The Bucks endured yet another miserable season in 2007-08, pushing out to a 7-4 start – including wins over the Cavs, Lakers and Mavericks – before the wheels came off. They lost four straight and their record never got over .500 again. They decided to rebuild (again) during the offseason, firing their coach (Larry Krystkowiak) and general manager (Larry Harris), and bringing on highly respected John Hammond to replace Harris and hard-nosed Scott Skiles to guide the team on the court. Unfortunately, it remains to be seen if owner Herb Kohl gives them the leeway to do the things necessary to put a sustainable winner on the court. If their seemingly all-in grab for a low playoff seed is any indication, Buck fans might not want to know the answer.

Hammond did do an admirable job of ridding the team of a locker room cancer (Mo Williams), a horrendous contract (Bobby Simmons) and a guy that never wanted to play there in the first place (Yi Jianlian), but I’m not convinced the overall talent level has greatly improved. There’s no question the transition from Williams to Luke Ridnour is a downgrade on the court, but Williams and Michael Redd had zero on-court chemistry, so this may be a case of addition by subtraction. The team will also have to hope that Charlie Bell didn’t spend his offseason doing 12-ounce curls again after reporting to the team woefully out of the shape last season. He sulked over the team’s handling of his contract and wasn’t the same player. With Williams gone, they’ll need more from Bell. Ramon Sessions had some huge games down the stretch, but we’ll see how he holds up over a full season. If what we glimpsed was the real deal, the Williams trade would suddenly look infinitely better.

The frontcourt makeover is a big one as well. Gone are Simmons and Desmond Mason, in is former All-Star Richard Jefferson. The Bucks got Jefferson in the Yi/Simmons salary dump, and he should give them their best perimeter defender and another player that can create his own shot. The departure of Yi also frees up power forward for Charlie Villanueva, who averaged 15-8 as a starter last year. Behind those two, the Bucks will try to get away with rookie Joe Alexander and veterans Malik Allen and Adrian Griffin. Villanueva is the key, however, and with the chance to be a restricted free-agent next season he should have plenty of motivation, not to mention opportunity, to put up big numbers.

Many casual fans bristled at the contract extension given to Andrew Bogut, but the big Aussie has elevated his game over the years and is already one of the game’s better centres. He racked up double-doubles after the All-Star break, is an excellent passer at the high post – maybe someone will actually try running some offense through him – and a great help defender. Bogut takes a ton of charges, has improved exponentially as a shot blocker and wants to win. The worst thing Bogut has ever done in his career is not be Chris Paul or Deron Williams, which isn’t his fault. Behind Bogut, big-money bust Dan Gadzuric and former Spur centre Francisco Elson will hold down the fort.

Milwaukee was brutal in the preseason, but it’s a work in progress, and Skiles is demanding more accountability at the defensive end than anyone in recent memory. A stumble out of the gates followed by a push to the .500 level wouldn’t be surprising, and in this conference that could be good enough to land one of the lower playoff seeds.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Luke Ridnour
SG: Michael Redd
SF: Richard Jefferson
PF: Charlie Villanueva
C: Andrew Bogut

Key Bench Players: Charlie Bell, Ramon Sessions, Joe Alexander, Malik Allen.

Position Battles

The starters are pretty much settled, though I expect the Ridnour/Sessions battle to continue throughout the season. About the only job up for grabs entering the final days of the preseason was back-up centre between Elson and Gadzuric. The latter has never come close to living up to his huge deal, but the team might give him some run in the futile hope he’ll show enough to generate some trade interest down the road.

Stud: Bogut averaged 16.3 points and 11.6 rebounds per game after the All-Star break last season. He also shoots a high percentage, blocks a lot of shots and is an adept passer. He’ll hurt you at the foul line, but Bogut – still only 23 years of age – appears poised for a real breakthrough season.

Dud: Yes, Redd is a lights out shooter. He needs almost no time or room to launch his pretty J and has developed a solid game off the dribble as well. However, Redd has long expended nearly no energy on defense, something Skiles is unlikely to tolerate. Therefore, I look for Redd to either (a) continue playing no defense and earn fewer minutes; or (b) expend more energy defensively and have less left to give on offense. Either way, I’m expecting his numbers to slip.

Sleeper: Ridnour is going to start over Sessions, but we’ll see if that lasts. As a rookie, Sessions authored some truly memorable performances, and it’s not like he was chopped liver in the D-League (20.9 points, 7.6 assists, 6.6 rebounds) either. I like Sessions as a late-round pick with big upside, but then again, so does everyone else. Better to take him a round too early, he has too much potential.

It’s against my principles to go with two sleepers, but in Charlie V’s case we’re making an exception. The guy has double-double potential and can bury three-pointers. Focus and intensity have been his shortcomings, but if Skiles (and a fat contract) can motivate him, watch out.

Rookies to Watch: Everyone loves Alexander’s physical tools, but the consensus seems to be he has a ways to go to really contribute at this level. I don’t expect more than 15 to 20 minutes a night for Alexander behind Jefferson and Charlie V. Defense is the name of the game with second-round pick Luc Mbah a Moute, which could earn him sporadic minutes when a defensive stopper is called for.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

There’s recent talk that Skiles may be considering starting Mbah a Moute over Villanueva at PF, which would definitely boost the rookie’s stock. However, the fact that Charlie V can handle both the three and four should guarantee him plenty of minutes.

Ridnour’s back may keep him out of Tuesday’s season opener, and give Sessions an opportunity to make an early-season statement. In this scenario, Bell will also earn extra minutes.

1. Amare Stoudemire, C/PF, Phoenix Suns: He won’t see much action at C, but he qualifies there, and given that he made most of his starts there last year, I put him on this list. While helping in the usual big man categories, Stoudemire will also carry you in FG percentage and help you in FT percentage, not an easy find among big men.

2. Elton Brand, C/PF, Philadelphia 76ers: Brand will also spend most of his time at the four this year, but having made five of his six starts last year at centre, he qualifies there, thus shooting his stock even higher. Last season was a complete write off for him, but he’s now healthy and ready to resume his dominance, only this time back in the Eastern Conference with an improving 76er squad.

3. Al Jefferson, C/PF, Minnesota Timberwolves: Yet another big man who qualifies at two positions, Big Al finally turned in a healthy season and man, was it worth the wait. Able to carry a bigger workload, Jefferson improved his FT shooting en route to a major breakout offensively. At age 23, there’s still tons of upside here.

4. Dwight Howard, C, Orlando Magic: Superman made minor strides dealing with his Kryptonite (sinking free throws) last year; this season, he has his X-ray vision set on blocking even more shots.

5. Yao Ming, C, Houston Rockets: Well, he came a bit closer to making it through the season unscathed, but that’s now three straight years Ming has suffered a major injury. His touches were down, and that obviously affected his scoring, but the Ming Dynasty enjoyed his finest season off the glass yet.

6. Pau Gasol, PF/C, Los Angeles Lakers: Gasol will mostly play the four this year, but considering most of his starts were at centre last season, we’re tossing him in here. He didn’t exactly have a banner year last season, but we’re expecting a nice bounce back effort in his first full season in La La Land.

7. Marcus Camby, C, Los Angeles Clippers: The Cambyman had a career year on the glass last season despite PT that’s been in decline for a couple of seasons. His touches and FG percentage also slipped, and that heel injury is a major concern. So there you have it – you know what this dude can do when healthy, but draft at your own risk.

8. Andrew Bogut, C, Milwaukee Bucks: This Aussie big man just keeps getting better and given his huge second half last year – especially in April when he averaged 17.6 PPG and 11.4 RPG – and the fact he’s still just 23, big things are coming this season.

9. Mehmet Okur, C/PF, Utah Jazz: Not sure why he qualifies at forward as well, but he does, so the flexibility is nice. Okur has been in decline over the past two years, but remains among the strongest centres in the game. He won’t get you the kind of FG percentages you expect from a big man, but makes up for it by sinking plenty of treys.

10. Andrew Bynum, C, Los Angeles Lakers: Bynum missed most the year, but showed promise offensively and continued to make nice strides from the charity stripe. The starting gig’s his, so go ahead and use a mid-round pick on him.

11. Tyson Chandler, C, New Orleans Hornets: Moving to the Big Easy has been the big break that Chandler needed, as he’s gotten better and better with the Hornets. At age 26, there could still be upside, especially offensively.

12. Rasheed Wallace, C/PF, Detroit Pistons: ‘Sheed’s PT has been getting reduced for a couple of years now – a trend I expect to continue in a deeper Detroit frontcourt – but he’s still capable of contributing a little bit of everything for your team.

13. Al Horford, C/PF, Atlanta Hawks: A near Rookie of the Year performance, qualification at both centre and forward, and double-double potential every time he takes the floor. While more blocks might be nice, there’s a lot to like here.

14. Andris Biedrins, C, Golden State Warriors: Biedrins’s offensive game started moving forward last year as he shot better, got to the line more often, and improved his FT percentage.

15. Greg Oden, C, Portland Trail Blazers: The hype is huge, and Oden will definitely make you happy, but don’t reach too soon.

16. Chris Kaman, C, Los Angeles Clippers: Kaman had his offensive breakout season cut short by injury last year, but with Brand missing most of the season, he was asked to shoulder much more of scoring role. There’s concern over how the addition of Camby will affect Kaman this season, but if he can stay healthy, he’s a quality centre to own.

17. Samuel Dalembert, C, Philadelphia 76ers: Dalembert will help you in boards and blocks, but that’s about it. He’s stayed healthy the past couple of years, but his knee is bothering him, so keep an eye on the situation.

18. Brad Miller, C, Sacramento Kings: Miller bounced back after a horrible, injury-filled 2006-07 and wound up averaging a steal per game while shooting his finest percentage from the line ever. He’ll miss the first five games because of a suspension, slipping him down the rankings a tad.

19. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C, Cleveland Cavaliers: Big Z bounced back after floundering in Cleveland’s new offensive system in 2006-07. He earned himself more touches, and put himself back on the map as a quality fantasy centre.

20. Shaquille O’Neal, C, Phoenix Suns: Shaq’s been in free fall for what seems years, yet he remains a double-double machine when he can take the court. You know the drill – if you draft Shaq Daddy, make sure the rest of your team can sink their freebies and have plenty of backup –he’s injury prone, and Phoenix plans to rest him for the tail end of back-to-backs this season.

21. Joakim Noah, C/PF, Chicago Bulls: There’s talk Noah may come off the bench to start the season, but last year, he earned more minutes as the season progressed and by April, he was averaging 10.6 PPG, almost seven boards per game and close to 1.7 blocks per contest.

22. Ben Wallace, C/PF, Cleveland Cavaliers: Okay, so he no longer pulls down 10 boards on a nightly basis, but Big Ben isn’t quite ready to be set adrift on an ice floe, either.

23. Kendrick Perkins, C, Boston Celtics: No one is going to confuse Perkins with an offensive threat, but last season, given more PT and touches, he responded by shooting extremely well. The boards and blocks are sweet and there is plenty of upside here.

24. Marc Gasol, C, Memphis Grizzlies: Pau’s younger brother, only a Grizz, ironically enough, because of the deal that sent his bro to LA, is someone you should definitely consider as a viable fantasy centre.

25. Andrea Bargnani, C, Toronto Raptors: Il Mago is making a statement for more PT with his play this preseason, and I’m expected a major bounce back year. Remember that he hasn’t yet turned 23 (but will on Wednesday).

Others to Consider

Brook Lopez, C/PF, New Jersey Nets
Andray Blatche, PF/C, Washington Wizards
Josh Boone, PF/C, New Jersey Nets
Spencer Hawes, Sacramento Kings

The Washington Wizards enter the 2008-09 campaign with more questions than answers. Once again, their franchise star, Gilbert Arenas, will be out an extended period of time as he underwent another knee surgery. In his absence, the ball will be in good hands with Antonio Daniels. He is always among the league leaders in assist-to turnover ratio, but on the downside, he hardly the star and shot maker that Agent Zero has become over the past few years.

In addition to Arenas’s injury, starting centre Brendan Haywood will be out virtually for the entire season thanks to a wrist injury. It’s awful timing as he was starting to show signs of consistency when he was given consistent minutes last year. This injury is far more important than it seems as Haywood is a long seven-footer that fills up the lane on defense and can block shots. Etan Thomas will fill in as starter, but I am not sure how many minutes he will be getting as he is coming off heart surgery. The Haywood injury most likely will leave a revolving door at the centre spot, with Andray Blatche and, to a lesser extent, Javale McGee factoring into this mix.

If Coach Eddie Jordan does not get the Wizards past the second round of the playoffs, and more importantly the Cavs (who have knocked them out in the first round three straight years), there will be questions about whether he is the guy to lead this team. You can only blame injuries for so long, right? It just seems the Wizards can never catch a break, as injuries to their big three have been commonplace. The last time Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, and Arenas were all healthy, they were No. 1 in the East at the All-Star break the season before last.

Another huge question will be how the young talent on the team (Nick Young, McGee, Dominic McGuire, Blatche) continues to be integrated into the rotation. All four have outstanding potential as Young can be a deadly scorer, Blatche is a very versatile big man, and McGuire could be a great energy guy off the bench. I think Blatche is finally taking his job seriously, so I look for him to continue to develop.

Fantasy wise, the only guys worth a starting spot on a standard league will be Butler and Jamison. Daniels could be a nice bench player if you need assists and want to keep your turnovers down. Jamison is a perennial 20-10 guy, so you know what you will get with him. Butler, on the other hand, fills up all the categories as he covers points, assists, rebounds, and steals.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Antonio Daniels
SG: DeShawn Stevenson
SF: Caron Butler
PF: Antawn Jamison
C: Etan Thomas

Key Bench Players: Andray Blatche, Nick Young, JaVale McGee, Darius Songalia, Dominic McGuire, Dee Brown.

Position Battles

While there is a constant battle for bench minutes on the team, the only starting gig being contested is at centre. With Haywood out basically for the season, it is Thomas’s job to lose, with McGee, Blatche, and Songalia looking to push him for starts. With Arenas out, Brown steps in as the back-up point guard to Daniels. Also look for Young to seriously push for Stevenson’s starter minutes within the first 20 games of the year.

Stud: Caron Butler is an absolute fixture for the Wizards. He is not called “Tough Juice” for nothing. He plays hard and consistent and is the stud on the team. You could argue for Jamison, but he is sometimes soft and usually hides when there’s an opportunity for a big shot.

Dud: As good as Gilbert Arenas is when he is healthy, he is the fantasy dud on the squad. He has not played on a regular basis for a very long time. His injuries will always be a concern ever since he went down with the meniscus injury. As much as Wizard fans would love to see Agent Zero in full effect this year, that very well may never come to pass.

Sleeper: I will go with Andray Blatche as the sleeper on the Wizards. He has the skill set and size to be a valuable fantasy player. He can handle the ball, get assists, and his size allows him to get easy rebounds. He also is a decent shot blocker who is getting better on the defensive side. His scoring and jump shooting has improved each year, which is promising. Draft him late, and you could be rewarded. He should end up getting more minutes than starting centre Etan Thomas.

Rookies to Watch The only rookie on the squad is centre JaVale McGee. This ultra-athletic seven-footer will compete for minutes this year. Coach Eddie Jordan did not expect him to be in the rotation before the preseason started, but it will be hard to keep him on the bench if he continues to work and play as hard as he has in the last few exhibition games. McGee will not make a major fantasy impact, but if you are in a keeper league, you may want to keep an eye on him.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

I think the biggest fantasy story to watch will be if those who draft Gilbert Arenas get any returns. He is slated to come back by January, but recent reports say he could make it back as early as November. If you want a potential stud in round six or seven, he may be worth a shot. After his previous complications, Arenas won’t be rushing back to the court. Are you willing to take the risk and pull the trigger on Arenas?

Another interesting story to follow is the scoring ability of Nick Young. I think he is a legit NBA scorer would could very soon be averaging 16 to 20 points a game. The problem is that he will be just that, a scorer. I do not see him putting up enough assists and boards to become a fantasy stud. Basically, he will just be taking points away from Jamison and Butler, making them slightly less valuable.

