rotowire complete draft kit

7/30/2019 Rotowire Complete Draft Kit

1/28


2/28

DRAFT KIT TDRAFT KIT TABLE OF CONTENTSABLE OF CONTENTS

2

TOP 150 RANKINGS .................................................................

RANKINGS BY POSITION............................................................

OFFSEASON MOVES.................................................................

SLEEPERS & UNDERVALUED PLAYERS...........................................

BUSTS & OVERVALUED PLAYERS ................................................

IMPACT ROOKIES...................................................................

STRATEGY & ADVICE FOR FANTASY HOOPS....................................

NBA DEPTH CHARTS...............................................................

PLAYER NEWS & NOTES...........................................................

3

4

6

14

16

18

21

24

27


3/28

. Kevin Durant (OKC)2. LeBron James (MIA)

3. Chris Paul (LAC)4. Kevin Love (MIN)5. Dirk Nowitzki (DAL)6. Russell Westbrook (OKC)7. Dwyane Wade (MIA)8. Brandon Jennings (MIL)9. James Harden (OKC)0. Al Jefferson (UTA)1. Paul George (IND)2. Josh Smith (ATL)3. Marcin Gortat (PHO)4. LaMarcus Aldridge (POR)5. Pau Gasol (LAL)6. Paul Millsap (UTA)7. Marc Gasol (MEM)8. Danny Granger (IND)9. Greg Monroe (DET)

20. Carmelo Anthony (NY)21. Mike Conley, Jr. (MEM)22. Ty Lawson (DEN)23. Ersan Ilyasova (MIL)24. Deron Williams (BRO)25. Kevin Garnett (BOS)26. Serge Ibaka (OKC)27. DeMarcus Cousins (SAC)

28. Al Horford (ATL)29. Nicolas Batum (POR)30. Kyrie Irving (CLE)31. Goran Dragic (PHO)32. Danilo Gallinari (DEN)33. Joe Johnson (BRO)34. Marcus Thornton (SAC)35. David Lee (GS)36. Wesley Matthews (POR)37. Chris Bosh (MIA)38. Ryan Anderson (NOR)39. Rudy Gay (MEM)40. David West (IND)

41. Kobe Bryant (LAL)42. Andrew Bynum (PHI)43. Paul Pierce (BOS)44. Tyreke Evans (SAC)45. Stephen Curry (GS)46. Kenneth Faried (DEN)47. JaVale McGee (DEN)48. Andrea Bargnani (TOR)49. Samuel Dalembert (MIL)50. Klay Thompson (GS)

51. Maurice Williams (UTA)52. Jrue Holiday (PHI)

53. J.R. Smith (NY)54. Kyle Lowry (TOR)55. Andre Iguodala (DEN)56. Joakim Noah (CHI)57. Gordon Hayward (UTA)58. Nene Hilario (WAS)59. Luol Deng (CHI)60. John Wall (WAS)61. Manu Ginobili (SAN)62. Kawhi Leonard (SAN)63. Louis Williams (ATL)64. Roy Hibbert (IND)65. Kris Humphries (BRO)66. Tony Allen (MEM)67. Monta Ellis (MIL)68. Jeff Teague (ATL)69. Tim Duncan (SAN)70. Anderson Varejao (CLE)71. Carlos Boozer (CHI)72. Steve Nash (LAL)73. Rodney Stuckey (DET)74. Jason Terry (BOS)75. Thaddeus Young (PHI)76. Tony Parker (SAN)77. Elton Brand (DAL)

78. Ricky Rubio (MIN)79. Tyson Chandler (NY)80. O.J. Mayo (DAL)81. Mario Chalmers (MIA)82. Arron Afflalo (ORL)83. Andrew Bogut (GS)84. Nikola Pekovic (MIN)85. Kemba Walker (CHR)86. Rajon Rondo (BOS)87. Gerald Wallace (BRO)88. DeAndre Jordan (LAC)89. Amar'e Stoudemire (NY)90. Zach Randolph (MEM)

