NBA Free Agents 2012: Difference Makers Flying Under the Radar

With this year's free agent crop not having that one standout talent who is going to single-handedly save a franchise, teams are going have to shop wisely and not be quite so frivolous with their money to load their teams up for a run next season. 

As exciting as it is to see a player like LeBron James make his Decision, I am more interested in seeing the way that role players are valued in the NBA. Anyone can build with a player like James, but it takes talent from a front office to mix and match undervalued players with a strong nucleus. 

Here is a look at the biggest difference makers who are not getting enough attention as NBA free agency begins. 

Grant Hill, Small Forward

2011-12 Stats: 10.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.2. APG

Despite everyone assuming his career was over during the Orlando days, Hill has reinvented himself into a very effective role player in the right offense.

The right offense for Hill requires a point guard who is able to set him up for open shots, since he does not have the legs to do it on his own anymore. 

Still, a player who can average 10-12 points per game and grab a handful of rebounds has a lot of value for a team that is missing some punch on offense. A playoff contender should be more than willing to give him a shot, with a team like the Bulls being a nice fit. 

Marcus Camby, Center

2011-12 Stats: 4.9 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.44 BPG

There seems to be a stigma out there that Camby is a bad player. One common comparison that people were making with Anthony Davis was saying he could be the next Camby, but they were saying it in a derogatory way. 

Camby has not been the offensive force that people were expecting, but defensively, he has been as good as any center in the NBA in the last 10 years. 

Teams that are loaded on offense but need a strong defensive presence in the paint should be calling Camby right now. He has lost a step or two, but at age 38, he is a lot better than a vast majority of centers in the NBA. 

Jameer Nelson, Point Guard

2011-12 Stats: 11.9 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.2 RPG

Nelson has found his niche as a shoot-first point guard in Orlando. I don't know if he is a starter for a championship contender, though he is more than capable of running an offense for a playoff team. 

It doesn't hurt that Nelson is a very good shooter from beyond the arc; he has shot 38.8 percent from three-point range in his eight-year career. 

Nelson has been susceptible to injuries throughout his career, so he probably should be paired with another good point guard who can eat a lot of minutes. Still, a point guard who can shoot from deep and average double-digit points and six assists per game is hard to find. 

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