All in all, the Wizards are ready for another playoff year. I am sure they will do just enough to allow LeBron to eliminate them again as he takes his three steps down the lane for game winners. Long live the King…

Playing in a division that includes the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls, the Indiana Pacers can get lost in the shuffle at times in the Central. However, a busy offseason of change has brought a sense of optimism and hope to a team that struggled to a 36-46 season last year.

The Pacers were looking to change the culture of their team and were successful by trading the huge contract of Jermaine O’Neal to the Toronto Raptors, giving away Shawne Williams to the Dallas Mavericks and basically dumping Jamaal Tinsley. The trade of O’Neal brought T.J. Ford and Rasho Nesterovic to the Pacers from Toronto and the Pacers also brought in Jarrett Jack to help run the point. In addition, the Pacers got rid of Kareem Rush, Flip Murray and Ike Diogu.

Ford, Mike Dunleavy and Danny Granger lead the “new” Pacers. With the breakouts of Granger and Dunleavy last year, the Pacers are poised to make an impact in a potentially loaded Central Division.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: T.J. Ford
SG: Mike Dunleavy
SF: Danny Granger
PF: Troy Murphy
C: Rasho Nesterovic

Key Bench Players: Jarrett Jack, Travis Diener, Marquis Daniels, Jeff Foster, Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert.

Position Battles

The new-look Pacers have had a very peaceful training camp with little distraction off the court — a novely considering the events of recent years. The only real position battle at this point is at the power forward/centre positions where the Pacers will utilize a three-man rotation of Murphy, Nesterovic and Foster.

Stud: Only four players in the NBA averaged 18 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block per game in 2007-08 – LeBron James, Rudy Gay, Kevin Garnett and the Pacers’ Granger. In his third year in the league, Granger broke out and became a fantasy stud. Look for him to continue to mature and to post great multi-category lines as the ball will go through him even more this year.

Dud: The Pacers cleaned house and dealt away most of their duds. I would be leary of Ford only because he has had trouble staying healthy. When healthy, he can easily average 8+ assists, but he doesn’t shoot many threes and his field goal percentage has steadily declined.

Sleeper: The absence of O’Neal should free up minutes and opportunities for Murphy. He will start at power forward and even play minutes at centre. Murphy is a solid double-double guy every night and his centre eligibility makes him a strong sleeper for the 2008-09 season.

Rookies to Watch: The Pacers drafted Roy Hibbert and acquired the draft rights of Kansas swingman Brandon Rush, the 13th pick in the draft, in a package deal that sent Arizona guard Jerryd Bayless to Portland. Rush should make an immediate impact for the Pacers as he will likely see consistent minutes at the shooting guard spot.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

Can Ford stay healthy and put behind him the neck injury that cost him over 30 games last season?

Can Granger ascend to the next level as a fantasy stud?

Dunleavy’s injured knee is causing some concern, but all indications are that he should be ready for the start of the regular season.

1. LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers: How much better can he get? The dude is just 23, is already a 30 PPG man, but definitely has room to grow with his outside shooting and work from the line. If he avoids major injury, this could be the year King James really makes his mark.

2. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Dallas Mavericks: His PT and boards have been declining for three years, but Disco Dirk still helps across the board, bagging you a trey every game and even pitching in with a career best 3.5 APG last year.

3. Kevin Garnett, PF, Boston Celtics: Many have soured on him to an extent because his minutes – and production – dropped significantly last year as part of the Big Three in Boston. But KG never shot better, and still provides value almost across the board.

4. Shawn Marion, SF/PF, Miami Heat: While he’s not as prolific a scorer as he once was, the Matrix still provides across the board production, so you can’t let him slide too far.

5. Josh Smith, SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks: Despite less PT last season, Smoov took his offensive game to a new level, while setting new career bests in SPG and APG. He just keeps getting better and better, and is still just 22.

6. Carmelo Anthony, SF, Denver Nuggets: Sure, he’s gotten less touches since Allen Iverson arrived in town, but Melo has stepped up in other areas of his game to compensate.

7. Tim Duncan, PF/C, San Antonio Spurs: Okay, so he doesn’t play 40 minutes a night anymore, but The Big Fundamental is still a near across-the-board talent, and he even improved his FT shooting last season.

8. Carlos Boozer, PF/C, Utah Jazz: I’m not sure why Yahoo! has him qualified at centre as well, but I’ll take it. Boozer became a bigger part of the Jazz offense last year and even pitched in with a few more blocks, although that’s not really part of his arsenal.

9. Caron Butler, SF, Washington Wizards: I’d love to see this All-Star get to the charity stripe more, but it’s hard to argue with his well-rounded game.

10. Andre Iguodala, SG/SF, Philadelphia 76ers: Iggy is expected to play mostly at the two-guard this year, but with 74 starts at forward last season, I’m listing him here. Regardless of what position he’s playing, Iguodala just keeps getting better, despite playing a bit less last season on a deeper Sixer team.

11. Chris Bosh, PF/C, Toronto Raptors: Again, I’m not clear why Bosh has centre qualification, but that’s a sweet bonus. I’d like to see Bosh’s blocks bounce back, but with Jermaine O’Neal in town, I doubt this will happen. Even sweeter would be to see Bosh incorporate more of an outside game into his repertoire; he’s shown a nice touch when hoisting it up from beyond the arc.

12. Danny Granger, SG/SF, Indiana Pacers: Swingman qualification is just another reason to like the durable Granger, who continues to take a larger role and show improvements across the board each season.

13. Paul Pierce, SG/SF, Boston Celtics: Pierce didn’t make any starts at the two-guard spot last year, but still qualifies as a swingman. It’s a good thing, because his value has slipped playing as part of the Big Three. On the plus side, The Truth stayed healthy and upped his blocks, steals and assists last year.

14. Rudy Gay, SF/PF, Memphis Grizzlies: Gay was given way more PT in his sophomore season and he responded with across-the-board improvements, even pitching in with a block per game and the odd assist. Expect another huge jump this season.

15. Antawn Jamison, SF/PF, Washington Wizards: Jamison’s outside game slipped a bit last year, but he more than compensated for that by getting to the line more often and shooting a higher percentage, not to mention having a career year on the glass.

16. Rashard Lewis, SF/PF, Orlando Magic: Lewis’s offense suffered thanks to the breakout performance by Hedo Turkoglu, a bit less PT and the fact that his shooting was off a smidgeon. However, there are few players better from beyond the arc than Lewis.

17. David West, PF, New Orleans Hornets: West enjoyed a tremendous season, and although you’ll need to look elsewhere for your 3-pointers, he provides a great boost in FT shooting, scoring, rebounding and even blocks.

18. Hedo Turkoglu, SG/SF, Orlando Magic: The NBA’s most improved player still qualifies at guard for some reason, but his owners won’t complain. An excellent source of treys, Turkoglu proved he wasn’t a one-trick pony last year by drawing way more fouls to help his scoring average soar.

19. Mike Dunleavy, SG/SF, Indiana Pacers: A true swingman who spends most of his time at forward, Dunleavy is coming off a career year where he parlayed more PT into fantastic production. I’d like to see more steals, and the knee is worrisome, but Dunleavy has arrived as a fantasy force.

20. Josh Howard, SG/SF, Dallas Mavericks: The swingman’s FG percentage has slipped three straight years, but everything else is on the rise, and now that Howard is a 7 RPG man and has cut his TOs, he’s even more valuable.

21. Stephen Jackson, SG/SF, Golden State Warriors: Jackson is expected to play at the two-guard (and even some point, apparently) this season, but after making all his starts at forward last year, I’m putting him here. He got way more touches last year, but was a liability in FG percentage. If you can handle that, his across the board skills are a great addition.

22. Ron Artest, SF/PF, Houston Rockets: Although his rebounding slipped last year, Artest enjoyed a great season from behind the arc, helping to improve his scoring big time. Yes, he’s a headache, but is too much of an across the board talent to ignore.

23. Richard Jefferson, SF, Milwaukee Bucks: Okay, so RJ’s rebounding was down, but he proved he was healthy, logging heavy minutes and lighting up the scoreboard.

24. Gerald Wallace, SF/PF, Charlotte Bobcats: Crash is another forward that’s rebounding fell, but pretty well everything else went up, especially his trips to the charity stripe. He’s an injury risk as always, but man, can help you in so many ways.

25. Corey Maggette, SG/SF, Golden State Warriors: While Maggette’s rebounding slipped and he missed a fair amount of time last year, he enjoyed an explosive offensive season and returned to the one SPG territory. Expect more of the same this season with the free-wheeling Warriors.

26. Lamar Odom, SF/PF, Los Angeles Lakers: Odom never shot better and enjoyed a great rebounding season last year, but he didn’t use the 3-pointer as a weapon as he had in the past. The fact that he’ll be coming off the bench hurts his value somewhat, but Odom is still a very good bet.

27. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C, Portland Trail Blazers: I don’t know where this C eligibility comes from, but man, I’ll take it. Aldridge showed improvements across the board in his sophomore season, especially in terms of drawing fouls. I’m expecting more of the same this year.

28. Emeka Okafor, PF/C, Charlotte Bobcats: Okafor’s touches have dropped every year since his rookie season, but he shot better last year – except from the line, of course. He’ll be pressed to enjoy a breakout year by Coach Larry Brown.

29. Michael Beasley, SF/PF, Miami Heat: This kid needs to be the first rookie taken off the board, probably around the sixth round.

30. Luol Deng, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls: Don’t freaking ask me where Yahoo! has come up with guard eligibility for Deng, but that only makes him more attractive. Like most Bulls, Deng slipped last year, but we’re expecting him to move to the next level this season, making him a nice value pick.

31. Jermaine O’Neal, PF/C, Toronto Raptors: O’Neal’s 2007-08 campaign was truly forgettable, and he remains an injury risk, but if he can play 70 games, he’ll reward you nicely from a late fifth round slot.

32. Zach Randolph, PF, New York Knicks: Randolph, like everyone else in New York, struggled last season. With his PT and touches down, his numbers suffered, but it’s supposedly a new day in the Big Apple, so Randolph could bounce back under new coach Mike D’Antoni.

33. Andrei Kirilenko, SF/PF, Utah Jazz: AK-47 bounced back somewhat after his disastrous 2006-07 season, but there’s still room for more. He’ll be coming off the bench, so temper your expectations, but I still like his across the board potential.

34. Peja Stojakovic, SG/SF: Yes, he has swingman qualification for some reason, but either way, Peja proved he was healthy last year, and shot well while improving his rebounding numbers. Three treys a game? Sweet.

35. Marvin Williams, SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks: Williams stayed healthy last year and earned more touches as a result, but his limited outside game vanished. Still, I’m expecting a very nice year of growth from this former Tar Heel.

36. Al Harrington, PF/C, Golden State Warriors: Harrington’s PT and shooting slipped last year, but you’ve got to love that centre qualification and the fact that he’s really developing his outside game, putting up five attempts per game from beyond the arc.

37. Al Thornton, SF/PF, Los Angeles Clippers: Thornton was a wonderfully pleasant surprise as a rookie, and I’m expecting more touches this year as he looks to enjoy a major breakout.

38. David Lee, PF/C, New York Knicks: Lee’s rebounding dropped a bit last year, but we’re willing to throw out basically everything that happened in NY last season. This dude has centre qualification, and is a major gamer. Gotta love him!

39. Tayshaun Prince, SF, Detroit Pistons: Prince didn’t have a banner year, with his touches, steals and rebounds in particular all slipping, but he’s capable of pitching in with a little bit of everything.

40. Charlie Villanueva, SF/PF, Milwaukee Bucks: Villanueva is expected to see plenty of action with Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons out of the picture. As a bonus, Charlie V is playing for a contract, so look for his shooting touch to return.

41. Troy Murphy, PF/C, Indiana Pacers: Murphy’s expected double-double season didn’t happen last year, even though he remained relatively healthy. His shooting slipped a bit, but because of his centre eligibility, he remains a solid fantasy choice.

Here are a few forwards that missed the cut, but also qualify at centre, so deserve mention:

Boris Diaw, Phoenix Suns
Luis Scola, Houston Rockets
Chris Wilcox, Oklahoma City Thunder
Nick Collison, Oklahoma City Thunder
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Paul Millsap, Utah Jazz
Jason Maxiell, Detroit Pistons
Nene Hilario, Denver Nuggets

The Magic has been a team on the rise for a while and, last year, driven by a fantastic offense, it exploded and reached the Eastern Conference semis, before being dispatched by the Pistons in five games.

The only significant addition has been Mickael Pietrus, who could prove to be a nice sleeper, having escaped the ridiculous rotation carousel of Don Nelson in Golden State. Gone are underachieving Carlos Arroyo and bench player Keyon Dooling. The absence of this pair certainly hurts the Magic’s bench depth, but the team’s starting five is about as deep as it gets. Contributions from rookie Courtney Lee – an offensive standout in college – and the disappointing J.J. Redick will help compensate for the loss of Arroyo and Dooling.

This is a team that really relies on the outside game, so if Orlando’s long bombs aren’t dropping, it can definitely go into a funk quickly. And with win totals over the past five years of 21, 36, 36, 40 and 52, one can’t help but wonder if this team has topped out for the time being. Defensive improvement – the Magic gave up 99 points per game last year – will be key for this team to maintain its pecking order in an improving Eastern Conference.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Mickael Pietrus
SF: Hedo Turkoglu
PF: Rashard Lewis
C: Dwight Howard

Key Bench Players: Keith Bogans, Anthony Johnson, Redick, Lee, Tony Battie, Adonal Foyle (did we mention the team lacks depth?).

Position Battles

The two-guard spot is the place to watch in The Magic Kingdom, as while Pietrus is the starter, he’s hardly a proven presence there. And then things get even muddier in the competition for back-up minutes. You’ve got Redick – who has made tremendous progress this preseason, especially defensively – and Bogans, who spent almost half of last season starting, and shot the ball better than he’s ever had, but it still no one’s idea of a saviour.

To make matters more confusing still, the team drafted college scoring stud Courtney Lee. Lee has made the team, but realistically won’t be chasing these three for minutes until later in the season. The rook will also see some time at PG, with Mike Wilks gone for the season with a knee injury.

Stud: Sure, we all know how good Dwight Howard is, but I’m looking at Rashard Lewis as the man that will really return serious value this season. After spending his entire career in Emerald City, he had a somewhat tough time adjusting to life in the Eastern Conference last year, but look for Lewis to bounce back to the 20-point, six-rebound per game range while offering plenty of help in 3-pointers and steals.

Dud: With Carlos Arroyo gone, Jameer Nelson has no one to push him for the job, yet that still doesn’t inspire confidence in me. Orlando has been on the rise for a couple of years now, but I don’t see this team breaking through to the next level with Nelson running the offense.

Sleeper: This is a deep sleeper, but I’m keeping my eye on J.J. Redick this season. His defensive play has improved and we all remember how he could bury it from outside back in his Duke days. Pietrus seems entrenched as the starting two-guard for the Magic, but he’s had his share of injuries in the past, leading me to believe that Redick will get a chance to be a valuable commodity this season.

Rookies to Watch: I really like the possibilities that Courtney Lee brings to the table, but there’s just not much playing time for him in this situation. He’s made the team, but will likely watch in street clothes plenty of nights.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

With Jameer Nelson as the only PG currently standing in The Magic Kingdom (Anthony Johnson is hurting and Mike Wilks had season-ending knee surgery), the team is exploring options. Apparently, Troy Hudson has made inquiries, and Eddie Gill is a option. Another possibility is having Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee help out with ball-handling, a possibility that could help Lee gain some traction and help beef up Turkoglu’s assist numbers.

Mickael Pietrus is providing some help in all areas, but is unlikely to score enough to be as big a factor as many think he might be this season. He’s hit double digits in points just twice in seven pre-season games, maxing out at 16 (in a game he shot just 4-of-12 during).

The participants in the league include Elliotte Friedman, CBC’s hockey and basketball sideline reporter; Eric Smith, who covers the Raptors for the Fan 590; Adam, who covers the Raptors for Hooplife.ca; Tommy Beer, an analyst for Hoopsworld.com; Ryan, from HoopsAddict; Tim Chisolm, from TSN; Scott Cullen, from TSN.ca; Ali Lila, who calls himself White Chocolate; and Muhammad Lila, a CBC News at Six reporter.