91. Jared Dudley (PHO)92. Spencer Hawes (PHI)93. Anthony Morrow (ATL)94. J.J. Redick (ORL)95. Alonzo Gee (CLE)96. Blake Griffin (LAC)97. Ed Davis (TOR)98. Brandon Rush (GS)99. Kevin Martin (HOU)100. Trevor Ariza (WAS)

101. Andrei Kirilenko (MIN)102. Nate Robinson (CHI)

103. Eric Gordon (NOR)104. Nikola Vucevic (ORL)105. George Hill (IND)106. Jarrett Jack (GS)107. Dwight Howard (LAL)108. Drew Gooden (MIL)109. Dorell Wright (PHI)110. Jason Kidd (NY)111. Courtney Lee (BOS)112. Jose Calderon (TOR)113. Shawn Marion (DAL)114. Carlos Delfino (HOU)115. Chauncey Billups (LAC)116. Raymond Felton (NY)117. DeMar DeRozan (TOR)118. Luke Ridnour (MIN)119. Brandan Wright (DAL)120. Marvin Williams (UTA)121. Jamal Crawford (LAC)122. Chris Kaman (DAL)123. Luis Scola (PHO)124. Greivis Vasquez (NOR)125. Amir Johnson (TOR)126. Kyle Korver (ATL)127. Ray Allen (MIA)

128. Brook Lopez (BRO)129. Stephen Jackson (SAN)130. Evan Turner (PHI)131. Brandon Bass (BOS)132. Jerryd Bayless (MEM)133. Chase Budinger (MIN)134. Lamar Odom (LAC)135. Mike Dunleavy Jr. (MIL)136. Devin Harris (ATL)137. Rodrigue Beaubois (DAL)138. Derrick Williams (MIN)139. Andre Miller (DEN)140. Derrick Favors (UTA)

141. Randy Foye (UTA)142. Brandon Knight (DET)143. Tiago Splitter (SAN)144. Taj Gibson (CHI)145. Ekpe Udoh (MIL)146. C.J. Miles (CLE)147. Jordan Crawford (WAS)148. Jameer Nelson (ORL)149. Delonte West (DAL)150. Landry Fields (TOR)

TOP 150 RANKINGSTOP 150 RANKINGS

3


4/28

. Chris Paul (LAC)2. Russell Westbrook (OKC)3. Brandon Jennings (MIL)4. Mike Conley, Jr. (MEM)5. Ty Lawson (DEN)6. Deron Williams (BRO)7. Kyrie Irving (CLE)8. Goran Dragic (PHO)9. Stephen Curry (GS)0. Maurice Williams (UTA)1. Jrue Holiday (PHI)2. Kyle Lowry (TOR)3. John Wall (WAS)4. Louis Williams (ATL)5. Jeff Teague (ATL)6. Steve Nash (LAL)7. Rodney Stuckey (DET)8. Tony Parker (SAN)9. Ricky Rubio (MIN)

20. Mario Chalmers (MIA)21. Kemba Walker (CHR)22. Rajon Rondo (BOS)23. Nate Robinson (CHI)24. George Hill (IND)

25. Jarrett Jack (GS)26. Jason Kidd (NY)27. Jose Calderon (TOR)28. Chauncey Billups (LAC)29. Raymond Felton (NY)30. Luke Ridnour (MIN)31. Jerryd Bayless (MEM)32. Devin Harris (ATL)33. Andre Miller (DEN)34. Brandon Knight (DET)35. Jameer Nelson (ORL)36. Darren Collison (DAL)37. Aaron Brooks (SAC)

38. Kirk Hinrich (CHI)39. D.J. Augustin (IND)40. Jimmer Fredette (SAC)41. Patrick Mills (SAN)42. Terrence Williams (FA)43. Ramon Sessions (CHR)44. C.J. Watson (BRO)45. Derrick Rose (CHI)46. Gilbert Arenas (FA)47. Jose Barea (MIN)48. Eric Bledsoe (LAC)

