We continue the 2009 RotoRob NFL Draft Kit today with another team preview. We’re going to try to shoot out all these team previews and then start releasing the kit’s other goodies (cheat sheets, sleepers/busts lists, etc.). Stay tuned.

What Went Right

As a team, the 2008 Miami Dolphins were the feel-good story of the NFL. Coming off a one-win season in 2007, the 2008 squad had little expectation to succeed in the tough AFC East. However, with the introduction of the Wildcat offense and the signing of Chad Pennington, the Dolphins had a remarkable turnaround season and won the AFC East with an 11-5 record.

What Went Wrong

Fantasy-wise, the Miami Dolphins did not have a great 2008 and I wouldn’t look for any major fantasy stars from Miami in 2009 either. Pennington had a solid season with 3,653 yards and 19 touchdowns but you cannot expect much more from him. The inclusion of the Wildcat offense in the Dolphin playbook lead to many plays with both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams on the field together. Although both runners were highly effective, the splitting of carries hampered their Fantasy production. Dolphins’ receivers weren’t exactly Fantasy studly either. Ted Ginn, Jr. showed some signs of life, while Greg Camarillo did his best Wes Welker impersonation until he went down with a season-ending injury. Devone Bess filled in admirably, but again, was not a huge Fantasy contributor.

Off-season Outlook

There were rumours in the offseason that the Dolphins would attempt to trade for Anquan Boldin but that died quickly. The remainder of the Dolphin offseason was very quiet until the past few weeks. The team did bring back Jason Taylor for a significant discount, but Miami only made headlines in the past few weeks jabbing with its two division rivals. First, Joey Porter and Channing Crowder were quoted as not buying into the Patriot hype and made the statement that the AFC East goes through Miami. Then, Crowder and new Jet head coach Rex Ryan traded jabs in the media.

Draft Outlook

The Dolphins had a somewhat predictable 2009 draft with one major exception. Going into the draft, many thought they would focus on their most obvious deficiencies: cornerback and receiver. Well, Miami took Illinois CB Vontae Davis with its first pick but caught many off guard with the selection of West Virginia QB Pat White in the second round. It will be interesting to see how quickly White is incorporated into the Wildcat offense. The Dolphins did take two receivers, Patrick Turner from USC in the third round, and Brian Hartline from Ohio State in the fourth round.

State of the Team

Quarterbacks

Pennington will be the starter for the Dolphins in 2009 with Chad Henne backing him up. As I discussed above, Pennington had a very consistent and solid 2008 season. He threw for 19 touchdowns and only seven interceptions and was the second highest rated quarterback in the league behind only Philip Rivers. However, that being said, Pennington will not blow you away with Fantasy statistics and he remains a middle of the pack quarterback in most standard leagues.

Running Backs

Brown and Williams are both excellent running backs and both have had seasons as monster Fantasy contributors. However, as long as both are healthy and splitting carries, neither will excel like in seasons past. In 2008, Brown finished with 916 yards and 10 touchdowns. On the surface that is a pretty solid season, but if you remove his four-touchdown game against New England and factor in that he only rushed for 100 yards or more three times all season, you can see that his numbers were not that spectacular. Williams finished 2008 with five touchdowns and 659 yards. Last year was Brown’s first season back from an ACL injury so I would expect some improvement but he is not an upper echelon back anymore as long as Williams is healthy.

Receivers

As I mentioned, the Dolphin receivers are not Fantasy studs by any stretch of the imagination, although Ginn did show significant improvement from his rookie season and finished 2008 with four touchdowns and 790 receiving yards. He’s entering that magical third year for wide receivers, so I look for continued improvement from him as he continues to mature. Camarillo was having a career season until he tore his ACL in Week 12. At that point in the season, he had 55 catches for 613 yards and two touchdowns and was quickly becoming the possession receiver the Dolphins needed to compliment Pennington’s short passing game. It appears Camarillo will be ready for the 2009 season, but look for Bess, who replaced him last season, to get a lot of looks with the first squad. In addition, rookie receivers Turner and Hartline will be thrown into the competition as the Dolphins look for wideouts to step up. Camarillo could be a late-value draft pick if he can return to his 2008 first half form, but look for Bess, Turner and Hartline to infringe on his value.

Tight Ends

Perhaps the biggest fantasy asset and breakthrough for the Dolphins in 2008 was Anthony Fasano. He finished with 34 catches for 454 yards and seven touchdowns, which led the team. Fasano shared time with David Martin but Fasano was a much better pass catcher and Pennington continually found Fasano in the endzone. I would target Fasano as a number one tight end given Pennington’s propensity to look for tight ends in the red zone.

Defense/Special Teams

The Dolphin special teams did not score a touchdown last year which is surprising given that both Ginn and Bess were involved with returning punts and kickoffs. The defense had a solid season, but did not finish in the top half of Fantasy defenses in most leagues. Porter was among the league leaders with 18 sacks and Crowder had over 100 tackles. The Dolphins took Davis in the first round and he should get a chance to start at corner. I would consider Miami a low-end number one defensive unit.

Welcome to the 2009 RotoRob NFL Draft Kit. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing you team-by-team previews, cheat sheets, sleepers, busts, rookies, and all sorts of goodies to help you prepare for Draft Day 2009. We’ll kick it off with a preview of the Buffalo Bills.

What Went Right

The 2008 season began with such excitement and promise as the Bills stormed out of the gates, winning five of their first six games. Much was expected of Marshawn Lynch in his second year in the league and he put together a solid 2008 campaign, gaining 1,047 yards and scoring eight touchdowns. Lynch’s backup, Fred Jackson, emerged as a legitimate option for the Bills and finished with 888 total yards and three touchdowns. Jackson showed his ability with 27 carries for 136 yards in the season finale against New England.

What Went Wrong

The Bills collapsed after their 5-1 start and underachieved the rest of the season, thereby disappointing their loyal fans by finishing 7-9 and becoming only one of three teams in NFL history to begin the season 5-1 and then go on to have a losing record. Trent Edwards didn’t have a great season and when he got hurt, J.P. Losman showed yet again that the Bills wasted a first round pick on a quarterback. The receiving corps of Lee Evans, Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish just didn’t cut it, necessitating an off-season pick-up you may have heard something about.

Off-season Outlook

When the Dallas Cowboys cut Terrell Owens on March 6, no one could have predicted that the Bills would sign him two days later. With the blessing of Edwards, Buffalo signed T.O. to a one-year deal looking to fill the void at receiver and compliment Evans, the Bills’ only other threat at receiver. The impact of signing T.O was felt immediately in Buffalo as flocks of reporters showed up for his press conference and subsequent practices. The move thrust the Bills into the national spotlight and with this comes expectations and pressures to succeed.

Draft Outlook

The Bills made only one selection of an offensive “skill” player in the draft and that was fourth round pick Shawn Nelson from Southern Miss. Nelson was one of the finer athletes available at any position in this draft class, and he’s also got an incredibly soft pair of hands. He’s an immediate upgrade at the tight end position and may be a legitimate threat right out of the gate.

State of the Team

Quarterbacks

This is a huge year for Edwards as he enters his third season in the NFL. He has legitimate weapons with Evans, T.O., Lynch and Jackson and he will be facing significant pressure to win in a tough division. Owens will certainly help Edwards just by his mere presence on the field, but we all know it’s just a matter of time before T.O. tests his leadership qualities.

Running Backs

With Lynch suspended for the first three games of the season, Jackson will be the featured back for the Bills and as a result, is a great value early in the season. While he may lose some touches to veteran Dominic Rhodes, look for Jackson to get 15-to-20 carries a game until Lynch gets back. Lynch’s situation will leave Fantasy owners with a difficult decision on draft day. With only 13 games maximum and a potential time-share with Jackson, Lynch may not be the top 12 running back option he was going into last season.

Receivers

The addition of Owens should benefit Evans more than anyone. Evans has been a break-out candidate for a few years, but the threat of Owens should allow Evans to see less schemes focusing on him. The Bills’ offense isn’t a flashy unit despite reports that they have consulted Jim Kelly to incorporate a no-huddle offense into their playbook. Evans is a great mid- to upper-level receiver to target, but I don’t foresee a double-digit touchdown season for T.O.

Tight Ends

As I discussed, the rookie Nelson may be inserted as the Game One starter for the Bills. His athleticism and pass blocking gives him the edge over Robert Royal, who caught 33 balls last year for 351 yards. Should Nelson be given the starting job, he would be a decent late-round flier.

Defense/Special Teams

The Bills’ defense and special teams finished the 2008 Fantasy season right in the middle of the pack. They are expecting most of their top defense players back in 2009 and the addition in the draft of DE Aaron Maybin at No. 11 overall and DB Jairus Byrd at No. 42 overall bodes well for the defense. The unit is a decent low-end number one option.

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.

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.

As the NBA regular season winds down next week, it is time to look back on one of the best regular seasons in quite some time. With the resurgence of the Celtics, the absolute insanity surrounding the trade deadline, and the remarkable battle in the West between the top nine teams, the regular season has been full of compelling story lines. As most fantasy basketball leagues are wrapping up, this week’s Wire Troll will reflect on the 2007-08 fantasy basketball season by selecting our winners for several awards.

