NBA Roster Firepower

   After hearing about Russell Westbrook's surgery, I tried to think who would replace his scoring for OKC before realizing just how unproven their bench is. After running through the game logs for every player on their roster, I found that only 6 players on their current roster had a 20+ point game last year including Westbrook. Of the remaining 5 there was only Durant and Ibaka who had done it more than a couple times last year; Sefolosha did it 2 times, Fisher 1 time, and Reggie Jackson 1 time. The idea is that some young unproven player and specifically Lamb will pick up some slack-but his only game in double figures(13pts) took him 21 shots. It seemed crazy to me just how few players had proven they could score 20pts last year on that team and to place so much hope on unproven young players filling the void of Martin and Westbrook while he's out.
   So I went through every Western Conference team and through every player on every rosters game logs to find how many teams have players that scored 20pts or better in a game. 20 points seemed like a reasonable number to set the bar at, because what player could be labeled as a proven offensive threat off the bench if he didn't have a single game last season where he scored 20 points? A single game of 20 or more points all season would qualify a player, this player didn't have to play the previous year for the team he's on now to count towards the teams total. This obviously would rule out all rookies or any players that missed the full season, so it shows just how many players on every roster have shown the capability to score recently in this league. No betting on potential or hoping for the unproven, just a simple measure of how many players on each roster have shown they can score in the last year in the regular season.
Denver-11 players. Darrell Arthur, Ty Lawson, Javale McGee, Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried, Evan Fournier, Danilo Gallinari, J.J. Hickson, Andre Miller, Nate Robinson, and Randy Foye.
Dallas-10 players. DeJuan Blair, Dirk Nowitzki, Jose Calderon, Vince Carter, Samuel Dalembert, Wayne Ellington, Devin Harris, Shawn Marion, Brandan Wright, and Monta Ellis
Sacramento-10 players. Marcus Thornton, DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson, Jimmer Fredette, Carl Landry, Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, Patrick Patterson, John Salmons, Greivis Vasquez, Isaiah Thomas.
LAC-10 players. Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford, DeAndre Jordan, Matt Barnes, J.J. Redick, Byron Mullens, Antawn Jamison, Jared Dudley, Darren Collison, and Blake Griffin.
Portland-9 players. Damian Lillard, Mo Williams, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, Robin Lopez, Will Barton, Dorell Wright, and Meyers Leonard.
Minnesota-9 players. J.J. Barea, Kevin Love, Derrick Williams, Corey Brewer, Ricky Rubio, Dante Cunningham, Kevin Martin, Alexey Shved, and Nikola Pekovic.
LAL-9 players. Kobe Bryant, Steve Blake, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, Jordan Farmar, Wesley Johnson, Chris Kaman, Jodie Meeks, and Nick Young.
Memphis-8 players. Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Tayshaun Prince, Jerryd Bayless, Marc Gasol, Mike Miller, Kosta Koufos, and Ed Davis.
Houston-8 players. James Harden, Dwight Howard, Omer Asik, Aaron Brooks, Jeremy Lin, Francisco Garcia, Chandler Parsons, and Greg Smith.
New Orleans-8 players. Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Austin Rivers, Jason Smith, and Brian Roberts.
San Antonio-8 players. Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter, Patty Mills, Danny Green, and Marco Belinelli.
Golden State-8 players. Stephen Curry, David Lee, Andre Igoudala, Harrison Barnes, Toney Douglas, Klay Thompson, Marreese Speights, and Jermaine O'Neal.
Phoenix-8 players. Marcin Gortat, Eric Bledsoe, Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris, Gerald Green, Channing Frye, Goran Dragic, and Shannon Brown.
Oklahoma-6 players. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Derek Fisher, Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, and Thabo Sefolosha.
Utah-6 players. Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Alec Burks, Lester Hudson, and Marvin Williams.
   It's interesting to see how many teams have players known to be capable of scoring 20+pts. It certainly shows just how much the Jazz are committed to their young players after letting veterans walk but I still don't understand how Oklahoma has so few proven contributors on their team and feel comfortable and not land any quality free agents. In comparing their team to ours we have a much superior bench while providing better starters at every position but SF until Westbrook is back, so that will be interesting to see how much Durant can carry them with so few players capable of creating their own shot on that roster.
   *Originally I posted this on Blazersedge, but it seemed fitting for this blog.