49. Daniel Gibson (CLE)50. Shaun Livingston (HOU)

51. Steve Blake (LAL)52. Beno Udrih (MIL)53. Derek Fisher (FA)54. Norris Cole (MIA)55. Earl Watson (UTA)56. Chris Duhon (LAL)57. Toney Douglas (HOU)58. Iman Shumpert (NY)59. Reggie Jackson (OKC)60. Eric Maynor (OKC)61. Will Bynum (DET)62. Nolan Smith (POR)63. Jonny Flynn ((FA)64. Baron Davis (FA)65. Keyon Dooling (BOS)66. Cory Joseph (SAN)67. Darius Morris (LAL)

1. Dwyane Wade (MIA)2. James Harden (OKC)3. Paul George (IND)4. Joe Johnson (BRO)

5. Marcus Thornton (SAC)6. Wesley Matthews (POR)7. Kobe Bryant (LAL)8. Tyreke Evans (SAC)9. Klay Thompson (GS)10. J.R. Smith (NY)11. Manu Ginobili (SAN)12. Tony Allen (MEM)13. Monta Ellis (MIL)14. Jason Terry (BOS)15. O.J. Mayo (DAL)16. Arron Afflalo (ORL)17. Anthony Morrow (ATL)

18. J.J. Redick (ORL)19. Brandon Rush (GS)20. Kevin Martin (HOU)21. Eric Gordon (NOR)22. Courtney Lee (BOS)23. DeMar DeRozan (TOR)24. Jamal Crawford (LAC)25. Greivis Vasquez (NOR)26. Ray Allen (MIA)27. Stephen Jackson (SAN)28. Evan Turner (PHI)

29. Mike Dunleavy Jr. (MIL)30. Rodrigue Beaubois (DAL)

31. Randy Foye (UTA)32. C.J. Miles (CLE)33. Jordan Crawford (WAS)34. Delonte West (DAL)35. Landry Fields (TOR)36. Nick Young (PHI)37. Jodie Meeks (LAL)38. Vince Carter (DAL)39. Ben Gordon (CHR)40. Jason Richardson (PHI)41. Gary Neal (SAN)42. Wesley Johnson (PHO)43. Shannon Brown (PHO)44. Marco Belinelli (CHI)45. Alec Burks (UTA)46. MarShon Brooks (BRO)47. Thabo Sefolosha (OKC)48. Ronnie Brewer (NY)49. Leandro Barbosa (FA)50. Daequan Cook (OKC)51. Reggie Williams (CHR)52. Richard Hamilton (CHI)53. Mickael Pietrus (FA)54. Willie Green (LAC)55. Martell Webster (WAS)

56. Wayne Ellington (MEM)57. Mike Miller (MIA)58. Michael Redd (FA)59. Raja Bell (UTA)60. Tracy McGrady (FA)61. Josh Childress (BRO)62. Maurice Evans (FA)63. Sasha Pavlovic (POR)64. DeShawn Stevenson (ATL)65. Keith Bogans (BRO)

1. Kevin Durant (OKC)2. LeBron James (MIA)3. Danny Granger (IND)4. Carmelo Anthony (NY)5. Nicolas Batum (POR)6. Danilo Gallinari (DEN)7. Rudy Gay (MEM)8. Paul Pierce (BOS)9. Andre Iguodala (DEN)10. Gordon Hayward (UTA)

11. Luol Deng (CHI)12. Kawhi Leonard (SAN)

13. Gerald Wallace (BRO)14. Jared Dudley (PHO)15. Alonzo Gee (CLE)16. Trevor Ariza (WAS)17. Andrei Kirilenko (MIN)18. Dorell Wright (PHI)19. Shawn Marion (DAL)20. Carlos Delfino (HOU)21. Marvin Williams (UTA)22. Kyle Korver (ATL)23. Chase Budinger (MIN)24. Derrick Williams (MIN)25. Corey Brewer (DEN)26. Al-Farouq Aminu (NOR)27. Michael Beasley (PHO)28. Metta World Peace (LAL)29. Francisco Garcia (SAC)30. Shane Battier (MIA)31. Tayshaun Prince (DET)32. Wilson Chandler (DEN)33. Tobias Harris (MIL)34. Matt Barnes (LAC)35. Jan Vesely (WAS)36. Omri Casspi (CLE)37. Caron Butler (LAC)