Fantasy MVP

LeBron James: In a typical fantasy draft, you expect great numbers from the top player drafted. You expect to be rewarded for getting the number one pick. King James was the consensus number one player entering the 2007-08 season and if any owner went another direction with the first pick they should probably stop reading now. Clearly, they are beyond our help. James has had a monster regular season and has increased his production from last year in almost all categories. How is this for a ridiculous stat line? LBJ is averaging 30.3 points, 7.9 boards, 7.2 assists, 1.85 steals, and 1.07 blocks per game while shooting 48.4 per cent from the floor. It is scary that he is only 23 years old and his game continues to improve. I am just waiting to see how many more fans will challenge James in the fourth quarter of a tight game. Memo to fans attending games against the Cleveland Cavaliers: do not egg him on – he will make you pay.

Runner-up: Chris Paul — CP3 has led the New Orleans Hornets to the best record in the loaded Western Conference and has rewarded owners who drafted him this season. Paul’s average draft position this season was early second round, but his production certainly merits him to be taken in the first round next season. In just his third season, he has averaged 21.1 points, 11.6 dimes and 2.7 steals while shooting 48.7 per cent from the floor and 85.1 per cent from the charity stripe. Paul continues to impress as the floor leader for the Hornets and I am excited to see how his team will respond in the playoffs.

Breakthrough Player of the Year

Rudy Gay: In only his second season in the league, Gay has established himself as a serious scoring threat for the Memphis Grizzlies. Averaging 20.3 points per game, almost double his average of 10.9 from last year, Gay has stepped up his game after the Grizzlies traded Pau Gasol to the Lakers. Besides points, Gay contributes threes, steals, rebounds and blocks and could easily be a second round pick looking ahead to fantasy drafts next year.

Runner-up: Mike Dunleavy — The change of scenery certainly did wonders for Dunleavy. In his four-plus seasons in Golden State, he never averaged more than 14 points a game and only played between 27-32 minutes per game. As a member of the Indiana Pacers, Dunleavy has seen steady starter minutes – 36 minutes per game – and has responded. He is averaging 18.7 points, 5.2 boards and 3.4 assists while hitting 154 threes (in contrast to the 70 he made last year). Dunleavy has been incredibly consistent for owners who gambled on him and he should produce similar numbers next year.

The Wire Troll Pick-up of the Year

Hedo Turkoglu: Everyone expected the Orlando Magic to improve this season with the addition of Rashard Lewis and with the continued maturity of Superman, a.k.a Dwight Howard. However, no one could envision that the success of the Magic could be linked to Turkoglu. The Turkish Delight has put together a ridiculous season and is averaging 19.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 0.9 steals while shooting 82.6 per cent from the foul line. Those numbers make Turkoglu as a top 25 fantasy contributor, which is just astonishing considering he went undrafted in most leagues.

Runner-up: Jose Calderon — Another player who went undrafted in most leagues was Calderon. The injury to T.J. Ford opened the door for Calderon to see increased minutes and he responded incredibly. The Spanish Fly has averaged 11.5 points, 8.3 assists, and one steal while shooting 52.5 per cent from the floor, 43.3 per cent from three-point land and 90.8 per cent from the free throw line. This sharpshooter will be a fantasy superstar if he can find a team where he can be the starter.

The FU Award

The Chicago Bulls: Pick a Chicago Bulls player and odds are they underperformed this season. If you drafted any of the Bulls, i.e., Ben Gordon, Loul Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni or Ben Wallace (now a Cavalier), then I’m sure you agree with my assessment as them providing the ultimate Fuck You of the Year. Last season, the Bulls were a young and dangerous team who knocked out the defending champions Heat in the playoffs. Turn the page to this season and the Bulls have fallen apart. The struggles began early as Deng and Gordon both turned down lucrative contract extensions and the rumours of a Kobe Bryant trade weighed heavily on the team’s young core of players. Next came the firing of coach Scott Skiles and the massive trade with the Cavs that sent Wallace packing. The Bulls have been the biggest disappointment in the league and in the fantasy basketball world as well.

With the regular season ending next week, stay tuned for some amazing basketball as the playoffs begin. Every series in the West will feature exciting matchups and hopefully some thrilling games. I am very excited and will be reporting periodically throughout the playoffs. Good luck to those who are finishing up the last week of their fantasy season.

Congratulations. If you are still reading The Wire Troll at this point in the season, then you are either doing really well in your league going into the last week of the regular season or you are just curious to see if I gambled my life savings away in Vegas. Sorry to disappoint, but I actually came away from Sin City in one piece and am fresh off a weekend full of basketball.

Earlier in the week, the theme in the NBA had been the return of several superstars, i.e., Elton Brand, Pau Gasol, Gilbert Arenas and Dirk Nowitzki. However, in the last few days, the theme has shifted to those NBA superstars not playing. On Saturday night, the Celtics’ Big Three all sat against Charlotte. Other big-time fantasy contributors who did not play Saturday night included Antawn Jamison, Chris Kaman, Ron Artest, Brad Miller, Drew Gooden and Gerald Wallace. With the absence of so many superstars, many players are seeing more court time during the most critical period for fantasy owners.

Leon Powe: With the Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen all seeing downtime in Boston, the Celtics are a great source of fantasy equity during the last week of the season. When KG was injured during the middle portion of the season, Powe responded with effective production in his increased minutes. Since the Celtics clinched the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, Garnett’s minutes will likely decrease even more, so look for Powe to once again respond. In Powe’s last three games, he is averaging 12.3 PPG and 9.3 RPG. He should be picked up if your team needs rebounds down the stretch.

Kendrick Perkins: Perkins has been a Waiver Troll regular in the past three months. Garnett’s decrease in minutes has also led to increased production by Perkins. Perkins is a guy who can help your team with rebounds and blocks, but provides no other substantial production. In his last three games, he is averaging seven rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Perkins should be picked up in deeper leagues.

Francisco Garcia: With the plethora of injuries in Sacramento, Garcia has finally seen steady minutes during the home stretch of the NBA season. A reliable scorer and three-point shooter, Garcia has been solid all season when he gets substantial minutes. In his last four games, he is averaging 15.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, two assists and 1.5 threes. If you are looking for a cheap source of points, Garcia is a viable option.

Tyrus Thomas: The mystery that is the Chicago Bulls’ rotation became a little clearer with the injury to Gooden. As a result of the injury, Thomas will once again see consistent minutes in the next week for the Bulls. He is definitely worth picking up when he is getting his PT. On Thursday night against the Celtics, Thomas played 37 minutes and put up 24 points and seven rebounds. On Saturday night, in 23 minutes, Thomas only scored two points, but contributed seven rebounds and three blocks. Thomas will have value in deep leagues as long as Gooden is out.

Steve Blake: Blake has been another member of The Wire Troll’s most valuable player club. With the injury to Brandon Roy, Blake has stepped up his game considerably. In Blake’s last five games, he is averaging 12.4 points, 6.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds. He is definitely worth picking up and should be a good source of assists even if Roy returns from his injury.

Good luck to everyone in the final week of the regular season and stay tuned for a season-ending wrap-up next weekend.

Josh Powell, Los Angeles Clippers: Despite being only 6′9″, Powell has emerged as the starting centre for the Clippers as Chris Kaman deals with his ongoing back issues. Amid reports and projections that Powell’s playing time was linked to the injury to Tim Thomas (who recently returned to the lineup only to miss Friday night’s game with a stomach virus), Powell has been inserted as the Clippers’ centre. Since Powell’s addition into the starting lineup, he is averaging 12 points and 7.4 boards per game. In addition, Friday night’s injury to Corey Maggette opened up more touches and Powell responded with a 21-point effort. Moreover, according to cbssportsline.com, Powell is one game away from earning centre eligibility. He should be picked up in all leagues.

Mickael Pietrus, Golden State Warriors: Even though I discussed Pietrus in last week’s column, his production in the Warriors last three games merits another mention this week. On Wednesday night, Pietrus played 36 minutes and put up 15 points and 12 boards. On Friday night, he played 37 minutes and scored 16 points and added 13 rebounds. However, on Tuesday night, Pietrus played just 16 minutes and finished with six points and two boards. As expected, his production is linked to his minutes and with a head coach like Don Nelson, who is infamous for changing his lineups on a nightly basis, Pietrus’ minutes must be monitored. If he is still on your league’s waiver wire, he is worth picking up but should be scutinized very closely on a game-by-game basis.

Flip Murray, Indiana Pacers: After being buried on the Detroit Pistons’ bench all year, Murray was released by Detroit and then picked up by the Indiana Pacers at the beginning of the month. He has always been a solid scorer and a decent point guard and it only took him five games to take over the starting point guard position from underwhelming Travis Diener. With Diener’s demotion and the injury to Jamaal Tinsley, Murray should see good minutes as the starter. In his last five games, all starts, he is averaging 15.8 points, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 47.6 per cent from the floor. Murray is worth consideration in all leagues.

