NBA Offseason In Review: Ranking The 10 Best Acquisitions Of Last Summer
The summer of 2010 was one of the most dynamic in NBA history with real stars moving teams. Some have worked out better than others. Some have been expectedly good, and some have been unexpectedly good.
There are some teams where it's made the difference between not making the playoffs and making them. Then there's some where it's the difference in how deep they can go in the playoffs. Finally there are those signings that that have some teams ready to push to the top and topple the Lakers as NBA champs.
Now that the season is one third of the way through, we can have a good grasp on what the best signings were. It's not all about guessing any more. This list includes players who were either acquired through free agency or trade, not draft. Read on to see who the top ten acquisitions were.
10: Tyson Chandler
1 of 10
PPG: 8.8
RPG: 9.0
APG: 0.4
PER: 17.0
Tyson Chandler didn't quite make the waves that LeBron James did, but the Mavs have been playing as well. Chandler has been a big part of the reason, filling up the center defensively like no frontcourt mate Dirk Nowitzki has ever had. Even with Caron Butler's injury, the Mavs hopes of finally winning it all are higher than anyone expected. A big part of the reason is the change of philosophy to a defensive team that wouldn't be possible without Chandler.
9: Wesley Matthews
2 of 10
PPG: 15.8
RPG: 3.2
APG: 1.6
PER: 16.2
Another surprising success is Wesley Matthews of the Portland Trailblazers. Few would have predicted his offensive success, or that he would emerge as the player with the second most points for the club. With all the injury problems that Portland has had, Matthews is also the one consistent wing man the Blazers have had too turn to. Only LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Miller have played more minutes, and only Aldridge has scored more points. Portland is certainly getting their 5.75 million dollars worth, a figure that raised some eyebrows when they signed him.
8: David Lee
3 of 10
PPG: 15
RPG: 10.1
APG: 3.1
PER: 15.8
David Lee became not only expendable but even superfluous in New York after the signing of Amar'e Stoudemire. Golden State was more than willing to take him on. So David Lee got out of one bad team right when they were getting good only to go to another bad team. You kind of have to feel for the guy a little bit.
7: Al Jefferson
4 of 10
PPG: 16.5
RPG: 8.7
APG: 1.7
PER: 17.8
When Carlos Boozer left for the Chicago Bulls the Jazz bolstered their frontcourt by bringing in Al Jefferson to be their starting center, while making Paul Millsap their starting power forward. Now they boast one of the best frontcourt tandems in the NBA, along with the Lakers, Celtics and the Bulls. The addition of Jefferson has Salt Lake City hoping that this year could be the first time they win it all.
6: Michael Beasley
5 of 10
PPG: 21.8
RPG: 6.0
APG: 1.8
PER: 17.4
After Miami signed a couple of guys you may have heard of, they didn't need their former overall number two pick. (By the by, can you imagine if they'd taken Kevin Love or Russell Westbrook with that pick? How could would they be now?) So they packed off Beasley and he's come into his own with the Timberwolves, scoring 50 percent more points than at any point in his career.
5: Raymond Feloton
6 of 10
PPG: 17.9
RPG: 3.7
APG: 8.7
PER: 18.2
Pardon me if this sounds like apostasy but does Raymond Felton deserve as much, or perhaps, even more credit for the New York Knicks ascension than Amar'e Stoudemire? Before you blow a gasket consider this for a moment. Which is the bigger upgrade, Lee to STAT (+6 points and -3 rebounds) or Duhon to Felton (+11 points and +4 assists)? Felton didn't register on the meter when he signed, and probably hasn't gotten enough credit since.
4: Chris Bosh
7 of 10
PPG: 18.4
RPG: 8.1
APG: 1.9
PER: 20.2
Chris Bosh' image might have taken a bigger hit than LeBron James' in some ways. His stature as a star is unquestionably diminished as the third option instead of the first option. He's gotten clobbered by the media, questioned as soft, and at times, almost forgotten behind the other two "Heatles." That doesn't change the fact that he's helping Miami to win though.
3: Carlos Boozer
8 of 10
PPG: 20.6
RPG: 9.8
APG: 2.4
PER: 22.1
Carlos Boozer was ahead of Bosh or Stoudemire in the Bulls power forward rankings. His ability to play with his back to the basket and score with either hand made him the perfect compliment to Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose. We haven't had much opportunity to see the three play together, and none to see them play together completely healthy. When they are all together, the Bulls could present a challenge to any team in the East, and if you don't believe that, you haven't been paying attention.
2: Amar'e Stoudemire
9 of 10
PPG: 26.4
RBP: 9.0
APG: 2.4
PER: 23.5
Whether Raymond Felton means more as an upgrade doesn't matter nearly as much as what STAT means to the Knicks as a franchise, or to the league. He has the team in the nation's largest city back on the NBA map and fans excited again. His nine game run of 30 point games might not of made up for a decade of ineptitude, but it New York believe that the next one might be better.
1: LeBron James
10 of 10
PPG: 24.8
RPG: 6.8
APG: 7.8
PER: 25.8
I understand that some people don't like him much anymore, but let's not get stupid here. The prize of the free agent market has played like the prize of the free agent market. The Heat are on an 18-1 run and arguably getting better. He and Wade are third and second in the NBA respectively in PER. The two have figured out how to play together, and the better they get at that, the worse news it is for other teams.
