NBA veteran forward Andrei Kirilenko saw his minutes take a huge dip last season with the Brooklyn Nets. Now, the former All-Star is just playing a handful of minutes per game for the struggling Nets this season and it looks like a trade is imminent.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports has an update on Kirilenko:
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers are two contenders with needs at small forward who'll wait to see if Kirilenko, 33, becomes available closer to the NBA's trade deadline in February, or after a contract buyout later in the season, league sources said.
While the 33 year old Kirilenko is far from his old form, back when he was an All-Star in 2004 and and All-NBA First Defensive team in 2006, he still pretty much does a commendable job guarding shooters in the perimeter with his length and veteran savvy.
For the Cavaliers, they need to ease up on LeBron Jame's huge minutes if they want to keep him fresh for the playoffs where every game matters so much more than regular season ones according to Bleacher Report. Entering Saturday's game, James was averaging 37.9 minutes per game and Kirilenko should help lessen those numbers. Adding him on the roster may also aid the Cavs on the defensive end and keep opponents from scoring a bit less than the 99.5 points allowed that they have been averaging so far this season.
The Los Angeles Clippers, on the other hand, have not been so impressive in the defensive end themselves allowing 99.3 points per game and could use some of Kirilenko's wealth of experience when it comes to stopping opponents from scoring the ball. They could also use some more depth at the small forward spot for different reasons according to Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders:
The Clippers have been searching for an answer at the small forward position for several seasons, and it doesn't appear they've found the solution as of yet. The lack of consistent productivity from the position is an issue on many nights, but particularly when matching up against some of the better scoring swingmen.
Matt Barnes provides toughness and a willingness to do the dirty work that doesn't always appear in the stat sheet, but is better suited in a reserve role as a change-of-pace player at this point.
Kirilenko is definitely not a superstar player who would put the Clippers over the top in the loaded Western Conference when he joins the team's small forward rotation. Nor will he be the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year this season when he joins the Cavaliers. He would at least, though, provide both contenders some quality minutes and veteran leadership off the bench and this little things could prove to be the difference maker especially in the playoffs.
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