Greg Stiemsma

[...] In comparison, 36 such players have signed within those parameters in 2013. And in contrast to 2008, those names are often established quality role players who aren't quite stars and who rightly aren't being paid like it. At the top end, players like Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon, Brandon Jennings, Jarrett Jack, Jeff Teague and Carl Landry are all getting acceptable prices, perhaps $2 million annually less than they would have done five years ago. At the bottom end, established role players like Marreese Speights, Tony Allen and Chris Kaman are getting paid adequately for their useful role player production. And unlike in 2008, those deals like Kaman's are not too long. See also Greg Stiemsma, Tyler Hansbrough, Mike Dunleavy Jr, Dorell Wright and Randy Foye, none more than three years in length, some as short as one.

[...] Contrastly, Stiemsma is pretty offensively devoid (save for an excellent free throw stroke), and is a fairly average rebounder, but he's also a big old boy with fantastic shot blocking rates. Given that their centre rotation currently reads Anderson Varejao and Ryan Hollins (unless J.J. Hickson plays significant time there), the Cavaliers could probably use both

Of the aforementioned 29 players signed so far, all but Wesley Johnson, DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, Gordon Hayward, Avery Bradley, Craig Brackins, Quincy Pondexter and Lazar Hayward have performance incentives in their contracts. This means that the top three picks all have them, as do most of the ones below them. So when I say it is standard practice to have performance incentives in rookie scale contracts, I am not just yanking your crank. It really is.

Greg Stiemsma

Stiemsma was picked up by the Timberwolves down the stretch of last season, and, as is often the custom for late season signings, was signed through following season as well. He is a great shotblocker who didn't do much in college, but who broke out last year to average 3.7 blocks in only 28 minutes per game in the D-League. Even though the Timberwolves just traded Al Jefferson, there might not be a lot of room for Stiemsma on next year's roster; the spot he might otherwise have taken is filled by Ryan Hollins and his unnecessary contract. However, since this is the Timberwolves we're talking about, they may have 20 to 30 more moves left in the gun yet, so no forecast can be entirely accurate.

Either way, he has more chance than Cedric Simmons does.

Isabela Cocks started the season with a double team of Pruitt and Green. (Filthy girl.) Green was playing well early, but injured his knee after four games, and missed a couple of games. He returned, but his performance tailed off, and he was released three games later, replaced by Alando Tucker. Tucker was fresh out of the NBA after being waived by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and after a pretty terrible debut (16 points on 21 shots), he started to play well for the team. However, his performance also began to tail off, totalling only 15 points and 2 rebounds in his final two games with the team, and he was released at the All-Star break after only 6 games. (He was indirectly replaced by his former Wisconsin team mate Greg Stiemsma. The two are pictured above with some lucky girl who needs new jeans.)