Unlike the National Football League, the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement features guaranteed contracts. This is clearly the reason why guys that haven’t produced in years are still riding the pine in a NBA city near you. Whether due to injury, old age, or atrocious play, here are some guys that should be considering leaving the game …for good.

Jerome James
James got his “Austin Croshere” on by averaging 12.5 points and 7 rebounds during the Seattle SuperSonics’ playoff run in 2005. Since big men with upside are always at a premium in the league, he was able to dupe Isiah Thomas into lacing him with a five-year $30 million free agent contract to join the New York Knicks. Over the past four seasons, James has played in only 89 out of a possible 338 regular season games. Let’s dig deeper... in the past three seasons he’s totaled 86 points and 72 rebounds. Totaled. Of course this equates to what Dwight Howard typically produces over a five-game stretch.

Bruce Bowen
What happens when a lockdown defender can no longer shutdown a team’s third option? He becomes a liability to any team that plays him significant minutes. Bowen has frustrated the best of them with his rugged style of defensive intensity, but has lost a step – a step at 38 years old will never return.

Jamaal Magloire
Magloire was an All-Star in 2004. So how do you go from that level of consistency to struggling to fight off Joel Anthony for minutes? It’s been all downhill since 2005 for the former University of Kentucky star, not averaging more than three points or four rebounds in any season. Those are journeymen-type stats. Definitely not what you expect from a 31-year-old former All-Star.

Morris Peterson
The New Orleans Hornets’ biggest weakness is at the shooting guard spot. So the fact that Mo Pete only received 12 minutes of burn is a clear indication of where his game is at. His spiral has been rapid. Remember, back in 2006 when Mo Pete was dropping 17 per game for the Toronto Raptors? Either way you analyze it, Mo Pete appears finished as an effective rotation guy. His field goal percentage dropped from 43 percent in 2007 to 40 percent this past season. Points per game have dropped from 17 in 2006 to 4.4 in 2009. Don’t expect a comeback player of the year award in Mo Pete’s future.

Jerry Stackhouse
Nothing but respect for Stack’s career – over 15,000 points scored, 3,000 assists, and 900 3-Pointers made. That’s the reason I don’t want to see a former 29.8 point per game scorer reduced to the 4.2 output this past year – though Stack participated in only 10 games due to injury. I don’t like witnessing All-Stars reduced to end of bench fodder; memories of Moses Malone’s last few years spring to mind.

Juwan Howard
The last time I saw an elite level Juwan Howard was back in 2004 with the Orlando Magic. He was playing more than 30 minutes per game and scoring 17 to go along with 7 rebounds. Yes, three serviceable years in Houston followed, but now waiting to snatch off the ole warm-ups on the Charlotte Bobcats' bench shouldn’t be the way it ends for the last active member of the Fab Five.

Hit me on Twitter and Hoops Vine.

Comments (1)

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment