Breaking the NBA’s best and worst free agency bouts so far.
More convenient: Bruce Brown, Denver
We played on Utah’s lack of Ocean Defenders earlier, but Denver didn’t have much either.
Hell, we watched 6-foot-9 powerhouse striker Aaron Gordon do his best—And you still fail– To slow Stephen Curry during playoffs, because the Nuggets had no one better who could handle the task realistically. A difficult and difficult scene.
With that in mind, Brown, a stocky 6-foot-4, can handle even tougher wing assignments when needed. But beyond that, he’s probably a lot better offensively than he is in defence.
Brown is a great breaker, which means Nikola Jokic will likely get the ball through telepathy a few times this season. He has a career utilization rate of around 15%, which should work perfectly with a group expecting the return of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. alongside the two-time best player; The trio will surely launch its fair share of attempts.
He obviously was used to the role when he was a safety valve for Durant and Irving last season, and at just two years and $13 million, it’s hard to imagine how the Nuggets could have spent that money better. (They also landed Kentavius Caldwell Pope to help in defence, although that cost them superb reserve guard Mont Morris and Will Barton. -the best for him.
Less seamless fit: Deandre Jordan, Denver
Speaking of how the Nuggets spend their money… why did they make their point to make up with DeAndre Jordan so damned fast?
Like, we all watched Milwaukee get into trouble a couple of years ago due to aspects of Bogdan Bogdanovic’s signature and trade mark being put in place prior to the start of free agency. We saw Bulls and Hit get slapped on the wrist for messing with Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry, respectively. We’ve all seen the possibility of making these accusations regarding Bronson, given how long rumors about the Knicks show have been circulating.
In the same vein: on June 30, at 6 p.m. ET –The moment the free agency started – news reporter Shams Al-Sharani tweeted: “Free Agent Center DeAndre Jordan has agreed a deal with Denver Nuggets, sources tell The Athletic.”
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I don’t know if I was more confused by the way Jordan had the first possible signing in 2022, or the fact that they ever signed him, given DeMarcus Cousins - the same cousins who have a positive history with Nuggets coach Michael Malone, doing well With Denver last season – he could have been re-signed on the cheap. (Hell, presumably it still can be.) He looks to me like a much better player than Jordan at this point.
It remains to be seen if the 34-year-old will actually have a place in the rotation. But again: You generally don’t sign players to start a free agency that you have no intention of playing. So this was a strange move.
Biggest improvement: Boston Celtics
This probably needs a bit of qualifying, as I can imagine some might really like the Blazers or Sixers’ move set. However, among the heavyweights, it would be hard to say that anyone had taken a bigger step forward than the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Adding a shooter like Danilo Gallinari who Canned roughly 46% of his triples wide open last seasonIt was a win in and of itself. But after crashing out of the NBA Finals handing the ball over as if there was no tomorrow, it looked like the Celtics could benefit from a good, strong player and playmaker.
Enter Malcolm Brogdon, someone who addresses this shortcoming on the spot while also being a great, transformable defender (check), a decent outside shooter (check), a guy who can play as far from the ball as he can (check), and someone with a strong, balanced, unshakeable presence on stage (verification).
I can’t help but think of Andre Iguodala joining the Warriors back in 2013-14 when I think about the potential impact Brogdon could have with Boston. Its availability has been a bit of a question in the past few years. But the team didn’t lose much depth in getting it, and if he’s healthy, he should score as a near-perfect pickup for the Celtics.
The team that baffles me the most: Chicago Bulls
At 2 years old and $6.6 million, I’m a fan of Chicago—One of the worst offensive counter-teams Last season – brought in Andre Drummond. On top of that, getting Goran Dragic at a veteran’s minimum is OK, and it’s OK. Frustrated Mavs fans sure would have loved themselves in the wake of Brunson’s loss to New York.
However, I felt that the biggest weakness of Chicago last year, aside from durability and off-the-shelf kicks by players, was the lack of capable bodies they could throw at the league’s top players, such as Giannis, Durant and LeBron. There is no who – which Lots of guys – usually 6ft-6 and up, with good discipline and enough strength to avoid backsliding – who can realistically do the job. The best defensive teams, like Boston, have a group of people who can step in, from Jason Tatum, defensive player of the year Marcus Smart and Jalen Brown to someone like Grant Williams. Then you have a team like The Bulls, who, when healthy, have Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball, a pair of nice keepers who play a lot more than their heights, but also struggle to stay healthy. After them, there are landings: Derek Jones Jr., Javonte Green, etc.
Tucker, who earned $11 million a year from the Sixers for the indispensable kind of defender that came in playoff time, is the kind of player Chicago still needs, but he hasn’t relegated any of the season. Even if there aren’t a whole lot of these guys, the Bulls – a big market club that led the Eastern Conference for more than half of the past regular season – don’t make an excuse when it comes to their haven we haven’t been able to find one yet, given how clearly The problem in general is for them. They were so promising for so long last season that they didn’t even come close to that level. Having said that, with a roster full of guards, it’s fair to wonder if someone like 22-year-old Coby White – one of the best shooters on the team – might be the odd guy out and used to bringing in a bigger, more versatile body in defense.
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