Post by Piraeus on May 29, 2016 7:51:33 GMT
2005 Free Agency Grades
The main players in the 2005 free agency summer are off the market. Let's take a look at 10 key signings who changed teams, and assess the value for money and fit with the roster.
Player Quality: Overall quality of the player, when considering age, offensive and defensive ability, ratings, and advanced metrics
Value for Money: Value for the contract received
Fit With Roster: Fit with the other players on the roster, judged by assessing skillset and needs
Jason Richardson: $76,860,000 over 4 years (PO)
Player Quality: B+
Value for Money: C+
Fit With Roster: A
I like Jason Richardson a lot. But I am nervous about giving someone 18M starting who put up 15.1 PER and only 7.4 EWA last season. Richardson has the athleticism and offensive ability to be a star, but he just hasn't put up numbers that suggest he is. On the defense side, the story looks worse. He averaged only 1.2 steals and he's a poor defender in the post. However, to add a player of this quality while giving up no assets is a win for Rio De Janeiro. He is a perfect fit with their roster. If he plays at SF, Justise Winslow comes off the bench to provide some defensive assistance. If he plays SG, then Eric Snow becomes a quality third guard off the bench. He's a plus rebounder at SG to make up for Winslow's poor rebounding at the 3. Really great fit.
Eddy Curry: $22,728,750 over 3 years (TO)
Player Quality: C
Value for Money: A-
Fit With Roster: C+
Curry is a bit of the opposite story as Richardson. He's no one's favorite player, but he puts up stats, and at just a shade over 7M per season, he's excellent value for money. Last season he put up 17.0 PER and 6.8 EWA. That's very comparable to Richardson for 40% of the price. He can't defend and for that reason he's a curious fit next to Anthony Davis. Fortunately, Davis has a jumper which could allow him to play power forward. The scoring ability coupled with the price makes this a nice move by Rio.
Karl Malone: $54,000,000 over 3 years (TO)
Player Quality: B
Value for Money: C
Fit With Roster: B
I have a bit of grudge for Karl Malone because he was such a disappointment as a 1st round creation pick. I knew he would lean on his jumper too heavily instead of banging in the post, but the biggest disappointment was his inability to stay out of foul trouble. He set a career high 3.7 fouls last season. He's a great offensive player when he can stay on the floor, but has not averaged more than 32 MPG in the last 3 seasons. He's good but not a game changer on the defensive end. 18M is a lot to pay for this package. He adds a nice third big to the rotation in Mexico City with Ruland and Towns. I suppose he'll push Ruland to the first big man off the bench. It's a good, but not great, fit. I think the money could have been spent elsewhere.
Antonio McDyess: $76,860,000 over 4 years
Player Quality: A-
Value for Money: B+
Fit With Roster: A
This was a really nice signing for Brazil in an otherwise terrible offseason. They have lost pretty much all assets except for Charles Barkley. 18M is expensive for anyone, but this is pretty good use of it. McDyess is a pretty damn good player whose main flaws are poor FT shooting and shooting one three pointer a game when he doesn't need to be. The fit with Barkley, who should be playing power forward at this point as he's lost some quickness, is good. The grades look good here, because we're not discussing the entire offseason for Brazil. I suspect at 27 years old, he won't make a full season on this roster without being traded.
KC Jones: $51,667,000 over 4 years (TO)
Player Quality: B-
Value for Money: C
Fit With Roster: A-
I'll be the first to admit I overpaid for KC Jones. I really like his skillset. He can pass, he can defend, he's uber-athletic, which leads to a healthy portion of his shots near the basket and a good FG%. His offensive game took a hit when his potential was sapped by a TC death a few seasons ago. But he's safe from TC now at 27, and signed until 30. He's an excellent versatile guard who will be the first off the bench, generating some offense and locking up backups. He'll be one of the best bench guards in the league but at a pretty penny. I paid what I thought I needed to in a competitive free agency with the plan to put a significant number of player points into him. I think it'll make this look better. We'll see if it pays off.
Detlef Schrempf: $37,933,500 over 3 years (TO)
Player Quality: B
Value for Money: B
Fit With Roster: A
Schrempf had a nice season last year for Los Angeles. He can shoot (37% from 3, 85% from the line), pass (1.75 A:T), and defend both forward spots respectably. He's not a game changer but what he can do is stretch the floor from both the small forward and power forward positions. He's literally a perfect roster fit to play next to McHale and slide to the 4 spot when Jalen Rose is in the game. He's on the books for his age 29 and 30 seasons with an option for a third. We're really excited for what Detlef can bring to the table.
