Top skills among NBA free agents
By Tom Haberstroh | ESPN Insider
With free-agency season in full swing, we thought we would prepare a handy list of superlatives for teams to help with their offseason shopping. For a look at the highest-rated free agents by position, head to Kevin Pelton's list. For the overall rankings, stop by Amin Elhassan's breakdown.
So let's get to it.
[h=3]Top 3-and-D players[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->
1. Andre Iguodala
A defensive master at the wing who can guard multiple positions, Iguodala will be a coveted free agent for teams looking to boost their efficiency on that end of the floor. He can shoot 3s as long as he stays away from the corners; his 3-point percentage in between the corners was 35.7 percent last season.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. Martell Webster
Quietly one of the top marksmen in the NBA last season, Webster steered his career back on track after floundering with injuries in Minnesota. He shot 42 percent from deep last season and helped make the Wizards -- yes, the Wizards -- a top-10 defense after the All-Star break.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Matt Barnes
Barnes has lifted his 3-point percentage in each of the past two seasons in Hollywood and posted a 34 percent clip last season. He defends with hustle and won't be locking anyone down at his age, but he's a 3-and-D value play.
[h=3]Top passers[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Chris Paul
Even though Paul can pretty much create any shot for himself, he wields by far the top assist rate among free agents (46.5 percent) while keeping his turnovers to a minimum. A basketball perfectionist and floor general, Paul represents the ideal point guard who finds detours that others can't.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. Jose Calderon
The national audience hasn't seen much of Calderon because he has played in Toronto and Detroit in his career, but he boasts one of the best assist/turnover ratios in NBA history. Just don't ask him to lead a winning team without a safety net behind him on defense.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Pablo Prigioni
The purest of point guards. As a pass-first-second-and-third point guard, Prigioni's selfless play stuck out like a sore thumb in New York last season. If the Knicks don't bring him back, they may threaten the record for fewest assists next season with Andrea Bargnani now in the fold.
[h=3]Top rebounders[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Dwight Howard
With a torn labrum and a stiff back, Howard still finished with a league-leading 12.4 rebounds per game last season. Though his playing-time-adjusted defensive rebound rate was down to "just" 19.4 percent, he should be in better shape next season as he further distances himself from his 2012 back surgery.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. J.J. Hickson
Just 24 years old, Hickson enjoyed a breakout season in Portland, averaging a double-double for the first time in his career. He registered one of the top rebound rates in the league last season, but there might be some rebound thievery going on; the Blazers rebounded better as a team last season with him off the floor, according to NBA.com.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Samuel Dalembert
Always a vacuum on the boards, Dalembert should find a home somewhere in a specialist role off the bench. At 32 years old, his best days are behind him, but there's still plenty of value in the right setting.
[h=3]Top bench scorer candidates[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Tyreke Evans
With a crowded backcourt, the New Orleans Pelicans reportedly handed a four-year, $44 million offer sheet to Evans, presumably to come off the bench. That might be the right idea for a talented tweener who posted an identical true shooting percentage to Clippers supersub Jamal Crawford last season (55.8 percent). We'll see if his improved 3-point shot (33.8 percent last season versus 25.5 percent prior) was a fluke.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. J.R. Smith
The reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Smith thrived in his role off the bench for the Knicks while leading the team in minutes played. Not quite efficient enough to lead an offense but talented enough to bridge the second unit to the finishing lineups, Smith remains the poster child of supersubs in the NBA. As always, he still needs to improve his shot selection.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Monta Ellis
A move to the bench is long overdue. Once a bona fide star, Ellis can't defend the 2 and his 3-point shot has long abandoned him. Still, he can penetrate and find offense better than most ball handlers in the league. His shot creation and distribution can be valuable against second units, but his dreadful shooting percentages demand a demotion.
