April 7, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Nick Young (11) enters the court for the game against the Sacramento Kings at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Nick Young, Philadelphia 76ers — one-year, $6 million

Other than Charlotte, Philadelphia relied the most on the highly inefficient middle ground between the rim and 3-point line. They attempted 24.5 shots from 16-23 feet per game which equated to 29.4% of their total attempts. Their uneven distributions of shots — it should be noted that the Sixers were the eighth most proficient 3-point shooting team yet 3-poiters only made up a measly 17.5% of their shots — led to an below-average offense predicated on bad shots.

Adding Young to the fold will not improve their shot selection — in all actuality, Young will probably jack up more bad shots. If you think Philadelphia relied too much on their mid-range game, Young took 41.7% of his shots from 10-23 feet. Young is an athletic 2-guard with length and can create against the majority of his defenders. Yet he exhibits a maddening tendency to settle for shots instead of taking the best available shot.

He’s also an abominable rebounder given his size. Among guards that logged at least 700 minutes last season, Young’s 4.4 total rebounding percentage was bested by all but 12 players. That rebounding proficiency tied D.J. Augustin, who measured at a measly 6’0″. His rebounding problems doesn’t stem from his inability rather from his unwillingness to rebound.

This move won’t hamper Philadelphia’s future plans. That’s the nature of a one-year deal. But I can’t say $6 million is worth it for Young, who’ll be asked to appropriate Lou Williams’ role as a scorer. He can do that just fine. Asking anything more from Young is just too much to ask for and that’s not a good thing.

June 3, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics shooting guard Ray Allen (20) and Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) battle for a loose ball during the second half in game four of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2012 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

Ray Allen, Miami Heat — three-years, ~$9 million (mini midlevel exception)

Allen’s 3-point shooting will provide Miami’s eighth-ranked offense with another valuable weapon to defend — in addition to the unstoppable force that is LeBron James. Allen’s shooting, remarkably, hasn’t deteriorated with age; it’s actually improved. His 45.3% mark from behind the arc bested his previous career-high which was set during the 2010-11 season.

But you didn’t need to read that statistic to realize how good of a shooter Allen is. He’s been shooting well for as long as we can remember and will continue to do so until the day he retires. That is as close as a certainty in basketball as you will get. Ray Allen will shoot a lot and Ray Allen will score.

What makes his addition especially promising is his ability to shoot off screens away from the ball. Miami barely utilized this tactic to free up shooters, opting to put the ball in LeBron’s hands (certainly a smart decision). The threat of Allen running around screens is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. He demands attention at all times; attention that the defense can’t afford to give when there are more pertinent options.

Allen used up more than a third of his possessions off screens away from the ball, scoring 1.05 points per possession. As you would expect, he’s also successful in spot-up situations. When you combined his possessions off screens and spot-ups, representing 55.3% of his usage, he scored at a highly efficient 1.11 PPP.

Adding a guy that can net you more than one point per possession, and one who doesn’t need the ball, is a nice addition to any offense. (Not that Miami needed any extra help anyway.)

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Other free agency tidbits

– The Rockets are now open to a sign-and-trade for Marcus Camby. Could the Spurs put together an appealing package for Camby?

– The Nets are the frontrunners for Derek Fisher.

– Kobe Bryant on Dwight Howard: “I want what’s best for him. I want him to do what he feels is best for him, what’s going to make him happy.”

– After missing out on Steve Nash, Deron Williams and presumably Dwight Howard, Dallas has set their sights on Ramon Sessions and Elton Brand.

First round

1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. 9 San Antonio Spurs.

Now this is a game that Spurs fans would desperately want. And I certainly concur. As of right now, the Spurs are the better team — we have more lineup flexibility, more depth and Gregg Popovich. In a one-game elimination game on the road, I’m going to pick the Lakers. Their frontcourt is dynamic and the addition of point guard Ramon Sessions make this an exceedingly tough matchup for the Spurs. They still don’t have anyone that can answer Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, however. Just let it be known that if the Spurs were at home and if the series was longer than a game, I’d pick the Spurs without hesitating. It’s a good thing that the NBA Playoff system is vastly different. Lakers win (sigh), 96-93. I’m not a big fan of myself right now.

4 Dallas Mavericks vs. 5 Chicago Bulls.

I’ll try and keep this relatively short. The Bulls are my pick. They do everything well and their ball movement and floor spacing closely resemble the Spurs during 1999-07. I admire Derrick Rose and his humble nature and coach Tom Thibodeau’s defensive philosophy of funneling everything towards the baseline is remarkably unstoppable. Joakim Noah brings a lot of energy and he’s a great interior passer. They might not have the elite talent that OKC and Miami possess, but I think their club is more complete even without Richard Hamilton. Bulls win, 98-88.

2 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 10 Miami Heat.

Now this is a fun game, isn’t it? A potential Finals preview in the first round! Told you this tournament wasn’t going to be logical. At a neutral site, I’d probably side with Miami because of their athleticism, elite talent and defensive acumen. The Chalmers-Wade-LeBron-Bosh-Anthony starting lineup has been absolutely deadly. In 438 minutes of action, the Heat starting lineup has allowed 97.1 points per 100 possessions on 41.6 percent shooting. Overall, they have outscored their opponents by an average of 14.1 points per 100 possessions. Incredible. When the fourth quarter arrives, Spoelstra has a nice luxury of plugging this lineup in and letting them work. The reason this lineup is so successful is because of their high octane pace which leads to a multitude of turnovers and a general sense of disarray for the offense. This lineup is more than capable of scoring points and is one of the rare lineups that can switch on pick-and-rolls effectively.

That being said, OKC is one of the teams that can counter with a lineup that is just as effective. Westbrook-Sefolosha-Durant-Ibaka-Perkins has outscored their opposition by nine points per 100 possessions. Westbrook’s ostentatious game, Durant’s ethereal offensive ability and Ibaka’s ubiquitous shot blocking ability will be tough to stop. Give them home court advantage and I like OKC — barely. OKC wins, 99-97.

3 Philadelphia 76ers vs. 6 Los Angeles Clippers.

Gosh, what the hell happened to Lob City? Vinny Del Negro has completely lost his team. They still have an elite offense and Chris Paul at point guard. Not many teams can say the same thing. They’ve lost 12 out of their last 19 games and don’t look like the exuberant, flowing offensive team. I would like to see them increase their pace more often given their efficiency because it could go a long way towards ending their tailspin. Of course, more possessions means their mediocre defense has to spend more time on the court. I like the addition of Nick Young to the team and, if Del Negro is replaced, this team is still good enough to contend.

I don’t see their plans coming to fruition this year. They aren’t constructed in an optimal fashion and their penchant for getting into foul trouble is troublesome. Maybe next year. I like Philly at home. They are technically sound, prevent turnovers and offensive rebounds and their offense is deceptively efficient. Philly wins, 96-90.