NBA Free Agents 2013: Stars Who Aren't Worth the Hassle
Since money doesn't grow on trees, even for NBA teams, it's important to be financially prudent this offseason.
The importance of free agency has begun to wane over the past couple of years. Teams are seeing the quickest way to rebuild is tank for a couple of seasons and reap the benefits in the draft. Then, maybe you can sign a couple of complimentary veterans to complete the puzzle.
Occasionally, though, there's a star player who hits the open market and causes teams to back up the Brinks truck.
Teams looking for impact players this year should avoid these three players. They're talented, yes, but they'll get way too much money and will inevitably fail to deliver on what their team will expect of them.
Andrew Bynum
If Andrew Bynum can stay healthy, he's one of the best big men in the NBA. Right now, that's a massive if. The Philadelphia 76ers gambled on that and lost big time.
Julius Erving has already called the 25-year-old "damaged goods."
Had Bynum missed the last season and that been the extent of his injury history, that's one thing. This is a player who's always struggled to stay healthy, though. He's had multiple issues with his knees, which are kind of important for a basketball player.
Here's a look at how many games Bynum has played in each year of his career.
You just know there's some team that's going to give Bynum a max deal, which is crazy. Even though he didn't play a single game in 2012-13, someone will think it's worth the risk in order to see if Bynum can return to his Los Angeles Lakers form.
Another big man who had a forgettable 2012-13 was Dwight Howard. He had to deal with injuries and the underachievement of the Los Angeles Lakers. That was preceded by the "Dwight-mare" summer when the 27-year-old waffled on his future, proclaimed his "loyalty" to the Orlando Magic and then engineered a trade to the Lakers.
It was a saga that brought out everything that's bad about Howard. It's as if he has an insatiable need to be liked all the time. He wants to be the big, beloved joker.
None of it helps his teams, because it just causes more drama than necessary.
Howard is unquestionably a great defensive player. He's got three Defensive Player of the Year Awards to prove his worth. On the other end of the floor, Howard is a bit more sporadic. He's still yet to become an offensive force and is limited in his game. Then there's his horrific foul shooting.
All in all, Howard is no doubt a star, but he's not the kind of player you build around.
Josh Smith
Josh Smith is like a Swiss Army knife. He does a little bit of everything on the court. It would be much better for his team, though, if Smith would cut out the shooting.
Look at his shot chart on mid-range jumpers from the past season.
It was much the same last season. Time and again, you'd see Smith take a mid-range jumper and wonder what the heck he was thinking.
Then there was the duel between he and head coach Mike Woodson.
Smith is a good player, but a team is inevitably going to overpay for him. The 27-year-old forward has been a microcosm for the Atlanta Hawks over the past couple of seasons. He's been good, but he hasn't made that jump from very good player to a star. There seems to be a ceiling regarding what you can expect from Smith.