[h=3]Top pure shooters[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Kyle Korver
After nailing 45.7 percent of his 3s last season, he's not just the best shooter in this free-agency crop, but he's one of the best all-time, as our own Kevin Pelton discovered after digging up the data on sharpshooters. Corners, top of the key, from the wing, in the parking lot -- Korver can hit from anywhere.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. J.J. Redick
Redick lost his shooting stroke once he was traded to Milwaukee, but we'll chalk it up to chemistry issues next to Ellis and Brandon Jennings, because he has consistently been a knockdown 3-point shooter throughout his career. Entering last season, Redick was a career 40 percent shooter from downtown, and his next employer would be wise to buy low.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Mike Dunleavy
Chicago did well by reeling in Dunleavy to space the floor and create more weapons outside of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. The Bulls sure missed Korver last season, but they'll find Dunleavy (42.8 percent from 3 last season) as a reasonable facsimile at likely a cheaper price.
[h=3]Top high-risk, high-reward candidates[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Andrew Bynum
On one hand, he's a 25-year-old with two championship rings who averaged a preposterous 21.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game after the All-Star break in 2011-12. On the other hand, he may not have two working knees, hasn't played in 14 months and is pushing 300 pounds. Good luck with that, bidders.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. Josh Smith
What happens when you give a borderline All-Star with horrible shot selection max money? We're probably about to find out. Smith is due for a monster payday as the next-biggest name on the market after Paul and Howard. But with all the instability in coaching and management around the league, who's fully equipped to build a program that can maximize his immense talents?
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Brandon Jennings
Only one player in the past decade has shot less than 40 percent on at least 1,200 field goal attempts in a season. The lone chucker's name? Yep, that would be Jennings. The sad thing is that he did it not once but twice, as a rookie and again last season. That underlines Jennings' frustrating lack of development as a player. Can he find a fresh start to his career?
[h=3]Top low-risk, high-reward candidates[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Greg Oden
Oden makes Bynum seem indestructible. The former No. 1 overall pick won't demand a high price tag considering he hasn't suited up since December 2009 because of multiple microfracture knee surgeries. But he was an elite rebounder and defender in his short time on the court, so some team could hit the lottery with its ticket. Just don't bet the house on it.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. Nate Robinson
Quick, who has the highest PER the past two seasons among this crop of free agents: Robinson, Iguodala, Evans, J.R. Smith, Ellis, Jarrett Jack, Jeff Teague or Jennings. Yup, it's Robinson's 17.6 rating. If you can excuse the lack of discipline and defensive shortcomings (pun very much intended), Robinson can be a useful player at the right price.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Andray Blatche
After having the amnesty clause used on him by the lowly Washington Wizards, Blatche enjoyed a bounce-back season for the Brooklyn Nets. He was one of only a handful of players who averaged 19.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per 36 minutes last season, so it's a veritable steal if the Nets indeed nabbed him for near the veteran minimum next season.
[h=3]Top stretch-4 candidate[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Paul Millsap
If you're looking for the next Chris Bosh, who stretched his reliable jump shot to the 3-point line, Millsap might be your guy. The 28-year-old is entering his prime and shot a promising 13-for-39 (33.3 percent) on 3-pointers last season. Already an elite midrange shooter, Millsap could be the next to join the growing wave of stretch 4s.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. Chris Copeland
As a 28-year-old rookie who came out of nowhere, the wiry reserve showed impressive scoring chops off the bench for the Knicks. He shot 42 percent from beyond the arc and averaged over 20 points per 36 minutes in the reserve role. He can't defend or rebound, but he could be a great find for a team starving for floor spacing.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Antawn Jamison
With his mobility waning at age 37, he's essentially useless unless he's paired with an elite defender at the 5. For the veteran minimum, teams could do much worse than Jamison, who shot 36 percent from deep in Mike D'Antoni's system that's tailor-made for his skill set.
[h=3]Top defensive specialists[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Tony Allen
Sure, Allen's offensive liabilities were exposed the deeper the Grizzlies went into the playoffs, but few players can bring it on the defensive end like he can. He held opponents to one of the lowest PERs in the league last season (11.6), according to 82games.com. But at 31, how much longer can he bring it at that level?
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. Corey Brewer
With energy and wingspan for days, Brewer has the potential to be a nasty 3-and-D player in the league. However, he's statistically the worst high-volume 3-point shooter in the league over the past three seasons (28.2 percent on 546 shots).
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Ronnie Brewer
The 2012-13 season was a lost one for Brewer as he never recovered after undergoing offseason surgery in September to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee. Once an elite defensive stopper, Brewer should find a home on a team looking to find cheap value on that end of the floor.
