Menu
As we get closer to the 2022-23 season, summer jobs such as the draft and free agency signings and big trades are winding down, with most players having found new homes and some choosing overseas leagues to make a comeback, but there is still a free agency market for players who are either over the hill or have off-court problems looking for a home, and a group of low-profile, solid, functional players waiting for teams to see them.
Agents information
➊Dennis Schrooder【PG/Rocket/28.7min/13.5pts/4.6ast/39.3%FG】
Pros:Good scoring ability/confident with a big heart
Disadvantages: unstable outside / defensive weakness / eat the ball
He was rumored to have turned down a four-year, $84 million deal from the Lakers before last season, but he denied it. In any case, he later joined the Celtiacs for $5.9 million a year and didn’t fit in well with the Green Jackets, and was sent to the Rockets in the middle of the season, spending the rest of the season in the paint, with his numbers hitting personal lows, including a shooting percentage below 40%, which has always been shaky. The main reason is that although he has a strong offensive power, he needs a lot of possessions, for the championship team he will have problems with the stars in the lineup to allocate possessions, and Schrooder can not play without the ball; and for the rebuilding team, 28 years old and must hold the team for a long time in the lineup of young stars growth is not conducive, naturally will not be considered. In addition, the defensive ability is too poor, the upper defensive line is like a false, want to maintain the defensive strength of the ball pair naturally discouraged. Schrooder must find the attitude of the year and CP3 in the Thunder partner, usually play on the bench to grab points, need to fight firepower and starters together, and strengthen their own outside stability, the defensive part is no longer a luxury. He should not fall without the ball to play, lack of bench firepower in the middle and front class teams may consider.
Suitable teams:Nick, Lakers, Heat, Golden Nugget
➋Jeremy Lamb【SG/King/16.7min/7.3pts/38.3%FG/32.4%3PT】
Pros:Amazing arm/before 30 but experienced/most sought after swingman today
Cons: shaky from the outside/injury history
Lamby, who was once teammates with Jeremy Lin in the Hornets, gave the best performance of his career in the three seasons from 17-20, although his 3-point shooting power was always inconsistent, but with his amazing physical ability and 7-foot arms with good breaking ability, he was awarded a 3-year, $31 million contract by the Slippery Horse, but then suffered a major injury that caused him to play only 138 games in the last three years, and was also traded to the Kings last season. Lamb has lost some of his pre-injury explosiveness, his defense, which was already not impressive, is now slower from across the floor, and his 3-point accuracy dropped to 32% last season, and he relies more on outside shots. Lamb’s price is currently at a low point, but at under 30 years old, he could still find his form next season. After all, he can run without the ball and can still play as the 10th or 11th man for a championship contending team in today’s most desirable era of wings, taking some minutes off the bench to contribute experience and buy insurance for the wings, and the first and only issue is getting his outside touch back.
Suitable teams: Warriors, Cavaliers, Wizards
➌ Cody Zeller [C/topper/13min/5.2pts/4.6reb/56.7%FG】
Pros:Cover ability/not bad mobility/rebounding ability
Cons: Injury history/lack of outside presence
He spent the first 8 seasons of his career with the Hornets, from the Kemba Walker era to the Lamelo Ball era as a starter on the bench, and with Lamb as a starting center for the Hornets for many years, he was waved away by the Toppers after knee surgery earlier in the year. He also has no outside finishing tools and a lackluster post-up game. But Zeller has survived in the league for 8 years and must have his strengths. The first is his ability to rebound offensively, maintaining at least 1.5 offensive rebounds per season regardless of playing time, and his ability to rebound defensively, but with a solid jam; the second is his mobility, which is not bad for a long man, and his willingness to sprint all over the court to get back on defense; and finally, his ability to cover, giving guards very comfortable space to shoot. Zeller may only be the third center on the team, but I believe he is willing to hustle and protect the rim, so he is a candidate for teams that lack the ability to play in the paint.
Suitable teams: Nets, Heat, Suns
➍ Eric Bledsoe [PG/speedboat/25.2min/9.9pts/4.2ast/42.1%FG】
Pros:Experienced / breakout ability / fair defensive ability
Cons: Eats possessions/bad perimeter/age
He was once known as the 5’10” King James, with a thick body and explosive physical ability, originally was one of the protagonists of the Sun’s three-guard experiment, but his strengths gradually disappeared with age, coupled with his inability to practice from the outside, and last season only 31.4% completely non-threatening, last season was expected to become the third point of possession outside the speedboat double star, but he could not even start, and his scoring average even fell below double digits. He was expected to be the third point of possession in addition to the two speedboat stars last season. In addition, Bledsoe also needs a lot of possessions, but the assists are very mediocre, and from time to time will also be out of the brain congestion cut screen. At this point, his value is only on the defensive end, but not at the top, and if you want to talk about it, only experience and defense are the only things that can make it to the top. Fewer teams will need Bledsoe at this point, and he should be able to fill in as a backup or third point guard, but the outside factor will deter many teams, and the likelihood of him staying on the sidelines is high.
Suitable teams:Golden Nugget, Wizard
➎ Jarret Culver [SG/Grizzlies/19.1min/3.5pts/37.8%FG/25.5%3PT】
Pros:Young/high ballhandling ability/defensive ability
Cons:Shooting ability/lack of explosiveness
Drafted sixth overall in the 2019 draft by the Gray Wolves, Culver’s excellent defense and high ballhandling ability made him a ready-made player, but the team already had a number of seniors at the same position, such as Malik Beasley and Josh Okogie, and although they were fully functional, the Gray Wolves brass expected Culver to be a complete package. However, they did not give him enough space to play, and after averaging 24 minutes per game in his first year, he played only 14 games in his second year due to injury, averaging only 14 minutes per game, and only 9.1 minutes per game after being traded to the Grizzlies last season. If Culver is underperforming, the team has never given him enough minutes and has missed the best time to develop him, so it’s impossible to expect a rookie to be consistent after just one season. So Culver, unlike his predecessors, has yet to make his mark, but at 23 years old, and with only three years of NBA experience, it would be arbitrary to dismiss his growth at this stage.
Of course, with his poor offense and inability to hold onto the ball, the deck is stacked against him, but his talent is there for the taking, and perhaps teams with less pressure on their records could still consider Culver, after all, the Gray Wolves and Grizzlies have never really developed him properly.
Suitable team:Rebuilding team