Not All Free Agent Signings Have To Be Big Time Players To Make A Difference
We’re deep enough into the NBA season where we can star to get an idea how all the new free agents are doing on their new teams and the impact they are having. Obviously guys like LeBron have made a difference and guys like Melo were a disaster, but what about the lower level moves that nobody really cared about when they happened? That’s the beauty of the NBA, just because a guy isn’t a big name player doesn’t mean he can’t have a real impact with his new team. Well if you look across the league you’d be pretty surprised to see guys that are making a real positive difference for their new teams whose names you probably wouldn’t have guessed. I went through all the FA signings of a guy that changed teams (excluded trades), and it shocked me how well some of these guys are playing. Non star players need love to, so allow me to give them their proper credit
Noah Vonleh – New York Knicks
So, who saw a career year coming from Noah Vonleh when the Knicks brought him in? He’s a guy that pretty much flamed out in POR and never really lived up to where he was drafted, but he’s been pretty awesome for the Knicks and a big reason why they are probably driving their fans mad by winning more than they should. The numbers speak for themselves, he’s averaging 8.3/8.1/1.7 with 1.8 3PM a night with 50/45% splits in 25 minutes a night. He’s started 17 of their 24 games and considering HE’S ONLY 23, you could make the case that the Knicks have found themselves a steal. Vonleh is only making $1.6M this year and is an UFA this summer, and I would imagine the Knicks keep him around for an affordable price after they strike out on all the star free agents.
The advanced metrics with Vonleh are pretty wild too. Their Ortg is +6 with him on the floor and their defense is 4 points better as well. That means when Vonleh is off the floor, the Knicks have a -10 net rating. That’s insane for a guy who many thought might be out of the league after nothing worked in any of his previous spots.
Pat Connaughton – Milwaukee Bucks
In his last season in POR, Connaughton showed some flashes. He played in all 82 games and had a career high scoring the ball which made sense because his minutes went from 8 to 18 minutes a night. Well he’s getting those same minutes a night in MIL coming off their bench, and he’s coming through averaging a career high in points, 3PM, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Considering they are paying him just $1.6M this year and he has a non-guaranteed deal next season for $1.7M I would say the Bucks are getting insane value from this signing. I imagine nobody really gave this signing much thought when it happened, but the facts are this dude has been a legit part of their rotation. Once his three point shooting comes around (just 31% for a career 35% shooter), he’s going to be even more important because as we know the three point shot is now a legit part of Bud’s offense. It’s the one change that has really benefitted the Bucks, and it’s only a matter of time before Connaughton comes around there as well.
Shelvin Mack- Memphis Grizzlies
Did you know Shelvin Mack has been in the NBA for 8 seasons? He’s one of those random veteran guards that always seems to find a team but doesn’t exactly move the needle himself. You look at the Grizzlies season and they are off to a great start, mostly because Gasol/Conley are healthy and they are back to the grit and grind personality. But don’t sleep on the solid play of Shelvin Mack, who is averaging a career high in points putting up 9.4/2.2/3.6 with 45/40% splits making 1.1 3PM a night in 25 minutes off the bench. He is the primary guard of that second unit, and at just $2.0M this season is providing the Grizzlies with solid Conley insurance with almost no risk. He’s had some injury issues throughout his career in ATL/UTA/WSH/ORL/PHI, and he seems to get traded like 3 times every season, but I feel like he’s found a home in Memphis. He’s never shot the ball this well from deep, and is 0.1 assists from tying his career high. A player almost every NBA fan will never even think about, he’s making a difference for the Grizzlies.
Nik Stuaskas – Portland Trail Blazers
Vivek was right!! It’s safe to say things didn’t exactly start off well for Stauskas in the NBA, especially when your whole reputation is that you’re some sort of shooter. He had never shot over 39% in any of his previous NBA stops (SAC/PHI/BKN), but he has found a great role up in POR and is a legit weapon off their bench. He’s playing just 16 minutes a night but averaging 7 points on 42/40% splits with 1.3 3PM a night. For a team that desperately needed outside shooting, they brought in Stauskas along with Seth Curry to fill that role, paid him just $1.6M and he’s already making an impact.
As of now he’s 4th on the team in total 3PM with 30, which is the most of any nonstarter. If he continues to keep up this level of shooting, I see no reason why he can’t find a permanent home in POR.
JaVale McGee – Los Angeles Lakers
We all laughed when this signing happened. Don’t lie. We all figured there was no way this would work, that bringing in McGee to this locker room was going to be a disaster. Well jokes on us because not only has McGee been incredible for the Lakers, he’s honestly in the conversation for Defensive Player of The Year which is WILD.
How do you like a career high in points, and blocks, an the most rebounds a night since the 2011 season. He has an 8.8% BLK% which is by far the best of his career, and he’s even been respectable on the defensive end with a 102 rating. Remember this is a Lakers team filled with guys who do not care to play defense, but McGee has not been one of them. Seeing as how the Lakers are only paying him $2.3M, you could make the case that outside of Vucevic it’s been McGee that has been the best value for the money among all centers in the league. I know he looked great at times in GS, but that’s mostly because he was playing with basketball aliens. Outside of LeBron that is not the case in LA, and he’s been just as good if not better. You have to give credit to Magic LeBron for bringing him in.
Jeff Green – Washington Wizards
Listen the Wizards have their issues, everybody knows that. But one of those is not Jeff Green. As someone who personally lived through the Jeff Green experience I know that as a Wizards fan you may want to be cautious when it comes to Green, but the facts are he’s been beyond solid for them this season. He’s having a career year shooting the ball, coming in with 49% for the season, and he’s been that solid scoring option in his 24 minutes off the bench that this Wizards team has desperately needed. We all know the second unit has been an issue for this team in the past, and you add his improved scoring efficiency with the most rebounds he’s averaged in a season since the 2009 season, and for whatever reason WSH is getting the best version of Green despite him being 32.
Add in the fact that they are paying him just $2.3M this year, and that’s great value. Jeff Green will forever be a player that ropes you in with his potential only to disappoint you at the end of the day, but give him credit for how he’s played despite things being a bit of a disaster.
The point of this blog is to show that even though we are heading into a summer lined with big time superstar free agents, there’s a good chance your favorite team will walk away with none of them. That’s OK, because we’re seeing that it’s not always the big time signings and big time players that you have to bring in to make a difference. Sometimes you can find a motivated young player that maybe hasn’t had the best success but fits your system perfectly, and as a result end up making an impact. All these dudes have had solid seasons so far and cost pennies, which just goes to show you how deep this league is with legit talent. I have no doubt there will be another crop of low risk low cost additions this summer that will not only make a team, but actually contribute.
If there’s someone you’ve personally loved watching that didn’t get much hype when they first were signed, who is it? List em in the comments below, I’m curious to see.