Ronny Turiaf, Los Angeles Lakers: The latest news out of L.A. is that Lakers’ head coach Phil Jackson doesn’t anticipate Pau Gasol returning until at least March 26. Turiaf, the benefactor of Gasol’s absence, has two more games as a starter if Gasol does in fact return when scheduled. As a starter, Turiaf has proven to be a versatile fantasy contributor. In Turiaf’s five games as a starter, he has averaged 9.6 points, 5.8 boards, 4.2 assists and 1.4 blocks. These numbers should continue as long as Gasol remains out of action and Turiaf should be picked up in all leagues until the Spainard returns.

Carl Landry, Houston Rockets: Landry had been one of the main reasons the Rockets continued their success after Yao Ming’s injury until the rookie was himself sidelined with a knee injury. After missing seven games, Landry returned to the Rockets lineup on Friday night and, in only 19 minutes, scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds. If he remains healthy, he is a very strong waiver pick up who can be a good source of rebounds while scoring with a high field goal percentage.

Anthony Johnson, Sacramento Kings: When Mike Bibby was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, Johnson was thrown in to give the Kings a veteran back-up point guard, as the Kings were ready to hand the point reins to Beno Udrih. Udrih has missed the last two games with a lower back strain and is listed as day-to-day. In Johnson’s first game as a starter for the Kings on Tuesday night, he led the Kings to a win over the Golden State Warriors with a fine line of 13 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and one block. Johnson came down to earth in his second start on Friday night contributing 12 points, two assists and three rebounds. He is worth monitoring in deeper leagues and will have value if Udrih is going to miss any more time.

This is where Cinderella happens. This is where draft stocks soar. This is where champions are made. As Dick Vitale would say, “It’s awesome baby!” Yes, March Madness is finally here and office pools and bracket battles are starting all across the country. Who will win it all? Who will come up short? We are here to give you the whole scoop, breaking down each bracket and letting you know who we think will make the Final Four. But with all the madness, don’t blame your monetary losses on us!

SOUTH REGION

By JORDAN FRANK

Don’t tell Memphis head coach John Calipari that the number one seed in a region is supposed to get preferential treatment by the NCAA tournament selection committee. Two years ago, Memphis was a number one seed and was shipped out West, where it lost the regional final against UCLA in Oakland. This year – it’s déjà vu all over again. The Memphis Tigers are the number one seed in the South Region and the regional final site is Houston – which could lead to a potential quasi-road game for Memphis against the number two seed, the Texas Longhorns.

However, it would be a major mistake for either Memphis or Texas to look ahead to its potential regional final battle. Both teams face a difficult path to get through the South Region – most notably in potential regional semifinal matchups. The South Region may not be the toughest bracket top-to-bottom, but it is extremely top-heavy (mmm…top heavy…bow chicka bow bow). The top four seeds — Memphis, Texas, Stanford and Pittsburgh — are all loaded with talent, well-coached, experienced teams who could potentially win this Region.

Although I believe the South Region is top-heavy, there are potential difficult matchups for two of the top four teams in the second round. Memphis and Pittsburgh better beware of potential matchups against Mississippi State and Michigan State, respectively. Both of the underdogs match up well against the favourites and could play spoiler. As for some other potential early upsets, I like Saint Mary’s to knock off Miami and Kentucky to take down Marquette.

The Best Bets

Memphis Tigers (No. 1 Seed): The 33-1 Memphis Tigers are the first school in NCAA history to enter the NCAA tournament with 30 or more wins for the third straight year. The last two runs in the NCAA tournament for the Tigers ended in the regional final, but this year’s team includes sensational freshman point guard Derrick Rose. Memphis played a tough non-conference schedule this year and beat numerous tournament teams including Connecticut, Georgetown, Oklahoma, USC, Arizona and Gonzaga. The Tigers cruised through the Conference USA regular season without a blemish and easily won the conference tournament. Memphis’ only defeat came at home against Tennessee in a tough No. 1 versus No. 2 battle. The Tigers are led by guards Rose (13.9 PPG, 4.2 APG) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (17.2 PPG) who were both first-team All-Conference USA, and forward Joey Dorsey (7.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG) who was on the second-team. The team has struggled with its perimeter shooting all season and ranks 327th of 328 teams in Division I in foul shooting at 59.2 per cent.

Texas Longhorns (No. 2 Seed): After losing Kevin Durant last season, the number two pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, many predicted a down year for the Texas Longhorns. However, they responded with an 11-0 start to the 2007-08 season, which included marquee non-conference wins over UCLA and Tennessee. Additionally, the Longhorns were mere minutes away from beating Kansas in the Big 12 Championship game to capture a berth as a number one seed. The 28-6 Longhorns, who have won 12 of their last 14 games, are seeded number two in the South and their path to the NCAA championship runs through Little Rock, Houston and San Antonio. Texas beat Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas A&M and Kansas State on its way to sharing the Big 12 regular season championship with Kansas, and is led by its stud point guard D.J. Augustin, who was the Big 12’s No. 2 scorer (19.8 PPG) and leader in assists (5.7 APG). Augustin’s backcourt mate, A.J. Abrams, is a deadly outsider shooter who led the team with 89 three pointers and who averages 16.1 PPG and forward Damion James is the Longhorns’ muscle-in-the-middle, averaging 10.5 RPG and 13.2 PPG. It will be critical for the Longhorns to get interior contributions from James, centre Connor Atchley and especially forward Gary Johnson to advance from a potential regional semifinal matchup against Stanford and its twin seven footers.

Stanford Cardinal (No. 3 Seed): Stanford has been under the radar for most of the season due to the team’s soft non-conference schedule and the suspension of Brook Lopez for the first semester. Don’t look now, but Stanford has won nine of its last 13 in a loaded conference and settled for second place in the Pac-10 after a controversial call at UCLA ended its hopes of a regular season championship. The Cardinal are a defensive juggernaut and are in the nation’s top ten in both two-point field goal defense and overall effective field goal defense. The team also ranks in the Top 25 in both offensive and defensive rebounding. The Cardinal can overwhelm teams inside with its twin seven-footers Brook and Robin Lopez. Brook leads the team by averaging 19.2 PPG and 8.5 RPG, while his brother Robin averages 10.0 PPG and 5.6 RPG. Anthony Goods (10.8 PPG) is the main 3-point threat and point guard Mitch Johnson averages 4.8 APG.

The Sleeper

Pittsburgh Panthers (No. 4 Seed): To call the Panthers a dark horse is a bit of a stretch, but this team has overcome significant injuries and is as dangerous as any team in the country. The Panthers won the Big East Conference tournament by beating Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette and Georgetown in a four-day span. Despite the injuries, Pittsburgh finished with a school-record seventh consecutive 20-win season. Junior point guard Levance Fields, who averages 11.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 5.4 APG, returned in mid-February after missing 12 games with a broken left foot, and the team lost Mike Cook (10.4 PPG) for the season. The Panthers depend on tough, aggressive defense and the inside scoring of DeJuan Blair (11.7 PPG and 9.1 RPG) and Sam Young (18.3 PPG and 6.4 RPG). Because of its strong and tenacious team defense, Pittsburgh could be a difficult matchup for Memphis in a potential regional semifinal.

Players to Watch

Derrick Rose – Memphis: The freshman guard for the Tigers is arguably the top point guard in the country and is a sure-fire lottery pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. While Rose’s raw stats are solid (13.9 PPG, 4.2 APG, 4.2 RPG, 1.2 SPG), it is his intangibles that are making NBA scouts salivate. Rose has fantastic vision on the court and has an incredible knack of making his teammates better. He has the ability to take over games with his size and athleticism and can get to the rim with ease.

Brook Lopez – Stanford: Lopez is another player destined to be a lottery pick in next year’s NBA draft. He is a fundamentally sound and strong big man who averaged 19.2 points, 8.5 boards and 1.9 blocks per game this season. Lopez has a strong work ethic and has improved his shooting from both the field and the free throw line this season. As true seven-footers, Brook and his brother Robin will pose a tough matchup for smaller teams in the tournament.

D.J. Augustin – Texas: The floor general for the Longhorns is the second best point guard in the country (see above). Augustin is a pure point guard who models his game after Steve Nash. In his sophomore season, Augustin is averaging 19.8 points, 5.7 dimes, 2.9 boards and 1.3 steals. He is an incredible ball-handler who runs the pick-and-roll to perfection and can easily dribble-penetrate to find the open man.

Jamont Gordon – Mississippi State: Gordon is an explosive guard who averages 17 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Bulldogs. In his junior season, he was a unanimous selection to the All-SEC first team and has shown incredible versatility in leading the Bulldogs into the tournament. Gordon uses his size (6′4”, 230) and strength to get to the hole and his improved shooting has garnered the attention of NBA scouts.

Patrick Mills – Saint Mary’s: Mills is a 5′11” Australian freshman guard who is lightning-quick and could shock some teams in the tournament with his scoring ability. Earlier this season, Mills led Saint Mary’s to a victory over Oregon (who was ranked No. 11 at the time) by scoring 37 points. He averages 14.5 points, 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals for the Gaels.

