A look at NBA free agency
Every summer NBA teams try to strengthen their rosters by adding and subtracting players, and this offseason has been no different. Here is my list of the five best NBA additions.
5: Richard Jefferson, Spurs
The Spurs knew something had to be done after an embarrassing first round exit to the Dallas Mavericks and they wasted no time in doing it, trading for the athletic wingman just ten days after the end of the season. While Jefferson is not known for his lock down defense, he will give the Spurs another consistent scoring option to compliment the big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli.
4: Hedo Turkoglu, Raptors
The Raptors were in sore need of a playmaker and they get just that with the 6-foot-10 Turkoglu. He should work extremely well with all-star forward Chris Bosh whether it is running pick and rolls similar to what he did with Dwight Howard or by simply spreading the floor with his three point shooting so Bosh has more room to maneuver in the paint.
3: Vince Carter, Magic
This is a trade the Magic had to make to maintain their status as a true championship contender. Carter will not be the same facilitator as the man he will be replacing, the aforementioned Turkoglu, but he should provide the Magic with a versatile scorer capable of posting 20 points per game. The question as always with Carter is can he stay healthy during the long 82 game NBA schedule at the advanced basketball age of 32?
2: Shaquille O’Neal, Cavaliers
Now a day the Big Aristotle comes with just about as many weaknesses as he does strengths. Sapped of the agility that use to make him the most explosive center in the league, O’Neal now patrols the paint with the gracefulness of a semi truck and it shows every time he has to step away from the basket to guard the pick and roll. On the positive side, O’Neal is still quite affective around the rim as he proved last year with his 17.8 points per game and 61 percent field goal percentage.
1: Rasheed Wallace, Celtics
Rasheed will be a perfect fit with Kevin Garnett’s Boston Celtics. The C’s have been looking for big man help since P.J. Brown retired after their 2008 championship season and Wallace will fill that hole nicely. He is still an outstanding defender and will bring great skill off the bench. Wallace has a reputation for having attitude problems, but I have no doubt that the best leader in all of sports Kevin Garnett will be able to keep him in line.