38. Donte Greene (FA)39. Linas Kleiza (TOR)40. Grant Hill (LAC)41. John Salmons (SAC)42. Corey Maggette (DET)43. Jordan Hamilton (DEN)44. Richard Jefferson (GS)45. Hedo Turkoglu (ORL)46. Austin Daye (DET)47. James Jones (MIA)48. Travis Outlaw (SAC)49. Sam Young (IND)50. Luke Walton (CLE)

51. Tyler Honeycutt (SAC)52. Jamario Moon (FA)53. Ryan Gomes (FA)

1. Kevin Love (MIN)2. Dirk Nowitzki (DAL)3. Josh Smith (ATL)4. LaMarcus Aldridge (POR)

RANKINGS BY POSITIONRANKINGS BY POSITION

4

POINT GUARD

SHOOTING GUARD

SMALL FORWARD

POWER FORWARD


5/28

5. Pau Gasol (LAL)6. Paul Millsap (UTA)7. Ersan Ilyasova (MIL)8. Kevin Garnett (BOS)9. Serge Ibaka (OKC)

0. David Lee (GS)1. Chris Bosh (MIA)2. Ryan Anderson (NOR)3. David West (IND)4. Kenneth Faried (DEN)5. Kris Humphries (BRO)6. Tim Duncan (SAN)7. Carlos Boozer (CHI)8. Thaddeus Young (PHI)9. Elton Brand (DAL)

20. Zach Randolph (MEM)21. Blake Griffin (LAC)

22. Ed Davis (TOR)23. Drew Gooden (MIL)24. Brandan Wright (DAL)25. Luis Scola (PHO)26. Amir Johnson (TOR)27. Brandon Bass (BOS)28. Lamar Odom (LAC)29. Derrick Favors (UTA)30. Taj Gibson (CHI)31. Boris Diaw (SAN)32. Al Harrington (ORL)33. Channing Frye (PHO)34. Antawn Jamison (LAL)

35. Bismack Biyombo (CHR)

36. Markieff Morris (PHO)37. J.J. Hickson (POR)38. Charlie Villanueva (DET)39. Jason Thompson (SAC)40. L.R. Mbah a Moute (MIL)

41. Udonis Haslem (MIA)42. Patrick Patterson (HOU)43. Dante Cunningham (MIN)44. Jason Smith (NOR)45. Tyler Hansbrough (IND)46. Nick Collison (OKC)47. Larry Sanders (MIL)48. Tristan Thompson (CLE)49. Kenyon Martin (FA)50. Rashard Lewis (MIA)51. Carl Landry (GS)52. Marreese Speights (MEM)

53. Glen Davis (ORL)54. Tyrus Thomas (CHR)55. Anthony Randolph (DEN)56. D.J. White (FA)57. Vlad. Radmanovic (CHI)58. Shelden Williams (FA)59. Troy Murphy (FA)60. Andray Blatche (BRO)61. Josh McRoberts (ORL)62. Jared Jeffries (POR)63. Jeremy Tyler (GS)64. JaJuan Johnson (HOU)65. Luke Harangody (CLE)

66. Trey Thompkins (LAC)

67. Shawne Williams (FA)68. Yi Jianlian (FA)69. Hakim Warrick (NOR)

1. Al Jefferson (UTA)2. Marcin Gortat (PHO)3. Marc Gasol (MEM)4. Greg Monroe (DET)5. DeMarcus Cousins (SAC)6. Al Horford (ATL)7. Andrew Bynum (PHI)8. JaVale McGee (DEN)9. Andrea Bargnani (TOR)10. Samuel Dalembert (MIL)11. Joakim Noah (CHI)12. Nene Hilario (WAS)13. Roy Hibbert (IND)14. Anderson Varejao (CLE)15. Tyson Chandler (NY)16. Andrew Bogut (GS)17. Nikola Pekovic (MIN)18. DeAndre Jordan (LAC)19. Amar'e Stoudemire (NY)20. Spencer Hawes (PHI)21. Nikola Vucevic (ORL)22. Dwight Howard (LAL)23. Chris Kaman (DAL)

