Centers

[jayC]

Free agents: Risks accompany top men in the middle
July 8, 2005
By Tony Mejia
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer
Tell Tony your opinion!


More and more, it appears the winning formula in the NBA requires at least a serviceable big man to keep defenses honest and space the floor for teammates. Playing inside out, rather than vice versa, is why San Antonio will hang another banner this fall, Miami made monumental improvement after adding Shaquille O'Neal and, just last week, Milwaukee made Andrew Bogut the No. 1 draft choice ahead of the more promising Marvin Williams.


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Eddy Curry missed the playoffs due to his heart condition. (Getty Images)
That's what makes this season's free-agent centers so appealing. Teams will have to weigh potential payoffs against complete disaster and gamble with their checkbooks. The top four available players in this year's crop all have huge question marks, but their potential to help turn a marginal team into a competitive one or make a good team great will get them paid.

Not quite as much as O'Neal, technically a free agent himself. He's not included on the list below, because the Heat will pay him the king's ransom he rightly deserves and keep him in South Florida.

As for the others, will they provide reimbursement or regret? No choice but to roll the dice and find out.

CBS SportsLine's list of the Top 10 available centers:

1. Eddy Curry, Chicago: Only 22, Curry is a rarity as one of the promising young true centers in the league. He really started coming into his own last season, averaging a career-high 16 points per game, but missed the playoffs because of a heart condition. The team has been very carefully monitoring his progress, although just this past week, he participated in his first major workout since being cleared for physical activity. A restricted free agent, Curry says he wants to see what Chicago offers him before he looks to visit other teams. That puts the ball in the organization's court, having to decide how much it wants to invest in a potential health risk.

2. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland: After playing in only 29 games from 1999-2001, and missing another 20 in 2002, the 7-foot-3 Lithuanian has really turned things around. He has played nearly every game in the past three seasons, missing only five, having apparently conquered the chronic foot problems that once jeopardized his career. In terms of production, he now commands a sizeable income, but there's clearly some apprehension over having to overpay him as he enters his 30s, with every step he takes a reason to make you wince. Still, re-signing him remains new GM Danny Ferry's top priority alongside adding another shooter.

3. Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia: One of the top athletes at his position, Dalembert has bounced back nicely from the knee surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2002-03 season. He simply takes a while to get going, never really finding his groove until about January. Still, his length and leaping ability make him a valuable defender and rebounder teams covet. GM Billy King has said the Sixers will do almost anything to keep him.



4. Jerome James, Seattle: Consider James the ultimate gamble, and it has nothing to do with health concerns. He's been an enigma for the length of his career, but after a single postseason in which he was absolutely dominant, he stands to make himself a lot of money. James says he has tapped into his passion for the game and finally started to approach things the right way, hence the drastic turnaround. Will that end once he's financially comfortable? Clearly, a player with his size and agility should have his way, but with James, it's all mental. It would be nice if you could pay him by the game, or offer a series of one-year contracts, but that's not how things work.

5. Dikembe Mutombo, Houston: At 39, Mutombo takes great care of his body and proved to be a terrific backup and mentor to Yao Ming in his first season in Houston. Mutombo told the Houston Chronicle he wants to end his career with the Rockets and is confident that's how things will turn out.

6. Zaza Pachulia, Milwaukee: Pachulia, a 21-year-old from Turkey, has already logged a pair of NBA seasons and has impressed with his relentless play around the basket. He's certainly raw but clearly has very good upside that teams have taken notice of. Milwaukee has made it known it would like to keep him to play behind and next to Bogut.

7. Steven Hunter, Phoenix: An athletic shot-blocking specialist who fits in nicely with the Suns' run-and-gun style, Hunter's first choice would be to remain there. But his agent says a number of teams have inquired about his availability, leaving his status up in the air.

8. Zeljko Rebraca, L.A. Clippers: The veteran Serb had his moments last season and works hard in practice, so the Clips are very interested in having him stick around. He's been traded four times, proving a 7-foot, 265-pounder is always a commodity.

9. Dan Gadzuric, Milwaukee: He's a fabulous athlete, maybe the best at his size in the entire league, but he's still rawer than a newly laid egg. The Bucks enjoy his ability to run the floor and block shots, made their qualifying offer to keep him and will continue to work on tapping into his potential. At the very least, he might serve a purpose as Bogut's sparring partner.

10. Predrag Drobnjak, Atlanta: The Hawks understandably didn't pick up the $3 million dollar option on his contract, but he's certainly a quality backup if he comes at a more reasonable price. Drobnjak's strength is a really nice shooting touch.

Best of the rest: DeSagana Diop, Cleveland; Ervin Johnson, Minnesota; Francisco Elson, Denver; Mikki Moore, L.A. Clippers; John Edwards, Indiana.