Others to Watch

Jarvis Varnado – Mississippi State
Dominic James – Marquette
Chris Douglas-Roberts – Memphis
Dionte Christmas – Temple
Joe Crawford – Kentucky

Projected Region Winner

The Texas Longhorns will benefit from the favourable venues and cut the nets in Houston on their way to San Antonio.

MIDWEST REGION

By ANDY GOLDSTEIN

At first, I was pretty bummed about getting stuck covering the Midwest. I mean, it’s the antithesis of flash. Instead, I get to go on about muckers (UNLV), grinders (Wisconsin), and plodders (Georgetown). Yes, the Midwest is the slowest region in the whole tournament, but there’s beauty in molassas ball, right? Who doesn’t love a 53-50 second round nailbiter!? I live to see the shot clock in the corner go from serene white to impending-doom-red! Every time! Okay, I can’t do this anymore. Seriously, I must have upset the March Madness gods. I hate stone-age basketball. They might as well get rid of the shot clock altogether. Oh no. I just realized Wisconsin could end up facing Georgetown in the third round. That narcolepsy-inducing game should come with a warning: please don’t listen on the radio if you’re operating a vehicle.

The Best Bets

Kansas Jayhawks (No. 1 seed): The Big 12 Champions will be hard to stop behind a senior-laden team. A high power offense will be thrust forth in the early rounds of the tournament and my guess is they will make the Final Four.

Georgetown Hoyas (No. 2 seed): The Hoyas made a huge run in last year’s tournament and look to follow that up this season. Roy Hibbert elected to come back for his senior season instead of going pro and will lead a team with plenty of experience and a great shot in a tough bracket to make the Final Four.

Wisconsin Badgers (No. 3 seed): The Badgers probably feel snubbed. After winning the Big Ten tournament, as well as being ranked fifth in the country, they were only awarded a three seed in the Midwest. If Wisconsin can play as well as its coach Bo Ryan does the dance to Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat,” count them in to at least the Elite Eight with a great shot at making the Final Four.

The Sleeper

Michael Beasley’s Kansas State squad strikes me as the team that could surprise the most. Obviously, they will have the best player in every game, which is a nice starting point. Maybe more importantly, they play a faster paced game than anyone else in the region, and they’re the only low-ranked team that will have a shot at controlling the tempo against the high seeds. While I do see them beating USC in first round, I think they’ll run into a wall against the Badgers. The only other double digit seed that I see with a chance to make a Sweet 16 run would be the Villanova Wildcats, who garnered a 12 seed. Interestingly, their first game against Clemson in the 5-12 matchup will be tougher than the second round matchups. Vanderbilt is a very weak No. 4, but Siena isn’t exactly a dangerous 13 seed, so the winner of Clemson-’Nova should make it another round. I am not that bold, since Clemson is very strong and the Wildcats are too inconsistent, but if they do pull the upset, I totally called it.

Players to Watch

Mario Chalmers-Kansas: Kansas, clearly one of the best teams in the country, is a team that has a number of quality players. It’s almost unfair to single just one or two out, but guard Mario Chalmers has been playing well of late. Against Texas in the Big 12 title game, he scored a career-high 30 points.

Roy Hibbert-Georgetown: The centre from Georgetown can have a big impact on this bracket. Unfortunately, he’s shown a tendency to put himself in foul trouble, which cuts his minutes significantly. But he has plenty of experience after last year’s run.

Michael Beasley-Kansas State: The National Player of the Year runner up, he is an extreme force to be reckoned with. Averaging a double-double, Beasley can almost single-handedly lead his Wildcats to an upset over first round opponent USC and O.J. Mayo.

Others to Watch

Sherron Collins-Kansas
Delonte Huff-Portland State

Projected Region Winner

I hate picking chalk. I despise it. I can’t think of anything worse. But the one redeeming part of having to slog through the Midwest Region is that I get to explain that Kansas is not only going to win the bracket, but also the National Championship. It has the balance to get through anyone.

WEST REGION

By RotoRob

Other than UCLA – a legitimate threat to win it all this year – the West Region isn’t exactly brimming with tourney contenders. Duke as a two seed? This is a team that couldn’t even win the ACC regular season title or the conference tournament. And now the Blue Devils have to travel far from home to try to win their region. Frankly, I’ll be shocked if they survive until the Elite Eight.

There are some interesting schools here, however. Drake, who shocked many by sweeping its way through the always fascinating MVC tourney; Jim Calhoun’s UConn Huskies, who seem to be rounding into form at the right time; and the Purdue Boilermakers, who have done an amazing job of turning the program around.

The Best Bets

UCLA (No. 1 seed): The Bruins probably have the easiest road to the Final Four of any of the No. 1 seeds. After wrapping up a third straight Pac-10 regular season title, UCLA swept through a tourney that featured six teams headed to the dance, and it came away unscathed, stretching an overall winning streak to 10 games. This club, capable of controlling games with its defense, has plenty of experience, having made it to the last two Final Fours. In fact, only Kentucky has more tournament appearances in its history. As long as Kevin Love’s back doesn’t act up again and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute’s ankle is okay, this team will roll.

Xavier (No. 3 seed): The Musketeers, normally a superb 3-point shooing team, went ice cold in the Atlantic 10 semis, sinking just 1-of-14. The result? Xavier was held to just 53 points, its lowest output of the season. But this team was headed to the dance either way, and the Musketeers, an excellent FT shooting team, are poised for a very deep tournament run.

Drake (No. 5 seed): I’m going out on a limb here a bit, but those Missouri Valley schools have made sexy choices in recent years, and this team did win 28 games this season. The only thing holding the Bulldogs back is experience – they haven’t made the tourney since 1971. But any team capable of ending the No. 1 seed jinx in the MVC (they’re the first club to win the tourney as the top seed in that conference in a decade) must have some kismet on their side. Besides, did you see what Drake did to Illinois State in the tourney final? Woah. The Bulldogs are capable of shredding opponents with an array of 3-point shooters, featuring four players who average well over one trey per game, including Josh Young and Klayton Korver, who both average better than two per game. Assuming Drake can get by a powerful Western Kentucky squad (and those No. 5 vs. No. 12 matchups are always a minefield), this team has a chance to make some serious noise in the tourney.

The Sleeper

West Virginia (No. 7 seed): Because of its ability to get hot and light it up, West Virginia will always be a threat. The Mountaineers showed this when they knocked off UConn in the Big East quarterfinals. I have my doubts about Duke’s ability to get past the Sweet 16, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Devils bow to WVU in the second round. The Mountaineers have an upset in them waiting to be unleashed.

Players to Watch

Jerryd Bayless-Arizona: The athletic and fast Bayless will be a lottery pick, but whether his NBA future is as a PG or a combo guard remains to be seen. Now is his chance to prove he can run an offense. Compared by some to Gilbert Arenas, another less-than-true PG who is an explosive scorer, Bayless averaged 20 PPG but he turns the ball over too much.

DeAndre Jordan-Texas A&M: With Jordan, it’s not so much what’s he done as what he might do. This seven-footer is blessed with a man-child’s body a la Dwight Howard, so NBA scouts are drooling as they consider him for a lottery pick slot. Coming off the bench this year, Jordan didn’t exactly wow anyone in his freshman season, but with his ability to be a fantastic, young low-post presence similar to Andrew Bynum, teams will be coveting this brimming-with-potential, athletic big man.

Russell Westbrook-UCLA: The first of a host of UCLA stars expected to be drafted this summer, this soph exploded onto the scene this year, and was blazing down the stretch, scoring in double figures in eight straight games until the Stanford game Saturday. Westbrook wears No. 0 but is anything but in scouts’ minds, establishing himself as a clear lottery pick with his athleticism and quickness. This lefty combo guard, compared to Monta Ellis, will need to add strength, and is certainly not someone who will step in to the NBA and make an immediate impact, but Westbrook has a chance to cement his status as a top 10 pick with a big tourney.

Hasheem Thabeet-Connecticut: This dude is a serious blocking machine, recording at least two swats per game for the past 14 contests. At 7′3″, he is an incredibly intimidating presence under his own basket, earlier this year putting up a 10-block game. However, as dominating as Thabeet is on D, he is a weak post player, only capable of scoring when he gets position within a few feet of the bucket. Still, Thabeet, who averaged 4.5 BPG this season, looks like he’ll be a lottery pick and take his place as the next Dikembe Mutombo, throwing nightly block parties in the NBA.

Kevin Love-UCLA: Love has scouts drooling with his combination of size (6′10″, 271), strength and skills. There’s almost nothing he can’t do, whether it’s scoring, rebounding, blocking or stepping behind the arc to can a 3-pointer. Gifted with a great jump shot as well as superb post skills, Love looks like a mid first round pick right now, but a big tourney could vault him into a lottery slot. The only major knock on Love is his lack of speed, so he’s best suited to thrive on a half-court team.

Others to Watch

Darren Collison-UCLA
Trent Plaisted-BYU
Luc Richard Mbah A Moute-UCLA
DeMarcus Nelson-Duke
Courtney Lee-Western Kentucky

Projected Region Winner

UCLA is on its way to a third straight Final Four, and is a good bet to go to the Championship game.

