Saturday, September 4, 2010

NBA News 2010: Fantasy Basketball: Preseason Prep

The USA men's basketball team huddles during t...Image via Wikipedia
There are roughly three weeks remaining before NBA camps open and we get our first looks at teams as they prepare for the 2010-11 season. Let's get a refresh on where we stand with the off-season about to officially end - we've taken the kitchen sink approach here, trying to at least touch on every storyline possible.
Notables in New Places - off-season player movement
LeBron James (from CLE to MIA) - precisely how far his numbers will drop off is a hotly-debated subject, but he's not likely to fall to the middle of the first round in many drafts
• David Lee (from NYK to GSW) - brings his fantasy-friendly game to yet another fantasy-friendly system, but he's looking at a bit more competition for usage and rebounds
Amar'e Stoudemire (from PHO to NYK) - will certainly have a massive season if he stays healthy, but you can't help but wonder what life will be like for Amar'e without Steve Nash regardless of the system
• Al Jefferson (from MIN to UTH) - now 1.5 years removed from knee surgery; may not reach his MIN usage peaks, but a career-high FG% and 20/10/1.5 are reasonable expectations
Chris Bosh (from TOR to MIA) - while he'll certainly see a substantial drop in usage, easy looks via LeBron James and Dwyane Wade could mean he makes a run at the FG% crown
• Troy Murphy (from IND to NJN) - the team setup, including that he'll be playing close to his hometown, seems fairly ideal
Carlos Boozer (from UTH to CHI) - there are no problems envisioning a solid Boozer/Derrick Rosedynamic, but the games played total will be what decides Boozer's ultimate impact
• Darren Collison (from NOR to IND) - in an ideal situation for significant production, but he's not going to come with any draft-day discount
• Raymond Felton (from CHA to NYK) - competent PGs tend to do pretty well for D'Antoni, but Felton's shot selection (and subsequent FG%) will be the differentiator for his overall fantasy impact
• Trevor Ariza (from HOU to NOR) - ideally he's featured on defense and a complementary player on offense, and that's exactly what he'll be for the Hornets
• Hedo Turkoglu (from TOR to PHO) - an intriguing roll of the dice here; can take some of the pressure off Steve Nash with his drive-dish abilities, but last season is still a very fresh memory
• Anthony Randolph (from GSW to NYK) - produced when he got the minutes last season, and now he's free of Nellie's whims; keep in mind that he's still only 21 years old
• Mike Miller (from WAS to MIA) - will be a rotation mainstay from the outset, and think about how much usage will be available if Wade or James were to miss any time
• Anthony Morrow (from GSW to NJN) - career 47/46/88 percentages mean he'll get his minutes, although the specifics have yet to be determined
• Samuel Dalembert (from PHI to SAC) - the Kings appear to have significant plans for him and his career averages (8/8/2 in 26 minutes) show he's never needed starters' minutes to produce
• Al Harrington (from NYK to DEN) - suddenly looking at a major role, given Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen's injury woes
• Corey Maggette (from GSW to MIL) - little reason to expect major changes to his typical role of "30 minutes of instant offense", but whose numbers he squeezes most has yet to be determined
Drew Gooden (from LAC to MIL) - will see plenty of minutes as the team's starting PF and will get even more run if Andrew Bogut's elbow issues carry into the regular season
Leandro Barbosa (from PHO to TOR) - the extent of his role remains to be seen, but his unique skills stand out on this roster
• Travis Outlaw (from LAC to NJN) - will emerge with serious late-round return on investment if he can win (and hold down) the starting small forward spot
• Dorell Wright (from MIA to GSW) - could end up as Nellie's starting small forward and will be in the mix for minutes on the wing either way
Michael Beasley (from MIA to MIN) - immediately becomes one of the most skilled offensive players on the roster, but where does he get regular minutes and how does he fit into Kurt Rambis' quasi-triangle?
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