NBA Free Agency 2011: 10 Best Offensive Weapons

Amidst all the uncertainty surrounding the 2011 NBA free-agency period, one fact remains clear: Whenever the NBA lockout ends, there will be some serious offensive weapons available.

The tired cliche of "defense wins championships" is as annoying as it is true, so today we're pulling a Mike D'Antoni and saying defense be damned.

Most of these guys are below-average rebounders and borderline useless defensively. But dammit, they can put the ball in the hoop.

The following list includes plenty of shooting guards, a man with one name and the dude who said the best thing about winning an NBA title was getting a "congratulatory sext from Anthony Weiner."

Well then, let's get to it.

James Jones

James Jones might be the most one-dimensional player in NBA history. He does just three things on the basketball court: stand in the corner, catch the ball, shoot the ball.

That's it.

Fortunately for him, he performs those tasks quite well. Better than anybody else in the league, actually.

Three-point shooting is an incredibly important factor in today's NBA, and there will be plenty of suitors competing for Jones' services.

He won't be a starter, but Jones will be an excellent addition to any team in need of outside shooters.

J.J. Barea

J.J. Barea's averages of 9.5 points and 3.9 assists per game may seem rather pedestrian, but his true value was proven in the postseason.

Few teams have a player capable of coming off the bench and scoring 22 points in 27 minutes, or 21 points in 16 minutes, as Barea did in back-to-back playoff games last season.

He wasn't always used, and he wasn't always effective, but Barea was able to provide Dallas with major production in pivotal moments.

He also pushed Andrew Bynum over the brink of insanity, which I think is pretty cool.

Caron Butler

Caron Butler started the 2010-11 season by producing plenty of points (15 per game) with newfound efficiency (45 percent on field goals, 43 percent on threes).

Unfortunately, he ended the season in a suit after tearing his patella tendon in January. As his Mavericks teammates stormed through the playoffs, Butler watched from the sidelines.

Coming off of major knee surgery, it's logical to assume Butler will lose some of his explosiveness. But the extended lockout gives him ample time to recover and his beautiful shooting stroke will still be intact whenever play resumes.

Although Butler will be a bit slower next season, I am confident he will still produce at a high level. He just might not be doing so in Dallas.

(Side note: According to Wikipedia, Butler owns six Burger Kings across the country. That has nothing to do with anything, but I felt like it should be mentioned.)

Arron Afflalo

Arron Afflalo—one of the league's most underrated players—makes this list due to his absurd efficiency numbers.

His 12.6 points per game may not be staggering, but his shooting percentages (49.8 on field goals, 42.3 on threes, 84.7 on free throws) are ridiculous.

Afflalo is a restricted free agent and I expect Denver to match any offers for him.

He is one of the NBA's most efficient scorers and the Nuggets' best defender. They'll likely do whatever it takes to hold onto hm.

Nene

Like his Nugget teammate Afflalo, Nene is one of the most efficient scorers in the league. Unlike Afflalo, Nene is an unresticted free agent and can sign wherever he chooses.

Whatever team picks up Nene will have one of the best big men in the league. Of all players who averaged at least 30 minutes a game, Nene's shooting percentage (61.5) was best by far.

The 28-year-old Brazilian also put up a very respectable 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

With his size and skill set, Nene will probably be the most sought-after free agent this year.

David West

David West had a quietly spectacular season before tearing his ACL in March.

West was his usual consistent self, averaging 18.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

There's nothing sexy about his game, but it's highly effective. He runs the pick-and-roll perfectly with Chris Paul and has a reliable set of post moves.

West's value took a hit with his knee injury, as he also turns 31 later this month. He will still have plenty of teams after him, but will likely receive much less money than he otherwise would have.

West also has to factor Paul's impending free agency into his decision. Does he really want to sign a long-term deal in New Orleans if Paul is going to leave a few months from now?

If he doesn't return to the Hornets, look for West to sign with Indiana or New Jersey.

Nick Young

Nick Young does one thing on an NBA court: score.

It's all he's capable of—or more accurately, interested in—but he does it pretty damn well. He scores in every conceivable way, Exhibit A being that filthy 360-layup.

He has always shown that he could put up points, but struggled to see much action during his first three seasons.

Last year, Flip Saunders awarded him starter's minutes and Young didn't disappoint. He was the Wizards' leading scorer, averaging 17 points on 44 percent shooting.

He had numerous scoring explosions, including 38 against Miami and a career-high 43 against the  Sacramento Kings.

Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury in March and missed 16 of the Wizards' final 22 games. But next season he will be fully recovered and a year wiser.

Great scorers learn new tricks every summer. I expect Young to return with an even bigger arsenal of moves.

J.R. Smith

To say that J.R. Smith is a psycho would be an understatement. To say that he is an explosive scorer would be an ever bigger one.

For all his baggage (he has quite an extensive arrest record), Smith is one of the league's most lethal scorers.

He's the prototypical "hurts you, hurts me" shooter. When he's on, Smith is capable of ridiculous feats such as hitting 10 threes in a game on two separate occasions. When he's off, he cripples his own team with poor shot selection and general immaturity.

If given starter's minutes, I have no doubt that Smith would average at least 20 points a game. He just needs to grow up a little before someone places that much trust in him.

Jason Richardson

It's odd to think about, but Jason Richardson has been in the league for a decade now. It seems like just yesterday he was blowing minds in the Slam Dunk Contest.

The 30-year-old shooting guard still has some pretty good hops and puts up points in a very efficient manner. Last season, he averaged 15.6 points per game with excellent shooting percentages (44.7 percent on field goals, 39.5 percent on threes).

Richardson has said that he wants to play for a championship contender if he can, although that would require him taking a pay cut.

Possible destinations, if he is willing to sacrifice some money, are Chicago and Boston.

Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford has several notable achievements to his name, including dropping 50 points in a game with three different teams, winning the 2010 Sixth Man of the Year award and becoming the NBA's all-time leader in four-point plays with 24.

He's also the godfather of the shake-'n-bake move, which is doper than whatever Michael Beasley's currently smoking.

Last season, Crawford was very effective coming off the bench yet again. He averaged 14.2 points per game on 42.1 percent shooting from the field.

With his playmaking abilities and tendency to pour in points, Crawford is the best offensive weapon available in the free agent class of 2011.