Brent Barry: $36,000,000 over 3 years (TO)
Player Quality: B
Value for Money: B
Fit With Roster: B-
I offered Barry a similar contract. He's a really underrated player who uses his athleticism and shooting to make a big impact. His 61% TS is pretty insane for a non star player, and his 17.5 PER is significantly higher than a player like Jason Richardson, who is making 1.5 times as much as Barry. I am not sure of the fit with the roster with wings Kidd-Gilchrist and Bowen also on the roster. That's a lot to invest at that spot, though I will readily admit Moscow is just consolidating assets at this point and trying to win games without his pick. I would assume the start Kidd-Gilchrist at the 4, McGill at the 5, and go small ball. Barry is slow for a shooting guard but he'll help CSKA win games. Nice signing.
Kurt Thomas: $54,000,000 over 3 years (TO)
Player Quality: B
Value for Money: D+
Fit With Roster: A
Kurt Thomas is a really nice defender, and a PERFECT fit next to Zelmo Beaty. Beaty is not intimidating defensively but is excellent at stretching the floor. Kurt is the perfect defensive big to play next to him, while Cosic comes along slowly off the bench. None of that matters though, as Kurt will probably be traded to a contender as Perth continues to rebuild. 18M is super expensive for a role player, which Kurt is, but Perth had the money to burn so that D+ looks worse than it really is. I don't think he'll have a problem moving him. It was a solid signing to acquire a free asset. I'm not sure he'll get more than a late 1st for him given how much salary the other team will also have to give up on top of it.
Raymond Felton: $21,000,000 over 3 years (TO)
Player Quality: C+
Value for Money: A
Fit With Roster: B-
I was a big fan of Felton and offered a similar contract. He was buried a bit behind Isiah last season. His PER 36 numbers are 15 / 7.5 / 4 on 46% / 67% / 35%. With his decent defense, those are numbers of an average starting point guard in this league. He won't set the world on fire, but he'll do well for Cairo and could serve as a nice future trade asset. For now, he provides a nice complement to Andrew Toney in the Cairo backcourt. It'll be interesting to see how Bo Lamar and Jarrett Jack fit in. If Bo has a nice TC, I could see him starting over Felton. If Jack plays PG rather than SF (a much better fit), that'll also put Felton back on the bench like last season.
Doug McDermott: $26,520,000 over 3 years
Player Quality: C+
Value for Money: B
Fit With Roster: A-
McDermott is a one dimensional shooter but boy can he shoot. He took 3.8 three point attempts and made 43% of them. He doesn't do a great job playing defense or rebounding, but his offensive ability will really help a New Orleans team that struggled to find scoring outside of Tony Parker. I think he's a much better fit than Orlando Woolbridge at the 3 spot. This was a solid under-the-radar signing for New Orelans at 8.5M per season.
The main players in the 2005 free agency summer are off the market. Let's take a look at 10 key signings who changed teams, and assess the value for money and fit with the roster.
Player Quality: Overall quality of the player, when considering age, offensive and defensive ability, ratings, and advanced metrics
Value for Money: Value for the contract received
Fit With Roster: Fit with the other players on the roster, judged by assessing skillset and needs
Jason Richardson: $76,860,000 over 4 years (PO)
Player Quality: B+
Value for Money: C+
Fit With Roster: A
I like Jason Richardson a lot. But I am nervous about giving someone 18M starting who put up 15.1 PER and only 7.4 EWA last season. Richardson has the athleticism and offensive ability to be a star, but he just hasn't put up numbers that suggest he is. On the defense side, the story looks worse. He averaged only 1.2 steals and he's a poor defender in the post. However, to add a player of this quality while giving up no assets is a win for Rio De Janeiro. He is a perfect fit with their roster. If he plays at SF, Justise Winslow comes off the bench to provide some defensive assistance. If he plays SG, then Eric Snow becomes a quality third guard off the bench. He's a plus rebounder at SG to make up for Winslow's poor rebounding at the 3. Really great fit.
Eddy Curry: $22,728,750 over 3 years (TO)
Player Quality: C
Value for Money: A-
Fit With Roster: C+
Curry is a bit of the opposite story as Richardson. He's no one's favorite player, but he puts up stats, and at just a shade over 7M per season, he's excellent value for money. Last season he put up 17.0 PER and 6.8 EWA. That's very comparable to Richardson for 40% of the price. He can't defend and for that reason he's a curious fit next to Anthony Davis. Fortunately, Davis has a jumper which could allow him to play power forward. The scoring ability coupled with the price makes this a nice move by Rio.
Karl Malone: $54,000,000 over 3 years (TO)
Player Quality: B
Value for Money: C
Fit With Roster: B
I have a bit of grudge for Karl Malone because he was such a disappointment as a 1st round creation pick. I knew he would lean on his jumper too heavily instead of banging in the post, but the biggest disappointment was his inability to stay out of foul trouble. He set a career high 3.7 fouls last season. He's a great offensive player when he can stay on the floor, but has not averaged more than 32 MPG in the last 3 seasons. He's good but not a game changer on the defensive end. 18M is a lot to pay for this package. He adds a nice third big to the rotation in Mexico City with Ruland and Towns. I suppose he'll push Ruland to the first big man off the bench. It's a good, but not great, fit. I think the money could have been spent elsewhere.
