By Simon Lim

Note: fan editorials are neither written nor edited by InsideHoops.com. Views are those of the writer. This was written a day or two before Lamar Odom's return. Enjoy.

With the holiday season upon us the struggling Clippers can only hope that Santa can bring them some Christmas cheer, and an idea as to how they can get back in the winners circle. At a mediocre 12-16 the injury depleted Clippers don’t have much to be optimistic about, well maybe with the exception of them having a better record than their inner city rivals the Lakers, and how many times can they say that’s happened? Further more, their starting center has noticeably indicated that after this season’s over, his career with the Clipps goes with it.

If ever there was a time to trade away a former No. 1 draft pick, this is the time. Wrap Michael Olowokandi up and send his money deficient ego out of town because this disgruntled big man is hopping ship anyway, and wheres the logic in just letting him pick and choose which team offers him the most dollar bills? The Clippers should just say Merry Christmas to the Kandi Man and exchange him for somebody who will fit into their line-up, and contribute just in time so they can get it together and make the post season.

The Clippers already have an efficient post player in All Star power banger Elton Brand, and numerous slashes and shooters filling up the roster, as well as the ever-astounding Andre Miller running the show. So what they don’t need is Olowokandi complaining about the amount of touches he gets. What they need is a veteran who can get it done, no complaints, no hassles, he goes flat out all night, what they need is Ben Wallace.

Now there’s no way the Pistons will give up the Defensive player of the year for some Kandi. So the solution is just to add some extra sweetness, Lamar Odom and possibly a Cory Maggette. Think blockbuster, two swingmen and Olowokandi in exchange for Wallace and let’s say Jon Barry. This gives the Pistons some much needed scoring, as well as keeping a big man in the middle. For the Clippers, they acquire the veteran leadership they lacked for so long in both Wallace and Barry.

Odom has been bugged with injuries ever since he set foot in LA, and maybe a change of scenery will help heel his latest injury, whatever it may be. Undoubtedly he is as solid as a rock, and one of the best all-around players when he is healthy, but let’s face it, all the injuries have taken a toll on the Clippers and their fans, and the frustrations just continue to mount. Unless his return from a (insert injury here) shows signs that he is definitely on his way back, the fans’ patience with LO is ever depleting. However he is just another disposable swingman on the Clippers logjam of talented swingmen. And with a lineup that teams Odom up with Rip Hamilton, how could the Pistons go wrong?

In Wallace the Clippers get the toughest of all big men, the leading rebounder in the league, and a veteran who doesn’t require the ball to be a very effective player. His defensive presence alone strikes fear in the hearts of all his opponents. His shot-blocking prowess could ignite the Clippers run-and-gun offence and lead to more easy buckets, while depleting the opponents scoring. It works on both ends of the floor. He’s a warrior, and that’s the type of player the Clippers need to get their ship sailing in the right direction again.

This frees up the Clippers roster for guys like Wang Zhi Zhi, Marko Jaric, and even Keyon Dooling to get some extra burn instead of being preserved on the pine. We know these guys can play, but there is no sense in keeping guys on the bench if you’re not going to play them.

If they need to be reminded they do have that 7 foot 1 center riding the pine every game, whom they signed during the off-season and believed would be able to contribute. However, every player in the league would find it somewhat complicated to contribute to a team’s efforts if they were sitting on their rears, still in their warm-ups. Wang Zhi Zhi is a legitimate center with great size. He can play down low, but more importantly he can also drain the outside shot, all the way out to the 3, and then more, which draws the oppositions center out to the perimeter, opening up the middle for the Clippers slashes to go to work.

He worked hard during the off-season to improve his game, even bringing the Chinese national team into disrepute after not turning up to their training for the World Championships. Instead he was in LA working on improving his game. If a person goes as far as being left out of their national team so he can improve his game, he obviously has something to prove. But he can’t prove anything if he is sitting at the end of the bench, receiving sporadic minutes every second game.

Although a trade such as this is unlikely to eventuate, it isn’t impossible to accomplish. The Clippers need to re-evaluate the value of some of their players, and make a move in the near future. There is no sense in letting free agents, such as Olowokandi, walk away without receiving anything in return. The same story has occurred far too often in the past where a prized free agent could have been traded for a valuable return, however he was allowed to just bolt, leaving the Clippers with nothing to show for their efforts.

With star players out of contract after this season, the Clippers have to do something to improve the team’s status so they can make the post season in order to keep the team’s nucleus together. If they miss out on another playoff berth, key free agents such as Elton Brand, Andre Miller and even Odom might look elsewhere for a winning formula, and so the Clippers would be back to their re-building selves, again, and still with nothing to show for it.

Simon Lim is an avid hoops fan from Australia, and is also an aspiring sportswriter. He can be reached at spookee3@yahoo.com.au

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