Vital Info
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 210 lbs.
Position: Guard-Forward
Born: 6/20/1983
College: Stanford
Drafted: 2004 - 1st Round, 6th Overall
Player Type: Lanky, versatile 2-way guard-forward
Strengths: Childress is an insanely efficient offensive player -- his offensive ratings over his 4-year NBA career have been: 113.0 in '05, 121.3 in '06, 118.8 in '07, and 126.5 in '08. These numbers are driven by Childress' monster shooting percentages; in 2008 he shot 57.1% from the floor and had a 64.7 TS%, and his career TS% is 59.9%. Basically, Childress is a fantastic finisher inside, a very good offensive rebounder for a wing, he's adept at drawing fouls and making FTs, and he has a talent for getting easy buckets in transition. You can say that his great percentages are the result of taking nothing but easy shots, but he's constantly getting himself into position to take (and make) those easy baskets. Defensively, Childress has long arms and can be disruptive on the wing.
Weaknesses: The flip-side to Childress' great efficiency is that he can't really create shots with any regularity. His handle and floor game aren't very good, his jumper is weak with bad form, and he rarely takes shots from outside the paint, so he's a limited offensive player in that regard. He's also rail-thin and can't defend stronger players, especially inside. Because of these drawbacks, Childress will never be more than a highly-efficient NBA role player.
Favorite shot: Anything inside.
Edit: Childress eventually signed a surprising contract with Olympiakos of the Greek league, spurning the Hawks and the NBA in the process. What does this mean for American basketball? Well, it certainly shows that foreign leagues are willing to shell out major cash to compete with the NBA... but we're not looking at a WHA situation just yet. Restricted free agents like Childress can try to leverage foreign offers into better NBA deals, but I would imagine few U.S.-born players would actually be willing to pull the trigger on a similar move overseas. Childress may be an early pioneer here, but I'm willing to bet he's the exception, not the rule -- the money difference just isn't big enough to convince the typical NBAer to leave the premier league in the world for a little extra cash. Until a foreign club actually offers Kobe or LeBron $50 million/year (and they actually accept), I'm not convinced the exodus is going to involve anyone other than marginal players who would have been lucky to find a roster spot in the United States.
Josh Smith
Vital Info
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Position: Forward
Born: 12/5/1985
College: n/a
Drafted: 2004 - 1st Round, 17th Overall
Player Type: High-flying dunk machine who also shines on D
Strengths: Smith is one of the NBA's finest athletes, and this allows him to be a major factor on defense and in transition. Smith has always been an amazing shot-blocker, but in '07-08 he also ramped up his defense in the team concept, which made him one of the league's top overall defensive players. He's a good defensive rebounder as well, and has the quickness to pick up his share of steals. Smith's superior quickness is also one of his primary offensive assets, as he likes to use speed and athleticism to beat his man to the basket in transition or to finish inside on drives. He isn't a bad passer, either.
Weaknesses: The rest of Smith's offensive game is still lacking. He doesn't shoot jumpers effectively at all, and he doesn't handle the ball especially well, either. His jump shot is so poor, in fact, that he only bettered a 35.5 FG% from two areas: straight-on 3-pointers (of which he took just 16) and the immediate basket area. While Smith can create shots with sheer athleticism, they aren't always the highest-percentage looks, and he can be played off of and forced into taking long Js. Smith is also a mediocre offensive rebounder for a man with his athleticism.
Favorite shot: Jaw-dropping jam in transition.
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Position: Forward
Born: 12/5/1985
College: n/a
Drafted: 2004 - 1st Round, 17th Overall
Player Type: High-flying dunk machine who also shines on D
Strengths: Smith is one of the NBA's finest athletes, and this allows him to be a major factor on defense and in transition. Smith has always been an amazing shot-blocker, but in '07-08 he also ramped up his defense in the team concept, which made him one of the league's top overall defensive players. He's a good defensive rebounder as well, and has the quickness to pick up his share of steals. Smith's superior quickness is also one of his primary offensive assets, as he likes to use speed and athleticism to beat his man to the basket in transition or to finish inside on drives. He isn't a bad passer, either.
