Breaking Down The Deals

Though the official period for teams to acquire unsigned players started only Wednesday, the NBA’s first batch of free agent signings is already fresh out of the oven.

Let’s examine what each change of address means to each team.

Elton Brand—Philadelphia 76ers

The acquisition of Elton Brand transforms the Sixers into legit challengers to Detroit and Boston in the Eastern Conference.

Whereas the Sixers suffered from a profound lack of interior scoring last season (and overcame it by playing exceptionally hard and smart on both ends of the court), they now have a bona fide bull under the basket who’ll tromp single coverage, is an adequate passer and mid range shooter, a relentless rebounder, and an earnest defender.

In fact, Brand is probably the most accomplished raw scorer from the low post in the NBA aside from Tim Duncan, and his presence will be a boon to his teammates.

Samuel Dalembert no longer has to masquerade as a post player, and can now settle for being a 14-foot jump shooter. Andre Iguodala doesn’t have to be Superman. Willie Green, Thaddeus Young, and Louis Williams no longer have to play under the pressure that they must produce to compensate for the Sixers’ lack of firepower.

Reggie Evans can go back to being a rampaging rebounder off the bench, a place that suits his exuberant, yet reckless personality the best. And Andre Miller gets a brand new toy to play with.

All the team lacks is a dead-eye three-point shooter to provide spacing, some depth at the wings, a jumper for Andre Iguodala, and one more accomplished defender. Still, even with those voids, the Sixers have vaulted above Cleveland and gained considerable ground on Detroit in the Eastern Conference pecking order.

Grade: A+

Baron Davis—Los Angeles Clippers

Despite a magical half a season in 2007, Davis’ fatal flaws resurfaced for Golden State in 2008.

In fact, his habits of demanding the ball on every possession, passing only as a last resort (and only when an assist will register on his stat sheet), taking bad shots, and of playing lazy defense resulted in Don Nelson’s desperate but necessary benching of Davis during a Warriors late-season loss to the Phoenix Suns.

If even Don Nelson becomes fed up with you, what coach can you play for? Expect the in-over-his-head Mike Dunleavy to lose control of Davis, and lose his head on the chopping block.

Given Los Angeles’ dearth of backcourt playmaking for the last generation, the Clippers and their fans will welcome Davis’ talent with open arms. But without Elton Brand, without Corey Maggette, and with a roster barren of experienced talent, the Clippers don’t have the talent for Davis to try and lead into the playoffs.

Nor does Davis have the kind of attitude to nurture the Clippers’ collection of young talent (Al Thornton) and mediocre veterans (Chris Kaman, Cuttino Mobley) into overachieving and earning a playoff spot.

Expect Davis to dominate the ball once again while the Clippers finish in limbo—not good enough to make the playoffs, not bad enough to earn a high-level lottery pick.

Grade: C

Corey Maggette—Golden State Warriors

Maggette’s always been a powerful scorer, though much better at driving his way to the cup than shooting. Given how Golden State loves the three-ball, can Maggette duplicate the 38 percent three-point shooting he registered last season, or will his lack of range be a liability?

Either way, expect Golden State’s super-spaced offense to create plenty of open driving lanes for Maggette to bum rush into.

Since Maggette doubles as a strong defender, he and Stephen Jackson have the potential to lock down opposing wings when Jackson’s chops are sufficiently aroused.

Grade: A-

Chris Duhon—New York Knicks

Duhon is a good handler with good athleticism and above-average defensive skills. By default, he’s an upgrade over Stephon Marbury.

However, he lacks the court vision to be a good starter at this level. His jumper is explosive, but streaky, and he’s proven to be immature and irresponsible off the court, most notably by getting himself suspended for a playoff game two years ago by partying too hard the night before a film session.

Considering the Knicks’ starving need for professionalism, Duhon is not the right direction.

Grade: C-

Mickael Pietrus—Orlando Magic

Though reckless and erratic, Pietrus is a long, explosive athlete with big-time length and shooting ability. Orlando loves to space the floor using high screen/rolls with Dwight Howard and three three-point shooters manning the wings. Pietrus’ ability to plug the three-balls and explode into gaps off the dribble make him a versatile and valuable addition to Orlando’s rotation.

Grade: B+

James Jones—Miami Heat

Jones is a premium three-point shooter and a quality defender who becomes Miami’s ace forward off the bench. The Heat need to restock their roster with professional-caliber talent, and Jones is a smart start.

Grade: A

Gerald Green—Dallas Mavericks

A superb athlete, the neophytic Green has a terrible basketball IQ, even though Boston and Minnesota gave him ample playing time to hone his awareness.

Dallas will hope to catch lightning in a bottle, but the most realistic scenario has the Mavericks stashing Green on the bench or the D-League and hoping for an epiphany. Since Green’s only 22, there are worse players to fill a 12th-man spot.

Grade: C+

Dasagna Diop—Dallas Mavericks

Diop is big, strong, a terrific post defender, screen-setter, and rebounder. He’ll either provide valuable insurance for the foul prone Erick Dampier, or do a bang-up job banging around opposing starting centers. In truth, the Mavericks should never have let him go.

Grade: A

Brent Barry—Houston Rockets

Barry remains a marksman from behind the arc, and an excellent passer with great court vision. He’ll foster more ball movement than Luther Head, and should thrive with all the attention defenses are forced to pay to Tracy McGrady’s high screen/rolls at the top of the key.

If he’s never had the foot speed to be a capable defender, he knows how funnel and help, being in the Spurs’ system the last four years.

Grade: B+

Roger Mason—San Antonio Spurs

Mason is a streaky scorer with range out to the three-point line. If the Spurs can get him to play elite-level defense, he’ll find himself as a much needed young spark off the Spurs bench.

If not, he’ll be a back-of-the-rotation player called upon to provide offense when the Spurs are struggling. Most importantly of all, Mason gives the Spurs some much needed young athleticism.

Grade: B-