#4: James Ennis III – Houston Rockets; Two years, $3.47 million
The Houston Rockets were up 3-2 on the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals last season before Chris Paul got injured. The Warriors won the final two games, including game 7 in Houston, and went on to win their third NBA Championship in four years.
During the offseason, Trevor Ariza demanded a contract around $15 million annually and the Rockets were not able to come up with the money after extending both Chris Paul and Clint Capela. Losing Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute to free agency depleted the Rockets of their defensive depth. Signing Carmelo Anthony only added to their abundance of offensive weapons, but does not provide much in terms of defense.
That’s where the James Ennis III signing comes in. Ennis might not be known as an elite defender, but he has the attributes to be a real pest on the defensive end. Ennis does not have the wingspan that Ariza does, but his ability to get around screens and alter perimeter shots is crucial as the NBA transitions into shooting more three-pointers. Last year playing for the Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons, opponents only shot 29.2 percent from three-point range when Ennis was defending, per NBA.com.
Ennis is six years younger than Ariza, having just turned 28 years old in July, and is in his athletic prime. In a head coach Mike D’Antoni offensive system that calls for role players to be empowered, Ennis might have found himself a perfect fit. Ennis should find himself possibly having more opportunities than Ariza did and be more efficient in the open floor.
Ennis is also a capable open perimeter shot-maker. In his best season with the Memphis Grizzlies, with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol creating shots for him, Ennis shot 41.5 percent from three-point range, and nearly 70.0 percent of those three-point shots were open shots. James Harden and Chris Paul are both better players and shot creators than Conley and Gasol. Expect James Ennis to make a big impact this season whether he’s starting or coming off the bench.
