Free Agency Strategy Insight from Brad Stevens

“The biggest needs as we look at it are continuing to grow ourselves on the offensive end, and what we decide to do with regard to protecting the rim,” Stevens said. “You can protect the rim in a couple of different ways. No. 1 is you have somebody in there to protect it. No. 2 is you don’t let the ball get there, and you need versatile guys at a bunch of different positions. You need to keep guys out of rotations. If you look at our team right now, No. 2 would be more of the option.”


So in a round about way, BS says that we are protecting the rim with versatility right now meaning we need option 1 ... a guy!

Obviously on the offensive side he is referring to a "sniper" ... a deadly shooter from the perimeter.

Two needs in free agency ... 1) A rim protector and 2) a spot up shooter that is deadly from the three.


Here are FA SG's:

hoopshype.com/2016/05/03/nba-free-agency-2016-shooting-guards/


Here are the top rim protectors for 2014-15:



www.nba.com/2015/news/hca/01/19/the-list-top-10-rim-protectors/


> Howard is the only one available from that list unless Sac decides to trade Boogie Cousins



hardwoodhoudini.com/2016/05/23/free-agency-top-five-rim-protectors/2/


Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks

Al Horford is on many teams wish lists this summer as the big man puts up big numbers every season. He doesn’t have the flashy plays on either end of the floor but he’s a very good player who affects the game in nearly every way. It’s easy to imagine the impact Horford would have on offense, however, the biggest impact he would make could be on defense.

Horford won’t lead the league in blocks but he did average 1.5 blocks per game this past season. He has averaged at least one block per game in every season of his career – besides his rookie season.

At 6’10” and 245 pounds, Horford doesn’t get pushed around down low. The Celtics had no answer when he or Millsap would post-up on their smaller defenders. Boston needs someone who can hold their ground in the paint and contest shots without fouling.

Horford has averaged two fouls or less in each of the past three seasons, showing his ability to contest shots without getting into foul trouble.

His shot blocking ability was on full display during the Hawks’ ten playoff games. He increased his average to 2.4 blocks per game and 2.6 blocks per 36 minutes. The slower pace helped him stay inside more and wait for players to drive the lane as he provided the Hawks with a wall down low.

Horford also blocked at least three shots five times in the playoffs.

His offense is what’s going to make headlines but he is still a very good defensive big. His defensive rating has been 105 or lower every season – except his rookie year. His athleticism allows him to step out and guard the perimeter while he can also stay down low and contest shots without putting opponents to the line.



Festus Ezeli, Golden State Warriors

One of the most intriguing free agents this off-season is Festus Ezeli, the young big man on the Golden State Warriors. Because of the Warriors’ depth, Ezeli hasn’t had a significant role since being drafted 30th overall in 2012. He has never averaged 20 minutes per game, however, still may command a lot of money this summer.

He has had a couple of knee surgeries done, despite only being 26-years-old, but it hasn’t effected his leaping ability. Ezeli still moves very well for being 6’11” and continues to block shots at a remarkable rate. In 16.7 minutes per game this season, Ezeli averaged 1.1 blocks per game – 2.3 blocks per 36 minutes.

Last season Ezeli averaged three blocks per 36 minutes, and he was coming off missing the entire 2013-14 season after a knee injury.

In the playoffs, Ezeli has seen less than 10 minutes per game but still manages to average 2.1 blocks per 36 minutes. Players don’t like to attack him as they know he’s a very good shot blocker and can also step out and guard them on the perimeter.

Signing Ezeli and giving him a starting role comes with a little risk since he’s never played a major role with Golden State. Still, his production in little spurts of time warrants the type of money he’s expected to command as a restricted free agent.

He’s a lot younger than a lot of big men on the market this off-season and his smaller role means he has less wear and tear. Usually I would be concerned with his injury history but he continues to show it doesn’t have an effect on how he plays the game. There is a good chance that Festus Ezeli could be among the league leaders in blocks if given more playing time.


Bismack Biyombo, Toronto Raptors

After the postseason that Bismack Biyombo is putting together there’s no doubt he’s going to decline his player option. The 6’9″ center is a little undersized, however, he has finally found his niche in the NBA and is about to get a big pay raise.

MEMO: Biyombo is yesterdays mews and I will pass on his details cuz he is undersized and will be overpaid



Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets

Dwight Howard can sometimes be a distraction in the locker room and it’s questionable whether he deserves a max contract, however, he’s still a very good player. Injuries have slowed him down a little over the past couple of seasons but he still averaged a double-double last season and 1.6 blocks per game.

Howard has led the league in blocks twice during his career as he’s one of the most athletic centers in the game. He’s not going to put up numbers like he did when he was in Orlando, however, he is still good for a couple of blocks when he plays.

At one point in his career, Howard was the most feared defender in the paint. His quickness, long arms, leaping ability and pure athleticism was unmatched by other seven-footers. It led to him having the best defensive rating in the league for three straight seasons and owning a defensive rating of lower than 100 six times throughout his career.

The days of Dwight Howard being the most feared defender down low is over, but, he is still one of the best defensive centers in the league.

I’m not sure he’d be worth risking a max-level contract on, however, if he got his attitude right, he could become a major factor on a winning team.

Also, injuries haven’t been as big of an issue as some people think. He has played in at least 70 games three of the past four seasons and averaged at least 30 minutes per game during those three years.

If Boston wanted to take a chance on a high-risk, high-reward player then Dwight Howard is their guy. He’s going to block a lot of shots and make players think twice about driving the lane, that’s for sure.


Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat

Easily the best front court defender on the market this season, and arguably the best defensive center in the league, is Hassan Whiteside. After making a name for himself with the Miami Heat last season, Whiteside proved it wasn’t a fluke as he led the league in blocks per game this season.

He was very impressive in 48 games last season, especially on defense. His long arms, athleticism and quickness is reminiscent of how Dwight Howard played defense when he was with the Orlando Magic. He averaged an incredible 2.6 blocks per game but outdid himself this past season by averaging 3.7 blocks per contest.

No one has averaged that many blocks per game in a season in over 10 years. The last player to average 3.6 blocks per game was Serge Ibaka in 2012. It shows how rare his skill set is and how skilled he is at blocking shots.

It’s nearly impossible to shoot over his outstretched arm and he is able to step outside of the paint and recover if the driver decides to pass. It’s no surprise that he led the league in defensive rating this past season and his defensive rating of 97 last season didn’t sniff 100.

He makes everyone around him better on defense, it’s that simple. He forces players to shoot outside shots more often or take contested floaters instead of layups. He’s not someone you can post-up and he’s also quick enough to guard the pick-and-roll.

Whiteside’s absence when he got hurt in the Heat’s second round series was easy to see. Their defense got worse every game as Toronto was able to gameplan without the wall down low.

Hassan Whiteside should command near, if not a full, max contract this off-season. He’s still very young and has less than 150 games on his track record. The only way he’s not going to be among the league leaders in blocks is if teams start to avoid him and only shoot outside.