Post by Juju Erving on Aug 4, 2010 13:58:43 GMT -5
A Look at this Year's FA Class
Centers
Jamaal Magloire
Last Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Age: 26
Ratings: B C- C- B- A- B
Statistics: 32.2 MPG, 14.2 PPG, 11.3 RPG
He can't block any shots and that probably hurts his value in the mind of some, but I can personally overlook that flaw in his game as he has shown he's capable of performing on a good team. In 32 minutes of play, Magliore averaged 14 and 11 for the 76ers this past season. He shot 44% from the field and a very nice 80% from the free throw line. Magliore should receive a ton of offers this off-season.
Duane Causwell
Last Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Age: 36
Ratings: B- C- D B+ B- C
Statistics: 22.8 MPG, 8.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 BPG
He's old and his ratings are underwhelming, but he still deserves a mention as he is easily a nice pick for any team at or around MLE money. Shot blocking is valued highly and Duane Causwell brings a lot of it in limited minutes (nearly 2 BPG in just 23 minutes of play). To go along with his superb shot blocking ability, Causwell also works as s bench scorer and rebounder as he posted a very nice 9 points and 7 rebounds off the bench for the Wolves. Old man got game.
Brian Grant
Last Team: Houston Rockets
Age: 31
Ratings: B+ C- D B+ B+ B
Statistics: 16.9 PPG, 11 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.2 BPG
Brian Grant is a starting quality big that I think could receive offers of anywhere from MLE money to about 7-8 million or so (maybe more, but probably in a 1 year deal). He's not a big time shot blocker but he's at least a threat in that aspect and he does add a steal which is nice. His scoring and rebounding are the most important parts of his game of course, chipping in nearly 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds last year. Starting quality big on a good team and very, very good bench player if he happens to sign with a team that has better big men.
Chris Webber
Last Team: Boston Celtics
Age: 31
Ratings: A- C C+ C+ A- C
Statistics: 28.6 MPG, 12.6 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 3 APG, 1.7 BPG
Chris Webber is another starting quality big that should receive a ton of offers ranging anywhere from MLE money to around 7-8 million or so (and like Grant, maybe more, but probably in a 1 year deal). Only playing about 29 minutes a game for the Celtics this past season, Webber managed to average a double double. Nearly 13 points a game to go along with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks is good production in starters minutes, let alone 29 minutes. His court vision and out-of-post passing (3 APG last year) is just icing on the cake.
Shawn Bradley
Last Team: New Jersey Nets
Age: 32
Ratings: C+ C- C- B+ B C
Statistics: 32.4 MPG, 7.3 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 2.8 BPG
Shawn Bradley is similar to Duane Causewell in that their ratings are underwhelming but they're still quality big men. Shawn Bradley played an important role in the Nets upsetting of the Bobcats in the postseason as I believe the Nets were playing some pretty damn good defense against them. Bradley is one of the better anchors in the league and he should sign kinda cheap.
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Jerome Williams
Last Team: Washington Wizards
Age: 31
Ratings: B C- C- B+ B+ C
Statistics: 31 MPG, 13.5 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 1.2 SPG
JYD's B B+ B+ ratings should get him a ton of offers this upcoming free agency period. He's not quite as good as Brian Grant but their games are similar. Averaging about 14 points and 11 rebounds a game is impressive even if it was on a poor team. I figure most people will just stick to the MLE with this guy. The Wizards might offer a bit more than that and try to flip him though.
Keon Clark
Last Team: Indiana Pacers
Age: 29
Ratings: B C- C B+ C+ D
Statistics: 27.6 MPG, 7.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.9 BPG
Keon Clark is a solid big to have off the bench. He's 29, B scoring is decent and he's a good free throw shooter for his position (77% this past season). The majority of his value probably comes from his shot blocking ability though. Managed to average 2 a game in just under 28 minutes of play.
Wang Zhizhi
Last Team: Charlotte Hornets
Age: 27
Ratings: B+ C+ D- C+ C C
Statistics: 28.5 MPG, 17.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG
Wang Zhizhi's numbers have surely been inflated by playing for the Hornets but you can't deny the B+ C+ scoring ratings. Couple that with Wang only being 27 and he is certainly worth a hard look. He reminds me of Vitaly Potapenko (76ers). Potapenko has had 20 PPG seasons with good teams though, so Zhizhi would need to prove he can score on a good team before he can get up to that level. One good training camp could suddenly turn him into a perennial 6th man of the year candidate at least.
