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Ignoring the Lebron circus, who do you think made the best and worst FA deals this offseason? I know it's not quite over yet but so far, I'd rank the best this way:
1. Lance Stephenson - Head case, incredible all around player. It's a short enough deal and a small enough contract that it won't kill you if he derails and if he doesn't, it's unmatched bang for the buck. He'll need to improve his outside shot to work in that offense but I see no reason he won't be able to.
2. Isaiah Thomas - Whether Bledsoe stays or goes Thomas looks to be in the right place with the right head coach. Despite the mediocre percentage, he has a nice 3 point shot but needs better judgement on when to take them. Hopefully he'll have to force fewer of them with our tempo. His contract says mediocre player but his stats say he's a real weapon.
3. Ed Davis - Great potential with an inconsistent history. If Boozer beats him out for court time, he'll probably dog it and be a mid-season trade chip. But if he gets a fair chance to earn minutes he might end up starting for the Lakers. Regardless, it's such a low priced deal that even if he hurts you, the damage will be minimal. And with that contract and his potential, he's likely to draw trade interest even if he fails. Until then you get a two way player that's as likely to dominate as he is to disappear and there's always the chance that Kobe will scare him into reaching that next level.
I see the bad deals as follows:
1. Kyrie Irving - He's a poor man's Allen Iverson but he's paid like he's the real deal. Lebron is one of the most team oriented superstars the game has ever seen. This looks to be a real clash of styles although it's always possible Lebron can teach him what it means to be part of a team. But probably not. Kyrie will continue to get his stats and frequently cost his team in the process.
2. Carmelo Anthony - He's a better player than a lot of us give him credit for. But this isn't a team on the verge of winning it all and his contract insures it will stay where it is for awhile. It might keep fans in the seats but a sign and trade that brought them good young talent would have helped the franchise far more.
3. Paul Pierce - The contract isn't that bad but Paul is 36. An old 36. He always had an old man's game but he's now assisted living old. He's also going to hear it from the fans because he isn't the guy he replaced. Trevor Ariza was perfect for that team and Pierce is a flawed plug-in. He can't hit the outside shot like Trevor and he can't defend like Trevor. He'll bring some leadership but they needed a player and a leader. Paul is likely to miss even more games this season and it's hard to lead from the bench, let alone play.
4. Gordon Hayward - Good player but not good enough for that contract. Utah was between a rock and a hard place here so maybe they had to make this decision but overpaying for anything less than a superstar is rarely the right call. With four years of experience, the Gordon they saw last year is probably pretty close to the Gordon they'll have to live with for the next 5 years. His career stats suggest he's better than average, his salary demands he reach another level.
Channing Frye may well deserve to be on this list but I think we've bashed him enough. I'd rather we not re-visit that scene. I also didn't know what to do with Chris Bosh. I think he's overpriced but it's not a horrible signing for a year or two but he has a lot of mileage on that body and I think he'll be spent long before his 5 year deal runs out.
Steve
1. Lance Stephenson - Head case, incredible all around player. It's a short enough deal and a small enough contract that it won't kill you if he derails and if he doesn't, it's unmatched bang for the buck. He'll need to improve his outside shot to work in that offense but I see no reason he won't be able to.
2. Isaiah Thomas - Whether Bledsoe stays or goes Thomas looks to be in the right place with the right head coach. Despite the mediocre percentage, he has a nice 3 point shot but needs better judgement on when to take them. Hopefully he'll have to force fewer of them with our tempo. His contract says mediocre player but his stats say he's a real weapon.
3. Ed Davis - Great potential with an inconsistent history. If Boozer beats him out for court time, he'll probably dog it and be a mid-season trade chip. But if he gets a fair chance to earn minutes he might end up starting for the Lakers. Regardless, it's such a low priced deal that even if he hurts you, the damage will be minimal. And with that contract and his potential, he's likely to draw trade interest even if he fails. Until then you get a two way player that's as likely to dominate as he is to disappear and there's always the chance that Kobe will scare him into reaching that next level.
I see the bad deals as follows:
1. Kyrie Irving - He's a poor man's Allen Iverson but he's paid like he's the real deal. Lebron is one of the most team oriented superstars the game has ever seen. This looks to be a real clash of styles although it's always possible Lebron can teach him what it means to be part of a team. But probably not. Kyrie will continue to get his stats and frequently cost his team in the process.
2. Carmelo Anthony - He's a better player than a lot of us give him credit for. But this isn't a team on the verge of winning it all and his contract insures it will stay where it is for awhile. It might keep fans in the seats but a sign and trade that brought them good young talent would have helped the franchise far more.
3. Paul Pierce - The contract isn't that bad but Paul is 36. An old 36. He always had an old man's game but he's now assisted living old. He's also going to hear it from the fans because he isn't the guy he replaced. Trevor Ariza was perfect for that team and Pierce is a flawed plug-in. He can't hit the outside shot like Trevor and he can't defend like Trevor. He'll bring some leadership but they needed a player and a leader. Paul is likely to miss even more games this season and it's hard to lead from the bench, let alone play.
4. Gordon Hayward - Good player but not good enough for that contract. Utah was between a rock and a hard place here so maybe they had to make this decision but overpaying for anything less than a superstar is rarely the right call. With four years of experience, the Gordon they saw last year is probably pretty close to the Gordon they'll have to live with for the next 5 years. His career stats suggest he's better than average, his salary demands he reach another level.
Channing Frye may well deserve to be on this list but I think we've bashed him enough. I'd rather we not re-visit that scene. I also didn't know what to do with Chris Bosh. I think he's overpriced but it's not a horrible signing for a year or two but he has a lot of mileage on that body and I think he'll be spent long before his 5 year deal runs out.
Steve
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