Oscar Torres-Top 5 Sleepers

just in case you all wanted to read the rest of the article:



With the trade talk looking more and more dead, this year's draft looking thin, the free-agent pool dangerously shallow and uncertainty among clubs about next year's salary cap and the impending luxury tax, teams already have scouts going out looking for possible free-agent bargains for the summer.

"I think you'll see fewer and fewer players getting 'max' type contracts," one NBA general manager said. "Obviously guys like Tim Duncan or Jason Kidd can command any salary, but I think teams are getting less and less willing to commit that much money based on potential. It's becoming more and more important to find the diamond in the roughs and sign them early."

As cap flexibility becomes as important as getting big-time talent locked into long-term contracts, teams are taking a more moderate and cautious approach. Last fall, only seven of the 29 players picked in the first round of the 1998 draft got contract extensions. Of those seven, only four were for max money. This summer, only five of the 29 players picked in the first round of the 1999 draft seem like locks for max-type extensions -- Elton Brand, Steve Francis, Baron Davis, Andre Miller and Shawn Marion. Players like Wally Szczerbiak, Lamar Odom, Richard Hamilton, Ron Artest and Jason Terry might be offered extensions, but at something less than the max.

With only one free agent, Rashard Lewis, expected to command max-type money, other players will be forced to pick over the scraps.

There's been a trend toward teams focusing their free-agency efforts on unknowns the last few years. Last summer, unknowns like Todd MacCulloch, Eddie Robinson, Nazr Mohammed and Calvin Booth cashed in with long-term, moderately priced deals. The summer before, Cuttino Mobley, Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins made similar deals after playing in the league just a few years.

The deals are win-win for both sides. Players, many of whom were drafted in the second round, get security and teams aren't exposed to the same risks as signing a young player to a max-type contract.

With that said, we talked with several general managers and advance scouts to get an early peek at a few diamonds in the rough that could command a major pay raise this summer.

1. Michael Redd, 6-6, 220, G, Bucks -- With the Bucks struggling through injuries, Redd has been a revelation this season. He's strong, athletic, quick to the basket and has shown a beautiful stroke from behind the arc. Said one scout, "He has the complete package, it just took him a couple of years to develop it. Had he stayed another year in school, he would have been a high first-round pick. His shooting range is excellent, he can put the ball on the floor, and he plays with a tremendous energy. He's already more polished than Eddie Robinson or many of the kids from the 1999 draft looking for an extension this summer." Don't be surprised to see his hometown Cavs battle the Bucks for him in August.

2. Devean George, 6-8, 220, F, Lakers -- The Lakers screwed up things big time when they opted against picking up their fourth-year option on George. This summer, they will lose his Bird rights and George will become an unrestricted free agent. Given the Lakers' cap situation, they have almost no chance to re-sign him. His numbers are deceptive. "He's a tenacious defender, has an NBA body and can really light it up on the offensive end," a scout said. "He still struggles to give a consistent effort night in and night out, but in December [Phil] Jackson started opting for George over Rick Fox in the fourth quarter. That tells you something." Expect the Heat to make a major push for George.

3. Lee Nailon, 6-9, 238, F, Hornets -- For a guy who barely, and we mean barely, made the Hornets this year, he has come out of nowhere to keep the Hornets in contention while Jamal Mashburn has sat out much of the year nursing a strained abdomen. In 36 starts, Nailon has averaged 14.4 ppg on 49 percent shooting and 4.9 rebounds a game. "He's a pure scorer who can play three different positions on the floor," one scout remarked. "He doesn't have the upside of Redd or George, but he's capable of being a starter in the league." Don't expect the Hornets to lure Nailon back this summer. Nailon's agent, Larry Fox, engaged in a pretty nasty battle with the Hornets over Nailon's contract earlier this season and will probably look for greener pastures this summer.

4. Eduardo Najera, 6-8, 234, F, Mavericks -- We're sure Mark Cuban will figure out a way to keep the incredibly popular Najera on his roster next year. But he does deserve mention. Wise beyond his years, Najera can step up in almost any situation and rally the troops. He does a little bit of everything. He can score inside and outside, is a tough rebounder, and will play tough defense when the Mavs need it. Most importantly, he's a team player who never seems to complain about his role.

5. Oscar Torres, 6-6, 210, G, Rockets -- The real sleeper of the group. Few had heard of Torres before he managed to make the Rockets' roster this year. While he doesn't get a lot of playing time because Francis and Cuttino Mobley take most of the minutes in the backcourt, when he does play, he has a raw athleticism and scoring acumen that has scouts drooling. "Great athleticism, could be a big-time scorer in this league. Can be a deep threat. He's fundamentally sound and with a few more years of seasoning, he could be something special."

 

We can afford to keep him. We just cannot go around busting our butt to find diamonds and then let them go. We find them and keep them. I am tired of saying we are not a farm system of the other teams.

The key is for us to increase our production per minute from each player. Instead of Francis, for instance, playing 10 minutes including 2 minutes he take off, lets play him for 8 and get 2 great minutes from someone else. Put in the wider context, I would limit the starters to 30 minutes and require more out of them per minute. By requiring more, I would want to press on defense, and uptempo the game. The energy expended in 30 minutes, will equal that currently expended in 42 minutes. This would allow the team to play more guys and give them meaningful minutes.

Kinda like what NJ is doing. Long rotation and high energy basketball. The last time I checked we were supposed to have some greyhounds on our team, including OT.