3 players who aren't fitting in with their new teams
This past summer saw teams throw wads of cash at players in free agency, as the salary cap jumped from $70 million to $94 million. While some players are helping improve areas in which their new clubs were previously lacking, others clearly don't belong.
With a third of the 2016-17 campaign in the books, here are three players who aren't fitting in with their new squads:
Timofey Mozgov, Los Angeles Lakers
Desperate for a serviceable center, the Lakers pounced to sign Mozgov to a four-year deal worth $64 million - which is bogus even with the ballooning cap - making him the first free agent signed this summer. Health concerns aside, the 30-year-old doesn't exactly fit within head coach Luke Walton's system.
Los Angeles likes to play small ball, opting to dole out minutes at the five-spot to youngsters Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr., and Tarik Black over the veteran. Mozgov's PER of 13.2 is the lowest of the bigs, and the team's offensive rating is eight points better with the lumbering Russian off the floor.
Evan Turner, Portland Trail Blazers
It would be an understatement to say Turner has disappointed since signing a four-year, $70-million deal to be Portland's primary backup ball-handler. He hasn't been able to consistently capitalize on the court vision and passing that convinced the Trail Blazers to go after him, nor has he been able to find his rhythm alongside stars Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Turner just doesn't look comfortable.
The 28-year-old swingman has displayed some poor decision-making with the ball and his assist percentage has dipped to 17.8 (down from 27 percent the past two years in Boston) for three dimes a game. He's not shooting well, either, averaging just 9.2 points on 42.3 percent shooting from the field and 29.4 percent from beyond the arc. Altogether, he's one of the worst players in the NBA in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus and makes Portland 20.2 points worse per 100 possessions.
Jeff Green, Orlando Magic
The Magic added several frontcourt players this offseason, with Green's one-year, $15-million deal representing the most curious transaction. The 30-year-old figures to be a rental, so he's basically taking away minutes from young players the team ought to be developing. Head coach Frank Vogel even experimented with starting the veteran at the three-spot for a stretch, but ended up giving Aaron Gordon back the role - and rightfully so.
Orlando added Green in hopes he'd help space the floor with his shooting and shore up the defense. However, he's averaging career lows in just about every statistical category: 9.4 points on 38.8 percent shooting from the field and 29.3 percent from deep, to go along with 3.2 boards and 1.4 dimes. He hasn't been much better defensively, with the second-worst defensive rating on the roster. The Magic have seen a slight, but negative difference at both ends when he's on the court.