EAST REGION

By DANIEL OLSEN

In this writer’s humble opinion, the East is the toughest region in the tournament. Not only does it have the number one overall seed in UNC, but Indiana is an eight seed! The Hoosiers have obviously struggled since the dismissal of cheater, ahem, coach Kelvin Sampson, but still they had a very solid year in a strong Big Ten Conference.

Speaking of Indiana, look for a potential huge matchup with UNC in the second round, assuming the Hoosiers can escape Arkansas in a tough opening round contest.

Also in this bracket you have a previously ranked number one (Tennessee), a former Cinderella mid-major in George Mason, always tough Louisville, and a new Pac-10 powerhouse in Washington State.

With the exception of a few of the lower ranked teams, just about anyone could potentially win this bracket.

The Best Bets

UNC (No. 1 seed):

Tell me you want to bet against the number one overall seed in the tournament and team who finished number one in the final AP rankings. Then I will tell you that you’re crazy. Led by centre Tyler Hansbrough and guard Ty Lawson, this team is tough. Fresh off the ACC championship, the Tar Heels are gunning for the national championship and are poised to make a huge run led by coach Roy Williams. However, after round one, there will be no easy games for the Tar Heels.

Tennessee (No. 2 seed): While the Volunteers stumbled a bit after briefly being ranked number one in the nation, they still finished with a two seed in the East and look poised to dominate the bottom half of the East bracket. Chris Lofton will have to continue to be a super stroker for Tennesse to make a run at the Final Four. With Bruce Pearl at the helm, it looks like the sky might be the limit for the Volunteers. They have plenty of experience with a team that made a deep run into the tournament last season as well.

Washington State (No. 4 seed): Sure they are from Pullman, Washington (where?) and are only making their second tournament appearance in the last 14 seasons. But, it is their second tournament appearance in a row and is being led by one of the most promising young coaches in the nation in Tony Bennett (just ask Indiana, a school that can’t stop gazing at him after the dismissal of Sampson). The Cougars are a senior-led team with guards Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low. They can shoot the three almost as well as anyone in the country with four legitimate three-point threats on the team. Factor in the Pac-10’s best defense statistically, and they could advance to at least the Sweet Sixteen.

The Sleeper

George Mason (No. 12 seed): These guys know how to win. Just two years ago they made it to the Final Four out of nowhere! They still have two starters from that squad in Folarin Campbell and Will Thomas. The Patriots have had some big wins this season, including one over Beasley’s Kansas State. They have plenty enough offense, but they will have to play big time defense in order to have a chance in this tournament.

Players to Watch

Kyle Weaver-Washington State: The 6′6″ senior guard is one of the best defensive players in the land and has had a shutdown season leading him to be a probable late first round pick in the upcoming NBA draft. While he doesn’t always light up the scoreboard with points like Beasley and Mayo, he will chip in 10-15 points a game and a couple of steals per contest. He is the heart and soul of the Cougars.

Tyler Hansbrough-UNC: He’s only the National Player of the Year. No big deal right? Wrong. Hansbrough is unstoppable at times and the centre will only continue to shine in the tournament. Look for him to have a double-double in every contest in the tournament and drop even more scouts’ jaws with his uncanny ability to score and rebound. He should be leading his Tar Heels deep in the tournament.

Reggie Larry-Boise State: Sure, the Broncos are from the mediocre WAC conference, but Larry is definitely something to write home about. The forward is averaging 19.6 points per contest as well as pulling down 9.3 rebounds. The team barely made the tournament after a triple overtime victory in the WAC championship against New Mexico State. What did Larry do in that contest? Oh, he merely poured in 31 points and pulled down 16 points. No big deal.

Luke Harangody-Notre Dame: No one said anything about Harangody prior to the season. Now, the whole nation is raving about him. Going into the tournament, the forward is averaging a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds per game. Notre Dame will need him if it has any chance of advancing, as it has no easy games in the bracket, starting off with Cinderella special George Mason. But, Harangody has shown he has what it takes to lead the Fighting Irish and he will do just that.

Chris Lofton-Tennessee: This senior rainmaker has led Tennessee all season in three-point shooting at a 40 per cent clip while averaging 16 points per game. This is his last chance to shine in the NCAA tournament and he hopes to impress NBA scouts and improve his draft stock which he should be able to do as his Volunteers have a favourable first few games.

Others to Watch

Derrick Low-Washington State
David Padgett-Lousiville
Eric Gordon-Indiana
D.J. White-Indiana
Sonny Weems-Arkansas
Blake Griffin-Oklahoma

Projected Region Winner

I hate being the guy to just go with the obvious, but I will do it anyways. The winner has to be UNC. I do not think anyone can really match up with Hansbrough, and he will dominate all the big men in the bracket. That being said, Tennessee is the one team that can challenge the Heels. But still, go ahead and pick UNC.

The Final Four

Based on our predictions, the Final Four will consist of Texas, Kansas, UCLA, and UNC. That’s right, three number one seeds. Guess we like to play it safe, huh?

Bold prediction: the winner of the best Conference in the land (the Pac-10) will win the 2008 Tournament. Yah, UCLA all the way!

With the fantasy playoffs looming on the horizon, it is very difficult to find multi-category studs on the wire. Unless a big name player goes down with an injury (as discussed last week) or a team throws in the towel and starts to give younger players more minutes, it is very difficult to find gems at this late stage in the season. At this point, my strategy is to target guys who fulfill specific needs for my team. This week’s Wire Troll breaks down the wire candidates based on the categories to which each player contributes.

Need: Multi-category production
Pick up: Jamario Moon, SF, Toronto Raptors

The injury to Chris Bosh has provided additional minutes for Moon, a rookie who delivers multiple category production. Moon will not blow you away with his scoring or passing, but his strengths lie in his rebounding and his ability to get steals and blocks. In his last five games, he has averaged 8.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.2 blocks. If Moon is available in your league, he is a great option who can help your team in the sometimes-overlooked steals and blocks categories.

Need: Three-point shooting
Pick up: Matt Carroll, SG, Charlotte Bobcats

Carroll is another player who has benefited immensely from an injury. The concussion suffered by Gerald Wallace allowed Carroll to be inserted into the Bobcats’ starting lineup and he has excelled with the increase in minutes. Since Wallace’s injury, Carroll has been on fire from beyond the arc, which includes a three-game stretch where he hit 14 threes before struggling Friday night against the Rockets. Wallace is now back, and slowly increasing his minutes as he comes off the bench. Until Crash returns to the starting lineup, Carroll is worth monitoring in deep leagues and should be picked up if Wallace experiences any set backs.

Need: Rebounds, blocks
Pick up: Joel Przybilla, C, Portland Trailblazers

Przybilla has been a monster on the glass in the last month for Portland, grabbing ten or more rebounds in nine of his last 13 games. In his last five games, he has averaged 10.2 boards and 1.8 blocks per game. Przybilla is a decent number two centre in all leagues and should be picked up if he is available.

Need: Rebounds, blocks
Pick up: Kendrick Perkins, C, Boston Celtics

Perkins has been a bit inconsistent this year with the Celtics, but the wealth of talent surrounding him has had a great effect on his game and his growth in maturity and confidence has been remarkable. In Perkins’ last five games, he is averaging 10.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks. He is an absolute pick up if he is available in your league.

Need: Assists
Pick up: Steve Blake, PG, Portland Trailblazers

While it is unlikely that Blake is available in your league, his recent numbers are worth discussing. His production had been slipping, even to the point where Jarrett Jack took over the starting PG position. However, Blake has rebounded and regained his starting role, averaging 6.8 assists in his last five games. He is a decent source of assists and should be considered if your team is in need of some dime-dropping ability.

Need: Scoring
Pick up: Daequan Cook, SG, Miami Heat

The injuries to Dwyane Wade, Dorell Wright and Marcus Banks have left a huge void for the Miami Heat. Insert Cook, who was recently recalled from the D-League. Since being inserted into the starting lineup, Cook is playing 37 minutes per game and is averaging 11.5 PPG. He has been struggling with his shot, but Cook is a very intriguing pick up due to the heavy minutes he will be seeing for the depleted Heat.

Need: Scoring, rebounds, steals
Pick up: Mickael Pietrus, SF, Golden State Warriors

Pietrus has been inserted into the starting lineup for the Warriors and has been playing heavy minutes. Normally, that is a great thing. However, this is the Warriors, and coach Don Nelson is infamous for changing his starting lineup on a whim, so realize that almost anyone’s value can change quickly on this team. In his last five games, Pietrus has scored 11.4 PPG, while averaging 8.2 boards and 1.6 steals. Pietrus is a solid pick up when he is playing steady minutes.

Need: Three-point shooting
Pick up: Sasha Pavlovic, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers

Pavlovic returned from a 23-game absence due to a sprained left foot, and had an immediate impact on the Cavs. In his second game back (he only played ten minutes in his first game), Pavlovic scored 24 points, hitting five treys and shooting 50 per cent from the floor. Pavlovic is definitely worth monitoring as his minutes begin to increase.

As the exhilarating race in the Western Conference continues with only about six weeks of games left in the regular season, recent injuries to big-name players have opened up minutes for guys who may not have been on your radar. This week’s edition of The Wire Troll features players who have risen to fantasy relevance due to such injuries.

