NBA Free Agents 2011: 5 Players Who Provide Instant Offense

As we patiently wait for free agency to begin, all we can do is analyze this year's class and discuss where they fit in. It is not the strongest class, but there are some serviceable players out there who can provide different things.

Many teams value an abrupt scorer who can up up points in a hurry and with ease. There are a number of free agents who fit that description...

Jamal Crawford (Unrestricted)

Jamal Crawford defines "instant offense." All he knows for the most part is scoring. He's averaged around 15.5 points in his career in just over 32 minutes a game.

He's dropped 50 points three times before and is the all-time leader in four-point plays. Efficient or not, Crawford has a knack for putting the ball in the basket.

J.R. Smith (Unrestricted)

J.R. Smith is also the definition of "instant offense." For the majority of his career, his role has been to come off the bench and score in bulk. He's very streaky, and every now and then he gets hot and becomes a temporary lethal scorer.

He's one of the league's top athletes, and when you pair that with an accurate jump shot from deep when he's in a rhythm, it's hard to keep him from producing points.

Jose Juan Barea (Unrestricted)

J.J. Barea earned the right to be on this list after his numerous showings in the playoffs, when he was a scoring threat off the dribble. There were so many times where he broke down his defender and got to the rim with his super-quick steps seemingly without a sweat.

He's got range as well. He has shot around 34 percent from three in his career. His outside shooting ability is what made running the pick-and-roll with him handling was so successful in the postseason. Despite his small frame, he can be a tough cover at times.

Thaddeus Young (Restricted)

Thaddeus Young received a smaller role than he has been used to last season. He came off of the bench 81 times in the 82 games he appeared in. He flourished as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate as a result.

He had pretty efficient scoring numbers, averaging over 12.5 in only 26 minutes. That equates to 23.5 points per 48 minutes, a career high. His 54 percent shooting was a career high as well.

Young's lanky 6'8" body allows him to score buckets effectively. He creates mismatches over a lot of his defenders because many small forwards that he faces aren't as big as he is, and power forwards who cover him usually aren't as fast.

He's a scoring threat now with his moves off the dribble and a few low-post maneuvers, but he still lacks a jump shot. There is much room to grow in that aspect however, so he should be an urgent scoring threat for years to come.

Jason Richardson (Unrestricted)

Richardson has had a career full of high-flying moments and gaudy scoring numbers. Once upon a time his athleticism was a large part of his aptitude to put up points. Now that his acrobatic ability has taken a step back, and he relies more on his shooting skills.

He can still put up points pretty quickly though. He's still somewhat of a good athlete, and he's pretty strong as well. His shooting percentage from outside last season was as good as it's ever been. A combination of these attributes allow him to still light up opponents.

You can follow/contact Nigel Broadnax on Twitter @BroadnaxWrites.