Jordan and Jamal Crawford.

He has been the starting small forward for the Clippers the last two seasons, and on the nights when he scores 13 points — as he did against San Antonio on Saturday night — Mbah a Moute can be more than just the fifth wheel.

The starting core of Griffin, Paul, Redick and Jordan have been together for four seasons, so Mbah a Moute just tries to fit in with the group.

“It was difficult my first couple of games, the first few games,” Mbah a Moute said. “But I’ve been here long enough to figure it out. I understand the game. I know how to play. I figured out how they play, how to play with them. And so far it’s been working.”

Throughout the summer, training camp and now in practices, Mbah a Moute has worked on cutting to open spots on the floor with Dee Brown, the Clippers’ director of player programs, and scoring inside. Coach Doc Rivers said the forward needs to improve on “finishing and finishing [shots] through contact and the little spin move that he does” so the nine-year veteran can be a weapon.

So when Mbah a Moute cut for a dunk off a pass from Paul and made a wide-open three-pointer off a pass from Jordan because he moved into open space, it brought joy to his teammates and coaching staff.

“That’s what we didn’t do enough with him last year,” Rivers said. “People are going to lose sight of him and he can become a great cutter. Then all of a sudden you have to guard him and then that allows our offense to get better.”

Mbah a Moute is averaging just 4.2 points a game, but he’s taking just 3.7 shot attempts per game, the lowest among the starters and the ninth-highest on the team.

No matter, Chris Paul says they always tell Mbah a Moute that his teammates have the utmost confidence in him.

“Sometimes I think we believe in him more than he believes in himself,” Paul said. “Luc knows who he is. That’s a problem with half of our league. Guys don’t know who they are. Luc knows exactly who he is and he’s a big-time stopper for us.”

Jordan called Mbah a Moute the team’s “best perimeter defender.”

At 6 feet 8 and 230 pounds, he’s proven to be a versatile defender, having the ability to guard center, power forwards, small forwards and guards.

“I’m fortunate and versatile enough to have the ability to be able to guard pretty much everybody on the basketball court,” he said. “I’ve done it over my career. Whether it’s point guards, centers, everyone, top scorers, whatever, I think we use it to our advantage.”

Etc.

Jamal Crawford has scored 17,148 points over his career and not 17,178 that was reported here previously.

NEXT UP FOR CLIPPERS

VS. DETROIT PISTONS

When: 7:30 p.m. PST, Monday.

Where: Staples Center.

On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 570, 1330.

Records: Clippers 5-1; Pistons 4-2.

Records vs. Pistons: 2-0 (last season).

Update: The Clippers have defeated the Pistons 10 consecutive times, five of them at home. The Clippers lead the NBA in points allowed at 90.7 per game. Chris Paul leads the league in steals per game [3.50] and is fifth in assists [8.7]. The Pistons are second in the league in points allowed at 93.0. Pistons center Andre Drummond leads the NBA in rebounding [14.7].

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @BA_Turner