According to John Hollinger, Jarryd Bayless would come cheap with better than expected returns:
"Bayless is working on his third team and hasn't gained much career traction in his four pro seasons, but he was quietly having a good year in Toronto before a torn oblique muscle ended his season last week. He's averaging a point every two minutes with a solid TS% (56.1), and he's not just jacking either -- he's averaged nearly seven assists per 40 minutes over the past two seasons.
While he'll never be a pure point guard, his knack for getting to the basket and drawing fouls has been complemented this season by a spike to 42.3 percent on 3s. Bayless has "Mr. Wright" potential on other levels too. He was a lottery pick, he's been traded twice, and he is still only 23. The combination of his injury and his playing in Toronto may leave him well under the radar this summer, but as a high-scoring combo guard he's one to keep an eye on."
Bayless is restricted so we should think long and hard before we let him walk. Every time he's played extended minutes and became comfortable in the role (i.e. starting), he's played well. But a 'hidden gem' I'm also interested in is Goran Dragic:
"Dragic's talent was clear even while he was regressing for Phoenix last season. And now that Kyle Lowry is out, he's showing it. In 14 games as a starter, he's averaging 17.1 points, 9.1 assists and 1.9 steals and is shooting 52.1 percent from the floor while helping to keep the ragtag Rockets in the Western Conference playoff race. (Quick reminder: Phoenix traded Dragic and a first-rounder to Houston last February for Aaron Brooks).
Dragic can be a bit erratic, and having the best sustained stretch of his career heading into contract time may strike some as a bit suspicious. But he's big and athletic for the position, he's 25, and he's still developing as a shooter. He won't come as cheaply as Wright, but he could pay big dividends."
These are the only point guards in a list of potential free agents that Hollinger classifies as hidden gems. With players like Ray Felton a disappointment this year, there really aren't that many good point guards that will become available this summer. Who would you guys pick between the two, if either?
Here's a link to Hollinger's insider article:
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story...ue-free-agents
"Bayless is working on his third team and hasn't gained much career traction in his four pro seasons, but he was quietly having a good year in Toronto before a torn oblique muscle ended his season last week. He's averaging a point every two minutes with a solid TS% (56.1), and he's not just jacking either -- he's averaged nearly seven assists per 40 minutes over the past two seasons.
While he'll never be a pure point guard, his knack for getting to the basket and drawing fouls has been complemented this season by a spike to 42.3 percent on 3s. Bayless has "Mr. Wright" potential on other levels too. He was a lottery pick, he's been traded twice, and he is still only 23. The combination of his injury and his playing in Toronto may leave him well under the radar this summer, but as a high-scoring combo guard he's one to keep an eye on."
Bayless is restricted so we should think long and hard before we let him walk. Every time he's played extended minutes and became comfortable in the role (i.e. starting), he's played well. But a 'hidden gem' I'm also interested in is Goran Dragic:
"Dragic's talent was clear even while he was regressing for Phoenix last season. And now that Kyle Lowry is out, he's showing it. In 14 games as a starter, he's averaging 17.1 points, 9.1 assists and 1.9 steals and is shooting 52.1 percent from the floor while helping to keep the ragtag Rockets in the Western Conference playoff race. (Quick reminder: Phoenix traded Dragic and a first-rounder to Houston last February for Aaron Brooks).
Dragic can be a bit erratic, and having the best sustained stretch of his career heading into contract time may strike some as a bit suspicious. But he's big and athletic for the position, he's 25, and he's still developing as a shooter. He won't come as cheaply as Wright, but he could pay big dividends."
These are the only point guards in a list of potential free agents that Hollinger classifies as hidden gems. With players like Ray Felton a disappointment this year, there really aren't that many good point guards that will become available this summer. Who would you guys pick between the two, if either?
Here's a link to Hollinger's insider article:
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story...ue-free-agents
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