Injured: Dorell Wright, Dwyane Wade
Winners: Marcus Banks, Ricky Davis

The downtrodden Miami Heat has been a fantasy wasteland for the majority of this season. The season-ending injury to Wright and the constant speculation that the Heat is going to shut down Wade for the season has led to a steady rise in minutes for both Banks and Davis.

Banks, a throw-in from the Phoenix Suns in the Shaquille O’Neal trade, scored 20 points and chipped in four assists, three rebounds and one block in 41 minutes Friday night. Banks’ value correlates directly with the status of Wade. Wade, who sat out Friday’s game, revealed that his knee has gotten worse in the last week. If the Heat shuts down Wade, Banks should be picked up in all leagues.

Similarly, Davis is seeing increased minutes with the injury to Wright, and put up a nice line Friday night without Wade in the lineup – 10 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks while playing 47 minutes. In Davis’ last five games, four of which were played with Wade, he has averaged 13.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.2 SPG. Davis is worth consideration in all leagues at this point and is a definite pick-up if Wade is shut down.

Injured: Jamaal Tinsley
Winner: Travis Diener

Coach Jim O’Brien has said he doesn’t know if Tinsley will be back this season. If you haven’t checked out Diener and your team is in need of a point guard, now is the time to grab him. He has been starting for the Pacers since mid-January and his production has been fairly consistent. In Diener’s last five games, he has averaged 13.8 PPG and 6.4 assists. If your team is in need of assists, he is worth picking up in deeper leagues.

Injured: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Winner: Anderson Varejao

The injury to Ilgauskas has opened minutes on the Cavs’ front line for Varejao and Ben Wallace. Ilgauskas is going to be out another seven-to-10 days and if your team is desperate for rebounds, then Varejao is worth monitoring (he is averaging 7.2 rebounds in his last five). Otherwise, leave him on the wire.

Injured: Chris Bosh
Winner: Rasho Nesterovic

With the injury to Bosh, Nesterovic has entered the Raptors’ starting five. In the four games since CB4 went down, Nesterovic is averaging 10.3 PPG and 8.5 RPG. Reports out of Toronto are that Bosh is certainly out for Sunday’s game against Seattle and the possibility exists that he could miss the Raptors’ subsequent five-game road trip. If Bosh is out for an extended period of time, Nesterovic is worth consideration in deeper leagues.

Injured: David West
Winner: Julian Wright

West has missed two straight games with a sore left ankle and could miss his third game on Saturday night. While Ryan Bowen has been starting in place of West, it has been the rookie Wright gaining the most by the injury to West. In the two games without West, Wright has averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 boards and one steal while shooting 70 per cent from the floor. With such a small sample size, it is hard to gauge Wright’s fantasy value, however, if West should miss an extended period of time, Wright is definitely worth monitoring.

Injured: Ron Artest
Winner: John Salmons

On Friday, Artest missed his second straight game because of a foot injury. Salmons, one of my favourite fantasy players, shined when Artest was out with an injury from December to mid-January. However, since Artest returned, Salmons’ role was dramatically reduced and his numbers severely suffered. In the past two games, in the absence of Artest, Salmons has catapulted his game again by averaging 14 points, 6.5 boards, 2.0 assists and 2.5 steals. If Artest’s injury keeps him out, Salmons is an absolute pick up in all leagues.

‘Sup, everyone? My name is Jordan Frank and I am the new addition to Team RotoRob. As the new caretaker of The Wire Troll column, I will provide insight and analysis that will help you win your fantasy basketball leagues. If you are interested in such success, read below and continue to follow my weekly column every Saturday until the end of the regular season. And without further ado…

As the calendar turns to March, fantasy basketball leagues begin the crucial home stretch where free agent acquisitions can make or break a championship run. Whether you participate in a head-to-head or a Rotisserie league, the next month is critical to your team’s success. As the smoke clears from one of the most active trade deadlines in league history, the waiver wire is ripe with fresh pickings as coaches are becoming more comfortable with the new faces which have arrived. In the wake of such furious changes, this week’s Wire Troll will focus on the events in the league which have infused the waiver wire with new feastings.

The Three-Team Trade

Joakim Noah, C/Tyrus Thomas , PF, Chicago: The mystery that is the Chicago Bulls did not become any clearer with the last minute three-team trade between the Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Seattle Sonics that sent Ben Wallace and Joe Smith to the Cavs and Adrian Griffin to the Sonics. In return, the Bulls received Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Shannon Brown and Cedric Simmons.

While it was evident that the struggles of Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon and Kirk Hinrich would lead to Hughes seeing immediate minutes, it was unclear as to how Gooden would fit into the Bulls’ system. The departure of Wallace and Smith opened up a lot of minutes in the Bulls’ frontcourt and new head coach Jim Boylan immediately inserted Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas into the starting lineup.

Noah’s numbers have fluctuated greatly in his four starts with the Bulls. His first night as a starter produced a 14-point, 10-rebound, two-block game, while the next game saw him contribute just two points and two rebounds. While Noah will see increased minutes with the loss of Wallace and Smith, Noah is just too inconsistent to rely upon at this point in his career. In last night’s game, Noah’s fifth start, Gooden entered the game just 41 seconds after tip-off when the rookie turned his ankle. Noah returned to the game and finished with five points, four rebounds and two blocks. My advice is to leave Noah on the waiver wire.

Like Noah, Thomas has been wildly inconsistent all season. The departure of Wallace and Smith opened up a spot for Thomas in the starting lineup, however, rumours out of Chicago insist that Thomas’ run in the starting five may have already come to an end with the insertion of Gooden. Thomas is a much better alternative to Noah, having averaged 12.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in the previous four games until Friday night. In last night’s loss to the struggling Washington Wizards, in which the Bulls blew an 18-point halftime lead at home, Thomas played only nine minutes and finished with two points and four rebounds. At this point, Thomas is worth monitoring, but until his minutes become more consistent, you should leave him on the wire.

Delonte West, PG/SG, Cleveland: The three-team trade between the Bulls, Sonics and Cavs discussed above brought four players to Cleveland – Delonte West, Wallace, Smith and Wally Szczerbiak. From a fantasy perspective, West was the major benefactor of this deal as he immediately took over the starting PG position for the Cavs. In his four games with the Cavs, he has averaged 11 points, 5.0 assists, 4.3 boards, 1.0 steal, and 1.3 threes. Despite West’s poor shooting, his numbers have been solid since joining the new-look Cavs. Most importantly, he is averaging 34.5 MPG. West should be picked up in all formats.

Wally Szczerbiak, SF, Cleveland: Wally World has been able to pick up some solid minutes in his three games with the Cavs and has scored in double figures in every one. Szczerbiak has averaged 34 MPG and is putting up 11.7 PPG. He has not been contributing significantly to any other fantasy category yet, but deserves to be monitored considering his minutes and the injury to Daniel Gibson.

Johan Petro, C, Seattle: In the three-team trade with the Cavs and Bulls, the Sonics received Ira Newble, Donyell Marshall and Griffin. In addition, the Sonics traded Kurt Thomas to San Antonio. In the four games since Seattle dealt Thomas, Petro started all four at centre. In the first three of those games, he averaged 9.0 points and 8.7 rebounds while playing 26 minutes a night.

However, last night, Petro only took three shots in 17 minutes and finished with zero points and five rebounds. Seattle has a log jam at the power forward position with Nick Collison, Chris Wilcox and Marshall. As the only viable centre option for Seattle, Petro will continue to get his chance to play and is worth consideration in deeper leagues, especially if your team needs rebounds.

Mickael Gelabale, SF, Seattle: With the departure of Szczerbiak, Gelabale has seized his opportunity to get some minutes. In the first four games without Wally World, the Frenchman scored 15.3 points per game, while grabbing 5.5 rebounds and shooting 59.7 per cent from the floor. Gelabale struggled in last night’s game against the Heat and shot 1-for-8 from the floor, but he is still worth a flier in deeper leagues.

The Sam Cassell Buy-Out

After a long week of speculation regarding Cassell’s future, the Los Angeles Clippers bought out his contract on Thursday. Once Cassell clears waivers, he will sign with the Boston Celtics as a back-up point guard to Rajon Rondo. Cassell finally got his wish and will be reunited with Kevin Garnett . Cassell has missed four straight games with a sprained wrist and missed 12 games in December, but averaged 12.8 points, 4.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 25.7 minutes in 38 games with the Clippers. Cassell will cut into Rondo’s minutes in Boston, but I don’t envision the veteran’s numbers increasing significantly. He may be a cheap source of assists if you are desperate in a deep league. Otherwise, monitor Cassell from afar.

The Clippers’ PG situation

In the somebody-has-to-play-point-guard category, one of Brevin Knight, Dan Dickau and Flip Murray will assume Cassell’s role as the point guard for the Clippers. Knight, the front-runner in this race, had a four-game audition while Cassell was sitting with an injured wrist. During that span, Knight averaged 5.8 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 1.4 SPG, however, he hurt his hand in Wednesday’s game and did not return. Dickau, of Gonzaga fame, didn’t do much in his 25 minutes after Knight got injured, missing all five of his shots and finishing with one point, four boards and five assists. The Clippers are expected to sign Murray to shore up the point guard spot.

