NBA Free Agency’s best and worst seizures yet.
Most Seamless Fit: Bruce Brown, Denver
We’ve pointed out Utah’s lack of full-backs earlier, but Denver didn’t have many either.
Hell, we saw 6-foot-9 power forward Aaron Gordon try his best — and still fail — to slow down Stephen Curry during the playoffs because the Nuggets had no one better to realistically handle the task could. Hard, hard scene.
From that standpoint, Brown, a burly 6ft 4 service provider, can handle more difficult wing tasks when needed. But beyond that, he’ll probably be a much better fit offensively than defensively.
Brown is a fantastic editor, which means Nikola Jokić is likely to telepathize him several times this season. He has a career utilization rate of around 15%, which should work perfectly with a group expecting Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. to be back alongside the two-time MVP; a trio that will surely launch their fair share of tries.
He was obviously used to the role, serving as a safety valve for Durant and Irving last season, and at two years and just $13 million, it’s hard to imagine how the Nuggets could have spent that money better. (They’ve also landed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to help on defense, although it cost them impressive substitute Monte Morris and swingman Will Barton.) The statement becomes even more true when he sees the three-point shooting numbers of the last year that marked a career – best for him.
Least Seamless Fit: DeAndre Jordan, Denver
Speaking of how the Nuggets spent their money…why did they hook up with DeAndre Jordan so damn quick?
For example, we all saw Milwaukee get into trouble two years ago because aspects of Bogdan Bogdanovic’s sign-and-trade seemed to have been worked out before free agency began. We’ve seen the Bulls and Heat get slaps on the wrist for manipulating Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry, respectively. We all saw the potential for these allegations regarding Brunson given how long the Knicks bid rumors had been floating around.
On that note: On June 30th, exactly at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time –The minute free agency began, news anchor Shams Charania tweeted: “Free agent center DeAndre Jordan has agreed to a deal with the Denver Nuggets, sources tell The Athletic.”
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I don’t know if I’m more confused about Jordan getting signed in the first minute in 2022, or if they even signed him at all, considering DeMarcus was cousins — the same cousins that one have positive history with Nuggets coach Michael Malone and performed well with Denver last season – could have been signed cheaply. (Hell, he probably still can be.) He seems to me to be a vastly superior player to Jordan at this point.
Whether the almost 34-year-old Jordan would actually have a place in the rotation remains to be seen. But again, you generally don’t sign people to start free agency that you don’t want to play. That’s why it was such a strange move.
Biggest improvement: Boston Celtics
Maybe this needs a little qualification as I would imagine some like the moves of the Blazers or Sixers the most. But among the heavyweights, it would be difficult to say that anyone has made a bigger step forward than the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Adding a shooter like Danilo Gallinari, who bagged almost 46% of his wide-open triples last season, was a win in itself. But after an NBA Finals in which they turned the ball like there was no tomorrow, the Celtics seemed poised to benefit from another good, solid ball handler and playmaker.
That’s where Malcolm Brogdon comes in, someone who fixes that shortcoming instantly while also being a tall, reversible defender (check), a decent winger (check), a guy who can play just as well off the ball as he can on it (Check). , and someone who has a strong, balanced presence that doesn’t let the stage shake it (check).
I can’t help but think of Andre Iguodala, who joined the Warriors in 2013-14, when I think about the potential impact Brogdon could have on Boston. Its availability has been a bit of an issue in recent years. But the team didn’t lose much of its depth when he acquired him and if he’s healthy he should register as a near-perfect pickup for the Celtics.
The team that confuses me the most: Chicago Bulls
At two years and $6.6 million, I’m a fan of Chicago—one of the worst offensive rebound teams last season—who signed Andre Drummond. And on top of that, Goran Dragic on the veteran minimum is an OK take, one that frustrated Mavs fans would surely have liked for themselves after losing Brunson to New York.
Still, I felt like Chicago’s biggest weakness over the past year, aside from roleplaying durability and outside shooting, was their lack of capable bodies to throw at the league’s best players like Giannis, Durant and LeBron. There is none the lots of guys – usually 6ft 6 and up, with good discipline and enough muscle strength not to be pushed back – who can realistically get the job done. The best defensive teams like Boston have a range of people who can step in, from Jayson Tatum, Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown to someone like Grant Williams. Then you have a team like the Bulls who, when healthy, have Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball, two sprightly guards who play a lot bigger than they are but also struggle to stay healthy. After them there is a dropoff: Derrick Jones Jr., Javonte Green and so on.
Tucker, who was paid $11 million a year by the Sixers for being a must-have defenseman in the playoffs, is the type of player Chicago still needs but has yet to win anything this offseason. While there aren’t many of these guys out there, the Bulls — a big club that led the Eastern Conference more than half last regular season — don’t get an excuse for why they haven’t been able to do one yet to find, considering how glaring the problem was for her. They showed too much promise last season not to have come close on that front. Given their roster is full of guards, it’s fair to ask if someone like 22-year-old Coby White – one of the team’s top marksmen – could be the underdog and used to bring a bigger, more versatile physique on defense.
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