By John Son

While it's obvious to everyone that the Clippers are hesitant to shell out big dollars to anyone, one fit of uncertainty makes plenty of sense. According to CNNSI, a team official said the Clippers offered the "Kandi Man" 50 million over 7 years. That averages out to over 7 million dollars a season - more than enough, for a merely servicable center. Olowokandi can whine all he wants about the proposed contract - but one thing is for sure : Someone needs a reality check.

Olowokandi is a talented, up-and-coming center, but should the Clippers offer him top dollar, or anything even close? There's a trend in the league that's gone on for a while: any 7-footer who shows the least amount of talent will get a fat contract in the NBA these days. Remember Jim McIlvaine? Greg Ostertag? Bryant Reeves? How about the Sonics' center of the future : Calvin Booth? Travis Knight? Yogi Stewart? Erick Dampier? Marc Jackson? Luc Longley is still making 7 million this season. The list goes on and on and on and on. But does this mean that centers better than those guys who still aren't star players deserve to get overpaid as well?

It doesn't take long to assess Olowokandi's game. Looking at his stats you can see that he's a decent rebounder and shotblocker, but he's never averaged more than the 12.3ppg he's putting up this season (contract's up this season - any coincidence here?). Not only that, he's shooting a horrendous 43.5% from the field, when most decent centers shoot close to 50%. His free throw shooting is equally bad, with a career 60% average from the line. He's got no jumpshot, bad footwork (he gets called for travelling at least once a game), and his go-to move is an awkward looking hook shot, a la Dikembe Mutombo. To top it all off, he hasn't exactly shown a lot of professionalism or a team-first attitude with his recent ramblings about not coming back next season. Is it professional to insult your current employer to the media?

There are plenty of players in the NBA right now who could put up similar numbers for less than 7 million a season. Jerome James of the Sonics is averaging about 4 points 4 boards in less than 14 minutes a game. Jelani McCoy is putting up 7 points 6 boards a game in only 22 minutes a game. Jamaal Magloire is putting up 9 points and 8 boards per. Brad Miller - 14 and 8 while shooting over 50% from the floor and over 80% from the line.

Yet in a league so starved for talent at the pivot, Olowokandi most likely will find a taker for his demands. And that team will find itself saddled with a fat contract that will cripple the team's salary-cap for seasons to come. Just ask the Grizzlies, who are still swallowing Big Country's fat contract. In a league with widespread mediocrity at the center position, Clippers management did the right thing by not offering Olowokandi the max. There are plenty of mediocre centers who can replace him. Now if they'd only continue to do the right thing and lock up the REAL stars of the team : Elton Brand, Lamar Odom, and Andre Miller... Bottom line, Michael Olowokandi is a good, talented young player, and a solid person, but he has not yet proven to make a huge difference on the court just yet.

John Son is in Richmond, BC Canada


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