My indoctrination into the league got off to a shaky start when my team was somehow omitted from the draft selection – a process that was videotaped and put up on YouTube for dramatic effect. Well, imagine the dramatic effect that had on me when I watched the whole damn thing and failed to hear my team name picked! It turns out just 11 teams in this 12-team, H2H league where picked from the hat, but the commissioner managed to address that situation, and I wound up with the 10th overall pick.

Not great, but at least I had a friggin’ pick now!

I was sitting on Al Jefferson as my first round pick, having ranked him 10th overall, but when Deron Williams slid to me, I had to bite. That selection drew its share of pissed off reactions, which made it all the more satisfying. But when Big Al fell to me in the second round, I felt like I had somehow stolen the equivalent of two first-round talents. Not too shabby, considering I was batting in the 10-hole. Things were looking up.

My goal heading into this draft was to aim for a well-balanced team, but my specific focus was to make sure I didn’t leave myself short in dimes – a trait I’ve been known for in my excursions into expert leagues before. Getting D-Will with my top pick certainly helped address that, and I later added Ray Felton, Rafer Alston and Mike Conley for good measure.

For scoring, both Williams and Jefferson will help, but I’m hoping my third rounder – Jason Richardson – will come close to repeating his 2007-08 season. My fourth rounder – Kevin Durant – could easily wind up as the top scorer on my team. Other picks that should help in scoring include Ricky Davis and Rudy Fernandez.

I’m good in rebounding with Jefferson, Andrew Bogut, Chris Kaman, Andrei Kirilenko (assuming he bounces back in that area this year), Chris Wilcox and my last-round flyer – Spencer Hawes.

I love this team’s 3-point shooting with J-Rich, Alston and Ricky Davis. And I should be in solid shape in blocks thanks to Big Al, Bogut, Kaman and AK-47. I’ve got steals covered with Williams, Richardson, Kirilenko, Davis, Alston and Felton.

Where I may fall a bit short is in the percentages, especially FT shooting. On the FG percentage side, Williams is great for a guard, Jefferson rocks, and Bogut and Wilcox will both do well. In terms of FT shooting, Durant might be my best, and it’s not a major strength for anyone else on the team.

But the beauty of a H2H league is I can still do extremely well even if punting one or even two categories, so I’m not too worried.

Anyways, let’s review the draft results, round-by-round, with my commentary after each round.

First Round

1. LeBron James Team Steroids
2. Chris Paul RapsHQ Runni…
3. Kobe Bryant Eazy E’s
4. Dwyane Wade TSN Takedown
5. Amare Stoudemire Cabbage Blat…
6. Dirk Nowitzki Starbury Bea…
7. Caron Butler CBC Shot Cal…
8. Elton Brand TeeBall
9. Kevin Garnett media whores
10. Deron Williams RotoRob
11. Shawn Marion TSN.ca
12. Allen Iverson White Chocolate

I would have taken Chris Paul first in a turnover league, but it’s hard to argue with LeBron at one, considering that 30-10-10 season is coming one of these days. I was surprised to see Flash goes this high, and Caron Butler as well, but this round was mostly on track. Having Williams fall to me at 10 made my pick a no-brainer. I got the player I felt was the best available off the board and solved my age-old assist crisis in one fell swoop.

Second Round

1. Danny Granger White Chocolate
2. Chris Bosh TSN.ca
3. Al Jefferson RotoRob
4. Steve Nash media whores
5. Josh Smith TeeBall
6. Carlos Boozer CBC Shot Cal…
7. Baron Davis Starbury Bea…
8. Tim Duncan Cabbage Blat…
9. Dwight Howard TSN Takedown
10. Yao Ming Eazy E’s
11. Jose Calderon RapsHQ Runni…
12. Chauncey Billups Team Steroids

I love Granger, but this felt too high for me and Bosh going this high in the round also surprised me. But hey, it worked out for me, because I like Big Al more than either of those two, so I felt like I was sitting pretty after two rounds, and well on my way to a balanced attack as well. Nabbing Josh Smith this low was a solid pick.

Third Round

1. Pau Gasol Team Steroids
2. Joe Johnson RapsHQ Runni…
3. Marcus Camby Eazy E’s
4. Andre Iguodala TSN Takedown
5. Carmelo Anthony Cabbage Blat…
6. David West Starbury Bea…
7. Kevin Martin CBC Shot Cal…
8. Paul Pierce TeeBall
9. Rudy Gay media whores
10. Jason Richardson RotoRob
11. Vince Carter TSN.ca
12. Rashard Lewis White Chocolate

Gasol as the top pick in this round is a reach; I had him scheduled to be picked early in the fourth round. I think Team Steroids reached for Billups too soon in the last round as well, but it didn’t jump out at me like the Gasol pick did. I really like the Joe Johnson pick in this round – I think that’s a great value selection. I was happy to get J-Rich here to fill my SG slot, giving me positional flexibility (I can use him at SF as well) and filling in the area I had yet to address with my first two picks – 3-point shooting.

Fourth Round

1. Ron Artest White Chocolate
2. Andrew Bynum TSN.ca
3. Kevin Durant RotoRob
4. Brandon Roy media whores
5. Hedo Turkoglu TeeBall
6. Antawn Jamison CBC Shot Cal…
7. Mo Williams Starbury Bea…
8. Josh Howard Cabbage Blat…
9. Jason Kidd TSN Takedown
10. Andre Miller Eazy E’s
11. Stephen Jackson RapsHQ Runni…
12. Rasheed Wallace Team Steroids

Bynum’s selection here jumps out at me as too high. I guess when Camby went high in the third round, Scott felt that he better take a No. 1 centre off the board. Personally, I would have preferred Bogut or Mehmet Okur here, as Bynum is still a risk, as far as I’m concerned. With the propensity of power forwards that also qualify at centre, I think Bynum is a borderline No. 1 centre. Mo Williams before Jason Kidd and Andre Miller? That surprised me, and I think that TSN Takedown and Eazy E’s said ‘thank you, very much,’ and nabbed themselves solid No. 1 PGs in the process. Some may think I reached for Durant here, but I wanted to fill my SF slot (he also qualifies at SG, so that’s a bonus) and get a guy who could potentially score close to 30 PPG. There’s major upside here, and that was another goal of mine – try to focus on players poised to take their games to the next level. Williams, Jefferson, Durant, Bogut, Conley and Hawes all fit into this category, and Fernandez is a major sleeper, of course.

Round Five

1. Michael Redd Team Steroids
2. Al Horford RapsHQ Runni…
3. Gerald Wallace Eazy E’s
4. Tyson Chandler TSN Takedown
5. Emeka Okafor Cabbage Blat…
6. Mike Dunleavy Starbury Bea…
7. Devin Harris CBC Shot Cal…
8. Greg Oden TeeBall
9. Mehmet Okur media whores
10. Andrew Bogut RotoRob
11. Jamal Crawford TSN.ca
12. Andris Biedrins White Chocolate

Horford going second in this round continues the trend of centres going far above slot. I love “the other” Big Al, but I had him going in the middle of Round Six. Tyson Chander’s selection here kept that pattern alive. The Dunleavy pick was a superb selection; I was primed to grab him if he fell to me, and I started thinking he might for a while there. But when Oden was grabbed (again, perhaps two rounds too early), I’m sure media whores was stoked to get Okur and I was only too happy to take breakout candidate Bogut. Not only did this give me a true centre (Jefferson qualifies there), but it really provided a shot in the arm to my team’s rebounding and shot blocking capabilities. Bogut is slagged as a bust because he went No. 1 overall and got a the huge contract, but he just keeps getting better and we haven’t come close to seeing the best he has to offer yet.

Round Six

1. David Lee White Chocolate
2. Tracy McGrady TSN.ca
3. Chris Kaman RotoRob
4. Corey Maggette media whores
5. Lamar Odom TeeBall
6. LaMarcus Aldridge CBC Shot Cal…
7. Mike Miller Starbury Bea…
8. Samuel Dalembert Cabbage Blat…
9. Peja Stojakovic TSN Takedown
10. Tony Parker Eazy E’s
11. Zydrunas Ilgauskas RapsHQ Runni…
12. Ray Allen Team Steroids

Wow, I love David Lee as much as the next person; in fact, he almost single-handedly carried my expert team to a title a couple of years ago, but this is way too early. On the other hand, getting T-Mac in the sixth round? Sweet score. I was primed to take McGrady, and suck up all the panic attacks that owning him entails, so in a weird sort of way, I was happy the choice was taken out of my hands. But then came the glitch. I had a quick Internet hiccup (there was a thunderstorm), and that’s all it took for the system to autopick Kaman for me. Now, if you’re going to be screwed into an autopick, there are worse ways to go – a couple of years ago, I got stuck with Eddie Jones this way. Yikes! So, I sucked it up, and figured, what the hell, that takes care of my second centre. I had planned to take Richard Jefferson in this slot to give me a true SF, but maybe it’s for the best – RJ seems to be struggling to find his offense in Milwaukee. Other picks that jumped out at me in this round: Ilgauskus — this is way too early for Big Z – another centre getting pulled up the draft. However, Ray Allen lasting to the end of this round provides a great value pick.

Round Seven

1. Richard Jefferson Team Steroids
2. John Salmons RapsHQ Runni…
3. Brad Miller Eazy E’s
4. Mike Bibby TSN Takedown
5. Luol Deng Cabbage Blat…
6. Jermaine O’Neal Starbury Bea…
7. Randy Foye CBC Shot Cal…
8. Rajon Rondo TeeBall
9. Michael Beasley media whores
10. Andrei Kirilenko RotoRob
11. O.J. Mayo TSN.ca
12. Jason Terry White Chocolate

There goes RJ – a nice pick this late in the draft, giving Team Steroids a nice one-two coup in the middle of the draft. I was planning to take J.O. in this round, and got scooped, but that may be another situation where the pick you don’t make winds up being your best choice, as Starbury should count his lucky starts if O’Neal plays 65 games. So then I set my sights on Beasley, but got beaten to him by one freaking pick. My consolation prize is an athlete who openly cries in front of the media. That’s okay – he’s sensitive. And although he has never touched his numbers from three and four years ago, AK-47 remains a top shot blocker, and that’s shaping up like an area where I am going to be very competitive in. Plus, this pick seems to piss off a couple of people, so that’s always sweet.

Round Eight

1. T.J. Ford White Chocolate
2. Derrick Rose TSN.ca
3. Raymond Felton RotoRob
4. Zach Randolph media whores
5. Charlie Villanueva TeeBall
6. Troy Murphy CBC Shot Cal…
7. Al Harrington Starbury Bea…
8. Leandro Barbosa Cabbage Blat…
9. Thaddeus Young TSN Takedown
10. Marvin Williams Eazy E’s
11. J.R. Smith RapsHQ Runni…
12. Richard Hamilton Team Steroids

I love the Derrick Rose pick here, even though it’s a bit gutsy. I chose a much safer (and less dynamic) option in Felton, yet again thinking that “I won’t get screwed in assists…I won’t get screwed in assists…” Z-Bo is a tremendous pick in the eighth round and I also love the Marvin Williams pick – I wanted him in Round Nine coming the other way. Young, however, feels early. Others seemed quite stoked about this pick, but maybe I’m just not as high on him as most. I didn’t love the Harrington pick here, either.

Round Nine

1. Manu Ginobili Team Steroids
2. Gilbert Arenas RapsHQ Runni…
3. Shane Battier Eazy E’s
4. Anthony Parker TSN Takedown
5. Jameer Nelson Cabbage Blat…
6. Kirk Hinrich Starbury Bea…
7. Matt Barnes CBC Shot Cal…
8. Monta Ellis TeeBall
9. Mickael Pietrus media whores
10. Rafer Alston RotoRob
11. Al Thornton TSN.ca
12. Jason Maxiell White Chocolate

And so it begins – the round of taking players who are currently out with long-term injuries. Manu, Hibatchi and Ellis all go in this round, but with just two bench slots, it seems early to use up half your bench on a player who won’t play for two months (Ginobili) or longer (Arenas, Ellis…although reports on Arenas coming back earlier make this choice much easier to swallow). But hey, you’ve got to take risks to win, and each of these three owners had the balls to go get marquee talents in the ninth round. I don’t like Battier here – it’s too early, and although he helps in everything, he really doesn’t excel in anything, especially since defensive acumen and leadership aren’t fantasy categories. Jameer Nelson here could be a very solid pick. Once he was gone, I opted to take another PG (I shall not leave dimes on the table) in Alston. Skip to my Lou could kill my FG percentage, but the threes are sweet.

Round 10

1. Jamario Moon White Chocolate
2. Andrea Bargnani TSN.ca
3. Ricky Davis RotoRob
4. Luis Scola media whores
5. Drew Gooden TeeBall
6. Kenyon Martin CBC Shot Cal…
7. Beno Udrih Starbury Bea…
8. Ronnie Brewer Cabbage Blat…
9. Wilson Chandler TSN Takedown
10. Ben Gordon Eazy E’s
11. Nick Collison RapsHQ Runni…
12. Tayshaun Prince Team Steroids

Moon scares me…I am not liking the reports I hear; Bargnani, on the other hand, could prove to be a great pick. I opted for a safe scorer – going with Davis, who could put up big numbers on a Clipper team that no longer has Elton Brand. I love the Prince selection at the end of this round; he could be poised for a big season.

Round 11

1. Boris Diaw Team Steroids
2. Joakim Noah RapsHQ Runni…
3. Jeff Green Eazy E’s
4. Nene Hilario TSN Takedown
5. Andray Blatche Cabbage Blat…
6. Kevin Love Starbury Bea…
7. Luke Ridnour CBC Shot Cal…
8. Chris Andersen TeeBall
9. Brook Lopez media whores
10. Mike Conley RotoRob
11. Chris Duhon TSN.ca
12. Francisco Garcia White Chocolate

I’ve soured on Noah this fall; maybe I’ll be proved wrong, but I’m not that high on him right now. Chris Andersen is a seriously deep sleeper – that pick could have been had in the last round, in my opinion. I may regret taking Conley over Duhon here, but it just seems to me that Conley’s upside is far higher, even though Duhon seems to have the job nailed down.

Round 12

1. James Posey White Chocolate
2. Shaquille O’Neal TSN.ca
3. Rudy Fernandez RotoRob
4. Rodney Stuckey media whores
5. Ramon Sessions TeeBall
6. Udonis Haslem CBC Shot Cal…
7. Tyrus Thomas Starbury Bea…
8. Kendrick Perkins Cabbage Blat…
9. Nate Robinson TSN Takedown
10. Travis Outlaw Eazy E’s
11. Brandon Bass RapsHQ Runni…
12. Antonio McDyess Team Steroids

We’re starting to see players that I would have assumed would be available on the waiver wire here. Posey? Sessions, to a lesser extent? Certainly Bass as well could have been had later on. It’s hard to believe Shaq has fallen to the 12th round…wow. I went for the media darling sleeper here in Fernandez as it felt like people were starting to reach for their sleeper picks (once Blatche went in the previous round, it was getting to that time). Stuckey follows in this pattern and so do Thomas and Robinson – all of which could be fantastic picks.

Round 13

1. Andres Nocioni Team Steroids
2. Amir Johnson RapsHQ Runni…
3. Raja Bell Eazy E’s
4. Marc Gasol TSN Takedown
5. Rashad McCants Cabbage Blat…
6. Marcus Williams Starbury Bea…
7. Hakim Warrick CBC Shot Cal…
8. Delonte West TeeBall
9. Robin Lopez media whores
10. Chris Wilcox RotoRob
11. Vladimir Radmanovic TSN.ca
12. Sean Williams White Chocolate

Johnson is another sleeper pick that’s gained tremendous media appeal. We’ll see – I love the shot blocking, but the dude can’t really score. The Gasol pick was sweet – another great sleeper, and Marcus Williams may fall into that category once Nellie realizes that Captain Jack isn’t really a PG. I wanted Warrick here – I love that pick by CBC, but I settled for Wilcox. My team was feeling a bit small, so I wanted another big rebounder here. Sean Williams is another super sleeper – man, would I love to see how many shots he’d block with 30 MPG.