Weaknesses: The rest of Smith's offensive game is still lacking. He doesn't shoot jumpers effectively at all, and he doesn't handle the ball especially well, either. His jump shot is so poor, in fact, that he only bettered a 35.5 FG% from two areas: straight-on 3-pointers (of which he took just 16) and the immediate basket area. While Smith can create shots with sheer athleticism, they aren't always the highest-percentage looks, and he can be played off of and forced into taking long Js. Smith is also a mediocre offensive rebounder for a man with his athleticism.
Favorite shot: Jaw-dropping jam in transition.
Joe Johnson
Vital Info
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Position: Shooting Guard
Born: 6/29/1981
College: Arkansas
Drafted: 2001 - 1st Round, 10th Overall
Player Type: Durable 2-way guard who can create off the bounce
Strengths: Johnson emerged on the national stage during the playoffs, when he took over late in Game 4 of the Hawks' surprising series with Boston, showcasing the game he's been honing for the past 3 years in Atlanta. Johnson's best trait is his versatility -- he commands some of the finer skills of a point guard, including good court vision and ballhandling, but he's also 6-8 with solid strength and athleticism, to go along with a nice shooting stroke. He can knock down threes and midrange jumpers in both catch-and-shoot situations and off the dribble, and can shoot over smaller guards in the post. Defensively, Johnson is very good because he can match up with a variety of player types on the perimeter, although the Hawks don't ask him to man up on the opponent's best scorer very often.
Weaknesses: Johnson is a legitimate superstar who does a number of things well, but he's not without his flaws. He has a slow first step, so he doesn't penetrate (and, consequently, get to the line) as much as some other comparable scorers. Because of this, more of his 2-pointers were jumpers than ever, he shot just 45% on twos, and his shooting efficiency wasn't as high as it had been in recent years. Also, Johnson doesn't chip in a lot in non-scoring areas like rebounding, steals, or shot-blocking.
Favorite shot: Pull-up jumper off the screen-and-roll.
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Position: Shooting Guard
Born: 6/29/1981
College: Arkansas
Drafted: 2001 - 1st Round, 10th Overall
Player Type: Durable 2-way guard who can create off the bounce
Strengths: Johnson emerged on the national stage during the playoffs, when he took over late in Game 4 of the Hawks' surprising series with Boston, showcasing the game he's been honing for the past 3 years in Atlanta. Johnson's best trait is his versatility -- he commands some of the finer skills of a point guard, including good court vision and ballhandling, but he's also 6-8 with solid strength and athleticism, to go along with a nice shooting stroke. He can knock down threes and midrange jumpers in both catch-and-shoot situations and off the dribble, and can shoot over smaller guards in the post. Defensively, Johnson is very good because he can match up with a variety of player types on the perimeter, although the Hawks don't ask him to man up on the opponent's best scorer very often.
Weaknesses: Johnson is a legitimate superstar who does a number of things well, but he's not without his flaws. He has a slow first step, so he doesn't penetrate (and, consequently, get to the line) as much as some other comparable scorers. Because of this, more of his 2-pointers were jumpers than ever, he shot just 45% on twos, and his shooting efficiency wasn't as high as it had been in recent years. Also, Johnson doesn't chip in a lot in non-scoring areas like rebounding, steals, or shot-blocking.
Favorite shot: Pull-up jumper off the screen-and-roll.
Quick Hits: Charlotte Bobcats
- Derek Anderson has quietly stuck around well into his thirties after starting his career as a first-ish option on the Cavs, Clippers, and Spurs. After a decent season with Charlotte in 2007, he was plagued by injuries again in 2008 and saw a lot of DNPs upon returning from the IL. When healthy, he's still a decent veteran who can swing between SG and PG, but his shooting evaporated last year and he's really starting to show his age.
- A second-round pick in 2007, Jermareo Davidson shot (and missed) too many jumpers for a 6-10 PF, and he got lit up defensively. He plays with energy -- he can block shots and rebound a little -- but he's too thin for the post at either end and his shot needs work. Some NBDL action would help.
