A Summer In Review: Six Signings That Will Payout Tenfold in The 2011 NBA Season
This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
For many teams, the offseason can be the most important time of the year.
Whether it is rest and recover, or rejuvination in the form of new blood.
new blood meaning a new addition to the roster.
and you know what, I think we've seen more of that this offseason than we have in quite a long time.
and that is a good thing.
It means that there will be more story-lines during the regular season and more things to look for in terms of match-ups leading up to the playoffs. Teams that were on the outside looking in, will now be perennial playoff contenders.
and that is a very exciting thing.
So when you are determining how well an offseason went for a certain team, you have to think about the bottom line.
Did that signing bring you wins at a good price.
Wins should be more important than money, but you cannot underestimate the importance of maing a financially sound deal.
So with that, which teams made the biggest splashes in the offseason?
You'll have to keep on reading to find out.
Thanks for reading.
This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
Wesley Matthews
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This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
I know your probably heading for google to find out who the heck this Wesley Matthews guy is.
Well, you don't need to because I'm going to tell you.
Wesley Matthews was an un-drafted shooting guard out of Marquette, he got a shot at a roster spot with the Utah Jazz and barely squeaked into the final 15 man roster.
In training camp, Wesley Matthews impressed Jerry Sloan, showing the coaching staff that he could be a lockdown defender and a viable offensive threat. Matthews would go on to play in all 82 regular season games for the Jazz, starting in 48.
He averaged 9.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in his rookie season and now he will be getting paid 34 million over five years as a Portland Trail Blazer.
Yeah, I know what your thinking.
Can you say, overpaid.
No.
Wesley did something that is nearly impossible to do.
Impress Jerry Sloan as a rookie, earning a starting job and the role of lockdown defender.
Wesley was given the duties of guarding Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Brandon Roy, Dwyane Wade etc.
The works. All in his rookie season and by one of the most stubborn and orthadox coaches in NBA history and this was all after accomplishing something equally difficult.
Going undrafted and getting a roster spot on an NBA roster.
Not to mention earning a starting role.
Wesley Matthews, for the Portland Trail Blazers, will fit right behind Brandon Roy, and will likely come off the bench at the shooting guard position.
Moving Brandon Roy to the point guard, inserting Wesley Matthews into the shooting guard role, and keping nicolas Batum at the three, will give the Portland Trail Blazers the best defensive lineup in the NBA.
If Greg Oden is healthy.
and that is exactly what the Portland Trail Blazers got in signing Wesley Matthews to a long term contract.
Swagger.
This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh
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This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
Can you really break up this package of players?
I mean, I understand that this counts as three different signings, but they were very much intertwined.
LeBron James wouldn't have gone to Miami if Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade weren't there.
Dwyane Wade would have gotten the hell out of town if he got word that King James was going to New York or Chicago.
Chris Bosh wanted out of Toronto, but he also wanted to play for a playoff team and Miami, without Wade or James, would have been in the same place as Toronto.
Everything that happened was intertwined.
The Miami Heat will be right up there as the best team in the NBA for the next five years and if thats not a jackpot payout... Well then i don't know what is.
This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
Raymond Felton
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This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
Raymond Felton could very well be the second most underrated signing this offseason.
His skillsets fit right into the D'antoni style, run-and-gun New York Knicks offense and even if the Knicks don't get Chris Paul, the big apple should be just fine with Felton.
There is nothing more important to a good team than a good,solid point guard. (either that or a big man: Which they got).
Especially in a fast paced offense (see the Phoenix Suns).
Not because Felton will bring more wins to the Knicks, because I am sure than Stoudemire is a better player, but when you match up the salaries, Raymond comes out on top in terms of value.
Dollar for dollar, the signing of Felton could be the best this summer.
This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver
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This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
Carlos Boozer is vastly underrated.
Now that Chicago is in the Windy City, he is ready to break into the National scene.
Realistically you don't average 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds over 78 games by accident.
and for that very reason, the Bulls will bring themselves many wins with the addition of Carlos Boozer to their front court.
As an organization, you always want to find players that are underrated because that means that you will have to pay them less and you should get more.
Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver.
Korver averaged 7.2 points and 1.7 assists while shooting 54% from three point range in just 18.3 minutes of action each night.
In that limited role, Korver was still able to make an impact each and every night, and I would expect him to do the same for the Chicago Bulls.
His three point shooting touch will spread the floor for Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Carlos Boozer; giving them more room to work with in the painted area.
Both signings wil prove to be better than face value for the Chicago Bulls, and i am almost certain that we will see that next season.
This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
Matt Barnes
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This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
Matt barnes was an odd signing wasn't it?
But in the Lakers case, that is exactly what they did.
and I love it.
There is no reason that players should carry grudges home with them. If you play hard on the court, you are bound to get under someones skin.
and that is exactly what Barnes will bring to the Lakers; a defensive minded shooting guard with an in your face, do whatever it takes to win mentality.
If you are looking to win a championship, you need a couple of those guys.
This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
Tiago Splitter
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This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
Believe it or not, the San Antonio Spurs will be just fine when it the time comes for Tim Duncan to retire.
Why?
Because they have done things the right way.
Unlike many teams you see go through up's and down's, high's and low's throughout certain time periods, the Spurs have been able to stay consistently good because they have planned for the future.
Before Tim Duncan, it was David Robinson.
and even though they struggled through the years before Robinson, they were able to slowly build a team that would end up being a perennial playoff contender for the next ten years.
So what do Spurs fans have to look forward to now?
George Hill, Alonzo Gee, DeJuan Blair, and now Tiago Splitter.
Building a team, not a brand.
Showing the rest of the NBA that a good system and a good coach will make the player, not the other way around.
So, back to the reason we are here.
Tiago Splitter.
Duncan will eventually retire and the Spurs will need players to replace him.
If Splitter lives up to his potential, the Spurs will be just fine.
This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report
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