Round 14

1. Ryan Gomes White Chocolate
2. Louis Williams TSN.ca
3. Spencer Hawes RotoRob
4. Kelenna Azubuike media whores
5. Tim Thomas TeeBall
6. Earl Watson CBC Shot Cal…
7. Paul Millsap Starbury Bea…
8. Jerryd Bayless Cabbage Blat…
9. Stephon Marbury TSN Takedown
10. Yi Jianlian Eazy E’s
11. Grant Hill RapsHQ Runni…
12. Ben Wallace Team Steroids

And so it ends. I went for a flier and tried to bring in more rebounding with Hawes. What the hell. If he sucks, I will use the wire. I love CBC getting a starting PG (for now, anyways) in Watson this late, although I really expected Russell Westbrook to go before him and he’s still sitting on the wire. Millsap is a great final pick, and so are Marbury and Jianlian.

Overall, I’m quite pleased with my team. I feel like I stuck to my plan and didn’t get sucked into any runs for centres, PGs, injured players or what have you. I walked away feeling pretty stoked about my team — especially given my low draft standing.

I’d like to say I saved the best for last, but in reality, the NBA’s Southeast Division was hardly relevant last season despite producing three of the conference’s eight playoff teams. The primary reason for that was that no team people thought had a viable chance to represent the East in the Finals – Boston, Detroit or Cleveland – played there. The demise of the Heat didn’t help, nor did a Washington team minus Gilbert Arenas. That left Orlando as the only team of note, though the Hawks made some noise in the postseason. This year should be a little more interesting if the Heat can actually stay healthy, as it has the individual talent to push the Magic. The Wizards are window dressing, while Charlotte remains on loan from the NBDL. Zing!

ORLANDO MAGIC (52-30)
Lost in Conference Semifinals

The last member of the East’s 50-win club, the Magic had little trouble dispatching the Raptors in Round One before getting eliminated in five games by the Pistons. Orlando was run off the floor in Games One and Two, but routed Detroit in Game Three and played them tight in two close losses to finish the series. The Magic responded by making some peripheral changes to its roster while keeping the core intact. Maurice Evans (Hawks) is the biggest departure, but the losses of Carlos Arroyo and Keyon Dooling leave the team thin behind Jameer Nelson. The club moved to address that with the signing of Anthony Johnson, but in scouting vernacular, he’s “just a guy.” The overlooked signing of Mickael Pietrus to take over as the team’s starting off-guard gives the Magic a great defender on the perimeter and another player that can knock down the open three.

Of course, the team revolves around Dwight Howard, who has physical gifts 99 per cent of the league can only dream about. He doesn’t turn 23 until December and is coming off a year where he averaged roughly 21 and 14 a night. He’s capable of more, though, and has been called out at times for a lack of intensity. If he can hone his killer instinct a bit we could be talking about 24-16 with three-plus blocks. Joining Howard in the frontcourt are Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. Both men are good scorers and excellent spot-up shooters, but neither is a bruiser on the glass, which puts more pressure on Howard to control the paint. Depth is an issue here, with Brian Cook (another perimeter big man) and “El Busto” himself, Tony Battie, being counted on to provide help off the bench. Keith Bogans should see minutes at small forward and shooting guard, where we might also be treated to an occasional J.J. Redick sighting. Look for Orlando to capture the division again, but unless it finds some help for Howard on the boards don’t look for the Magic to advance deep into the playoffs.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…Nelson – He raised his game in the postseason (16.2 PPG) and has fewer options behind him in 2008-09 with Mike Wilks done for the year and Johnson nothing but a journeyman. I look for Nelson to log most of the minutes at the point and average in the 15 PPG-6 APG range. If you’re looking for a deep sleeper, try Pietrus.

Guy I hate…Lewis – The move from Seattle wasn’t kind to Lewis, who had already gone from a guy that looked like he could do it all to primarily a perimeter scorer. He lost six points a game off his average from 2006-07 and is a sad rebounder for a power forward. Don’t look for things to improve much this year, either, as despite the big contract he’s the third offensive option in Orlando.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS (43-39)
Lost in First Round

Despite playing most of last year without Agent Zero, the Wizards still managed to put together a respectable effort both in the regular season and during a hard-fought six-game loss to Cleveland in Round One. The team didn’t let Arenas’ injury woes stop them from inking him to a lucrative six-year deal to stay in D.C., and they were rewarded with…well, another injury. Arenas’ rehab from knee surgery is expected to keep him out until at least December even though Hibachi has indicated he’s ahead of schedule and could be back in late-November. The Wizard also re-upped Antawn Jamison, which when combined with the Arenas move seem a bit curious as this current group has yet to get past the first round in a watered down Eastern Conference. After taking care of their own, the Wizards had little left to play with, losing Roger Mason and replacing him with Juan Dixon. Can you say “downgrade?”

Joining Jamison in the frontcourt is Caron Butler, who has developed into a legitimate star. Sure, he doesn’t get the attention of Arenas, but it’d be an uphill battle for anyone to convince me Arenas is more valuable to a club than Butler. The loss of Brendan Haywood to a wrist injury hurts as Etan Thomas has health concerns and never lived up to his potential. The upside is that it could open the door for talented 22-year-old Andray Blatche, who looked like a player on the rise last year. Antonio Daniels and DeShawn Stevenson should open the year as the starting backcourt until Agent Zero is up and running, but neither player creates much excitement. Dixon and Nick Young should handle the back-up duties. There’s a certain staleness about this team, and were it not for the overall mediocrity of the East I might pick them to miss the playoffs, but instead I’ll just say they’ll be a seventh or eighth seed this year.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…Blatche – He made 15 starts last season, averaging 11.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in those games. With Haywood gone and Thomas coming off heart surgery, Blatche could get a chance to start sooner rather than later. 

Guy I hate…Jamison – Once again this is a case where hate is too strong a word as Jamison should be a solid fantasy contributor this year, it’s simply that I feel he’ll take a step back statistically after landing his big contract. Jamison is more of a 19-8 guy than a 21-10 guy, so just make sure you take that into account on draft day.

ATLANTA HAWKS (37-45)
Lost in First Round

Despite finishing eight games under .500, the Hawks still made the playoffs last year and once there, nearly authored one of the most amazing upsets in league history. Atlanta drew eventual champion Boston in Round One and pushed the Celtics to seven games with the home team winning each time. For the first time in recent memory the Philips Arena was rocking, and the young Hawks fed off the emotion. Of course, the Hawks then built on that momentum during the offseason by losing valuable sixth man Josh Childress…to a team in Greece! It was an embarrassing backwards step for the Hawks, who must’ve thought Childress’ restricted free-agent status meant they could completely ignore him. They did match an offer sheet for Josh Smith, though not before creating some ill will on that front as well. Negotiating missteps aside, the Hawks do have some pretty solid pieces in place for 2008-09.

In addition to Smith, Marvin Williams finally showed some of the potential that made him the second overall pick, and Al Horford is the real deal. That group gives the Hawks one of the top up-and-coming frontcourts in the NBA. Depth could be an issue with Childress gone, though the signing of Maurice Evans helps, while Zaza Pachulia returns as their top reserve at power forward and centre. Veterans Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby hold things down in the backcourt, giving the Hawks reliable production and a nice counterbalance to their youthful frontcourt. Acie Law and Flip Murray are the respective backups. Speedy Claxton also remains on roster, but injuries have derailed his career, so they can’t rely on anything from him. The Hawks will be counting on internal improvement to keep them in the playoffs while teams like Milwaukee and Miami try to knock them out of post-season contention. At this point, I don’t like Atlanta’s chances.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…Horford – He nearly averaged a double-double as a rookie despite playing just 31 minutes per game and rarely looking for his own offense. Horford’s willingness to bang on the boards and be content with scraps was admirable, but I expect him to log more minutes this year and be more involved offensively. Don’t think 15-12 is out of reach for this guy.

Guy I hate…Bibby – At some point in the past two seasons Bibby forgot how to shoot the ball, going from 47 per cent at his apex down to around 41 per cent. His points have gone south as well and didn’t bounce back when he came over from Sacramento. Bibby’s contract year status works in his favour, but I’m betting against a full-fledged renaissance.

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (32-50)
Lottery Team

OK, so we all know the Bobcats have done virtually nothing since entering the NBA four seasons ago, but did you know that despite a cumulative won-loss record of 109-219 and having never won more than 33 games, the Bobcats have never finished in last place? That’s incredible to me. They had 18- and 26-win seasons…and still finished fourth! Such is life in the Southeast Division apparently. In all fairness, the Bobcats have actually put together a roster with some fine young talent – in fact, Nazr Mohammed is the only player older than 28 on the team. Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace are both very good wing players that can do a lot of things well, and Emeka Okafor has averaged a double-double every year of his career. Raymond Felton has put up pretty decent numbers, but new head coach Larry Brown prefers that his point guards distribute the ball more than score, which may not play to Felton’s strengths as he’s more of a hybrid in the vein of Cleveland’s Mo Williams.

Adding to Felton’s problems is the selection of D.J. Augustin, who may be groomed as the future in Charlotte with Felton an RFA after the season. Three-point specialist Matt Carroll should back up Richardson at the other guard spot. The wild card in Charlotte is the health of Sean May, who missed all of last year following knee surgery. If he’s right, he can start at the four and allow Okafor to play centre and that lineup gives them a lot more potential than one with Mohammad starting. Jared Dudley should see plenty of run given his toughness – a trait Brown covets – while former third overall pick Adam Morrison will likely be given around 15 minutes a night to see if he can offer anything. If May can return to form and Brown can bring leadership to a perennially rudderless team, Charlotte could surprise.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…May – Memories are short in fantasy sports, so we’ll excuse you if you’d forgotten how good May looked in spurts before getting injured. The guy has 16-8 potential on this team if he can stay on the court. Granted, that’s a big if, but it’ll only cost you a final-round pick to find out.

Guy I hate…Felton – I don’t think he’s losing his job to Augustin this year, but he’s not a pure point guard in any sense of the word, and I worry how he’ll fit with Brown doling out the minutes. He’s still worth drafting, but not until the latter portion of the middle rounds.

MIAMI HEAT (15-67)
Lottery Team

From NBA champions to the worst team in the league in two short years, the Heat were snake bit by injuries to be sure, but it also mailed in huge portions of the season and shut down guys for the year with some dubious ailments. Would you believe Ricky Davis was the only guy to play more than 70 games for the Heat last season? Wow. Its reward for an awful season was getting to add Michael Beasley to holdover All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion. That forms a three-man core to rival nearly any in the league, though the fact that they’ve never played together generates some question marks. Miami’s seemingly endless point guard situation creates even more questions with the team counting on Marcus Banks and Mario Chalmers to get the job done (Miami has even brought in Shaun Livingston to see if he can resurrect his career after that horrible injury less than two years ago). Outside of a brief run with Minnesota, Banks has never proven to be anything more than a backup, while the rookie Chalmers is undersized and not much of a creator off the dribble.

Udonis Haslem is a solid power forward that will probably end up playing a lot of centre minutes so they can get Marion and Beasley on the floor at the same time. When they want a little more size, Haslem can move back to the four and have Mark Blount handle the centre duties. Things thin considerably after that foursome, though Dorell Wright should be a solid reserve at small forward, giving them a little more versatility. I expect the Heat to give the Wade-Marion-Beasley combo some time to click, but not too much. If Miami is struggling to contend come January or February expect Marion and his expiring deal to be moved in an effort to build around Wade and Beasley.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…Beasley – This borders on a “no-brainer,” but I think some might devalue the rookie because Marion and Wade are going to get theirs. However, even assuming both will be healthy (questionable) and remain in Miami all season (doubtful), Beasley should still see plenty of touches and scoring opportunities as the third option. 

Guy I hate…Haslem – I see three options for Haslem this year: (a) his minutes get slashed; (b) he plays out of position as an undersized centre; or (c) he gets traded. The first two are bad and the third is a complete unknown. He’s not the guy he was two years ago in terms of fantasy value.

1. Chris Paul, PG, New Orleans Hornets: Paul stayed healthy, took care of the rock, and improved almost across the board last season. Don’t expect his PT to rise, but the sky is the limit for the No. 1 player in all of fantasy basketball.

2. Kobe Bryant, SG, Los Angeles Lakers: If Kobe can get to the line more and improve his FT shooting back to 2006-07 levels, he’ll again be a 30+ PPG man.

3. Dwyane Wade, PG/SG, Miami Heat: He’s finally healthy and this preseason has been showing a touch from downtown – the only aspect missing from his game. If you don’t care about TOs, Flash is one of the best in the biz, and he’s back, baby.

4. Deron Williams, PG, Utah Jazz: His outside touch bounced back last year, and he continues to improve at drawing fouls. Already over a 10 APG dude, how good can this kid get? We may find out this year, but his ankle injury will cost him the first few games of the season, dropping him below Wade.

5. Allen Iverson, PG/SG, Denver Nuggets: Sure, he’s getting on his years, but he still gets his shot off and does a pretty good job from the perimeter. Toss in the points, boards and steals, and the lowest turnover rate of this career, and AI is still worth using a late first round pick to obtain.

6. Steve Nash, PG, Phoenix Suns: Because his minutes and games will be limited, Captain Canada falls out of the first round, but keeping him fresh may prove to make him more productive in the long run. Keep in mind, Nash is coming off the best outside shooting season he’s ever had.

7. Baron Davis, PG, Los Angeles Clippers: B-Diddy stayed completely healthy last year for the first time since 2001-02, and he responded with his finest season yet. Right now, it appears the finger injury won’t be an issue, but what are the chances he stays completely healthy again this year?

8. Joe Johnson, PG/SG, Atlanta Hawks: I’d like to see Johnson’s steals bounce back, but a guard that can help out in virtually everything else – including rebounds – is pretty damn sweet.

9. Jason Richardson, SG/SF, Charlotte Bobcats: A true swingman, J-Rich enjoyed a great bounceback season, doing a good job of getting to the line, and contributing nicely off the glass – especially for someone you can use as a guard on your team.

10. Jose Calderon, PG, Toronto Raptors: Calderon needs to use his blow-by speed to draw more fouls – something that will help his scoring average soar, but the expected major breakout should happen this season.

11. Chauncey Billups, PG, Detroit Pistons:Mr. Big Shot’s touches are slipping on a deeper Detroit team, and his PT will likely slide a bit this season, but he remains a great bet.

12. Vince Carter, SG/SF, New Jersey Nets: Despite the fact he didn’t make a start at forward last year, Yahoo! has him qualified there, a nice bonus for his owners. VC’s rebounding has improved in the past couple of years, and he remains a solid scorer, but I’m concerned how this notorious suck is going to handle playing for what should be a struggling team this year.

13. Kevin Durant, SG/SF, Oklahoma City Thunder: Take a look at Durant’s numbers down the stretch – especially in terms of FG percentage – and you’ll get a preview of what to expect this season.

14. Brandon Roy, PG/SG, Portland Trailblazers: I’d like to see Roy’s 3-point accuracy bounce back this year, but the fact that he’s drawing more fouls is going to help him take his game to the next level.

15. Jason Kidd, PG, Dallas Mavericks: He’s going to slide in many drafts, but that may in fact make him quite valuable relative to draft position. J-Kidd is as durable as they come, and although his shooting will hurt you and his great rebounding totals are sliding, he still is a great source of steals and a veritable double-double machine.

16. Kevin Martin, SG, Sacramento Kings: Martin has become a bigger part of the King offense every season, and he did a superb job of getting to the line last year. I’d love to see more steals, because you know the blocks are non-existent, the boards are limited and the assists are also sparse, making him somewhat limited, fantasy-wise.

17. Andre Miller, PG, Philadelphia 76ers: Don’t expect him to match last season’s career-best 17 PPG with Elton Brand now in Philly, but Miller has consistently improved his TO rate, and makes for a fine PG option.

18. Tracy McGrady, SG/SF, Houston Rockets: Yes, the red flags are waving all around, but T-Mac was able to log fairly heavy minutes last year when he was in the lineup. He doesn’t employ the 3-pointer as much as he once did, but he can still produce even if we don’t know how many games he’ll actually play. McGrady’s swingman status is a nice bonus for his owners, too.

19. Ray Allen, SG, Boston Celtics: Allen’s touches were way down as part of the Big Three in Boston, but he shot better and remains a fantastic source of 3-pointers.