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Malik Sealy
Last Team: Washington Wizards
Age: 34
Ratings: B+ B- C- B- C D
Statistics: 31.7 MPG, 15.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.1 BPG
Sealy has declined quite a bit over the past few seasons but he's still a good wing player. He's efficient from the field and shoots just over 90& from the line which is amazing. I'm guessing he's one of the best free throw shooters to ever play so far with his 88% career average. To go along with his efficient scoring, Sealy also happens to be one of the best shot blocking wings in the league. He'll definitely be a nice player off the bench for a good team. Wizards will probably sign him to something over the MLE and flip him.
Robert Horry
Last Team: Pheonix Suns
Age: 34
Ratings: C+ A D+ A C C
Statistics: 25.3 MPG, 5.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.1 BPG
Robert Horry is on this list more for his ratings than his production. He does average just over a block a game which is nice. The solid A ratings in outside or defense though is going to get Horry a ton of looks. He's a better shooting and rebounding Bruce Bowen if he gets the minutes.
Andrei Fetisov
Last Team: Denver Nuggets
Age: 32
Ratings: A- C+ C- C B D
Statistics: 32.7 MPG, 15.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.1 BPG
Fetisov was a key component in the Nuggets resurgence this past season. He can play the 3 or the 4. A- C+ are very good scoring ratings and he does play up to them as he put up nearly 16 points a game while shooting 45% from the field and a nice 80% from the line (2nd best in his career). Fetisov is also a pretty good rebounder and he even adds a block a game. He should get a lot of offers, but I figure the Nuggets will make sure to retain him in order to bring back the same team. They could have been amazing had they obtained Elisma at the beginning of the season.
Desmond Mason
Last Team: Miami Heat
Age: 27
Ratings: A- C+ C- B C C
Statistics: 21.8 MPG, 10.2 PPG, 5 RPG
Desmond Mason is a poor man's Fetisov. He can't rebound or block shots as well as Fetisov and he's probably not as versatile (assuming his defense takes a significant hit when moved to the 2). Mason may very well be a better scorer than Fetisov though. I think Mason is going to turn a lot of heads should he land on the bench of a good team this off-season. He's already a good enough scorer to make some runs at a 6th man of the year award and this upcoming season would only be Mason's 5th year.
Grant Hill
Last Team: Houston Rockets
Age: 32
Ratings: B B+ B C+ C D
Statistics: 36.2 MPG, 20.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4 APG, 1.5 SPG
Hill is starting to get up there in age but he's still one of the best 3s in the league. His ratings don't look as good as they did a few seasons ago but he managed to basically average his career numbers this past season. Only teams with a significant amount of cap space will have a shot at this guy. At the end of the day the Rockets will most likely sign him to a large 1 year deal and try to flip him for picks or something along those lines. There has to be a market for players averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 rebounds.
Glenn Robinson
Last Team: Boston Celtics
Age: 31
Ratings: A- A- C- B+ C C
Statistics: 37.1 MPG, 25.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.8 SPG
Glenn Robinson is at least the 2nd best free agent in this class if not #1. Some might say Jimmy King is 2nd. That's whatever though... Both players are amongst the top of their respective positions and both players seem to have the same impact on the game. Big Dog has been one of the most dynamic scorers in BBS history and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. It is definitely worth it for teams with significant amounts of cap space to offer Robinson the max over at least 3 or 4 years and then trade him. Or they could just keep him if they feel like competing. The Celtics did not have to break the bank to land him, but it would be a devastating blow if they were to lose him.
Keith Van Horn
Last Team: Dallas Mavericks
Age: 29
Ratings: B+ A- C- C C+ C
Statistics: 32.9 MPG, 22.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG
Keith Van Horn is one of the better scorers in the league. Averaging 22.4 PPG while shooting .485, .417 and .812 from the field, downtown and free throw line respectively is sick shit. The Mavericks will probably retain him easily as I expect them to offer quite a bit. I don't see many general managers tying up a large amount of money into him as the C defense rating is ugly.
Larry Johnson
Last Team: Boston Celtics
Age: 35
Ratings: A- C D+ C+ B D
Statistics: 28.9 MPG, 18.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG
Larry Johnson still got it even at age 35. I was so close to getting him too
He'll definitely receive a ton of MLE type of offers as his scoring and rebounding in limited minutes is top notch. 6th man of the year type player.Shooting Guards[/size][/u][/color]
Doug Christie
Last Team: New Jersey Nets
Age: 34
Ratings: B- A- C- A- C+ C
Statistics: 27 MPG, 12.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG
Christie has nice looking ratings and has the production to go along with it. He's a pretty good 4th or 5th starter on any team.