24. Brook Lopez (BRO)

25. Tiago Splitter (SAN)26. Ekpe Udoh (MIL)27. Marcus Camby (NY)28. Matt Bonner (SAN)29. Robin Lopez (NOR)

30. Timofey Mozgov (DEN)31. Joel Anthony (MIA)32. Zaza Pachulia (ATL)33. Emeka Okafor (WAS)34. Cole Aldrich (OKC)35. Chris Andersen ()36. Andris Biedrins (GS)37. Enes Kanter (UTA)38. Kendrick Perkins (OKC)39. Chuck Hayes (SAC)40. DeJuan Blair (SAN)41. Ronny Turiaf (LAC)

42. Jordan Hill (LAL)43. Jordan Williams (FA)44. Kurt Thomas (NY)45. Ben Wallace (FA)46. Brendan Haywood (CHR)47. Nazr Mohammed (CHI)48. Jermaine O'Neal (PHO)49. Mehmet Okur (FA)50. Johan Petro (ATL)51. Darko Milicic (FA)52. Joel Przybilla (MIL)53. Hasheem Thabeet (OKC)54. Kwame Brown (PHI)

55. Jason Collins (BOS)(FA)

5

RANKINGS BY POSITION (cont...)RANKINGS BY POSITION (cont...)

CENTER


6/28

ATLANTIC DIV IS ION

BOSTON CELTICS

Whos Coming: Jason Terry (FA), Courtney Lee (Trade), Jared Sullinger21st overall), Fab Melo (22nd overall), Kris Joseph (51st overall) JeffGreen (FA), Jason Collins, (FA), Jamar Smith (FA), Dionte Christmas (FA)Whos Going: Ray Allen (FA), ETwaun Moore (Trade), Mickael PietrusFA), Marquis Daniels (FA), Greg Stiemsma (FA), Ryan Hollins (FA),JaJuan Johnson (Trade), Sasha Pavlovic (FA), Sean Williams (Trade)

The "Big Three" broke up when Ray Allen took his talents to SouthBeach. But Danny Ainge managed to keep the team's core together,ind a suitable replacement for Allen and put together the best bench

Boston has had since their championship season. Impressive, that.Any thought of a full-scale rebuild went out the window when KevinGarnett decided to stick around. So Ainge also brought back BrandonBass, who looked awfully good alongside Garnett late last season.The loss of Allen and Avery Bradley - who will be sidelined at the startof the season as he recovers from shoulder surgery - will be offset byhe additions of Jason Terry and Courtney Lee. And let's not forgethe super-talented (but occasionally pouty) point guard Rajon Rondo

and still-dangerous Paul Pierce. When Bradley returns, the Celtics willhave tremendous depth and flexibility. Terry is one of the league'sbest bench scorers. Lee can play the two and three and couldbecome Doc Rivers' designated defensive stopper. Jeff Green -

eturning from a heart ailment that sidelined him all of last season -will see time at both forward spots. Jared Sullinger - a poor man'sElton Brand-type out of Ohio State - fell out of the lottery and landedn Ainge's lap after rumors of an injury made the rounds. He could behe steal of the 2012 draft. Jeff Green missed all of the 2011-12 sea-

son after undergoing surgery to fix an aortic aneurysm. He is expectedo re-sign with the team soon. Its unclear whether the team will wanto have him serve as a backup to Pierce and Bass or if hed becomehe starting power forward over Bass. Either way, he should find a

way to be of use in most fantasy leagues.

BROOKLYN NETS

Whos Coming: Joe Johnson (Trade), Reggie Evans (FA), CJ WatsonFA), Mirza Teletovic (FA), Tyshawn Taylor (41st overall), TornikeShengelia (54th overall), Ilkan Karaman (57th overall), Keith BogansFA), Jerry Stackhouse (FA)Whos Going: Johan Petro (Trade), Anthony Morrow (Trade), JordanWilliams (Trade), DeShawn Stevenson (FA), Gerald Green (FA), BenUzoh (FA), Jordan Farmar (Trade), Sundiata Gaines (FA), DamionJames (FA), Armon Johnson, (FA), Shelden Williams (FA)

This is not the roster general manager Billy King was hoping wouldopen the Barclay's Center. But as a Plan B, it's pretty darned good.King accomplished the first to-do on his list by re-signing DeronWilliams. And he added a top scorer by acquiring Joe Johnson (andhis brutal contract) from the Hawks. That duo could give Brooklyn theop backcourt tandem in the East. But King's plans for the frontcourt

didn't pan out. His proposed deal for Dwight Howard fell apart whenOrlando shied away from taking on Brook Lopez or Kris Humphries,

so the latter two will be back this season. Newly-acquired ReggieEvans gives the Nets another rebounder. He and Hump may combineto mask Lopez' biggest weakness.