Who would be the best fit for the mavs?









9. Dan Gadzuric, Milwaukee: He's a fabulous athlete, maybe the best at his size in the entire league, but he's still rawer than a newly laid egg. The Bucks enjoy his ability to run the floor and block shots, made their qualifying offer to keep him and will continue to work on tapping into his potential. At the very least, he might serve a purpose as Bogut's sparring partner.

10. Predrag Drobnjak, Atlanta: The Hawks understandably didn't pick up the $3 million dollar option on his contract, but he's certainly a quality backup if he comes at a more reasonable price. Drobnjak's strength is a really nice shooting touch.

Best of the rest: DeSagana Diop, Cleveland; Ervin Johnson, Minnesota; Francisco Elson, Denver; Mikki Moore, L.A. Clippers; John Edwards, Indiana.

[foglemann]

I think most, if not everyone's, first choice would have to be Gad's, speaking from pure signabilitly. He's got the size, body, ability, and time on the court to do major damage as a backup on a playoff team. To me, I think second would have to be Steven Hunter, just for the shot blocking ability. Then I would take the Birdman, Chris Andersen. Both guys and even Gad have quick feet, move well, and have shown to rebound quite well. Guys like ZaZa and other undersized guys intrigue me less, just for the fact of there size. I think ZaZa is the fourth guy on my list then.

Here it is for me:

1) Gad
2) Hunter
3) Birdman
4) ZaZa

5) Coming in last, and after this guy, we don't want anyone, Mikki Moore has always hussled and I think he's a very cheap option that would help.

[poohrichardson]

Andersen is probably the best raw athlete of those mentioned.. he's my favorite as well.. :-D

[chumdawg]

I would be intersted in hearing opinions about where Erick Dampier would fall on this list if he were a FA this year. Personally, I'm having a hard time deciding whether I think he would be #4 or #5. There are some intriguing similarities between Jerome Jame's description and what I imagine Damp's would be.

It will be telling to compare the deals those top four get to the deal that Dampier got last year.

[grndmstr_c]

I would be intersted in hearing opinions about where Erick Dampier would fall on this list if he were a FA this year.

I can really only see convincing arguments for Dalembert and Z ahead of Damp. Curry's a god-awful rebounder and weak defender, and as much as I like Gad (what the freak is he doing rated 9th!?!), I think he's still just a touch too raw to put him ahead of Damp, who has a better understanding of how to play the position, IMO. So I'll say 3rd, owing to Z's superior numbers and Dalembert's youth.

And I think it's also fair to point out that none of the guys in this free agent crop put up stats in their contract years that could equal the 12/12/2 Damp put up in his contract year. Match Damp's contract year up against their contract years and Damp's #1, so it'll not only be interesting to see what the (my) top guys on the list get paid (I'm betting Z and Sam's deals are comparable to Damp's), but also to see how they perform in their first post-contract year.

[dirno2000]

I would be intersted in hearing opinions about where Erick Dampier would fall on this list if he were a FA this year.

If you were looking for rebounding and defend he would be #1, but obviously this list is slanted towards offensive players so you're right, he'd be 4th or 5th depending on how heavily Mejie weighted James' performance against the Kings.

Personally I’d take Damp over anybody on that list because of the way he compliments Dirk.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally posted by: dirno2000

If you were looking for rebounding and defend he would be #1, but obviously this list is slanted towards offensive players so you're right, he'd be 4th or 5th depending on how heavily Mejie weighted James' performance against the Kings.

Personally I’d take Damp over anybody on that list because of the way he compliments Dirk.

I agree, Dirno. Big Z puts up nice numbers, but is injury prone, immobile, and very weak on defense. Curry is also weak on D and is a terrible rebounder. Dalembert is a great athlete, but doesn't seem to have a good understanding of the game. I'd also take Damp over anyone on that list.

[Just211]

since ZaZa and Gadz are both restricted. Maybe as soon as someone makes an offer to one, dallas could just make a bigger offer to the oother, and make the Bucks choose between them. Suer they might keep both, but it's a possibility.
I mean if they're interested in either

[jopimokeeluvimanysl]

no use finding a good center. The mavs are doomed!

[Lebanese_Fan]

Why isn't tyson Chandler on the list, Just curious. Is he a big man?!!?!?! He is 7 1' isn't he!?!???!?

[DubOverdose]

Originally posted by: Lebanese_Fan
Why isn't tyson Chandler on the list, Just curious. Is he a big man?!!?!?! He is 7 1' isn't he!?!???!?

I think because he's listed as a F-C. I always think of him as a center, and I'd rank him at the very top of thise list, but whatever.

[Pirate]

Originally posted by: Just211
since ZaZa and Gadz are both restricted. Maybe as soon as someone makes an offer to one, dallas could just make a bigger offer to the other, and make the Bucks choose between them...