Ranking The Top NBA Free Agents: Centers

Less than 2 months until the summer free agent signing frenzy of 2012 begins and it's time to start analyzing the prospects and ranking the best at their respective positions. First up is the biggest of them all, the 2012 free agent centers. The other positions will be broken down as well in the next few weeks.
Centers
1. Roy Hibbert
A BIG man who was named to the All-Star team this year for being a leader on a star-less Indiana Pacers team. He's finally developed into a great player but still has a lot he can improve on. Along with the 2 names on the list above him, he has the potential to be a top 5 center in the NBA in the near future. Doing well in the playoffs isn't hurting his contract size either.
Pros-Massive 7'2" frame, elite defender, solid shot blocker, All-Star
Cons-Unproven, refined offensive skills, foul prone
2. Javale McGee
An elite defensive big man when focused and an above average offensive threat in the post. He's been questioned for his boneheaded play in Washington but his strong games against Andrew Bynum in the playoffs are crafting a new identity for this young man that will get him a massive contract this off-season. If he can get his head together for a full season he can be a clear cut All-Star soon in a league that lacks true centers and potentially a top 5 center in the league.
Pros-Potentially elite defender, elite shot-blocker, elite rebounder, long arms, solid 7'
Cons-Intelligence, play making, refined offensive moves
3. Brook Lopez
This extremely talented man has rarely been mentioned this year relating to his play and not his injuries, but Brook Lopez is clearly the most offensively gifted center in this years free agency. His poor rebounding may be in part because of playing next to rebounding stud Kris Humphries.
Pros-Elite offensive big man, draws double teams constantly, solid 7', good athleticism
Cons-Poor rebounder, weak passing skills
4. Chris Kaman
A solid veteran center who wasn't really given a fair shot to play in New Orleans because they decided to sit him while they tried to shop him and then he had an injury. He could really be a steal to whatever team gets him because if healthy and starting he could quite possibly put up numbers back in the 15ppg and 8rb or more range. He's a definitely a sleeper in the free agency discussion but he's an extremely talented center who could help take a struggling playoff team to another level.
Pros-7', active around basket, rebounding, runs floor well, offensive skills, ft %, defensive impact, All-Star
Cons-BBIQ, age(30), health
5. Spencer Hawes
A young and talented center who is one of only a few that can put up a legitimate triple double but was limited in minutes and games this year. Could really have a great year this next season with a full season of health and more minutes.
Pros-7'1", passing, ambidextrous, face the basket game
Cons-Physicality, strength, athleticism
6. Marcus Camby
A veteran in the league that's still putting up good numbers and isn't ready to retire just yet. He's a weak defender who can be overpowered but he'll block a lot of shots and grab rebounds to typically make up for it. On offense his only contributions are rebounding and very good passing in a high-low situation. You know what you'll get when you sign this 38 year old.
Pros-Rebounding, shot blocking, passing, defensive reputation
Cons-Strength, offensive skills, age, health
7. Jason Thompson
A good young big man that could really explode onto the scene next year in a new situation. He's got some size, skills, and lots of potential. Expect a smart team to pick him up for a cheaper contract.
Pros-Athleticism, length, mobility
Cons-Foul prone, unproven
8. Jordan Hill
A pretty unproven young man but he's playing well for the Lakers in the playoffs and has opened more than a few eyes. He's always had potential but he just hasn't fulfilled it yet, maybe next year is his year if he gets the playing time.
Pros-Physicality, rebounding, strength
Cons-Unproven, a little raw, undersized
9. Ian Mahinmi
A strong and long big man with some upside who has posted solid per-minute numbers. Look for him to have a break out year in 2012-2013.
Pros-Length, athleticism, rebounding
Cons-Offensive skills, talent
10. Robin Lopez
He's had the potential since he came into this league and he's been given plenty of opportunities with the Suns but he just hasn't really progressed. He still has the skills to make a drastic improvement next year but don't be surprised if the Suns don't match a good sized contract offer.
Pros-7', athleticism, size, mobility, physicality, defensive minded
Cons-Offensive skills, foul prone still, BBIQ
Other Notable: Ronny Turiaf, Aaron Gray, Mehmet Okur, Omer Asik, Joel Pryzbilla
*Thanks for reading and, as always, feel free to leave your opinion in the comments.

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