NBA Free Agents 2011: Best Playmakers Still Waiting to Sign with Teams

Playmakers are a critical part of the NBA game. When you look at the list of top players in the league, it is littered with playmakers. Whether you're talking about the MVP, Derrick Rose, or the previous two, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, they have that in common. 

They can take the ball from the perimeter to the basket. They can collapse defenses. They open up floor space and provide opportunities for their teammates. 

There aren't any of that caliber in the league that were even on the market to begin with, but there are a few players left who are playmakers. Here are the five best remaining ones. 

Josh Howard

Josh Howard was in the All-Star game four years ago. Now he's still looking to land a spot on an NBA roster. There are two reasons for that. One is that you can argue that his career sort of literally went to "pot." The other is right when he looked like he might improve on that he blew out his knee. 

While he briefly came back last year, it wasn't that promising as he averaged only eight points and four boards a game. 

Having said that the second year back from knee injuries tends to be a far better indicator, and Howard has a history of being a playmaker. He could be a player a team takes a gamble on and wins. 

Arron Afflalo

Arron Afflalo is an outstanding shooter and defensive player but he has some playmaking ability as well, though that's not the strength of his game. 

Last year he created 29 percent of his own offense and scored 26 percent of his points inside. Those are the same as the numbers from the year before. While he has some ability, he's not the first choice for a player who is going to generate offense. 

Richard Hamilton

Richard Hamilton is not your conventional playmaker. His ability to make plays is as much about what he does away from the ball as it is with what he does with the the ball. Few in the game are better at positioning themselves for an open shot than Hamilton who has an endless motor while he is on the court. 

He did create 22 percent of his own shots last year, which isn't bad, but it also is no indication of what he did without the ball. His 1.14 points per play on the spot up jumper according synergy is a better indicator of that. 

Rodney Stuckey

Rodney Stuckey is a combo guard who is probably underrated by many. He has a real ability to create shots for himself.

He has 40 percent of his shots come form inside the paint, with 37 percent coming from inside the protected area. He also creates 62 percent of his own shots. 

Stuckey is a restricted free agent and will likely have his contract matched by Detroit unless it's higher than expected. 

Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford is by most accounts the best remaining playmaker in free agency. Crawford, the Sixth Man of the Year form 2010, is adept at creating shots both with and without the ball. He created 56 percent of his own shots last year. 

Crawford did see a dip in his scoring last year both in terms of actual numbers—form 18.0 to 14.2—and in per 36 numbers—20.9 to 16.9. 

Crawford still promises to contribute scoring either in a starting lineup or off the bench wherever he ends up.