Catching up with some ex-Bucks

How are some of the Bucks castoffs from seasons past faring in the Association? Some are doing well (TJ Ford, Zaza Pachulia), while others are struggling mightily (Jamaal Magliore, Desmond Mason). Here's a rundown:

1.
TJ Ford (PG, Toronto Raptors) (Eff48: 24.48)

TJ is having his best season to date. His jump shooting is actually worse than last year (40.4% to 41.7%), but he has improved his overall eFG (46.3% to 44.0%) by finishing much better around the hoop (56.0% to 47.7%). He has also improved his ballhandler rating (23.9 to 19.2) and his passer rating (12.8 to 9.3).

2.
Zaza Pachulia (C, Atlanta Hawks) (Eff48: 24.35)

He has turned into a servicable NBA center. He's still soft as a marshmallow, but he has slightly better productivity numbers than Andrew Bogut, although his internal numbers (eFG, Rebounder rating) are either the same or below Bogut's.

3.
Mike James (PG, Minnesota Twolves) (Eff48: 18.98)

He's having his least productive season in the last couple. He's still shooting the ball well, but he's not much of a point guard. His Ballhandler rating (14.7) and Passer rating (6.7) are far below par for a starting point guard in the Association. He looks like a 2 masquerading as a 1.

4.
Tim Thomas (SF, LA Clippers) (Eff48: 17.55)

This guy is either a genius or the world's biggest tease. T squared once again parlayed a productive playoff run into a substantial contract, and once again, after the ink was signed, his productivity dropped. Don't people ever look at a player's entire body of work before they make their offers? If so, they could have easily predicted what they were going to get from Thomas. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...

5.
Jamaal Magliore (C, Portland Blazers) (Eff48: 17.88)

He's really struggling. His numbers last year seemed subpar, this year they're down even lower. The Blazers must have simply regard him as an expiring contract. That's about all he is.

6.
Joel Pryzbilla (C, Portland Blazers) (Eff48: 18.26)

I thought Pryzbilla was poised to become a fairly productive big man. So far this season, he's not been that. Perhaps its injuries holding him back, or maybe he simply peaked in the last few years and is now on the down slide.

7.
Desmond Mason (SF, NOK Hornets) (Eff48: 12.46)

He's really lost his game. How does he get 34 minutes of playing time each night? He has no jump shot (eFG on jumpers: 27.3%) , he doesn't finish well around the basket (eFG on inside shots: 46.7%), he's a horrible passer (Passer rating: 0.3!), he's a terrible ballhandler (Ballhandler rating: 4.3), and he's a mediocre rebounder -- especially for a forward (Rebounder rating: 14.7). His defense is decent, I suppose, but that's always been an up-and-down proposition with D Mase.