Good idea. Perhaps if you overpaid a bit for EITHER the Bucks would go the other direction.

[Lebanese_Fan]

I think Curry is a nice target. Atlanta might go after him like they are doing with Joe Johnson. If Chicago decided they don't want to keep him because the contract is too big, they might want to match the offer and send him to another team to get something back. This is where we come in. It is a long shot, but I feel they don't want to pay big money for injury prone players.

You can always count on the Paxons to mess up in free agency like his bro did with Boozer in Cleland.

[cripple balls]

Chris Anderson is 6' 10" 220 - The dude is a small forward. Do we really want a small forward to be our backup center ???

[V2M]

Dan Gadzuric stays with the Bucks.

==========================================
Preliminary deal is for six years, $36 million
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Related Video:
T.J. Ford on his comeback from spinal cord surgery ESPN Motion

The agent for Milwaukee Bucks center Dan Gadzuric said Monday that Gadzuric intends to resign with the Bucks later this month.


Dan Gadzuric
Center
Milwaukee Bucks
Profile


2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
81 7.3 8.3 0.4 .539 .538

The deal is a six-year pact worth $36 million.

"We are committed to signing with the Bucks when the moratorium [on signing contracts] is lifted," said Bob Myers, Gadzuric's agent with SFX.

Free agents cannot officially sign contracts until July 22, which the league office has scheduled as the first day the NBA's new labor agreement takes effect.

Retaining Gadzuric is the latest move in a Milwaukee spending spree that has resulted in verbal commitments from star swingman Michael Redd and the Los Angeles Clippers' Bobby Simmons, the NBA's reigning Most Improved Player.

Gadzuric averaged 7.3 points, 8.3 rebounds in 22 minutes per game for the Bucks last season.

[SeriousSummer]

Now might be a good time to make an offer to Zaza Pachulia--he'd be at least a somewhat serviceable backup center.

[Lebanese_Fan]

Anderson is not a small forward. Are u kiddin me?!??!?!
Ben wallace is 6' 8". He is a CENTER.

[cripple balls]

Height doesnt make you a center. You must be on crack comparing Ben wallace to Chris Anderson.

[Lebanese_Fan]

I was trying to say the a 6' 10" guy can be a pf.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Cripple Balls, Chris Andersen is not a small forward. He's a 4/5 swingman.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally posted by: cripple balls
Height doesnt make you a center.

Actually, it kinda does. Sure, it's not the only factor, but it certainly helps. Only in extremely rare cases, like T-Mac for example, will someone who's 6'8 or bigger not play 4 or 5. Andersen certainly does not fall into that category. He's a 4/5.

[alby]

magic was a 6' 9" point center =p

[EricaLubarsky]

Steven Hunter was on FSN Arizona the other day saying some puzzling things. 1) He likes the players in phoenix but doesnt like the city. 2) He is looking for a 4-5 year deal because he doesnt want to move AFTER this new contract and 3) He was contacted by 2 of the three teams Phoenix played in the playoffs. I can't imagine San Antonio wanting him. That leaves Memphis and Dallas...

Can't say I understand why Memphis/Dallas would look at him (maybe those words were put in his agent's mouth to build up his worth?), and I can't say I really want him here, but I thought I would mention it for those of you that either dont have or dont watch FSN AZ

[ddh33]

Originally posted by: EricaLubarsky
Steven Hunter was on FSN Arizona the other day saying some puzzling things. 1) He likes the players in phoenix but doesnt like the city. 2) He is looking for a 4-5 year deal because he doesnt want to move AFTER this new contract and 3) He was contacted by 2 of the three teams Phoenix played in the playoffs. I can't imagine San Antonio wanting him. That leaves Memphis and Dallas...

Can't say I understand why Memphis/Dallas would look at him (maybe those words were put in his agent's mouth to build up his worth?), and I can't say I really want him here, but I thought I would mention it for those of you that either dont have or dont watch FSN AZ

Thanks for the headsup, EL. I really don't know what to think about Hunter. He's got talent and a lot of potential. I wonder if he'll ever be able to consistently tap into it though. All in all, I don't know how much he would bring to the team, but I think you can always justify taking a shot on a young big guy with athleticism and potential.

[Lebanese_Fan]

I really like him. He is improving every year (slowly). I think he is a cheap and easy way to get a backup 5 and allow vanhorn to back up dirk.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Benga is Hunter, in a year. Raw players that block shots. No point in signing what you already have.

[alby]

I would love to have Hunter to back up Dirk/Damp, you can never be too deep when you're talking about size.

[Pirate]

For 2-3 million, he'd be a decent signing. I'd offer him 4 years of that, cause there isnt much downside to it.

Phoenix would probably willingly match a small contract like that, however, if he preferred to stay there. (He is unrestricted.).