20. Mo Williams, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers: Williams has responded to increased PT by just continuing to improve. He never shot better last year and developed his outside game to new levels. There are questions about how he’ll co-exist with LeBron James in Cleveland, but Williams will still get his numbers.

21. Tony Parker, PG, San Antonio Spurs: Parker was able to log a few more minutes last year, when he was healthy that is, and he hoisted up a few more 3-pointers, but without much success. Still, he’ll get you some points, drop some dimes and does a good job of getting to the line.

22. Michael Redd, SG/SF: Although he made no starts at forward last year, he qualifies as a swingman. Redd didn’t have a banner season last year. His PT has been sliding in recent years and he’s not hoisting up as many 3-pointers. Fortunately, Redd is still a scoring machine, and that makes him worthy in this slot.

23. Devin Harris, PG, New Jersey Nets: Harris went a long way towards developing an outside presence last year, something that will make him much more valuable with his blow-by speed. He’s been seriously hyped – probably too much – but I’m expecting modest improvements.

24. Jamal Crawford, PG/SG, New York Knicks: Crawford stayed healthy, and shot a bit better en route to a career season. He may not be able to duplicate this as the Knicks try to spread things around, but he remains their top scoring option.

25. Mike Miller, SG/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves: His back is always a concern, but Miller is going to anchor your outside game, and contribute in other areas, too.

26. Randy Foye, PG/SG, Minnesota Timberwolves: Health is the only thing holding Foye back now from making a run at elite PG status. I’d like to see him get to the line more, as that will really help his offense.

27. Mike Bibby, PG, Atlanta Hawks: Expect a big rebound season after Bibby spent much of last year sidelined. He shot well from downtown, rebounded better and improved his assist per game average even though it was a mostly lost season.

28. Raymond Felton, PG/SG, Charlotte Bobcats: Felton’s long-distance game has been deteriorating, but the rest of his numbers are getting better, especially his FT shooting.

29. Jason Terry, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks: Terry’s PT dropped last season, as he spent more than half the season as a reserve. He’ll be the Mavs’ sixth man this season, but as long as his 3-point shooting bounces back, I’m expecting Terry to be rather useful.

30. Rajon Rondo, PG, Boston Celtics: Rondo made great progress last season – especially shining in the playoffs, but many people will overvalue him based on his post-season performance. He’s good, but not quite elite yet.

31. Rafer Alston, PG, Houston Rockets: Skip to My Lou has been pretty consistent the past couple of years, and he’s enjoyed more touches in each of the past two seasons, although last year he didn’t get off as many long bombs as usual. He’s a solid pick once the stud PGs are gone.

32. T.J. Ford, PG, Indiana Pacers: Ford’s PT was down significantly last year as he battled both injuries and the upstart Calderon. The latter is no longer a problem, but the former could rear its ugly head again at any time.

33. Leandro Barbosa, PG/SG, Phoenix Suns: Barbosa was unable to build on his breakout 2006-07 and his PT and touches dropped as a result. However, he remains among the top sources of treys in the association.

34. Richard Hamilton, SG, Detroit Pistons: While Rip’s scoring dipped, he used the long distance shot more than ever, and did quite well with it.

35. John Salmons, SG/SF, Sacramento Kings: Salmons is coming off his finest offensive year. Although he used the 3-pointer more, his accuracy left something wanting. He’s a nice sleeper pick with Ron Artest gone and Francisco Garcia hurting.

36. Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls: Rose will shift Kirk Hinrich to the two-guard spot – that’s how good this rookie has a chance to be. In terms of value for this season, flip a coin between him and Hinrich.

37. Kirk Hinrich, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls: The normally durable Hinrich missed more action than every before last year, and his play suffered badly – especially his outside game. I think it’s worth the gamble that Captain Kirk bounces back, and don’t worry – he’ll be seeing time at the two-guard, so will mostly be starting alongside Rose.

38. Ben Gordon, SG, Chicago Bulls: What the hell! Let’s have a Bulls’ backcourt party, shall we? Gordon will be coming off the bench mostly, but don’t worry – he’s actually better as a sixth man, averaging almost two more points per game in six and half less minutes as a reserve compared to when he starts.

39. Manu Ginobili, SG, San Antonio Spurs: Coming off a career year, Ginobili will miss a couple of months after ankle surgery, but he’s still worth a mid-round pick.

40. Monta Ellis, PG/SG, Golden State Warriors: Ellis shot the lights out during a breakout year last season, but in the offseason, he blew out his ankle and then lied about how it happened, earning himself a three-month suspension to begin the year. He’s a high risk/high reward pick this season as a result.

Others to Consider

Beno Urdih, Sacramento Kings
Jameer Nelson, Orlando Magic
Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards (if you have room to stash him on your bench until the second half)
Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies
Anthony Parker, Toronto Raptors
O.J. Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies
Raja Bell, Phoenix Suns
Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trail Blazers

All systems appeared to be on cruise control on Planet Orange last season, but when the Lakers pulled the trigger on a deal for Pau Gasol, the Suns felt they could no longer stand pat. GM Steve Kerr swung for the fences to say the least, dealing talented enigma Shawn Marion to the Heat in exchange for “The Big Aristotle” himself, Shaquille O’Neal. The move was meant to give the Suns more size and rebounding on the interior, giving them a better chance to match the Lakers’ suddenly towering frontline and get past long-time rival San Antonio.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan as Phoenix’s up-tempo offense was slowed by O’Neal, who took a while to round into shape. Steve Nash and Grant Hill, two players on the wrong side of 30, were asked to play far too many minutes by now-departed head coach Mike D’Antoni, and Hill was useless by the time the playoffs rolled around. His inability to find any minutes for first-round pick Alando Tucker – he played 48 minutes the entire season – made no sense given Tucker’s athleticism and Hill’s age. Hopefully new head man Terry Porter will have more success integrating Tucker and this year’s first-rounder, Robin Lopez, into the team’s rotation to save their veterans’ legs for the playoffs.

While conventional wisdom suggests the window of opportunity has more or less closed on this team given the coaching change and advancing age of many of their key contributors – Nash (34), Hill (36), O’Neal (36) and Raja Bell (32) – the team does boast two legitimate superstars in Nash and Amare Stoudemire. The presence of O’Neal for a full season should help Stoudemire, who averaged nearly 29 PPG following O’Neal’s arrival.

Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw will be the first two guys off the bench, and their development will be critical to any postseason push the Suns hope to make. Barbosa has incredible quickness, but was maddeningly inconsistent last season, highlighted by his brutal play in the San Antonio series. Diaw has a ton of talent, but like Barbosa, needs to find a way to deliver the goods more often. The Spurs had no answers for him in that same series, and when he’s on his game he presents considerable matchup problems for the opposition. After that, Lopez should see some minutes behind O’Neal, while newcomer Matt Barnes will vie for time off the pine with Tucker.

The “seven seconds or less” era may be officially dead, but don’t bury this team’s title hopes just yet. They still feature a lot of talent, and for guys like Nash and Hill this may be their last best chance at a championship. It’s an uphill battle to be sure, but if they embrace some of Porter’s changes and become an improved defensive team, maybe it’ll be enough to put them over the top come playoff time.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Steve Nash
SG: Raja Bell
SF: Grant Hill
PF: Amare Stoudemire
C: Shaquille O’Neal

Key Bench Players: Leandro Barbosa, Boris Diaw, Matt Barnes, Robin Lopez, Alando Tucker.

Position Battles

The starting five is etched in stone, and we can pretty much guarantee Barbosa will be the top backcourt reserve while Diaw will be the first frontcourt player off the bench. Lopez is also a safe bet to see some decent minutes behind O’Neal. That leaves Tucker and Barnes to fight for the ninth spot in the rotation.

Barnes has the flexibility to play both forward spots, which gives Porter options if he wants to go small. Tucker dominated the NBDL and is a scorer that knows how to get to the basket and finish. He’s also a product of the University of Wisconsin, which has been known for their lockdown defense under head coach Bo Ryan. That experience could make him an attractive option as the Suns try to change their anti-defense culture. Considering they invested a first-round pick in Tucker, it would make sense for the Suns to at least give him some run early to see what they’ve got. Look for the second-year forward to get first crack at the job.

Stud: Twenty-eight games. That was how often O’Neal suited up with the Suns last season. In those 28 games, Stoudemire posted more than 30 points 13 times…and eight of those were double-doubles! His rebounding fluctuated a bit, but he failed to surpass 20 points just twice in those 28 games, and one of those came in the last game of the year in which he played only 18 minutes. At 25, Stoudemire is just reaching his prime and could push for 30-10 this season. No, seriously.

Dud: If Barbosa runs at back-up point this year it’s simply because they have no one else that can handle the job – I’m looking skeptically at you right now, Goran Dragic – as the Brazilian Blur was abysmal in trying to facilitate the offense last season. Look for him to primarily play behind Bell and to see fewer minutes as a result. Add that to his falling shooting percentages from a season ago and we’ve got ourselves an overvalued talent.

Sleeper: The Suns are a veteran group with few unknowns, leaving Tucker as the only really viable choice here. As noted, he was a tremendous natural scorer in college, consistently getting to the rim when everyone knew he was the Badgers’ only option. He averaged 27.7 points and 6.0 boards a game in the NBDL, and if he shows he belongs early he could log 15 to 20 minutes per night.

Rookies to Watch: Lopez should see minutes behind O’Neal, and Stoudemire to a lesser extent, but his primarily contributions will come defensively and on the glass. Don’t expect a lot from him offensively. The team likes Dragic, and he should get first crack at backing up Nash, but the question with him (other than who the frig is this guy) is whether or not he can score in the NBA.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

Amare disclocated his pinkie earlier this week, but fantasy owners can breathe a sigh of relief as the big man will be fine for the start of the season.

Watch for Shaq to either sit out completely or see reduced minutes in the tail end of back-to-backs this season. Coach Porter suggests that O’Neal will get 28 to 30 minutes in the opening game and then less or perhaps even no minutes in the second game. It will particularly be an issue in the second half, so Shaq owners take note.

Few teams in recent memory did a more complete 180 from the start of a season to the end than the 2007-08 Lakers. The year began with Kobe Bryant vocally expressing his desire to be dealt from LA, throwing everyone from GM Mitch Kupchak to Andrew Bynum under the bus. The team played uninspired ball in November, but started to hit its stride in December and on into January, posting a 27-14 mark over the first half of the schedule.

Despite their record, few experts considered the Lakers a legitimate threat in the playoffs. That all changed on February 1, 2008, when the Lakers fleeced the Memphis Grizzlies for Pau Gasol. The arrival of the former All-Star seemed to be a natural fit from the get-go, and the Lake Show won 13 of its 15 games in February, announcing its presence as a contender. The trade also had the unexpected benefit of creating a domino effect among some of the West’s other top clubs, causing the Suns and Mavericks to attempt to make big splashes of their own that met with minimal success.

With Bryant, Gasol and Lamar Odom running the triangle offense to perfection, the Lakers captured the top seed in the ultra-competitive Western Conference and easily dispatched the Nuggets in Round One. They struggled with a tough Jazz club in the semis but prevailed, and caught a break against the Spurs when Manu Ginobili broke down physically in the conference finals. The Lakers were favoured by most to oust the Celtics and claim the NBA Championship, but Boston was the more physical club and eliminated LA in six games, which included an embarrassing loss in the deciding Game Six.

During the offseason, Los Angeles decided not to mess with what got it to the dance, with the only marginal rotation guy not coming back being Ronny Turiaf (Warriors). Bynum, who missed the entire playoffs following a knee injury, returns and Trevor Ariza could play a significant role off the bench after missing most of last season, but other than that it’s pretty much the same group.

However, despite limited changes, there remain plenty of unanswered questions surrounding the Lakers and their hopes for a second straight Western Conference banner. Even before tweaking his knee in the preseason (which appears to be mild), Bryant still had his lingering finger injury that will eventually require surgery to repair. Plus, he played deep into the playoffs last season and followed that up with an extended run in the Olympics. He’s north of 30 now, so fatigue could become a factor at some point.

The Bynum-Gasol-Odom dynamic is the most interesting question, as Odom will be asked the slide to small forward when all three are on the floor together, but that isn’t his natural position and he may be a bit slow afoot to guard his opposite number. Bynum’s ability to bounce back from his first serious injury is a concern, and his ongoing contract negotiations could be a distraction. Gasol got pushed around in the Finals and rarely pushed back, which raised questions about his toughness. And if things don’t work out, who can they land in exchange for Odom? So while on paper this could be a potentially dominant threesome, there are certainly plenty of things to be concerned about in 2008-09.

Despite the questions, the Lakers have a deep and talented team, and assuming Bryant’s knee injury is not serious they should challenge for another trip to the Finals.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Derek Fisher
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Vladimir Radmanovic
PF: Pau Gasol
C: Andrew Bynum

Key Bench Players: Odom, Jordan Farmar, Ariza, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton.

Position Battles

A lot of things are still up in the air in LA, though we pretty much know who will see the majority of the minutes. Look for Odom or Bynum to come off the bench, but both should get plenty of run. Bryant and Fisher will likely see fewer minutes this year with an eye on the playoffs, which means increased roles for Farmar and Vujacic.

The only true battle might be between Ariza and Walton, as successful 10-man rotations are few and far between. Ariza is younger and has more upside than Walton, and he looks to have the inside track at back-up small forward. Walton might be able to grab a few minutes at power forward if the Lakers want to go small, but he looks like he’ll be the odd man out when everyone is healthy.

Stud: He has played a ton of basketball the past 12 months and is holding off on a needed finger surgery, but Bryant is a no brainer as LA’s stud. He does it all on the court and contributes consistently in all the major fantasy categories. He might take a slight step back statistically this season as Jackson tries to get him a little more rest, but he’s still a lock as a top five pick.

Dud: Despite having plenty of options, Lakers fans have made Odom the goat of their Finals lost last year, and he has never exactly been Michael Jordan when it comes to mental toughness. He’s also being asked to play small forward instead of power forward and potentially come off the bench, which certainly doesn’t sit well with someone in a contract year. If things go south with the Gasol-Bynum-Odom experiment you can bet Odom will be the one leaving LA. I look for his numbers to drop across the board this season, which isn’t good news for an expected high-round fantasy pick.

Sleeper: I have to go with Farmar here. He looks poised to take over the starting role from Fisher, whose age and lack of foot speed make him a poor matchup for the West’s talented young point guards. I’m not expecting Farmar to be a breakout player this year, but if there is an unheralded Laker ready to step up, it’s this youngster.

Rookies to Watch: Their only draft pick was Joe Crawford, who was waived earlier this week. See ya, kid.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

Judging by his struggles this preseason, Odom is having a hell of a time adjusting to life off the bench. Because of his across-the-board production, he’s still someone you’ll want on your team, but don’t be grabbing him thinking you’re getting a double-double every night.

Bynum looks like a new man this preseason, clearly having shaken off his injury-riddled 2007-08 season. This could be the season he finally emerges as a legitimate No. 1 fantasy centre. The fact that he could be a restricted free agent at season’s end only serves to motivate the big man even more.

SG: Mickael Pietrus, Orlando Magic– Penciled in as starting SG in Orlando, he is very talented and should get enough run.

SF: Francisco Garcia, Sacramento Kings – With Ron Artest gone, Garcia will finally get starter-type minutes. He has shown he can put up solid numbers when he plays, but note that he may miss some time with a calf strain at the outset.

PF: Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee Bucks – Yi Jianlian getting dealt to New Jersey leaves Charlie V. as the starting PF on the Bucks, and he’ll get a chance to prove his worth.

C: Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls – After showing improvement late last season, he could earn more minutes.

Second Team

PG: Marcus Williams, Golden State Warriors – Run ‘N Gun with this tubby point guard may result in big numbers. Also, Monta Ellis is out for at least three months, further enhancing Williams’s chances of breaking out.

SG: Mike Miller, Minnesota Timberwolves – I think Miller will get plenty of shots in Minnesota. He has a deadly stroke from outside. Who likes threes?

SF: Yi Jianlian, New Jersey Nets – Yi gets his wish to move to a bigger market. I think he’ll make strides and puts up good numbers.

