With the lockout hopefully coming to a close, we can once again begin discussing the NBA and players! Given this great news, we decided to make some free agent help sheets, and we’ll be starting with centers.
Which center should I get?
| Player | Age | 09'-11' WP48 | 09'-11' WP per year | 11' WP48 | 11' WP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson Chandler | 29 | 0.176 | 5.7 | 0.285 | 12.2 |
| Nene Hilario | 29 | 0.185 | 9.7 | 0.222 | 10.6 |
| DeAndre Jordan | 23 | 0.146 | 4 | 0.177 | 7.6 |
| Marc Gasol | 26 | 0.135 | 7.1 | 0.124 | 6.7 |
| Samuel Dalembert | 30 | 0.188 | 8 | 0.146 | 5.9 |
| Jeff Foster | 34 | 0.176 | 3.7 | 0.269 | 5.3 |
| Kwame Brown | 29 | 0.053 | 1.2 | 0.07 | 2.5 |
| Kurt Thomas | 39 | 0.126 | 3.2 | 0.101 | 2.5 |
| Spencer Hawes | 23 | 0.004 | 0.1 | 0.038 | 1.4 |
| Aaron Gray | 26 | 0.094 | 1 | 0.121 | 1.3 |
| Hamed Haddadi | 26 | 0.108 | 0.4 | 0.282 | 1 |
| Erick Dampier | 36 | 0.157 | 4.3 | 0.051 | 0.9 |
| Jamaal Magloire | 33 | 0.087 | 0.7 | 0.259 | 0.9 |
| Zydrunas Ilgauskas | 36 | 0.036 | 1.1 | 0.027 | 0.6 |
| Joel Przybilla | 32 | 0.227 | 5 | 0.033 | 0.4 |
| Hilton Armstrong | 27 | -0.074 | -1 | 0.028 | 0.3 |
| Tony Battie | 35 | 0.03 | 0.4 | 0.018 | 0.1 |
| Theo Ratliff | 38 | 0 | 0 | -0.116 | -0.2 |
| Nenad Krstic | 28 | -0.015 | -0.5 | -0.012 | -0.4 |
| Dan Gadzuric | 33 | 0.012 | 0.1 | -0.05 | -0.5 |
| Alexis Ajinca | 23 | -0.155 | -0.6 | -0.072 | -0.5 |
| Francisco Elson | 35 | -0.019 | -0.2 | -0.065 | -0.8 |
| Kyrylo Fesenko | 24 | -0.117 | -0.8 | -0.16 | -1.5 |
| Jason Collins | 32 | -0.198 | -1.5 | -0.131 | -1.6 |
| Eddy Curry | 28 | -0.517 | -0.3 | N/A | N/A |
| Greg Oden | 23 | 0.205 | 2.6 | N/A | N/A |
Great picks
- Nene Hilario: In terms of consistency and performance, Nene is the best available center. Tack on the fact that he’s unrestricted and it’s clear he’ll have lots of suitors. He is a bit older but he should still have several good seasons left.
- Tyson Chandler: He had a great season last year, but he’s had some injury problems in the last few seasons. He’s a restricted free agent and Cuban will probably put up a fight. The new CBA might make him easier to get loose though and he can definitely help another team.
- DeAndre Jordan: He’s young and seemed to hit his stride last season. Any team looking for a top center with a great upside should give him a look. Of course, if the Clippers decide to be winners for once, they may just retain his services
Stay away
- Eddy Curry: The fact that his rank last season went up by not playing is not a good sign. Some team will think he may be able to help but they will be wrong. It’s best to just pass on him.
- Alexis Ajinca: He’s young but he’s been terrible his first several seasons. A bad center is a good way to torpedo your team (see Minnesota and Toronto) and Alexis could be that player.
Curious cases
- Greg Oden: He’s been injury prone and has been labeled a draft bust. With that said in his limited minutes he’s been great. He’s not worth a big contract but he could be worth a look for some teams.
- Joel Przbilla: He’s older and has had some injury problems. That said, he’s in the same boat as Oden. He’s played great in the past and could be a decent bench player for a reasonable price.
It’s great to be talking basketball again — even though I am talking about the Nuggets possibly losing their best player. Let me know if I missed any players.
-Dre
Thanks to Hoopsworld for compiling the free agents position by position. Let me know of any I have missed or that have changed contract situations during the lockout.