The Worst Fights And Cheap Shots In NBA History by Chris Walder

The San Antonio Spurs Should Not Be Condemned By The NBA For Benching Its Stars

The San Antonio Spurs Should Not Be Condemned By The NBA For Benching Its Stars by Chris Walder

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

To shore up depth at a small forward position which has been completely ravaged by injuries, the Toronto Raptors will sign free-agent Mickael Pietrus to a one-year, veteran minimum contract.

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Pietrus had been pursued by five other teams — The San Antonio Spurs (which offered him a guaranteed one-month contract), the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Raptors General Manager Bryan Colangelo had been in talks with Pietrus and his agent since the offseason with hopes of reaching a deal.

Dominic McGuire, who had started at the three spot in recent Raptors outings, will be released to make room for Mickael.

Over the course of his ten-year NBA career, Pietrus has averaged 8.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists a game. He spent last season as a member of the Boston Celtics, where he played 42 games and averaged 6.9 points a night.

GRADE THE DEAL: C +

The Raptors are so far in the cellar right now, that signing Mickael Pietrus to a contract won’t elevate the team by any stretch of the imagination.

With Landry Fields and Alan Anderson still out with injuries (and the recently released McGuire), I would expect Pietrus to step in to the starting small forward spot right away, and have Linas Kleiza remain on the bench to provide a scoring punch to the second-unit.

He’s a tremendous defender on the perimeter who plays a very physical style of basketball for a wing player.

Lord knows the Raptors can use more defensive-oriented players, as the team allows 101.7 points per game (27th) and 45.9% shooting to their opponents (26th).

Once the Raptors regulars return to the court, Pietrus could very well find himself riding the bench for the rest of the season, unless he makes an impact over the next few weeks or so.

Christopher Walder is the Lead Editor for Sir Charles in Charge. You can follow him on Twitter @WALDERSPORTS