Antonio McDyess: $76,860,000 over 4 years
Player Quality: A-
Value for Money: B+
Fit With Roster: A
This was a really nice signing for Brazil in an otherwise terrible offseason. They have lost pretty much all assets except for Charles Barkley. 18M is expensive for anyone, but this is pretty good use of it. McDyess is a pretty damn good player whose main flaws are poor FT shooting and shooting one three pointer a game when he doesn't need to be. The fit with Barkley, who should be playing power forward at this point as he's lost some quickness, is good. The grades look good here, because we're not discussing the entire offseason for Brazil. I suspect at 27 years old, he won't make a full season on this roster without being traded.
KC Jones: $51,667,000 over 4 years (TO)
Player Quality: B-
Value for Money: C
Fit With Roster: A-
I'll be the first to admit I overpaid for KC Jones. I really like his skillset. He can pass, he can defend, he's uber-athletic, which leads to a healthy portion of his shots near the basket and a good FG%. His offensive game took a hit when his potential was sapped by a TC death a few seasons ago. But he's safe from TC now at 27, and signed until 30. He's an excellent versatile guard who will be the first off the bench, generating some offense and locking up backups. He'll be one of the best bench guards in the league but at a pretty penny. I paid what I thought I needed to in a competitive free agency with the plan to put a significant number of player points into him. I think it'll make this look better. We'll see if it pays off.
Detlef Schrempf: $37,933,500 over 3 years (TO)
Player Quality: B
Value for Money: B
Fit With Roster: A
Schrempf had a nice season last year for Los Angeles. He can shoot (37% from 3, 85% from the line), pass (1.75 A:T), and defend both forward spots respectably. He's not a game changer but what he can do is stretch the floor from both the small forward and power forward positions. He's literally a perfect roster fit to play next to McHale and slide to the 4 spot when Jalen Rose is in the game. He's on the books for his age 29 and 30 seasons with an option for a third. We're really excited for what Detlef can bring to the table.
Brent Barry: $36,000,000 over 3 years (TO)
Player Quality: B
Value for Money: B
Fit With Roster: B-
I offered Barry a similar contract. He's a really underrated player who uses his athleticism and shooting to make a big impact. His 61% TS is pretty insane for a non star player, and his 17.5 PER is significantly higher than a player like Jason Richardson, who is making 1.5 times as much as Barry. I am not sure of the fit with the roster with wings Kidd-Gilchrist and Bowen also on the roster. That's a lot to invest at that spot, though I will readily admit Moscow is just consolidating assets at this point and trying to win games without his pick. I would assume the start Kidd-Gilchrist at the 4, McGill at the 5, and go small ball. Barry is slow for a shooting guard but he'll help CSKA win games. Nice signing.
Kurt Thomas: $54,000,000 over 3 years (TO)
Player Quality: B
Value for Money: D+
Fit With Roster: A
Kurt Thomas is a really nice defender, and a PERFECT fit next to Zelmo Beaty. Beaty is not intimidating defensively but is excellent at stretching the floor. Kurt is the perfect defensive big to play next to him, while Cosic comes along slowly off the bench. None of that matters though, as Kurt will probably be traded to a contender as Perth continues to rebuild. 18M is super expensive for a role player, which Kurt is, but Perth had the money to burn so that D+ looks worse than it really is. I don't think he'll have a problem moving him. It was a solid signing to acquire a free asset. I'm not sure he'll get more than a late 1st for him given how much salary the other team will also have to give up on top of it.
Raymond Felton: $21,000,000 over 3 years (TO)
Player Quality: C+
Value for Money: A
Fit With Roster: B-
I was a big fan of Felton and offered a similar contract. He was buried a bit behind Isiah last season. His PER 36 numbers are 15 / 7.5 / 4 on 46% / 67% / 35%. With his decent defense, those are numbers of an average starting point guard in this league. He won't set the world on fire, but he'll do well for Cairo and could serve as a nice future trade asset. For now, he provides a nice complement to Andrew Toney in the Cairo backcourt. It'll be interesting to see how Bo Lamar and Jarrett Jack fit in. If Bo has a nice TC, I could see him starting over Felton. If Jack plays PG rather than SF (a much better fit), that'll also put Felton back on the bench like last season.
Doug McDermott: $26,520,000 over 3 years
Player Quality: C+
Value for Money: B
Fit With Roster: A-
McDermott is a one dimensional shooter but boy can he shoot. He took 3.8 three point attempts and made 43% of them. He doesn't do a great job playing defense or rebounding, but his offensive ability will really help a New Orleans team that struggled to find scoring outside of Tony Parker. I think he's a much better fit than Orlando Woolbridge at the 3 spot. This was a solid under-the-radar signing for New Orelans at 8.5M per season.
