NBA Tickets - Taking a Look at Some Early FA Signings by Brent Warnken
Teams often look at pounce on free agents as early as possible, agreeing to terms on deals within the first few days of free agency. Here is what I think about some of the early deals agreed upon.
Hedo Turkoglu: This was an interesting scenario as the Turkish forward initially looked headed to Portland, but changed his mind and decided to opt for Toronto instead. I expected Toronto to make a strong run at Turkoglu, who will bring the kind of perimeter game that the team has lacked since the days of guys like Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. He'll hit big shots that will help the team sell NBA tickets and he could help the team keep Chris Bosh around with a turnaround next season. He seems to fit the team's style of play and could be the go-to guy going forward if Bosh leaves next summer.
Ben Gordon: Gordon agreed to terms with the Detroit Pistons extremely quickly. While he's a gifted scorer and capable of taking over games, it's still unclear to me exactly how he fits in on this team. Rip Hamilton is the team's starting shooting guard, which will likely relegate Gordon to coming off the bench, something that he was always averse to during his years with the Bulls. He's undersized and looks like he'll be their sixth man, but does more than $10 million per season sound right for that kind of guy? Perhaps the Pistons are not done making moves this offseason and the picture will become clearer.
Charlie Villanueva: The Pistons locked up Charlie V almost immediately after agreeing to terms with Gordon. Villanueva is a gifted, young player that is already a solid NBA player. He's still got room to grow, though, and has a unique skill set for a guy of his size. He can play either the three or four position and is capable of hitting from deep and running the floor well. He's a guy who has some risk/reward to him, but the Pistons seem to have landed him for a reasonable price.
Rasheed Wallace: Wallace's signing with the Celtics is no surprise. The Celtics needed to get better after the Cavs and Magic both made big trades leading up to the draft. Wallace will bring outside shooting, shot-blocking and savvy to the team, while his antics will likely be kept in check by the team's trio of leaders. He's not the player that he used to be, but he should still be able to earn major minutes and help the Celtics out a lot.
Ron Artest: This could be the move that gets the Lakers a repeat next season. He's still a terrific defender, and is a better offensive player that he gets credit for. Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson will command his respect and keep him in line.
Trevor Ariza: This was a good move by the Houston Rockets. Getting Ariza is better in the long run than re-signing Artest because the team's future is uncertain right now. Yao Ming's injured foot could determine whether this team just simply rebuilds or not. Ariza is a rising young player in this league with a lot of potential.
This article was sponsored by StubHub, one of the finest places in the entire world wide web to get NBA tickets, concert tickets, theatre tickets, special events tickets, or almost any kind of sports ticket out there.
Article Source: ArticleSnatch Free Article Directory
Teams often look at pounce on free agents as early as possible, agreeing to terms on deals within the first few days of free agency. Here is what I think about some of the early deals agreed upon.
Hedo Turkoglu: This was an interesting scenario as the Turkish forward initially looked headed to Portland, but changed his mind and decided to opt for Toronto instead. I expected Toronto to make a strong run at Turkoglu, who will bring the kind of perimeter game that the team has lacked since the days of guys like Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. He'll hit big shots that will help the team sell NBA tickets and he could help the team keep Chris Bosh around with a turnaround next season. He seems to fit the team's style of play and could be the go-to guy going forward if Bosh leaves next summer.
Ben Gordon: Gordon agreed to terms with the Detroit Pistons extremely quickly. While he's a gifted scorer and capable of taking over games, it's still unclear to me exactly how he fits in on this team. Rip Hamilton is the team's starting shooting guard, which will likely relegate Gordon to coming off the bench, something that he was always averse to during his years with the Bulls. He's undersized and looks like he'll be their sixth man, but does more than $10 million per season sound right for that kind of guy? Perhaps the Pistons are not done making moves this offseason and the picture will become clearer.
Charlie Villanueva: The Pistons locked up Charlie V almost immediately after agreeing to terms with Gordon. Villanueva is a gifted, young player that is already a solid NBA player. He's still got room to grow, though, and has a unique skill set for a guy of his size. He can play either the three or four position and is capable of hitting from deep and running the floor well. He's a guy who has some risk/reward to him, but the Pistons seem to have landed him for a reasonable price.
Rasheed Wallace: Wallace's signing with the Celtics is no surprise. The Celtics needed to get better after the Cavs and Magic both made big trades leading up to the draft. Wallace will bring outside shooting, shot-blocking and savvy to the team, while his antics will likely be kept in check by the team's trio of leaders. He's not the player that he used to be, but he should still be able to earn major minutes and help the Celtics out a lot.
Ron Artest: This could be the move that gets the Lakers a repeat next season. He's still a terrific defender, and is a better offensive player that he gets credit for. Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson will command his respect and keep him in line.
Trevor Ariza: This was a good move by the Houston Rockets. Getting Ariza is better in the long run than re-signing Artest because the team's future is uncertain right now. Yao Ming's injured foot could determine whether this team just simply rebuilds or not. Ariza is a rising young player in this league with a lot of potential.
This article was sponsored by StubHub, one of the finest places in the entire world wide web to get NBA tickets, concert tickets, theatre tickets, special events tickets, or almost any kind of sports ticket out there.
Article Source: ArticleSnatch Free Article Directory