NEW YORK KNICKS

Whos Coming: Raymond Felton (FA), Marcus Camby (FA), JasonKidd (FA), Ronnie Brewer (FA), Pablo Prigioni (FA), James White (FA),Kurt Thomas (FA)Whos Going: Jeremy Lin (FA), Landry Fields (FA), Mike Bibby (FA),Josh Harrellson (Trade), Jerome Jordan (Trade), Jared Jeffries (Trade),Baron Davis (FA), Toney Douglas (Trade), Dan Gadzuric (Trade)

Apparently, Knick management didn't think as highly of Jeremy Lin asthe thousands of fans that were wearing his jersey last season. After

publicly suggesting that they'd match any offer made to the phenompoint guard, they opted to let him walk to Houston, getting nothing inreturn. Despite that loss, New York is much deeper at the point guardposition this year. Raymond Felton is the likely starter. The Knicks arehoping he'll return to the borderline All-Star form he showed duringhis first stint at Madison Square Garden (as opposed to the out-of-shape shell of himself he was in Portland last season), and that hisreturn will jump-start Amar'e Stoudemire. Jason Kidd and ArgentineOlympian Pablo Prigioni are Felton's backups. Landry Fields signedwith the Raptors and Iman Shumpert is out until January while recov-ering from a torn ACL, so shooting guard is a big question mark. J.R.Smith will probably start the season there, but Ronnie Brewer andKidd could get time at the two as well. The addition of veteran centerMarcus Camby will help the Knicks maintain their defensive pressurewhen Tyson Chandler is out of the game. The big question for New

York will be whether or not Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthonycan both be productive in Mike Woodson's offense. Knicks fans arehoping they'll see Anthony deployed as he was during the Olympics -as a deadly spot-up shooter - and not the post-up ball-stopper hebecame late last season.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Whos Coming:Andrew Bynum (Trade), Jason Richardson (Trade),Kwame Brown (FA), Dorell Wright (Trade), Nick Young (FA), ArnettMoultrie (27th overall), Darryl Watkins (Trade), Maalik Wayns (FA),Royal Ivey (FA)Whos Going:Andre Iguodala (Trade), Elton Brand (Amnesty), NikolaVucevic (Trade), Jodie Meeks (FA), Maurice Harkless (15th overall, toMagic), Craig Brackins (FA), Louis Williams (FA), Tony Battie (FA),Xavier Silas (FA), Sam Young (FA), Edin Bavcic (Trade)

The Sixers drew a fair amount of criticism for standing pat going intothe 2011-12 season. Continuity worked to their advantage at first;with a roster more or less the same as the 2010-11 version, Philly wasless affected by the shortened preseason and built up an early lead inthe Atlantic. But that didn't last - they barely hung on to the final play-off spot in the East and were able to advance to the second roundmostly due to Derrick Rose's injury. This year, Philly will have a verydifferent look. The acquisition of Andrew Bynum in the four-wayDwight Howard deal gives the Sixers the best big man in the confer-ence. They clearly plan to make Bynum the centerpiece of theiroffense. He'll be the focus, which should open up shots for perimeter

NBA OFFSEASON MOVES & ANALNBA OFFSEASON MOVES & ANALYSISYSIS

6

EASTERNCONFERENCE


7/28

players like Nick Young, Dorrell Wright and Jason Richardson. If it allworks out, Philly could be a top-three team in the East. But there'some risk involved. They're gambling that they'll be able to re-sign

Bynum and point guard Jrue Holiday to long-term deals, and thatEvan Turner - who didn't play particularly well when sharing the floorwith Andre Iguodala - will take the next step in his development now

hat Iguodala is a Denver Nugget. Bynum's injury history is also a con-cern, but the Sixers are very deep in the frontcourt after bringing backSpencer Hawes and signing Kwame Brown.