PF: Al Harrington, Golden State Warriors – Should get more minutes this year in Nelly’s system, and that usually translates into big numbers.

C: Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves – Love will be a solid contributor on the front line from Day One. The dude eats rebounds.

First Team

PG: Chris Duhon, New York Knicks – A likely starting point guard in a Mike D’Antoni offense? Sign me up.

SG: Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trailblazers – Coach Nate McMillan is going to have a tough time keeping Fernandez off the court. Did you watch the Olympics? This is a great late steal in my opinion.

SF: Ricky Davis, Los Angeles Clippers – Davis will replace Corey Maggette on the Clip Show. I think he could average 15 to 17 points a game, easy. Throw in four to five assists and boards a game and you are in business.

PF: Michael Beasley, Miami Heat – I don’t know if you can call him a sleeper, but people should not overlook him because he is a rook. I think Beasley has a legitimate shot to be an All-Star this year even with Shawn Marion and Dwyane Wade.

C: Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies – Don’t sleep on Pau’s younger brother. He is a skilled big man who can fill up the paint, and quite possibly the stat sheet. Who else is going to use up the centre minutes on the Grizz?

The Cavs ended last year on a sour note after losing to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. While everyone knows that LeBron James is one of the best players in the league (if not the best), the Cavs needed to solidify their backcourt in order to make a serious push to a title. Cleveland started by trading for Delonte West at the deadline last season, but it really made a splash this offseason by trading Joe Smith and Damon Jones to Milwaukee as part of a three-team, six-player deal that brought point guard Mo Williams to Cleveland. The Cavaliers are hopeful that Williams, who averaged 17.2 PPG and 6.3 APG last season, will not only be the best playmaker that they have had at the point guard spot since Andre Miller, but that he will also be a second scoring option behind James who can create his own shot.

In addition, the Cavs were able to lock up restricted free agents West and Daniel Gibson before the start of the preseason. With the addition of Williams and the re-signing of West and Gibson, expectations are sky high for this team heading into the 2008-09 season.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Mo Williams
SG: Sasha Pavlovic
SF: LeBron James
PF: Ben Wallace
C: Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Key Bench Players: Gibson, West, Wally Szczerbiak, Anderson Varejao, Lorenzen Wright.

Position Battles

The Cavs have a major battle at the shooting guard spot. With West missing two weeks of training camp due to a “mood disorder,” Pavlovic had a prime opportunity to snatch the job. However, West is back and Pavlovic has been inconsistent – on Saturday night he hit just 1-of-8 shots for six points while committing five fouls. Wally World also has a shot at the starting SG spot.

Stud: Wow, real tough choice here, but I guess I’ll have to go with Bron-Bron. James is coming off a ridiculous season in which he won the scoring title by averaging 30 points per game and added 7.9 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.1 blocks, 1.8 steals and 1.5 three-pointers for good measure. James is the top player in fantasy leagues — especially those that don’t track turnovers — and is only 23 years old. It is scary to think that he may not even have hit his prime yet.

Dud: In 22 games with the Cavs last season, Wallace averaged 4.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. Crippled by injuries all season, Big Ben averaged fewer than 10 boards per game for the first time in seven years. He definitely seems to be on the decline and I would expect Varejao to steal a ton of time from him and eventually unseat him as the starting power forward.

Sleeper: I don’t see a true sleeper on the roster of the Cavs, but I would target Varejao in late rounds. Last year, he averaged a career-high 8.3 rebounds per game in 48 appearances. He also saw more PT last season, averaging 27.4 minutes, and even cracked the starting lineup 13 times after the trade of Drew Gooden to the Bulls. If Varejao can unseat Wallace as a starter, I like him as a solid double-double guy.

Rookies to Watch: The Cavs drafted J.J. Hickson, a freshman power forward from N.C. State and traded for the rights to Kansas senior Darnell Jackson. Jackson is out at least a month with a fractured wrist. At this moment, it isn’t certain if Hickson will have a spot in the rotation with the addition of Wright and with Wallace and Varejao also ahead of him.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

Can Williams be the productive second scorer the Cavs have been searching for? Can LeBron be even more dominant this season? Who will step up in the Cavs frontcourt? These are all questions we’ll be tracking early this season.

Coming off an incredibly disappointing 33-49 season, the Chicago Bulls entered the offseason with a ton of questions. First, they needed a coach. Scott Skiles had been fired the previous Christmas Eve and his replacement, Jim Boylan, was unable to motivate his players and ultimately lost control of his team. The Bulls hunt for a new coach captured national headlines as both Mike D’Antoni and Doug Collins pulled out of consideration after reported deals had been made.

Finally, the Bulls settled for Vinny Del Negro, a former NBA veteran who had been in the Phoenix front office. Del Negro has never coached at any level and his success will be gauged on whether he leads the Bulls back to the playoffs or not.

Since the end of the Michael Jordan era, the Bulls have been a regular in the NBA draft lottery. In 1999, they won the first pick and selected Elton Brand. From 1999-2004, the Bulls drafted first, fourth, fourth, second, seventh and third respectively and also had the second pick in the 2006 draft. As a result, the team’s roster has been filled with young players who finally began to show promise by taking the Bulls to the playoffs in the past several years.

However, after the horrendous 2007-08 season, the Bulls found themselves back in the lottery and had a 1.7 per cent chance of getting the first pick. Well, apparently miracles do happen – and the Bulls won the first pick and took University of Memphis point guard Derrick Rose with top choice in the draft.

Chicago’s tumultuous offseason didn’t end there. The Bulls needed to address the restricted free agency of both Luol Deng and Ben Gordon. They locked up Deng with a six-year deal and Gordon eventually signed a one-year qualifying offer. Otherwise, the team did not make any major roster additions.

Projected Starting Lineup

Basically, your guess is as good as mine. The Bulls have so much depth that even Del Negro doesn’t know who he is going to start. During the preseason, the team has tried out several different starting lineups. Here is my projection for opening day:

PG: Kirk Hinrich
SG: Larry Hughes
SF: Luol Deng
PF: Drew Gooden
C: Joakim Noah

Key Bench Players: Rose, Gordon, Andres Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas, Thabo Sefolosha

Position Battles

At which spot isn’t there a battle? At point guard, the struggles of Hinrich and the drafting of Rose has led to a competition. At the shooting guard spot, Hughes thinks he should be the starter, while Gordon wants big-time money and big-time minutes. At the power forward spot, Gooden will get the nod over Thomas.

Stud: With the Bulls’ depth and a rotation that goes 10 deep, there is not a true fantasy stud on this roster. All the Bulls will have on and off nights and it’s very difficult to count on any single guy. Deng would be the most notable guy, but he is coming off a very disappointing season. Gooden has been solid since his trade from the Cavs last season and he should see a ton of minutes this season.

Dud: Is it possible for one team to have so many studs and duds? Almost every player on this team can fall into either category on any given night. Moral of the story – the Bulls have so much depth and will play so many guys, that fantasy owners should expect inconsistent results from all their major assets.

Sleeper: Noah is the potential breakout player that fantasy owners should monitor. With his rookie season struggles and frustrations behind him, he will see steady minutes this year and should flourish.

Rookies to Watch: Rose, of course, is the man here. He is a dynamic game-changing point guard – the complete opposite of Hinrich. It remains to be seen how many minutes Rose will see this year, but his potential as a scorer and someone who can rack up steals and assists makes him one of the top fantasy rookies to go after.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

Who is going to step up this year for the Bulls? Will Hinrich, Deng and Gordon return to their level of success from two seasons ago? Can Thomas, Gooden and Noah anchor the Bulls’ frontcourt? So many question marks…but the Bulls have plenty of fantasy assets.

So, the Pistons upped their total by six wins, had a better offense, a better defense, and improved bench play in 2007-08. Yet Flip “I just look drunk all the time” Saunders lost his job as the head coach.

What’s up with that?

Well, in Title Town, there’s a different measure for success after six straight trips to the Conference Finals, but with only one championship to show for it. And once the Pistons bowed out in six games to the Boston Celtics (despite getting a split in Beantown to start the series), Saunders got flipped for Michael Curry.

Detroit did little tinkering in the offseason, so the starting five and key reserves return intact. Any improvements the Pistons make this year will be organic in nature, and given the advancing age of their starting five, those improvements will have to come from the reserves. One key sign that the future is coming in Detroit is Curry’s announcement that Amir Johnson will take over as the starting PF, sending Antonio McDyess back to the bench, where he can add some offense to the second unit.

Further, there’s plenty of room for growth from such key bench players as Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo and Jason Maxiell. Hell, even newcomer Kwame Brown could be poised for a rebound after a couple of injury-plagued seasons.

Unfortunately, while Detroit was making minor tweaks to its makeup, other Eastern Conference teams were making serious changes to their lineups (Mo Williams in Cleveland, T.J. Ford in Indy, Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers in Miami, Richard Jefferson in Milwaukee, Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons in New Jersey, Chris Duhon in New York, Mickael Pietrus in Orlando, Elton Brand in Philly, Jermaine O’Neal in Toronto, etc.).

How this all shakes out remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t shock me to see the Pistons lose a bit of ground this season. And anything less than a trip to the NBA Finals will have to be considered a major disappointment, possibly resulting in this team being blown up next summer.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Chauncey Billups
SG: Richard Hamilton
SF: Tayshaun Prince
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Rasheed Wallace

Key bench players: Stuckey, Afflalo, McDyess, Maxiell, Walter Herrmann.

Position Battles

Maxiell and Johnson are going to be battling for minutes all season long. While Johnson is penciled in as the starter, so far Maxiell has been seeing more PT during the preseason. Both of them have great potential as shot blockers – especially Johnson, who two years ago averaged 1.6 per game in just 15.6 MPG at the age of 19. Last season, in just 12.4 MPG, he still put up 1.3 BPG. Give this kid 30 minutes a night, and look out. But I really like Maxiell’s potential as a scorer and rebounder; he’s got a wide body, and until Johnson adds more pounds to his frame, he may struggle to outfight bigger men in the post.

Stud: I’m tempted to go with Johnson here, and he is certainly the popular pick, but I am just a huge fan of Maxiell’s. I think he has a chance to bring a little bit of everything to the table, except an outside game, and I’m impressed by the progress he made in his free throw shooting last season after he missed more than half his freebies during his first two years combined.

Dud: He’s hardly a dud, but I wouldn’t count on the same level of production you’re accustomed to seeing from Billups. Mr. Big Shot still makes for a fine No. 1 PG, but his minutes will slip a bit because of…

Sleeper: …Stuckey. Expected to get much more PT this year, spelling both Billups and Hamilton, Stuckey is committed to developing an outside game this year. He could be worth a late round flyer, and if Detroit suffers any injuries in its backcourt, Stuckey’s value will really soar.

Rookies to Watch: Walter Sharpe hasn’t seen much action this preseason, which tells me he’ll likely be a spectator most nights, but earlier this week he finally got some significant minutes off the bench and responded with eight points, five boards and a block. There’s some definite offensive talent here, but he’s a long-term prospect at this point.

Fantasy Stories to Watch

Johnson has been showing a scoring touch in preseason, nailing midrange jumpers and definitely helping fuel speculation that he’s on the verge of a major breakout. The fact that he’s been given the green light to hoist up more shots doesn’t hurt.

It’s not going to take much for the team to rest Billups and give Stuckey plenty of burn. I’m not suggesting a position battle here, just that Detroit wants Billups fresh and healthy for the postseason, so will likely be extra cautious with any ailments.

We wrap up our tour of the Western Conference with a glance at the division that features perhaps the NBA’s most intriguing team in the young Trail Blazers, who finally get to have a look at last year’s No. 1 pick, Greg Oden. The Jazz and Blazers should fight it out for the top spot with the Nuggets lurking in the shadows. Meanwhile, Minnesota continues its rebuilding effort while Oklahoma City should bring up the rear, because as we all know…you can take the Sonics out of Seattle, but you can’t take the suck out of the Sonics.

UTAH JAZZ (54-28)
Lost in Conference Semifinals

The Jazz easily captured its second straight divisional title last season and again opened the postseason by ousting the Rockets. Utah then had a good chance to upend the Lakers and advance, but ultimately fell short. A big reason for that was the poor play of Carlos Boozer, who shrunk in the second round despite being considered one of the league’s top power forwards. All eyes will be on Boozer as he can opt out of his contract after the season, and the Jazz may look to move him before the trading deadline. He has assured Utah he’s not going anywhere, but, uh, that’s what he told Cleveland.

Regardless of Boozer’s status, Deron Williams is Utah’s resident superstar. He raised his game in the playoffs and was practically unstoppable, and his rivalry with Chris Paul could emerge as the league’s most exciting one-on-one showdown this side of Kobe/LeBron. Ronnie Brewer starts opposite Williams and is a high-percentage shooter, but lacks a long-range touch. His backup, Kyle Korver, is among the NBA’s best pure shooters, which gives them multiple options at shooting guard.

In the front court, Mehmet Okur is a solid scorer and rebounder, though he prefers to operate outside the key, while backup Paul Millsap is an absolute animal on the boards. Andrei Kirilenko and Matt Harpring handle the small forward duties, though AK-47’s versatility allows him to play multiple positions. Kirilenko flashed a deep spot up J last year, and if he can improve on that he could post better numbers offensively this season. The Jazz is the favorite to repeat, though it will face a challenge from Portland.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…Millsap – A force on the glass, Millsap is stuck behind Boozer entering the season, but with Boozer able to walk after this year, a trade wouldn’t be surprising. I don’t expect Millsap to post big numbers early on, but he’s someone to consider stashing on your bench in case a move is made.

Guy I hate…Kirilenko – There are relatively few certainties in life – death, taxes, me hitting the restroom at least five times after a bowl of Cracklin’ Oat Bran – but one of them is that somebody will overvalue AK-47 in the hopes that he’ll return to his 2003-06 form. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s not happening. He has value later in drafts, but don’t reach.

DENVER NUGGETS (50-32)
Lost in First Round

As if “defense” wasn’t enough of a four-letter word in Denver, the Nuggets got even shakier defensively during the offseason by trading Marcus Camby (Clippers) and allowing Eduardo Najara (Nets) to leave via free agency. You’ll excuse my skepticism after the Nuggets were swept in a non-competitive first-round loss to the Lakers in which they allowed more than 100 points in all four games. They did land Renaldo Balkman, who carries a reputation as a solid defender, but he’s penciled in behind Carmelo Anthony so it remains to be seen how many minutes are even there to be had.

Offensively, the Nuggets are among the best with Allen Iverson joining Melo to form one of the game’s top 1-2 offensive punches. They also bring a pair of potential high scorers off the pine in J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza, both of whom can carry an offense on any given night. Kenyon Martin is back at the power forward with Nene Hilario replacing Camby at centre. Both men have extensive injury histories, and it seems like a lot to ask those two to hold down the most physical spots on the floor over an 82-game schedule. While there are health concerns at the four and the five, there are just plain old-fashioned concerns at the point where journeymen Anthony Carter and Chucky Atkins sit alone on the depth chart. Iverson is still capable of running the offense, but those guys will need to knock down some open looks this year or teams will just sag off of them and play five-on-four defensively. Look for Denver to fall out of the playoffs in 2008-09.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…Kleiza – OK, just let me make sure I understand this correctly…I’m supposed to be sold on K-Mart and Nene holding down the fort 30-plus minutes a game for 82 games? Riiiiiiight…Kleiza. Sleeper. ‘Nuff said.

Guy I hate…Smith – His time is coming, but it’s not here yet. Iverson is in the final year of his contract and if you don’t think he’s dialing it up for one more payday, you’re insane. A.I. played nearly 42 minutes a game for all 82 a season ago – does he even come off the floor this year?

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (41-41)
Lottery Team

This club has done a tremendous job of reshaping its image in a short period of time. Gone are the days of the “Jail Blazers,” with charter members like Darius Miles and Zach Randolph plying their trade elsewhere, and in their place is perhaps the best collection of young talent in the NBA. Of course, all eyes will be on Oden, the 72-year-old rookie who missed all of last year with osteoporosis (or something like that). Adding Oden to a young nucleus that includes Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster gives them huge upside at four positions, and they could add a fifth depending on how first-round pick Jerryd Bayless does behind veteran point guard Steve Blake.