- Longtime vet Othella Harrington spent the early part of the season rehabbing after offseason knee surgery, and for the second straight year he never really cracked Charlotte's rotation. When he did get some game action, his shot deserted him, and it looks like he's probably headed for retirement.
Adam Morrison
Vital Info
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 205 lbs.
Position: Forward
Born: 7/19/1984
College: Gonzaga
Drafted: 2006 - 1st round, 3rd overall
Player Type: One-dimensional scorer
Strengths: As a rookie in 2007, Morrison showed he could create plenty of shots -- they weren't good shots, mind you, but shots nonetheless. He is a good shooter (not a great one, certainly not worthy of the Larry Bird/Dirk Nowitzki comparisons that were thrown at him in college), and will almost certainly improve on those horrid rookie shooting numbers with better shot selection. He is a solid ballhandler and passer, and he takes decent care of the ball. The overall package isn't as bad as the results were in his first NBA season.
Weaknesses: Morrison simply isn't an NBA-caliber athlete, and that really hampers his ability to make use of some of his basketball skills. He can shoot, but he can't really create high-percentage looks. He can handle the rock, but he doesn't have the burst or quickness to beat anybody off the dribble. He has decent size, but he can't rebound or block shots. He's generally an intelligent player, but he can't guard a soul. In other words, he's not suited to be an alpha dog at this level, and Charlotte would be advised to stop using him in that manner and just let him be a 2nd or 3rd option. And then there's the matter of the knee injury which cost him all of 2007-08... Since he wasn't reliant on speed or quickness beforehand, it probably won't hurt his game as much as it would other players, but it was just another setback for a guy who really couldn't afford one.
Favorite shot: Low-percentage fadeaway with a defender all over him.
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 205 lbs.
Position: Forward
Born: 7/19/1984
College: Gonzaga
Drafted: 2006 - 1st round, 3rd overall
Player Type: One-dimensional scorer
Strengths: As a rookie in 2007, Morrison showed he could create plenty of shots -- they weren't good shots, mind you, but shots nonetheless. He is a good shooter (not a great one, certainly not worthy of the Larry Bird/Dirk Nowitzki comparisons that were thrown at him in college), and will almost certainly improve on those horrid rookie shooting numbers with better shot selection. He is a solid ballhandler and passer, and he takes decent care of the ball. The overall package isn't as bad as the results were in his first NBA season.
Weaknesses: Morrison simply isn't an NBA-caliber athlete, and that really hampers his ability to make use of some of his basketball skills. He can shoot, but he can't really create high-percentage looks. He can handle the rock, but he doesn't have the burst or quickness to beat anybody off the dribble. He has decent size, but he can't rebound or block shots. He's generally an intelligent player, but he can't guard a soul. In other words, he's not suited to be an alpha dog at this level, and Charlotte would be advised to stop using him in that manner and just let him be a 2nd or 3rd option. And then there's the matter of the knee injury which cost him all of 2007-08... Since he wasn't reliant on speed or quickness beforehand, it probably won't hurt his game as much as it would other players, but it was just another setback for a guy who really couldn't afford one.
Favorite shot: Low-percentage fadeaway with a defender all over him.
Jeff McInnis
Vital Info
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Position: Point Guard
Born: 10/22/1974
College: North Carolina
Drafted: 1996 - 2nd round, 37th overall
Player Type: Sub-NBA caliber guard
Strengths: McInnis has nice size for a point guard, passes reasonably well, and is (theoretically) a capable ball-handler. Because of his height, he can dribble down court and shoot midrange jumpers (of which he hit 41.6% in '08, better than average) over smaller PGs.
Weaknesses: A graduate of Jail Blazer Academy, McInnis has a rep as a clubhouse cancer, and his poor attitude has cost him jobs with multiple NBA teams. He has no 3-point range and can't really shoot anything but 15-footers, which isn't the greatest recipe for efficiency (those shots are still worth only 2 points, of course, despite the increased difficulty). McInnis used to be able to create shots for himself and teammates without turning the ball over, but those days are long gone -- he struggled to get his shot off in 2008 and, worse yet, he became one of the biggest turnover machines in the league. He adds nothing on the glass at this point, doesn't steal or block shots, and is a poor defender. All told, McInnis was one of the least valuable players in the entire NBA last season, and he'll be lucky to catch on with any team this summer.
