FROM SHAMSPORTS.com
The international basketball market is incredibly dry right now, and there's a lot more produce than buyers. The whole nation of Greece is broke, and Spanish clubs are running into financial barriers they're not normally known for. Even Italian teams, including four time defending champion Montepaschi Siena, are facing budget cuts.
In the NBA, most of the big stuff has been done. Of the 280 or so rotation spots in the league, most have been filled, and rosters in general are starting to fill up. That said, there's still a lot of players out there looking for work, ranging from the meh to the intriguing. This excessively long list attempts to chronicle them all.
The following is written with an eye on NBA signings; however, these players are of course open to the world at large. Hardened readers will note that a lot of these blurbs are jacked from other places where I have written them before.....but, you know, whatever.
Point guards
Earl Watson - Watson played with the Pacers on a one year contract last season, and averaged 7.8 points and 5.1 assists alongside a PER of only 10.9. His jumpshot, which is inconsistent from season to season, decided to be particularly bad for the second season in a row; it probably didn't help that Watson started 52 games, when he's overmatched as a starter. Watson is a capable backup, however, and should find a home in the NBA next year.
Anthony Johnson - Johnson fell out of the rotation last year, losing his spot as the Magic's backup point guard to a man with no sideburns that we'll mention in a minute. He actually put up his best season for four years, putting up a PER of 12.4 and shooting 44% from the field. However, it still wasn't that good of a year, and the preceding three were really bad. Johnson will turn 36 before opening night, and has probably run out of legs.
Chucky Atkins - Not satisfied with only having two point guards that aren't really point guards, the Pistons brought in Chucky Atkins last summer. Chucky did not impress, putting up a PER of only 8.3 and shooting 36% on the season which was an improvement on his marks the previous two seasons of 34% and 30% respectively. Incidentally, 36 is also how old he turns next month.
It also goes largely unspoken that Chucky Atkins put up his career at aged 32. In 2006/07 with the Grizzlies, Atkins averaged 13.2 points, 4.6 assists and only 1.7 turnovers per game, shooting .434% from the field (second best mark of his career), .379% from three, attempting 4.1 free throws per game (his career high by a long way), putting up a PER of 17.4, and doing all this in only 27 minutes per game. Needless to say, it was a contract year. (Hey, I'd try harder in a contract year, too. Believe that.)
Cedric Jackson - In a completely unexpected turn of events, undrafted Cleveland State point guard Cedric Jackson played for three different NBA teams last year; the Cavaliers, the Spurs and the Wizards. The Wizards then extended him a QO at the season's end, although they later retracted it. Jackson is a good defensive point guard who also chips in with the rebounding, yet his own offense (jumpshot especially) is not particularly good, and he turns the ball over far too much. He might make it back into the NBA next year, or alternatively, he might go the Bobby Jones route and play for a hundred million different teams......in one season.
Jason Williams - Dear Deliliah. Why, why, WHY, did Jason Williams decide to live the last year of his life without any sideburns? How can you have a full head of hair and smiultaneously decide that it's a good idea to shave the burns up above ear height? And why for the life of Brian did Matt Barnes do the same?
For the full listings: http://blog.shamsports.com/2010/07/b...hats-left.html
The international basketball market is incredibly dry right now, and there's a lot more produce than buyers. The whole nation of Greece is broke, and Spanish clubs are running into financial barriers they're not normally known for. Even Italian teams, including four time defending champion Montepaschi Siena, are facing budget cuts.
In the NBA, most of the big stuff has been done. Of the 280 or so rotation spots in the league, most have been filled, and rosters in general are starting to fill up. That said, there's still a lot of players out there looking for work, ranging from the meh to the intriguing. This excessively long list attempts to chronicle them all.
The following is written with an eye on NBA signings; however, these players are of course open to the world at large. Hardened readers will note that a lot of these blurbs are jacked from other places where I have written them before.....but, you know, whatever.
Point guards
Earl Watson - Watson played with the Pacers on a one year contract last season, and averaged 7.8 points and 5.1 assists alongside a PER of only 10.9. His jumpshot, which is inconsistent from season to season, decided to be particularly bad for the second season in a row; it probably didn't help that Watson started 52 games, when he's overmatched as a starter. Watson is a capable backup, however, and should find a home in the NBA next year.
Anthony Johnson - Johnson fell out of the rotation last year, losing his spot as the Magic's backup point guard to a man with no sideburns that we'll mention in a minute. He actually put up his best season for four years, putting up a PER of 12.4 and shooting 44% from the field. However, it still wasn't that good of a year, and the preceding three were really bad. Johnson will turn 36 before opening night, and has probably run out of legs.
Chucky Atkins - Not satisfied with only having two point guards that aren't really point guards, the Pistons brought in Chucky Atkins last summer. Chucky did not impress, putting up a PER of only 8.3 and shooting 36% on the season which was an improvement on his marks the previous two seasons of 34% and 30% respectively. Incidentally, 36 is also how old he turns next month.
It also goes largely unspoken that Chucky Atkins put up his career at aged 32. In 2006/07 with the Grizzlies, Atkins averaged 13.2 points, 4.6 assists and only 1.7 turnovers per game, shooting .434% from the field (second best mark of his career), .379% from three, attempting 4.1 free throws per game (his career high by a long way), putting up a PER of 17.4, and doing all this in only 27 minutes per game. Needless to say, it was a contract year. (Hey, I'd try harder in a contract year, too. Believe that.)
Cedric Jackson - In a completely unexpected turn of events, undrafted Cleveland State point guard Cedric Jackson played for three different NBA teams last year; the Cavaliers, the Spurs and the Wizards. The Wizards then extended him a QO at the season's end, although they later retracted it. Jackson is a good defensive point guard who also chips in with the rebounding, yet his own offense (jumpshot especially) is not particularly good, and he turns the ball over far too much. He might make it back into the NBA next year, or alternatively, he might go the Bobby Jones route and play for a hundred million different teams......in one season.
Jason Williams - Dear Deliliah. Why, why, WHY, did Jason Williams decide to live the last year of his life without any sideburns? How can you have a full head of hair and smiultaneously decide that it's a good idea to shave the burns up above ear height? And why for the life of Brian did Matt Barnes do the same?
For the full listings: http://blog.shamsports.com/2010/07/b...hats-left.html
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