In last night’s game, Knight showed no signs of being hampered by the injury and played 35 minutes, enjoying a solid game with nine points, 12 assists, three rebounds and three steals. It appears that Knight is the clear-cut winner in the replace Cassell contest and should be picked up in all leagues. If Knight misses any time due to injury, Dickau would be the man to watch.

Yao’s Yearly Demise

Dikembe Mutombo, C, Houston: The unfortunate season-ending injury to Yao Ming has left a huge void in the middle on a Houston Rockets’ team that has won 14 straight games. In Houston’s first game without Yao, the ageless wonder, Mutombo, started at centre and finished with four points, six rebounds and four finger-wagging blocks. In Mutombo’s second start Friday night, he had a nice line of four points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. If your team is desparate for a centre and needs rebounds and blocks, then Mutombo is worth picking up in deep leagues. Keep an eye on his minutes though, as the 41-year-old may not be able to play more than 25 minutes a game.

Luis Scola, PF/C, Houston: If Luis Scola is still on your league’s waiver wire, stop reading this article at go pick him up. He is averaging 8.8 PPG and 5.4 RPG in his rookie season and the injury to Yao will significantly increase Scola’s minutes and touches. Scola is a versatile player who can shift between the four and five positions depending on Coach Rick Adelman’s lineup. Scola should be picked up in all leagues.

Carl Landry, PF/C, Houston: Despite being listed at 6′9”, Landry, not Scola, backed up Mutombo at centre in Houston’s first game since the Yao injury. Landry, a rookie from Purdue, has been a hot waiver wire pick up the last few weeks as his minutes have slowly been increasing. In the last five games, he is averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 boards while shooting a ridiculous 75.9 per cent from the field. In addition, Landry may be able to pick up centre eligibility with his new role. He should be picked up in most leagues as his minutes and numbers will increase with the loss of Yao.

The Lakers’ Domination

Jordan Farmar, PG, LA Lakers: The Pau Gasol trade has catapulted the Lakers into the frontrunner position in a loaded Western Conference as the team has gone 11-2 since the Spaniard arrived. Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom have been solid as usual, but the team’s success can be equally linked to the emergence of the Lakers’ supporting cast. Everyone knows about Derek Fisher, but Jordan Farmar has been outplaying Fisher recently. On Thursday night, Farmar scored a career-high 24 points, going 9-of-14 from the field with four 3-pointers, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Farmar has scored double-figures in five of the last seven games, and has been seeing consistent minutes off the bench. Of course, the injury to Vladimir Radmanovic has increased Farmar’s minutes, but the youngster has taken advantage of his increased role. Farmar should be monitored closely in all leagues and is definitely worth picking up in deeper leagues.

Sasha Vujacic, SG, LA Lakers: Vujacic has been another key contributor to the Lakers’ recent success. He has been averaging 11.7 PPG in 13 games in February and is shooting 51 per cent from beyond the arc. Vujacic has hit 18 threes in his last six games, prompting Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson to state “now we see that he’s got a definite role.” With his increased minutes, Vujacic is worth picking up in deep leagues, especially if your team is in need of threes.

Others to Monitor on the Wire

Point Guards: Beno Udrih, Marcus Banks, Travis Diener.

Shooting Guards: Rashad McCants, J.R. Smith, Willie Green.

Small Forwards: Jamario Moon, Jeff Green, Andray Blatche.

Power Forwards: Josh Boone, Charlie Villanueva.

Centres: Erick Dampier, Joel Przybilla.

BY JORDAN FRANK

I. The All-Star Weekend

Part I of my NBA first-half report concentrated on the big picture for the NBA as David Stern and the league try to repair and recreate the league’s image. By all accounts, this weekend’s All-Star festivities in New Orleans were a success and off-the-court incident free (although who knows what types of stories we may hear in the next few days?). Despite the Jason Kidd trade saga dominating the weekend headlines (a deal finally consummated earlier this week), the real story of the weekend was the dunk contest.

As a kid, I remember the true excitement which came along with the dunk contest. Superstars like Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins were regulars in the contest and the All-Star Saturday night (which, back in the day, only included the three-point contest) was always the highlight of the weekend. Fast forward 10 years and the dunk contest has become a microcosm of the league’s lack of popularity with fans. Most fans have lost interest in the dunk contest as the contestants have not been major figures in the game and the dunks being performed have lacked creativity and excitement.

This year’s crop of contestants for the dunk contest was promising, as it included Dwight Howard, one of the league’s brightest young superstars, Gerald Green, last year’s champion who brings the creativity that the contest has been lacking in recent years, Rudy Gay, an emerging star who can jump out of the gym, and Jamario Moon, a feel-good story who has impressed so many with his play in his rookie season. Wow – did these guys ever put on a show! Howard and Green dueled through a series of dunks that had the crowd of fans and NBA players in awe. If you haven’t seen the Superman, Happy Birthday or the behind-the-backboard dunk, check out You Tube as soon as possible. The phenomenal performances in the dunk contest this weekend are promising for the future of the NBA as its popularity is starting to finally rise again. Hopefully, the NBA can build on the momentum of the first-half and the All-Star weekend and continue to raise the ante to bring fans back to the sport.

II. First-Half Individual Performances

The remainder of Part II of our NBA first-half report focuses on the individual players who have made headlines for their stellar performances. My list of fantasy studs is not your typical list of standouts. Everyone knows that LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony are having phenomenal seasons. Instead, my list will focus on players who have taken the NBA by storm with their play in the first half of the 2007-08 season.

Josh Smith

In Josh Smith’s four seasons in the NBA, he has improved every year in points, blocks, assists and steals. He is the new AK-47 of the league (without the crying, that is), as every night he consistently puts up a solid line in all major fantasy scoring categories. Smith is averaging 17.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.9 SPG and 3.1 BPG this season. The Hawks’ trade of Shelden Williams, Tyronn Lue, Anthony Johnson and Lorenzen Wright for Mike Bibby shouldn’t affect Smith’s numbers too much. Bibby is a solid point guard, but the knock on him has always been that he would rather create his own shot than create shots for his teammates. Look for Smith to continue to put up monster lines as the Hawks are fighting to make the playoffs in the East for the first time since 1999.

Chris Kaman

Kaman, dealing with injuries much of last season, took a step backwards from his stats in 2005-06. He went from 11.9 PPG and 9.6 RPG to 10.1 PPG and 7.8 RPG last year. Many predicted an improvement for Kaman this season because of the expected extra touches in the wake of Elton Brand’s injury and a lack of depth in the Clippers’ frontcourt, however, no one could have envisioned the kind of numbers Kaman produced in the first half. He is putting up a ridiculous 16.4 PPG, 2.96 BPG and 13.6 RPG, all of which obliterate Kaman’s previous career highs. Brand has begun limited work in an effort to return this year and if he come back, Kaman’s numbers will certainly decline, but the big man should remain a solid double-double guy even with Brand in the frontcourt.

Tyson Chandler

In Chandler’s first five seasons in the NBA teamed with Eddy Curry on the Chicago Bulls, he never averaged 10 PPG or 10 RPG. Chandler showed flashes of excellence with the Bulls, mainly because of his intensity and work ethic, however, constant back injuries led Bulls’ owner Jerry Reinsdorf to run the big man out of town, replacing him with an aging Ben Wallace. Since leaving Chicago, Chandler has excelled in his year and a half with the New Orleans Hornets. The Hornets lead the Western Conference at the All-Star break in part because of Chandler’s comfort in playing with Chris Paul. This season, Chandler is averaging 12.1 PPG and 12.5 RPG (both career highs) and is shooting the second highest field goal percentage (60.6 per cent) in the league. The playoff push will certainly put its toll on the young Hornets’ team, but do not expect Chandler’s numbers to significantly decrease in the second half.

Al Jefferson

Despite the pressures of being the centrepiece heading to Minnesota in the mega-trade which brought five young Celtics to the Timberwolves for Kevin Garnett, Al Jefferson has had a spectacular first half. Even with teams focusing their defensive efforts on Jefferson because of the lack of production from other T-Wolves, Jefferson has already exceeded all expectations. He is averaging 21.2 PPG, 12.1 RPG and 1.4 BPG for a young team that is years away from competing in the West. To his credit, Big Al has not allowed the team’s struggles to interfere with his development as one of the top power forwards in the league and there is no reason to believe his production will decrease in the second half.

Andrew Bynum

Once the face of the Lakers’ rebuilding plan and the focus of Kobe’s ire with the team, Andrew Bynum has quickly become one of the most promising young big men in the league. Before his injury, Bynum was enjoying his breakout campaign this season, as he and Kobe were leading the resurgent Lakers to one of the top records in the Western Conference. Under the tutelage of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bynum was averaging 13.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 2.1 BPG in just his third year in the league, and was also leading the league in field goal percentage at 63.6 per cent. Of course, the trade for Pau Gasol will affect Bynum’s numbers significantly, assuming the youngster returns to the Lakers during the regular season. If you have Bynum in a keeper league, be patient and you will reap the benefits for many years to come.

