Insider: Peering into the pool of free agents by Geoffrey C. Arnold, The Oregonian Monday July 13, 2009, 8:56 PM A wave of free agent contracts has been signed since July 8 and a number of trades have been completed. These transactions have strengthened many of the league's top teams and left a dwindling number of highly talented players for others to pursue. Here's a look at the winners and losers so far this summer. WINNERS Cleveland: The question is how motivated Shaquille O'Neal will be when he begins his 18th season. He has said all the right things, but he usually does when he joins a new team. O'Neal, 37, is capable of solid production -- he was selected to his 15th All-Star team last season -- to take some pressure off LeBron James. The potential problem is O'Neal hasn't always been interested in sharing the spotlight with another star -- remember Anfernee Hardaway, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade? The Cavaliers also re-signed forward Anderson Varejao. San Antonio: The trade for Richard Jefferson will help the Spurs remain a championship contender. Jefferson, who averaged 19.6 points last season for Milwaukee, brings the Spurs much-needed athleticism and serves as insurance if Manu Ginobili's ankle hasn't fully healed. Free agent newcomer Antonio McDyess fills the hole created by the departure of Kurt Thomas, who was traded to Milwaukee. McDyess averaged 9.6 points and 9.8 rebounds in his 14th NBA season and he will be a solid complement to Tim Duncan. Boston: Lost in Rasheed Wallace's technical fouls and on-court antics is his versatility. The 6-foot-11 Wallace, a free agent signee, is one of the league's few big men that can post-up and shoot effectively from the three-point line. And he can defend at any front line position. The Celtics, with an eye on Orlando and the Lakers, needed to get longer on the front line. As for Wallace's inevitable eruptions (a league-leading 19 technical fouls last season), the Celtics have strong personalities in coach Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to keep Wallace in check. Orlando: The jury is out on how much of an upgrade Vince Carter represents compared with Hedo Turkoglu, but the Magic had to replace Turkoglu. Carter, acquired in a trade with New Jersey, isn't the "Vin-sanity" player he was -- high-flying penetration to the basket -- and he spends more time on the perimeter. However, he is a solid scorer (career average of 23.5 points) and will see more open looks as opposing teams focus on Dwight Howard. Brandon Bass, a free agent acquisition, should produce a slew of double doubles as teams try to neutralize Howard. Dallas: Trading to acquire Shawn Marion is a big plus. Marion will likely play at small forward, helping with rebounding and defense. Marion's arrival will allow Josh Howard to move to shooting guard, where he'll present matchup problems for opponents. And the Mavericks re-signed Jason Kidd, who, along with his on-court leadership and steadiness, will make Marion look good on fast breaks with his passing ability. LOSERS L.A. Lakers: Ron Artest, a potential head case, is not as good a fit as the departed Trevor Ariza. Artest, who defected from Houston as a free agent, is a strong defender and capable of scoring, but he's going to cause some problems in the locker room after realizing he's the third or fourth option on offense. The Lakers' possess the personalities --Bryant, Phil Jackson, Derek Fisher -- to prevent Artest from constantly erupting, but he is a major gamble. Portland: The pursuit of Turkoglu didn't work out and the chase wasted precious time that prevented the Blazers from signing other top free agents. The Blazers signed forward Paul Millsap to an offer sheet Friday and Utah has seven days to match. If the Jazz decline to match, the addition of Millsap does help at the power forward position and gives the Blazers some toughness, but he's not a difference-maker. And if the Jazz do match, the Blazers are right back where they started. Nowhere. Detroit: The Pistons produced one of the earliest splashes of the free agent period by signing Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Gordon had a sensational playoff series against Boston (24.3 points), but he displays a willingness to shoot from anywhere at any time and isn't particularly interested in defense. Villanueva had a good season (16.2 points, 6.7 rebounds), but is he capable of duplicating those numbers as a full-season starter? Miami: Wade and Pat Riley have clashed regarding Wade re-signing with the Heat. Wade wants to see what Riley is doing to improve the team before agreeing to a new deal. Riley said the improvements would only occur after Wade signs a new deal. So far, the Heat haven't done anything to improve as Wade has watched other teams -- particularly Orlando -- upgrade. There's talk of Miami working a trade with Utah to acquire Carlos Boozer, but that's speculation at this point. The Heat is in discussion with Allen Iverson, but that might cause more harm than good. http://www.oregonlive.com/nba/index.ssf/2009/07/ insider_peering_into_the_pool.html 最近在oregon被鞭的文章真多~~ --

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