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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?
Image by david_shankbone via Flickr
