Los Angeles Clippers: 3 Moves To Make Before The NBA Trade Deadline
The Los Angeles Clippers have somehow found a way to win games this season. While fans in Los Angeles have flocked to the Staples Center to witness LeBron James and the new-look Lakers, it’s the Clippers who has turned heads so far. With a winning record heading into the middle of January, the question is, do the Clippers have enough talent to make a serious run?
Two seasons ago, this would not be a serious question. Armed with Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, and Blake Griffin, those Clippers were annual title contenders. However, all things must come to an end. Paul was traded to the Houston Rockets, Griffin was dealt to the Detroit Pistons, and Jordan made his way to the Dallas Mavericks. And just like that, it appeared the team was heading toward a rebuild. Not so fast.
Newly acquired players like Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley have fit in nicely with Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams, and Montrezl Harrell. While most teams have relied on a duo or trio of stars, the Clippers have relied on a team aspect to get them where they are, But will it last, and if not, is there a way to fix it so it’s possible?
Here are 3 early trade target for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons)
Defense is the name of the game. For years, the Clippers leaned on DeAndre Jordan to clean up any mistakes made on the perimeter. Now, the Clippers have a Texas-size hole in the paint and find themselves ranked 20th in team defense. Adding a player like Drummond will remedy a few of their issues.
For starters, the Clippers will love to have Drummonds’ 14.9 rebounds per to go along with his 1.6 Blocks per game. He’s also averaging 16.7 points while shooting .498 percent from the floor while spearheading a top 10 defense.
Kemba Walker (Charlotte Hornets)
Another area of concern for the Clippers may be their PG play. The addition of Patrick Beverly (7.2 points, 3.5 assists) has not paid off as they thought it would. The same goes for the young floor general Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (9.9 points, 2.9 assists). There has to be a changing of the guards here. Kemba Walker should be a top priority.
Whatever the Hornets may want for Walker, the Clipper should be willing to deal. A core that features Gallinari, Harris, Harrell, and Walker will be enough to make the playoffs in the Western Conference.
Hassan Whiteside (Miami Heat)
Yes, back to the paint area again. The Clippers best rebounder is Harris who averages 7.3 per game. This needs to improve. Adding Whiteside who grabs 12.4 while blocking 2.3 shots per game will be the missing link. While Whiteside is no longer the young darling he once was for the Heat, that doesn’t mean his production has slipped.
On the year, he averaging just 25.3 minutes per game and yet, he’s still putting up All-Star-like numbers. Imagine the damage he could do for a Clippers team in desperate need of his skill set?
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