It all starts in the middle with Oden, who has the tools to become an immediate force, though they might not give him as many minutes as you think given Oden’s injury and more-than-capable Joel Pryzbilla available off the pine. Aldridge looks like a future star at power forward and Channing Frye is another excellent reserve. Outlaw and Webster (when healthy) should split time at the three while Blake and Bayless hold down the fort at the point. Roy is the team’s best player, but the Blazers still added depth as highly regarded Spaniard Rudy Fernandez has made the jump to the NBA and is set to back up Roy. With a group that is both deep and talented, Portland should make the playoffs this season and push for a division crown. And hell, with new found success, maybe the Blazers will finally be able to afford to redesign their god-awful logo. Every time I look at that damn thing, I get a ’70s flashback.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…Oden – Yes, he looks 20 the same way Luke Perry looked 17 on Beverly Hill 90210, but he instantly steps in as one of the game’s top centres. He should average a double-double in his sleep and rank among the league leaders in blocks. Expect him to shoot a high percentage, too.

Guy I hate…Webster – A stress fracture in his foot is going to keep him out two months, and who knows how long it’ll take to get back to speed. With so much depth on the roster, Webster could find himself returning to a less significant role than the one he left.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (22-60)
Lottery Team

After missing the playoffs three straight years with Kevin Garnett, the T-wolves decided it was time to switch gears and go into a full rebuild. They nabbed budding star Al Jefferson along with four other players, most notably Sebastian Telfair, and two first-round picks in the KG deal. With point guard Randy Foye out more than half the year the Timberwolves proceeded to lose early and often. In fact, they dropped 48 of their first 60 games before flashing some promise down the stretch by closing the season 10-12. The team then selected talented but controversial O.J. Mayo in the first round, but almost immediately sent him to Memphis for Kevin Love and Mike Miller.

The most interesting dynamic in Minnesota is in the front court with Love and Jefferson. Love looked tremendous at UCLA and has the type of big-man passing skills that some liken to a young Bill Walton. Meanwhile, Jefferson is a stud, showing an array of low-post moves to complement his tireless work on the glass. His efforts may have been overlooked because of how bad Minnesota was last year, but he’s already an All-Star caliber talent. Craig Smith provides depth off the pine.

Foye and Rashad McCants should start in the backcourt with Telfair in reserve. Foye has breakout potential and could rack up a lot of assists feeding Jefferson and Love in the post. Miller should start at small forward and gives them a knockdown shooter that their big men can kick out to when doubled. They’ll need to find minutes for Ryan Gomes, while lanky swingman Corey Brewer should see time behind Miller and McCants. I like the Wolves’ direction, but I don’t see any way they’re climbing out of fourth place this year.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…Foye – He looked out of sorts when he first returned from a kneecap injury last year, but he put things together and improved as the season wore on. He averaged better than 18 PPG in April and should post solid assist totals with better offensive options around him.

Guy I hate…Brewer – Some might see the name and remember his contributions to Florida, which led to him being selected seventh overall last year. However, Brewer really struggled as a rookie and the addition of Miller should severely cut into his minutes. He’s not even worth drafting.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (20-62)
Lottery Team

The Seattle Supersonics were strip-mined of their talent before last year and were essentially dead men walking as the franchise (and fan base) knew it was relocating to Oklahoma City. The only truly marketable name on the roster is Kevin Durant, who did an admirable job of carrying the offensive burden as a rookie. He struggled a bit in the winter months, but thawed out nicely in March and April, averaging 22.6 PPG down the stretch. With a bit more help his rebounding and assist numbers should climb, though it’s debatable if said help with be forthcoming this year. The team drafted UCLA point guard Russell Westbrook with the fourth overall pick, and he should be given every chance to see extended minutes after they shipped Luke Ridnour to Milwaukee, but the Thunder added little else.

Earl Watson remains to help take pressure off Westbrook, but he has topped out as a borderline starter. Desmond Mason (acquired in the Ridnour trade) should provide energy off the bench and be a hometown favourite, though Jeff Green’s effectiveness may dictate Mason’s minutes. Chris Wilcox is talented, but can get muscled around and is disinterested defensively. His contract is up after this year, making him a heavy favourite to be dealt. Backup Joe Smith could also find his way out of town in a similar manner to what happened with Kurt Thomas a season ago. Nick Collison rounds out the starting five as a steady presence in the post. An enthusiastic collegiate atmosphere at home should help the Thunder claim a few more victories this season, but this team won’t even sniff third place.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…Green – Like might be a little strong here, but outside of Durant there’s nobody on Seattle that excites me. Green has upside and is one of the few players on roster that is a definitive building block for the future, so he should get his minutes. He averaged 15.6 PPG and 6.3 RPG last April, which is solid production.

Guy I hate…Westbrook – Everyone loves rookies, and when you see all that’s between that rookie and a starting gig is Earl Watson, you might tend to overvalue. I expect that to be the case with Westbrook, whose signature skill is defense. Just ask last year’s No. 4 pick, Mike Conley, how easy the transition to the NBA is.

For a team that nearly made the playoffs last season, you would think that one or two big changes would be made in order to get over the hump in the uber competitive Western Conference. But the Blazers really did not need to make a huge splash via free agency or trade. Why, you might ask, did Paul Allen’s club essentially stand pat? That would be the return of a healthy Greg Oden for what will be his rookie campaign after missing all of last season with arthroscopic knee surgery and the trade on draft day to acquire the number 11 overall pick (Jerryd Bayless) and Ike Diogu from the Indiana Pacers for the draft rights to Brandon Rush, plus Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts.

The Blazers, who finished 10th in the West last year, are being led by their defensive-minded coach, Nate McMillan, who helped the team limit their opponents to only 96.3 points per contest last year, sixth best in the West. And with the highly anticipated debut of Oden in the middle, expectations are running higher than ever for the team once referred to as the Jail Blazers and now maybe referred to as the Baby Blazers. But you won’t catch many teams being able to steal candy from these babies.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Steve Blake
SG: Brandon Roy
SF: Travis Outlaw
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge
C: Greg Oden

Key Bench Players: Joel Pryzbilla, Rudy Fernandez, Jerryd Bayless, Channing Frye

Position Battles

While Blake has proved to his naysayers that he can compete at the NBA level despite his slender 172 pounds, he will be pressed hard and early by the rookie sensation Bayless. The Blazers did not make the draft day trade for Bayless to let him rot on the bench so expect him to get quality minutes early on with a jump to the starting lineup inevitable at some point in the season.

Another semi battle to look out for might be Outlaw and Webster. Webster has yet to play in the pre-season and is expected to miss eight-to-10 weeks due to surgery on a stress fracture in his left foot. Outlaw, who has shown flashes of brilliance, will start in Webster’s absence and it might be tough for Webster to regain the starting SF position.

Stud: If Roy can stay healthy throughout the course of a long 82-game season, the Blazers will be right in the playoff hunt. He has shown that he was the steal of the draft two seasons ago and his versatility to do a little bit of everything will help immensely. Not only did he score 19.1 points per game last year, but he dished out 5.8 assists and pulled down 4.7 boards per game, an impressive total for a guard. With this being Oden’s first true season, Portland will need Roy to help show the big boy the ropes and feed him down low.

Dud: Joel Przybilla was fantastic in the second half last year, averaging over 11 boards per game, but he has too many holes in his game for fantasy purposes and with Oden around to steal his thunder, there’s not much point in owning this big man.

Sleeper: Guard Rudy Fernandez could be a key factor as a backup for the Blazers. At 6’5”, he showed the ability to hit the jumper and take it to the hole in Spain where he had a great deal of success. Injuries in preseason have slowed him down, but keep your eyes on him as the year progresses.

Rookies to watch: Bayless and Fernandez could come through big time in the backcourt this season. And don’t forget about that Oden dude; the Blazers could very well have be best rookie threesome in the league.

It pains me to even write about The Artist Formerly Known As the Seattle Supersonics, so don’t be alarmed if I only refer to the Thunder from here on out as TAFKA Sonics. That being said, this team might have more young talent than anyone in the league, corralling in five young players via the 2008 draft led by UCLA guard Russell Westbrook. Westbrook has a chance to take over the point after TAFKA Sonics traded former starting point guard Luke Ridnour to Milwaukee in a three-team deal which saw Joe Smith and former Oklahoma State Cowboy Desmond Mason come to the team.

Another move after the draft saw TAFKA Sonics acquire the 38th overall pick in the draft, Kyle Weaver from the Charlotte Bobcats. Weaver was a versatile swingman at Washington State, helping lead his Cougars to two straight NCAA appearances following a 13-year drought.

Needless to say, this team will once again not be very good this year. It has an immense amount of young talent and another plethora of draft picks for the 2009 draft, but TAFKA Sonics still will struggle mightily despite a much needed year of experience for 2007 first round lottery picks Kevin Durant and Jeff Green.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Earl Watson
SG: Kevin Durant
SF: Jeff Green
PF: Chris Wilcox
C: Nick Collison

Key Bench Players: Damien Wilkins, Westbrook, Mason, Smith, Johan Petro.

Position Battles

Just about every position on TAFKA Sonics will be up for grabs minus the shooting guard spot where Durant is the franchise player and has that locked down. Watson has shown flashes of being a capable point guard, but is also very streaky from the outside, shooting 37 per cent from downtown last season. First rounder Westbrook didn’t actually play point guard in college as his teammate at UCLA, Darren Collison, handled those duties, but regardless he should fight strongly for the spot throughout the season.

Mason and Green are two nearly identical players which makes one think the trade for Mason was only to satisfy the hometown fans as he went to school in Oklahoma.

Stud: There is a stud on TAFKA Sonics? Okay, how about Durant? After the All Star break, his numbers improved significantly as his shooting percentage went up (47.6 per cent) and he stopped hoisting up three pointers like a fat kid in a YMCA game. He is also a terrific free throw shooter at 87.3 per cent which could in turn mean his field goal percentage will only keep increasing.

Dud: Clay Bennett. Okay, I’m just kidding (but not really). I think you have to put all 18 TAFKA Sonics centres drafted over the last five years here. You have Petro, Robert Swift, Mouhamed Sene, and the newly drafted 18-year-old Serge Ibaka. The best part is GM Sam Presti actually re-signed Swift in the offseason! The three returning centres in Sene, Swift, and Petro have shown little to nothing in their tenures, and don’t expect any difference this season.

Sleeper: Weaver could be a fantasy factor for TAFKA Sonics with his defensive prowess. He can handle the ball well, and is a threat to steal two-to-three balls a game. Sure this is a biased pick since I am from the Northwest and follow the Cougars like a 21-year-old frat boy who follows a MILF, but who else am I supposed to say here? TAFKA Sonics are composed of a bunch of 20-something kids that are excited to be making a fat paycheque while playing for a team known as the “Thunder.”

Rookies to watch: Westbrook could claim the starting point guard position by the beginning of December seeing how bad TAFKA Sonics will be.

As most fantasy owners know, the most important part of any fantasy season is the draft. Right now, NBA fantasy drafts are in full swing. And, finding free and accurate rankings, with sound reasoning, is next to impossible. I am going to break down the top 10 players at each position with a little information about why the player is ranked where he is. Enjoy!

Point Guards

Point guard might be the most important position in fantasy basketball. We see teams moving towards “small ball,” and Chris Paul led the way last season.

1. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets: Paul is hands down the best fantasy PG in the game right now, and an argument can be made to take CP3 first overall in a draft. The Hornets have all the same faces back, plus have added James Posey.

2. Deron Williams, Utah Jazz: From what I’ve seen around the Internet, the popular pick at No. 3 is either Chauncey Billups or Steve Nash. Personally, I will take Williams over both. D-Willy signed a big contract over the summer and playing on the Olympic Team only helped him mature. If he can cut down on the turnovers, he will earn this ranking this season.

3. Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons: Billups is consistent, trustworthy and reliable. The main thing with him is his 17 point/seven assist average last season. Not much has changed in Detroit this offseason, so expect more of the same from Mr. Big Shot.

4. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns: The problem with Nash is that the team is talking about limiting his minutes and games played this season. GM Steve Kerr said he would like Nash to play just 70 games, and that is not a good thing from your first round pick. Nash already has a hole in steals and free-throws attempts for a fantasy PG, so limiting his minutes and games means his value is dropping.

5. Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors: T.J. Ford is out, Jermaine O’Neal is in, and Calderon is locked into the starting PG role in Toronto. Calderon didn’t exactly impress in the Olympics, which means he could come a little cheaper, but make no mistake about his top six fantasy ranking.

6. Baron Davis, Los Angeles Clippers: Davis is always an injury waiting to happen. But, he has lost nearly 20 pounds this offseason and playing alongside the likes of Al Thornton, Marcus Camby, Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon means another huge year is in the works. The reason he drops out of the top five is the Clippers managed just 94.3 PPG last season as a team. Slower offense means less fantasy stats to go around.

7. Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets: Some might want Jason Kidd here, but I like Harris as my fantasy PG sleeper. Yes, we all know who he is, but I think he is going to be better than people think this season. I can easily see Harris breaking the 16 point/7 assist barrier, moving him above Kidd.

8. Jason Kidd, Dallas Mavericks: Kidd’s days of major fantasy value are over. He is still the starting PG in Dallas, but his FG percentage is atrocious at best, his points-per-game total is going to drop below double digits and the turnovers went up last season. The assists and rebounds are the only things keeping him in the top 10.

9. Andre Miller, Philadelphia 76ers: Miller gets in the top 10 because of one man, Elton Brand. Miller’s PPG average will go down, but the assists will go up for certain. If you miss the big boys, give Miller a look as he is sure to slip.

10. Randy Foye, Minnesota Timberwolves: Okay, I am a homer…so what? Foye is healthy, Mike Miller is starting at SG, and Sebastian Telfair is Foye’s only backup. Foye lit it up over his final 10 games last season (18.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.2 3-pointers per game) and if he can continue that into this season, we’ve got a sleeper on our hands.

Shooting Guards

Shooting guards are a dime a dozen. They are typically known for their high FT percentage and they get you solid totals in 3-point shooting and steals. But, they will typically drag down your FG percentage.

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: Bryant is easily one of the top three to five fantasy players in the NBA, so what more do I need to say? If your league has FG percentage, take Kobe over LeBron James. If FG percentage isn’t counted, go with James first.

2. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat: Miami now has Shawn Marion (for a full season) and Michael Beasley to play with Wade, and he is finally healthy, to boot. Add in Mario Chalmers and James Jones, and Flash makes for a viable pick at No. 4 overall in just about any fantasy format.

3. Jason Richardson, Charlotte Bobcats: Richardson’s 3-point shooting helps jump him over guys like Andre Iguodala and Allen Iverson. The only problem I have with Richardson is Coach Larry Brown and how they will interact with each other. Richardson was simply awesome last season and I expect that to carry over to this season.

4. Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers: The addition of Brand will help take the double-teams off Iggy this year. Signing a six-year, $80 million dollar contract this summer will give him added motivation as well. Expect Iguodala, who also qualifies at F, to get a few more assists and better looks patrolling the paint with Brand in town.

5. Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings: There is nobody on the Kings better equipped to score. And, with Ron Artest gone, Martin is the only sure thing in Sacramento. Expect more points, more 3s, more free-throw chances, at the expense of added turnovers and a slightly lower FG percentage.

6. Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets: The Answer has learned to be more of a team player in recent seasons. The Nuggets lost Camby this offseason, but that means Nene has a chance to really emerge. I would venture to bet that Iverson puts up very similar stats to last season’s totals.

7. Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks: Losing Josh Childress won’t change the fact that Johnson is the MVP of the Hawks. A slight increase in PPG and TOs can be expected, but other than that, more of the same.

8. Stephen Jackson, Golden State Warriors: The Warriors lost Davis and Monta Ellis will miss a good chunk the season. Jackson (who will also qualify at F) should see a jump in PPG and FG percentage, so feel good about snagging him in the fourth round of your draft.

9. Brandon Roy, Portland Trailblazers: Vince Carter should be here on most lists, but he tweaked his hamstring (although he seems okay right now) and the Nets will lose more than they win. Roy has a great, young team surrounding him and Greg Oden will dominate the Rookie of the Year voting. The Blazers lost Martell Webster for two months, but Roy has enough around him to justify this ranking.

10. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder: Yes, I left Carter out of the top 10 altogether. Durant showed signs last season of being an amazing talent and I fully expect him to score more, shoot more accurately and even snag an extra rebound per game. Jeff Green should mature, making Durant a viable top 10 fantasy SG.

Small Forwards

If two guards are a dime a dozen, small forwards are a baker’s dozen. James is the name here, but I could count 25 or so SFs worth taking in the draft.

1. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers: Again, James can be selected anywhere in the top three and you could easily justify the pick. Other than adding Mo Williams, not much has changed in Cleveland, so expect James to do what he has done since his rookie season — dominate.

2. Shawn Marion, Phoenix Suns: I saw one ranking with Marion above James and I wanted to upload a virus to their server! I have a feeling that Marion isn’t going to do what he is supposed to do because of a healthy Wade and new additions Beasley, Chalmers and Jones. The Matrix is still the second best SF, but don’t be surprised if he disappoints.

3. Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers: I think Granger will really explode this season. He wants a contract extension and that is normally motivation enough for a career year. Add the fact that Jermaine O’Neal is gone and Jamaal Tinsley will not stealing shots, and you have a shot at fantasy stardom from Granger.

4. Caron Butler, Washington Wizards: Butler is without Gilbert Arenas yet again this season, so he will be a very valuable fantasy SF. Antawn Jamison is there, but Butler should see stats very similar to the ones he put up last season.

5. Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic: The Magic lost Kenyon Dooling and Maurice Evans (nothing important), but brought in Mickael Pietrus to go with Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu. Expect Lewis to be a big 3-point threat and help out a little in rebounds, steals and FG percentage, but know that his nightly stats can be erratic at times.

6. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets: Anthony goes below Lewis because Lewis will get you the long ball on top of the regular stats. Melo will lead the Nuggets with 28 to 30 points each night, while snatching eight or so rebounds and a steal, so don’t worry if you miss on Granger or Butler, Anthony is still available to score in bunches.

7. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics: People want to rank Pierce in their top five and he just isn’t that player anymore with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo in town. The Truth was dealing with a laundry list on injuries last season and losing Posey might be more of a problem than people think, although once he returns from his drug suspension, Darius Miles should help out if he can be consistent. Rookie J.R. Giddens may be a headache, but because of his presence Pierce might see a slight dip in his overall stats this season.

8. Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies: His dunks aside, Gay has the skills to be huge in fantasy leagues this season. He is locked into a starting job with nobody to push him for minutes, and he made the most of his PT last season by putting up 20 points, six rebounds and a steal per game. Expect more of the same with a possible slight bump in points and boards.

9. Corey Maggette, Golden State Warriors: Some might want Turkoglu or Josh Howard here, but I like Maggette’s scoring ability over that pair. Maggette signed a big deal with the Warriors this offseason, but his injury concerns are always present. With Davis gone and Ellis hurting, Maggette and Jackson will be asked to carry a big role with the team.

10. Josh Howard, Dallas Mavericks: I would rather put Turkoglu here, but only because Howard has made some ignorant comments about players and their drug habits. Howard could easily put up 20 points and seven boards per game as he did last year, if he could keep the sticky icky out of his body long enough to play his game on the court.

Power Forwards

At power forward you want scoring, FG percentage and rebounding. Some even provide solid blocks and FT percentage too. A lot of the top PFs also qualify at centre, so they provide a multi-position bonus.

1. Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns: Any PF that logs 24 PPG, 10 RPG, one SPG and two BPG is worthy of the top slot in the rankings. I’ve heard crazy talk of people taking Stoudemire No. 1 overall, but that is overdoing it in my opinion. Top five? Yes. Top three? No.

2. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics: Garnett got the monkey off his back last season by winning the title, but the days of taking KG No. 1 overall are long gone. Garnett can easily put up a double-double each night, while adding a steal and block. The Big Ticket is great for a fantasy team, just don’t jump too high to draft him.

3. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks: Disco Dirk is rock solid and he offers stats good enough to justify a late first round pick or an early second rounder. His 3-pointers have gone down in recent seasons and his defense is lacking at best. But, bad defense aside, Nowitzki offers 24 points and eight boards a game.

4. Elton Brand, Philadelphia 76ers: Moving to the East will be a huge boost for Brand. I’d say we could see 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks a game, with a steal and a few assists thrown in. Simply put, Brand signed a huge deal and the East isn’t exactly a powerhouse.

5. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs: Duncan would have once been the top overall PF pick, but those days are finished and he is too nice of a player. Coach Gregg Popovich likes to play Duncan no more than 34 minutes per game, he is now 32 years old and his free-throw percentage is iffy at best. Add all that up and Duncan is not worthy of a first round pick.

6. Al Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves: The only thing that kept me from putting Jefferson above Duncan is The Big Fundamental’s blocking ability. Since Jefferson qualifies at both forward and centre, he is a high second round pick. Simply put, Jefferson is a fantasy stud!

7. Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz: With Williams in line for a big season, Boozer too should enjoy a great year. Did I mention Boozer is in a contract year? Not to put too fine a point on it, but Boozer should put up huge numbers in order to secure a max deal next season.

8. Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors: The addition of O’Neal knocked Bosh down the rankings a bit. Calderon is coming into his own and J.O. demonstrated in Indiana that he demands his fair share of shots per game. O’Neal is an upgrade over Rasho Nesterovic, which means Bosh’s scoring will take a hit.

9. Antawn Jamison, Washington Wizards: With Arenas gone for most of the season, Jamison should enjoy those 21-point, 10-rebound nights again this season. Nothing has changed from last year for the Wizards, Arenas is injured again and nobody has left or been added worth mentioning. So, more of the same is in line for Jamison.

10. Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks: Smith signed an offer sheet with the Grizzlies, but had it matched by the Hawks, so he should step up his numbers knowing that he’s coveted in Atlanta. Childress is gone and Smoov is logging nearly 17 points, three blocks, eight rebounds and three assists per game these days. Look for all the same with an addition point or two a game.

Centres

This is by far the hardest position to find quality fantasy options. Once you get outside the top 10 fantasy centres, you officially waited too long to draft one!

1. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic: Howard was a fantasy monster last season, making him an easy pick as the No. 1 fantasy centre this season. Getting 21 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks a game is what I see for Howard. Just be prepared to pretty much punt FT percentage and turnovers in your rotisserie league.

2. Yao Ming, Houston Rockets: The main problem with drafting Ming is you know he will miss about a quarter of the season with some kind of injury. I’m kind of getting tired of being burned by Ming and his fragile body, so I am not drafting him unless he is available in round three and the PFs that qualify at C and Howard are all gone.

3. Marcus Camby, Los Angeles Clippers: Cotton Camby has been surprisingly healthy the last two seasons. The Nuggets gave the Cambyman to the Clippers for nothing more than salary cap relief, so he may have a chip on his shoulder. Camby is going to see a drop in rebounds playing next to Kaman, and that is one of the two categories he contributes in. Now, expect 10 boards and three blocks a game with sporadic scoring.

4. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks: Bogut signed one of the biggest contracts in franchise history, so you know he will be the starting centre for years to come. If he can keep up last season’s impressive block jump, he should post 15 points, 10 boards and one to two blocks per game this season too.

5. Greg Oden, Portland Trailblazers: It is very risky for me to give a true rookie this high of a ranking. But, Robert Parish, Oden (separated at birth?) is set to put up 10 points, 12 rebounds and two or more blocks per game. Get that kind of production from a centre and you’ve got a fantasy stud!

6. Andris Biedrins, Golden State Warriors: Ronny Turiaf is now a Warrior, but he is little more than a breather when your real centre is tired. Biedrins should offer a double-double with a block or so per game, so you could do worse. Just don’t wait much longer to get your starting centre.

7. Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers: Bynum really emerged last year before an injury ended his breakout season. He remains a huge injury concern with that gimpy knee, but he is turning 21 this month and with Kobe, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom on the roster, Bynum can sit back and let the game come to him.

8. Samuel Dalembert, Philadephia 76ers: It is hard to see how the addition of Brand will affect Dalembert’s numbers too much. Sammy-D averaged a double-double with two blocks last year, so take off a point per game and a rebound per game and that is what to expect from him this season.

9. Mehmet Okur, Utah Jazz: Nothing has changed in Utah, so look for Okur to put up 15 points and seven boards per game again this season. The real added beauty in Okur is that he can hit the 3-pointer, which is a rare feat to see in a true centre. Now if Okur could only get his blocks up, we’d be in business.

10. Tyson Chandler, New Orleans Hornets: I am going to pick the Hornets to win the title this season, so I wish I could rank Chandler higher than this. I’m giving Chandler around 11 points, 12 rebounds and one to two blocks per game this season. The FG percentage is awesome at 60 per cent, but having a matching FT percentage is what is holding him back here.

Busts

Here’s my list of proven players that I don’t think will live up to the expectations this season.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: I know, I know, but the Lakers are a very good team with Bynum back. Very good teams tend to have a lot of blowout games, and that means Kobe will sit more in the fourth quarter. His finger is all messed up, his legs have run more than a Kentucky Derby horse. Bryant is no longer a one-man fantasy league winner.

Marcus Camby, Los Angeles Clippers: Cotton Camby has moved to the Clippers from the Nuggets, and that means he goes from the 102.3 PPG offense in Denver down to the 94.3 PPG offense in Los Angeles. Camby will also have to battle Kaman for rebounds and he is always one breath away from a long injury absence. Don’t take Camby as your No. 1 centre; look at some of those PF/C guys first.

Andre Miller, Philadelphia 76ers: I know I ranked him in the top 10 for PGs, but it was more because of Brand than Miller. I am giving him a bust ranking too because Miller is going to be 33 years old in March, history has shown that he’s not a very good shooter, and the offense is sure to run more through Brand than him. The assists will jump a bit, but everything else will go down.

Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers: Here is the one I feel good about. Williams moves to Cleveland to play alongside LeBron and everyone assumes that means fantasy greatness. Wrong! The offense starts and ends with King James and Williams is a shoot-first type of player, so don’t expect him to bring it up court and dish it off to anyone. Williams is going to be someone’s No. 1 PG, just make sure he isn’t yours.

Sleepers

Here are some names that will be ranked at a level lower than I expect them to perform.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder: Yes, Durant has the low FG percentage/high TO rate that makes him shaky in a lot of leagues. But, Durant is the LeBron James of Oklahoma City and he looked better in the second half of last year than he did in the first. He has no off-court problems and the emergence of Green will help take some of the pressure off him. Don’t aim too high, but expect more than last year.

J.R. Smith, Denver Nuggets: Now, this is the ultimate sleeper pick. Problem is, Smith could easily slip into a fantasy comma. Look, his stats increased each month from February to April in MPG, FT percentage and defensive rebounding, while his 3-point shooting percentage took a hit. If Smith can keep his flaky personality in check, his playing time should spike and that means this sharp-shooter could be a great late round pick for you.

Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies: I wanted to find a way to rank Conley in the PG top 10, but I am not going to get crazy with him. Last season he missed big chunks of time with injuries, he had a high turnover rate, and being 20 years old in the NBA is hardly ever a good thing. Any time a team burns a high pick on you, they are certain to give you more than enough chances to prove yourself. His main problems are Kyle Lowry and that Shaq-esk FT percentage he brings to the table.

Earl Watson, Oklahoma City Thunder: What will scare most fantasy players away from Watson is that he has never truly lived up to his hype and the Thunder took Russell Westbrook in the draft. But, Westbrook isn’t a true PG and I like the fact Luke Ridnour is finally out of the way. I don’t think Westbrook is going to make a viable starting PG in the NBA, so the job is Watson’s to lose.

I know the top 10 players at each position can be a bit of an obvious call for those seasoned fantasy veterans. But, some of you tend to overthink your picks and hopefully this cleared up a lot of those questions. Should you have more, feel free to e-mail me and I will answer your question.

As the NBA season rapidly approaches, let’s take a look at a few players who may be in store for a decline this season.

Andre Miller, PG, Philadelphia 76ers – On the surface, the addition of power forward Elton Brand should help the 76ers and it will. However, Brand’s presence will almost certainly hurt the productivity of numerous players including Miller. Brand is a 20-10 guy and that will cut into the numbers of Miller, who will expect to feed him the ball early and often. Miller, an 11-year veteran, compiled career highs in points (17.7) and field goal percentage (49 per cent). He also totaled a career high in field goals attempted. Due to Philly’s ability to score easy baskets, Miller thrived as well. With the emergence of Thaddeus Young and Brand’s arrival, they take pressure off Miller to be one of the key figureheads in the Philly offense. Miller was the team’s second leading scorer in ’07-’08, but entering the new campaign, Brand, Andre Iguodala and Young will be the top guns for the 76ers. So, expect a drop in Miller’s scoring output.

Baron Davis, PG, Los Angeles Clippers – A change of scenery may not help Davis. The Warriors owned a bevy of offensive talent that helped average over 100 points per game last season. In fact, in four seasons at Golden State, Davis hit his stride offensively. It will not be so easy with the redheaded stepchild of Los Angeles basketball. Davis, who averaged just over 21 points and seven assists per game last season, will have to shoulder the load for the Clippers, but this squad is not nearly as talented as the Golden State gang. Brand left for Philadelphia, but Marcus Camby will try to fill the void (which he won’t be able to do offensively). Outside of Davis though, no one on this team strikes fear into anyone offensively. The “Body Guard” may approach his season totals from ’07-’08, but he’ll have to take more shots to do so and expect his assists per game to drop as well because Cuttino Mobley and Chris Kaman as other scoring options will not make things easier for him. Of course, this doesn’t even factor in the major injury risk that Davis represents.

Marcus Camby, C, Los Angeles Clippers – We’re on a roll slamming L.A. Clippers basketball, so let’s keep it going. Okay, what’s a better starting lineup to play for? One featuring Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony or another that includes B. Diddy, Mobley and Kaman? If you chose the Iverson-Anthony option, congratulations. The pace at which that Denver played is conducive to scoring points aplenty (the Nuggets averaged 110 points per game, second in the league), which leads to more opportunities for all involved. Granted, Camby’s forte is not scoring (he only averaged nine points per game last season) but instead as a stat stuffer. He ranked second in the league in rebounding (13.3) and blocks per game (3.0). Some of those numbers are a byproduct of Camby’s environment. Teams often got into a shootout with the Nuggets which meant more missed shots (equaling more rebounding chances) and you guessed it, more chances to block shots. Ultimately, Camby’s problem — besides the cast of characters he’s surrounded by — is likely to be his health. He is 34 and has never played at least 70 games in three straight seasons before. So far in the preseason, he is already banged up. It could be a long year for one of the NBA’s elder statesmen.

Allen Iverson, SG, Denver Nuggets – If we were to call this article six degrees of separation, Iverson would be the Kevin Bacon of this piece. Davis’s new teammate Camby used to play with Miller in Denver. Then, Miller was traded from Denver to Philadelphia for Iverson. Sorry, I had to indulge myself momentarily. Anyways, Iverson, who should be bound for the Basketball Hall of Fame one day, is climbing the age chart. He turned 33 back in June and played all 82 games last season, a Herculean achievement for the six-foot guard who takes as nasty a beating as any player in the association. No NBA player played as many minutes as Iverson, who averaged 26 points per game last season. Those numbers will catch up with the former 76er eventually and with a lack of defensive presence in Denver, the decline for Iverson should start sooner rather than later. That run and gun style of basketball just isn’t conducive for a 33-year-old to tee it up on a night in, night out basis.

Hedo Turkoglu, SF, Orlando Magic – The eight-year pro experienced the best season of his career, averaging 19.5 points per game. He also compiled high marks in shooting percentage and assists. Playing with Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis helped make those numbers possible. As the new season looms, Turkoglu will be hard pressed to repeat his breakout season. Typically a player who averages roughly 14 points per game, Turkoglu drained key shots throughout the year that aided Orlando towards making the NBA playoffs. His modus operandi is hitting jumpers, but he made more of an effort to get to the basket, which increased his offensive output. It remains to be seen if the 2007-08 Most Improved Player is willing to do the same again this season. Expect a bit of a step back for him as players like Lewis and Howard continue to grow.