By Tom Haberstroh | ESPN Insider
With free-agency season in full swing, we thought we would prepare a handy list of superlatives for teams to help with their offseason shopping. For a look at the highest-rated free agents by position, head to Kevin Pelton's list. For the overall rankings, stop by Amin Elhassan's breakdown.
So let's get to it.
[h=3]Top 3-and-D players[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->
1. Andre Iguodala
A defensive master at the wing who can guard multiple positions, Iguodala will be a coveted free agent for teams looking to boost their efficiency on that end of the floor. He can shoot 3s as long as he stays away from the corners; his 3-point percentage in between the corners was 35.7 percent last season.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. Martell Webster
Quietly one of the top marksmen in the NBA last season, Webster steered his career back on track after floundering with injuries in Minnesota. He shot 42 percent from deep last season and helped make the Wizards -- yes, the Wizards -- a top-10 defense after the All-Star break.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Matt Barnes
Barnes has lifted his 3-point percentage in each of the past two seasons in Hollywood and posted a 34 percent clip last season. He defends with hustle and won't be locking anyone down at his age, but he's a 3-and-D value play.
[h=3]Top passers[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Chris Paul
Even though Paul can pretty much create any shot for himself, he wields by far the top assist rate among free agents (46.5 percent) while keeping his turnovers to a minimum. A basketball perfectionist and floor general, Paul represents the ideal point guard who finds detours that others can't.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. Jose Calderon
The national audience hasn't seen much of Calderon because he has played in Toronto and Detroit in his career, but he boasts one of the best assist/turnover ratios in NBA history. Just don't ask him to lead a winning team without a safety net behind him on defense.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Pablo Prigioni
The purest of point guards. As a pass-first-second-and-third point guard, Prigioni's selfless play stuck out like a sore thumb in New York last season. If the Knicks don't bring him back, they may threaten the record for fewest assists next season with Andrea Bargnani now in the fold.
[h=3]Top rebounders[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Dwight Howard
With a torn labrum and a stiff back, Howard still finished with a league-leading 12.4 rebounds per game last season. Though his playing-time-adjusted defensive rebound rate was down to "just" 19.4 percent, he should be in better shape next season as he further distances himself from his 2012 back surgery.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. J.J. Hickson
Just 24 years old, Hickson enjoyed a breakout season in Portland, averaging a double-double for the first time in his career. He registered one of the top rebound rates in the league last season, but there might be some rebound thievery going on; the Blazers rebounded better as a team last season with him off the floor, according to NBA.com.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Samuel Dalembert
Always a vacuum on the boards, Dalembert should find a home somewhere in a specialist role off the bench. At 32 years old, his best days are behind him, but there's still plenty of value in the right setting.
[h=3]Top bench scorer candidates[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Tyreke Evans
With a crowded backcourt, the New Orleans Pelicans reportedly handed a four-year, $44 million offer sheet to Evans, presumably to come off the bench. That might be the right idea for a talented tweener who posted an identical true shooting percentage to Clippers supersub Jamal Crawford last season (55.8 percent). We'll see if his improved 3-point shot (33.8 percent last season versus 25.5 percent prior) was a fluke.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. J.R. Smith
The reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Smith thrived in his role off the bench for the Knicks while leading the team in minutes played. Not quite efficient enough to lead an offense but talented enough to bridge the second unit to the finishing lineups, Smith remains the poster child of supersubs in the NBA. As always, he still needs to improve his shot selection.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Monta Ellis
A move to the bench is long overdue. Once a bona fide star, Ellis can't defend the 2 and his 3-point shot has long abandoned him. Still, he can penetrate and find offense better than most ball handlers in the league. His shot creation and distribution can be valuable against second units, but his dreadful shooting percentages demand a demotion.
[h=3]Top pure shooters[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Kyle Korver
After nailing 45.7 percent of his 3s last season, he's not just the best shooter in this free-agency crop, but he's one of the best all-time, as our own Kevin Pelton discovered after digging up the data on sharpshooters. Corners, top of the key, from the wing, in the parking lot -- Korver can hit from anywhere.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. J.J. Redick
Redick lost his shooting stroke once he was traded to Milwaukee, but we'll chalk it up to chemistry issues next to Ellis and Brandon Jennings, because he has consistently been a knockdown 3-point shooter throughout his career. Entering last season, Redick was a career 40 percent shooter from downtown, and his next employer would be wise to buy low.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Mike Dunleavy
Chicago did well by reeling in Dunleavy to space the floor and create more weapons outside of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. The Bulls sure missed Korver last season, but they'll find Dunleavy (42.8 percent from 3 last season) as a reasonable facsimile at likely a cheaper price.
