Los Angeles Clippers Interested In Metta World Peace?
By Marcus Bass
The Los Angeles Clippers’ issues at the small forward position are no secret at this point. They’re not getting enough production in multiple areas, but the three spot has stood out like a ridiculously swollen, sore thumb. It was never head coach Doc Rivers‘ intent to turn Matt Barnes into a starter, however after Jared Dudley‘s dud of a performance last year for Los Angeles, the club had no other option.
Now the Clippers are loaded at the small forward position with Barnes, newcomer Chris Douglas-Roberts and second year forward Reggie Bullock, and while you can say they’re at a full clip at that position, the outcome has been nothing more than merely shooting blanks. With such a huge disparity in production, the Clippers have once again turned their attention to veteran forward Metta World Peace.
First reported by NBC Sports, according to World Peace’s brother Daniel Artest, the Clippers are interested in his brother, and that’s all…
Literally.
This isn’t the first time the Clippers have expressed interest in the 19-year veteran. Last season when Metta and the New York Knicks parted ways, the Clips took a hard look at adding him at that time. New York wasn’t a good situation for World Peace, as he was reportedly frustrated with the lack of playing time, going from 33.7 minutes per game in his final season for the Los Angeles Lakers, to appearing in only 29 games for the Knicks while averaging a career-low 13.4 minutes a game. World Peace’s last NBA contract was a two-year deal with the Knicks worth $1.6 million per season.
Adding World Peace to the Clippers means also adding his championship pedigree gained during his days playing with the Lakers. Depending on what he can give at his age, he’d give contribution to the Clippers in another two areas where they’re lacking at the moment, defense and rebounding. Throughout his career, on average, a team’s defensive rating with Metta on the floor has been 100.2, and with the Clippers inability to keep their opponents off the scoreboard, that statistic alone could be enough for Rivers to give him a look.
Not to mention he’s a player who’s willing and anxious to acquire the game’s toughest assignments, it could be a saving grace for Rivers who expressed hesitance in asking his current small forward trio to take on the marquee players nightly.
World Peace is currently playing out a contract in China, while it’s clear the Clippers need someone. Metta will be available in February, which might be the final moment before the Clippers season reaches a mass critical level. Through two seasons it’s clear their draft picks and a few of their free agent selections aren’t working out. Perhaps a biting, scraping, elbowing, veteran of a small forward is just what the doctor ordered.