Jamal Crawford
Last Team: New York Knicks
Age: 24
Ratings: C A+ C+ C+ D B
Statistics: 36.1 MPG, 22 PPG, 4.3 APG
Jamal Crawford will probably be the most covted player amongst the teams with significant cap space as he's a very good player at just 24 years of age. During the 1st half of last season Crawford had shown many flashes of brilliance from the point guard spot. I want to say he was averaging something around 27 points to go along with 7 assists, which got him the all-star nodd. I figure a switch back to SG is what brought his numbers down but I did not follow the Knicks closely enough to know for sure. The Knicks absolutely need to bring him back so don't be surprised if Crawford signs a 7 year max deal.
Latrell Sprewell
Last Team: Orlando Magic
Age: 34
Ratings: B- B+ C A- C- C
Statistics: 24.8 MPG, 9 PPG, 3.5 RPG
Spree has nice ratings and was solid in limited minutes for the Magic this season I thought he was worth mentioning. He could definitely be a nice 4th or 5th starter for a lot of teams out there as he shoots it well and is a good defender as well. MLE offers for him. Maybe the Magic bring him back for more than that and try to get something of value.
(Center)
Jimmy King
Last Team: Boston Celtics
Age: 31
Ratings: B A B- B C- C
Statistics: MPG 38.7, 27.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.5 SPG
Just like Glenn Rob, Jimmy King is another stud that the Celtics managed to land without giving up too much. Also just like Glenn Rob... the Celtics will be doing everything in their power to bring King back. King is one of the best scorer/shooters in the league and he'll be needed if the Celtics wish to return to the ECF. I expect similar King to receive the same type of offers Glenn Rob will. 3-4 year max deals or something like that.
Shawn Respert
Last Team: Orlando Magic
Age: 32
Ratings: B- A C+ A- C D
Statistics: 18.6 MPG, 8.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG
Respert did not start last year but he should have. Just a few seasons ago he was a big time scorer, averaging over 24 points a game (albeit for a poor team). Anyone that can get this guy at or around MLE money is definitely getting a steal of a deal. Respert is about as good as you can get as far as a 4th/5th starter. I expect the Magic to bring him back to a large 1 year deal (if possible, I don’t remember how much he made last year) and flip him for a 1st or something.
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Nick Van Exel
Last Team: Boston Celtics
Age: 32
Ratings: C A- B+ B+ D+ B
Statistics: 34.8 MPG, 14.1 PPG, 7.7 APG, 2.4 SPG
Nick the Quick is a very solid guard that shoots it at a high percentage, gets a decent amount of assists and is also one of the best thieves in the game. He should get a decent amount of looks in free agency but the Celtics will probably bringing him back easily as he will be overshadows by the other big name guards this year. Well maybe not anymore.. if anyone actually reads this article lol.
Voshon Lenard
Last Team: Charlotte Bobcats
Age: 31
Ratings: C+ A C B C- B
Statistics: 22.9 MPG, 9.6 PPG, 2.6 APG
He's worth a mention since he not only has C+ A scoring ratings, but also seems fully capable of putting those ratings to work as shown by his ~10 PPG in just under 23 minutes a game. Very nice scoring guard to have off the bench here. I know I’m MLE’ing him...
Alvin Williams
Last Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Age: 30
Ratings: C B B B+ C- D
Statistics: 26.4 MPG, 9.1 PPG, 5.8 APG
I believe Williams was starting for a good amount of last season which would explain why his numbers (assists in particular) look so good in 26 minutes but either way... Alvin Williams is a sick back up point guard.
Alphonso Ford
Last Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Age: 32
Ratings: B- A- B+ B- D+ D
Statistics: 20.2 MPG, 9.4 PPG, 3.2 APG
His ratings should get him a lot of looks. That is, until people see how much of a turnover whore he is. Perfect starting point guard for a team that wants to tank. Otherwise, he's a good back up 2.
Omar Cook
Last Team: Golden State Warriors
Age: 22
Ratings: C A- B B- C- B
Statistics: 16.9 MPG, 7.2 PPG, 3.2 APG
Why not? Wanted to give Cook a shoutout since he looks decent and is only 22. 7.2 points and 3.2 assists in just under 17 minutes a game is not too shabby at all. Definitely worth a MLE offer. He could get better.
Jason Kidd
Last Team: Houston Rockets
Age: 31
Ratings: C+ B- A A+ C D
Statistics: 40 MPG, 18.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 9.4 APG, 2.5 SPG
Along with Jimmy King, Glenn Robinson, Jamal Crawford and I guess we can throw Jamaal Magliore in there, Jason Kidd is one of the prizes of this year's free agency. His combination of rebounding, passing and defense is matched by very few point guards if any. The fact that he's a pretty good scorer is just gravy on a KFC Double Down..mmm. He's a championship level player at the 1 and should receive a lot of offers because of that. The Rockets will probably offer more than anyone else and then try to flip him.
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