Favorite shot: Midrange jump shot.
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Position: Point Guard
Born: 10/22/1974
College: North Carolina
Drafted: 1996 - 2nd round, 37th overall
Player Type: Sub-NBA caliber guard
Strengths: McInnis has nice size for a point guard, passes reasonably well, and is (theoretically) a capable ball-handler. Because of his height, he can dribble down court and shoot midrange jumpers (of which he hit 41.6% in '08, better than average) over smaller PGs.
Weaknesses: A graduate of Jail Blazer Academy, McInnis has a rep as a clubhouse cancer, and his poor attitude has cost him jobs with multiple NBA teams. He has no 3-point range and can't really shoot anything but 15-footers, which isn't the greatest recipe for efficiency (those shots are still worth only 2 points, of course, despite the increased difficulty). McInnis used to be able to create shots for himself and teammates without turning the ball over, but those days are long gone -- he struggled to get his shot off in 2008 and, worse yet, he became one of the biggest turnover machines in the league. He adds nothing on the glass at this point, doesn't steal or block shots, and is a poor defender. All told, McInnis was one of the least valuable players in the entire NBA last season, and he'll be lucky to catch on with any team this summer.
Favorite shot: Midrange jump shot.
Earl Boykins
Vital Info
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 135 lbs.
Position: Point Guard
Born: 6/2/1976
College: Eastern Michigan
Drafted: Not drafted
Player Type: Pint-sized playmaker
Strengths: Because of his superior quickness and ballhandling ability, Boykins can make it very difficult for defenders to stay in front of him on dribble drives, and he has great finishing instincts when he gets around the basket. Even with all the tall trees around him down low, Boykins still shoots a good percentage by hoisting it over them. Boykins also excels at drawing fouls when he drives, and he's a good free throw shooter. But he's not just a shoot-first point guard -- Boykins is also a very good passer.
Weaknesses: Boykins is, and always has been, a major defensive liability because of his height. It goes without saying that he can be posted up at any time, and he's not good enough at ball pressure to make up the difference. He's also literally a non-factor on the glass, grabbing just 34 rebounds all of last year. On offense, Boykins' midrange game -- formerly one of his biggest strengths -- went south in '08, as he hit just 36.7% on 2-pointers. And as is the case with most small guards as they enter their 30s, his quickness is slipping fast; Boykins' rate of steals and, more importantly, his ability to create shots declined pretty seriously in his half-season stint with Charlotte. He turns 32 this summer, so this could be the beginning of the end for Boykins, one of the best ultra-small players in NBA history.
Favorite shot: Medium-range jumper.
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 135 lbs.
Position: Point Guard
Born: 6/2/1976
College: Eastern Michigan
Drafted: Not drafted
Player Type: Pint-sized playmaker
Strengths: Because of his superior quickness and ballhandling ability, Boykins can make it very difficult for defenders to stay in front of him on dribble drives, and he has great finishing instincts when he gets around the basket. Even with all the tall trees around him down low, Boykins still shoots a good percentage by hoisting it over them. Boykins also excels at drawing fouls when he drives, and he's a good free throw shooter. But he's not just a shoot-first point guard -- Boykins is also a very good passer.
Weaknesses: Boykins is, and always has been, a major defensive liability because of his height. It goes without saying that he can be posted up at any time, and he's not good enough at ball pressure to make up the difference. He's also literally a non-factor on the glass, grabbing just 34 rebounds all of last year. On offense, Boykins' midrange game -- formerly one of his biggest strengths -- went south in '08, as he hit just 36.7% on 2-pointers. And as is the case with most small guards as they enter their 30s, his quickness is slipping fast; Boykins' rate of steals and, more importantly, his ability to create shots declined pretty seriously in his half-season stint with Charlotte. He turns 32 this summer, so this could be the beginning of the end for Boykins, one of the best ultra-small players in NBA history.
Favorite shot: Medium-range jumper.
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