Here a few other fantasy studs from the first half of the 2007-08 NBA season worth noting:

Rudy Gay — In only his second year in the league, Rudy Gay has elevated his game and is providing the scoring the Memphis Grizzlies need with the departure of Gasol. Gay is averaging 20 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.8 APG and 0.8 BPG. Look for these numbers to increase with the loss of Gasol as Gay and Mike Miller will attempt to fill the void.

Brandon Roy: Roy is another second-year player who has had a phenomenal first half. As the floor leader for the Portland Trailblazers, he has put up fantastic fantasy statistics. Roy is averaging 19.7 PPG, 5.8 APG, 4.7 RPG and 1.0 SPG. Look for his success to continue in the second half even with the added pressure of trying to compete in the West with such a young, inexperienced team.

Monta Ellis: Despite Don Nelson’s change-the-lineup every game philosophy, Monta Ellis, in only his third year in the league, has secured the starting two-guard spot next to Baron Davis for the Warriors. Ellis’ fantastic shooting (53.2 per cent) and his consistent scoring (18.7 PPG) has delighted fantasy owners this first half. With the Warriors scoring the most points in the league, look for Ellis’ numbers to continue to impress.

Hedo Turkoglu: With the addition of Rashard Lewis, and the development of Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, the Magic looked poised to compete in the East this season. However, no one could have possibly imagined that Hedo Turkoglu would arguably be the team’s first half MVP with his consistent stellar performances. Smart owners who picked Turkoglu up off the waiver wire early in the season have reaped the rewards of thanks to his 19.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.0 SPG and 82.7 per cent shooting from the foul line (all career highs).

David West: The other All-Star from the New Orleans Hornets (see Part I for discussion of CP3’s fantastic first half) is also enjoying career highs in almost all fantasy categories. West is scoring 19.8 PPG, while averaging 9.2 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.4 BPG while shooting 84.4 per cent from the line. Look for the good times to continue to roll in the Crescent City with the consistent play of West, Chandler and CP3.

Click here for the first part of this article.

BY JORDAN FRANK

As the focus of the NBA landscape shifts to the Big Easy for this weekend’s All-Star Break festivities, the break in league play gives us a chance to reflect on the big stories of the first half of the 2007-08 season – and what an amazing first half of basketball it has been.

I. The Tim Donaghy Aftermath

Remember him? When former NBA referee Tim Donaghy plead guilty to two felony charges stemming from a basketball gambling scam after last season, many prognosticators predicted the sky would fall on David Stern and the league. Remarkably, one of the biggest scandals in league history has become merely an afterthought. Stern has masterfully taken control of the situation by enforcing new measures designed to monitor and evaluate each referee in the league. Of course, it makes the commish’s job much easier when the focus of the basketball world has actually been on the court. Starting with the Celtics’ call-to-arms offseason and continuing with the unprecedented amount of talented teams in the West, this first-half has been spectacular and nearly court incident-free in terms of off-the-court exploits. As of Thursday, only 4.5 games separate the top nine teams in the Western Conference!

Donaghy’s sentencing hearing has been rescheduled to take place in April, just as the NBA playoffs will begin. It will take all of Stern’s ingenuity to keep the NBA spotlight where it belongs – on the games. Last year’s playoffs helped the league make great strides in repairing its battered image. If the playoffs this year are half as exciting, Stern should not find it difficult to deflect elsewhere the attention the Donaghy scandal will undoubtedly receive.

II. The Year of the Point Guard

The most riveting aspect of this year NBA’s season has been the emergence of several young stars and domination of old time veterans at the point guard position. The position is so deep that the All-Star game could easily include eight to 10 point guards. The following floor leaders are enjoying career seasons:

Baron Davis: Just take a look at B-Diddy’s numbers this year: 39.4 MPG, 21.7 PPG, 8.0 APG, 4.8 RPG and 2.5 SPG. Davis has always been a solid fantasy point guard, but his frequent injuries and low shooting percentages have always caused concern for owners. Since coming back from a knee injury near the end of the regular season last year, he has simply been on fire. His FG and 3-point percentages are near career highs. Davis ranks ninth in the NBA in minutes per game and Golden State is scoring the most points per game in the association. Davis is the perfect compliment to Steven Jackson, Monta Ellis and Al Harrington as he can run the floor and find his guys spotting up.

Steve Nash: How can a two-time MVP possibly top himself? Easy – Nash leads the league in assists (11.7 per game), is shooting a career-high 46.6 per cent from three-point range, and is shooting near career highs in FG percentage (50.7 per cent) and FT percentage (90.3 per cent). Only Davis has made more three pointers than Nash as a point guard but Captain Canada’s 3-point percentage is 12 points higher than Davis’. Of course, it is business as usual, as the Suns have the second best record in the West, one-half game behind the shocking New Orleans Hornets. This leads me to…

Chris Paul: Wow. What can you say about CP3 that hasn’t already been said? In only his third year in the league, Paul has led his team to the best record in a loaded Western Conference. He is averaging 20.5 PPG, 10.9 APG and a league-leading 2.5 SPG. Paul’s success can be linked to his comfort and confidence in his teammates and his ease in getting to the hole and keeping his dribble alive in a Nash-esque manner. Tyson Chandler has said numerous times that Paul “always knows what he [Chandler] is going to do.” Chandler, David West, and Peja Stojakovic have all benefited immensely from Paul’s ability to break down defenses, squeeze through traffic and find open teammates.

Deron Williams: Because of all the firepower in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz has crept up on people by winning 15 of their last 17 to put themselves right in the thick of the Western Conference. The team is led by third-year stud point guard Deron Williams, who is averaging 19 points, 9.7 dimes and three rebounds per game, while shooting an incredible 51.4 per cent from the field. As he’s matured, Williams has begun taking advantage of his size against smaller opponents, as he ranks 26th in the NBA in free throw attempts with 265 (the only point guards with more are Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and Davis) and he’s shooting 80 per cent from the line.

Jose Calderon: The biggest surprise of the year has been the incredible play of Jose Calderon. Beginning the season as a backup, Calderon seized his opportunity to play when T.J. Ford went down with a neck injury. Despite Gilbert Arenas’ recent comments, Calderon deserves to be an All-Star. In only 31 minutes per game, the Spanish Fly is averaging 12.8 PPG and 8.8 APG with fantastic percentages (47.2 from beyond the arc, 92.3 per cent from the line and 54.4 per cent from the field). In 35 starts for Toronto, Calderon has kept his turnovers low (1.8 per game) and it is easy to see how he has become the league’s most efficient point guard with his incredible shooting percentages, truly amazing considering the knock on him as a rookie was that he couldn’t shoot well, especially from outside.

If you didn’t believe me that the point guard position is completely stacked in both conferences, here is a list of other point guards having extremely productive seasons:

Jason Kidd (11.3 PPG, 10.4 APG, 8.0 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 82 FT%)
Iverson (26.5 PPG, 7.3 APG, 3.0 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 82 FT%)
Billups (17.3 PPG, 7.1 APG, 2.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 90.7 FT%)
Tony Parker (19.2 PPG, 6.1 APG, 3.0 RPG, 48.8 FG%)
Andre Miller (16.6 PPG, 6.6 APG, 4.0 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 49.3 FG%)
Mo Williams (17.5 PPG, 6.5 APG, 3.5 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 47.6 FG%)

III. The Arms Race

Everyone knows that the ante keeps rising in the West with the mega-trades that are continuing to take place. In the last month, the Lakers and Suns pulled off huge deals, while the Mavericks appeared to have made a move to get Kidd before Devean George pulled the carpet out from under Mark Cuban’s feet, at least for now.

Only a few weeks ago, the Lakers got Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown’s expiring contract, rookie Javaris Crittenton and two first round picks. If you think the rest of the West wasn’t petrified by this trade, just take a look at Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich’s comments regarding the trade. He stated that “what they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension,” and further said that “there should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense.”

Since that deal, Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Suns and, as mentioned, Kidd was nearly traded to the Mavericks. The most fascinating aspect of these trades is not the players involved. It is not uncommon for NBA superstars to be traded, even during the primes of their careers. Just think about Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, and even Shaq, previously. All were traded during the prime of their careers to a contending team that needed an extra piece or two to compete at the next level. What is so amazing about the latest batch of NBA superstar trades, and what sets them apart from other mega-trades in the past, is the quality of teams who are making these moves and the matching of multiple superstars on the same team.

The sentiment shared by GMs and most coaches in the post-Michael Jordan era has always been that two (or more) superstars cannot play together. Just look at Kobe Bryant and Shaq. While incredibly successful together, their egos could not keep a championship team that won three straight titles together. (Could you ever imagine Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen breaking up the 1994 Bulls because the two could not get along?) I’m also reminded of the 1999 Rockets team with Pippen, Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon. However, since the AI trade to Denver and the Celtics’ deals to bring together Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, it seems to me that GMs are less hesitant to match superstars together. This new trend has created some monstrous teams in the West and one loaded team in the East (although I’m sure Detroit believes it should be included). I will be on the edge of my seat watching how the West will pan out this season and whether any other big trades will be made before the February 22 trade deadline.