Los Angeles Clippers Need To Make A Trade Now
By Terri Washington
@Terri7589
Getty Images
With the Los Angeles Clippers‘ win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, it looks as if they are getting back to their type of basketball. The Clippers were fast paced, aggressive and getting the best shots they could. The display of basketball exhibited during that game can quiet many of the naysayers so far this season. The Clippers were criticized very early on in the season for good reason. They weren’t the Clippers fans have gotten used to for the past two seasons. They looked sluggish, inattentive and simply not ready for the new season. Although Saturday’s game showed improvement, the Clippers still need to clip some of the loose ends.
Small forward Matt Barnes has been in the trade conversation amongst fans. Barnes hasn’t been as efficient as the rest of the starters, and he lost a starting spot to Jamal Crawford in two of the Clippers’ eight games this season. Although Barnes doesn’t seem to be performing to the standards that fans have set forth for him and the rest of the team, he is performing just below his career numbers. Barnes is currently averaging seven points, two rebounds and 0.5 steals per game this season. Barnes has a career average of 7.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.7 steals per game. The biggest difference is Barnes’ rebounding effort, but with Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Spencer Hawes, rebounding isn’t a priority for Barnes. Barnes shouldn’t be in the trade conversation just yet, because there are more inconsistent players on the team that need to be looked at.
Shooting guard Chris Douglas-Roberts is currently injured and could be out for up to two weeks with a strained right Achilles. Douglas-Roberts has only played 11 minutes so far this season, and those 11 minutes have been filled with inefficient statistics. Douglas-Roberts has averaged only two points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.3 assists this season. He’s currently sidelined, but even when he was on the court he looked out of place, confused and fidgety. The Clippers should definitely think about trading Douglas-Roberts due to his lack of impact.
Power forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis is obviously a trade magnet. When Davis can focus he can be efficient, but in his past two seasons with the Clippers, he’s put up some of the lowest numbers in his career since his rookie year. Davis is a champion and veteran who could be used for trade bait. He has had some stellar seasons, but none of them have come during his time with the Clippers. Not only has he not put up any game-changing numbers, but he truly has been a “Big Baby” in some instances. Last season, Davis and coach Doc Rivers had a heated exchange during one of the games and Davis had to be escorted to the locker room. Davis’ place in the league is solid but his place with the Clippers has run its course.
The Clippers look to be making their way over an early-season hump and getting back to the exciting, elite team they have become in the past few seasons. It’s safe to say that not all the players the Clippers have on their roster will be with them at the end of the season, but making a trade as soon as possible would be best for the Clippers to continue the uphill climb.
Terri Washington is a Los Angeles Clippers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter @Terri7589, “Like” her on Facebook or add her to your network on Google.
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