[h=3]Top high-risk, high-reward candidates[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Andrew Bynum
On one hand, he's a 25-year-old with two championship rings who averaged a preposterous 21.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game after the All-Star break in 2011-12. On the other hand, he may not have two working knees, hasn't played in 14 months and is pushing 300 pounds. Good luck with that, bidders.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. Josh Smith
What happens when you give a borderline All-Star with horrible shot selection max money? We're probably about to find out. Smith is due for a monster payday as the next-biggest name on the market after Paul and Howard. But with all the instability in coaching and management around the league, who's fully equipped to build a program that can maximize his immense talents?
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Brandon Jennings
Only one player in the past decade has shot less than 40 percent on at least 1,200 field goal attempts in a season. The lone chucker's name? Yep, that would be Jennings. The sad thing is that he did it not once but twice, as a rookie and again last season. That underlines Jennings' frustrating lack of development as a player. Can he find a fresh start to his career?
[h=3]Top low-risk, high-reward candidates[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Greg Oden
Oden makes Bynum seem indestructible. The former No. 1 overall pick won't demand a high price tag considering he hasn't suited up since December 2009 because of multiple microfracture knee surgeries. But he was an elite rebounder and defender in his short time on the court, so some team could hit the lottery with its ticket. Just don't bet the house on it.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. Nate Robinson
Quick, who has the highest PER the past two seasons among this crop of free agents: Robinson, Iguodala, Evans, J.R. Smith, Ellis, Jarrett Jack, Jeff Teague or Jennings. Yup, it's Robinson's 17.6 rating. If you can excuse the lack of discipline and defensive shortcomings (pun very much intended), Robinson can be a useful player at the right price.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Andray Blatche
After having the amnesty clause used on him by the lowly Washington Wizards, Blatche enjoyed a bounce-back season for the Brooklyn Nets. He was one of only a handful of players who averaged 19.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per 36 minutes last season, so it's a veritable steal if the Nets indeed nabbed him for near the veteran minimum next season.
[h=3]Top stretch-4 candidate[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Paul Millsap
If you're looking for the next Chris Bosh, who stretched his reliable jump shot to the 3-point line, Millsap might be your guy. The 28-year-old is entering his prime and shot a promising 13-for-39 (33.3 percent) on 3-pointers last season. Already an elite midrange shooter, Millsap could be the next to join the growing wave of stretch 4s.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. Chris Copeland
As a 28-year-old rookie who came out of nowhere, the wiry reserve showed impressive scoring chops off the bench for the Knicks. He shot 42 percent from beyond the arc and averaged over 20 points per 36 minutes in the reserve role. He can't defend or rebound, but he could be a great find for a team starving for floor spacing.
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Antawn Jamison
With his mobility waning at age 37, he's essentially useless unless he's paired with an elite defender at the 5. For the veteran minimum, teams could do much worse than Jamison, who shot 36 percent from deep in Mike D'Antoni's system that's tailor-made for his skill set.
[h=3]Top defensive specialists[/h]
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->1. Tony Allen
Sure, Allen's offensive liabilities were exposed the deeper the Grizzlies went into the playoffs, but few players can bring it on the defensive end like he can. He held opponents to one of the lowest PERs in the league last season (11.6), according to 82games.com. But at 31, how much longer can he bring it at that level?
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->2. Corey Brewer
With energy and wingspan for days, Brewer has the potential to be a nasty 3-and-D player in the league. However, he's statistically the worst high-volume 3-point shooter in the league over the past three seasons (28.2 percent on 546 shots).
<!--INLINE MUG-->
<!--END INLINE MUG-->3. Ronnie Brewer
The 2012-13 season was a lost one for Brewer as he never recovered after undergoing offseason surgery in September to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee. Once an elite defensive stopper, Brewer should find a home on a team looking to find cheap value on that end of the floor.