TORONTO RAPTORS

Whos Coming: Kyle Lowry (Trade), Landry Fields (FA), Terrence Ross8th overall), Jonas Valanciunas (5th overall, 2011 draft), Quincy Acy37th overall), Tomislav Zubcic (56th overall), John Lucas III (FA)Whos Going: Jerryd Bayless (FA), Gary Forbes (Trade), Jamesohnson (Trade)

The Raptors had big plans for this offseason, but some fell through,eaving general manager Bryan Colangelo with a roster that is prettyclearly a work in progress. Colangelo's primary target was Canadianbasketball hero Steve Nash. But Nash opted to stay closer to his kidsand landed in Los Angeles. Colangelo was left holding the bag - in theorm of Landry Fields, a player he signed mostly to disrupt the Knicks'

attempt to acquire Nash. The Raptors rebounded by acquiring KyleLowry, who played at an All-Star level last season but didn't get alongwell with Houston coach Kevin McHale. With Jose Calderon still onhe books as well; look for Colangelo to shop the Spaniard heavily ashe trade deadline approaches. The team also seems to be losing faithn DeMar DeRozan, as they used the eight overall pick in the 2012draft on swingman Terrence Ross. The Raptors' most important addi-on may be center Jonas Valanciunas, their 2011 first-round pick who

will join the team after playing out his contract in Europe. People loveValanciunas' potential, but he may have a rough rookie season, as theAtlantic Division is suddenly loaded with very tough matchups. Gooduck dealing with Andrew Bynum, Tyson Chandler, Kevin Garnett and

Brook Lopez, rook.

CENTRAL DIV IS ION

CHICAGO BULLS

Whos Coming: Kirk Hinrich (FA), Vladimir Radmanovic (FA), NateRobinson (FA), Marquis Teague (29th overall), Marco Belinelli (FA),Nazr Mohammed (FA)Whos Going: Omer Asik (FA), Kyle Korver (Trade), Ronnie Brewer (FA), CJWatson (FA), John Lucas III (FA), Mike James (FA), Brian Scalabrine (FA)

The Bulls have posted the best record in the NBA for two years run-ning, but dont bet on a three-peat. Derrick Rose will be sidelined until

he new year - at minimum - with the knee injury he suffered in therst round of the playoffs. And most of the bench players who filled ino admirably when Rose was injured last season are gone. General

manager Gar Forman has replaced the likes of Omer Asik, KyleKorver, Ronnie Brewer and CJ Watson with lower-cost options likeKirk Hinrich, Vladimir Radmanovic, Nate Robinson and NazrMohammed in an attempt to minimize the team's luxury tax bill. It cer-ainly seems like they're resigned to limping through the 2012-13 sea-on while Rose recovers and then re-tooling next summer when Rip

Hamilton's deal comes off the books. It will be interesting to see wholls in for Rose as Chicago's lead guard. Hinrich is probably the lead-

ng candidate at this point, but at this stage of his career he's a betterpot-up three-point threat than floor general.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Whos Coming: Dion Waiters (4th overall), Tyler Zeller (17th overall),CJ Miles (FA), Jeremy Pargo (Trade), Jon Leuer (Claimed off Waivers),Kelenna Azubuike (Trade)

Whos Going:Anthony Parker (Retired), DJ Kennedy (Trade), AntawnJamison (FA), Semih Erden (FA), Manny Harris (FA)

The Cavs could have been major players in the free agent market -they were reportedly involved in at least one permutation of theDwight Howard trade. When that failed to materialize, they opted tocontinue their rebuilding efforts through the draft. Some would saydrafting Dion Waiters with the fourth overall pick was a major reach.Waiters, after all, didn't even start for Syracuse last season. Otherssee a lot of Dwyane Wade in Waiters' game and called him the mostNBA-ready perimeter player in this rookie class. He'll have the chanceto prove himself more or less immediately; with Anthony Parker retir-ing, Waiters is getting penciled in as the starting shooting guardalongside Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving. The Cavs' only other signifi-cant addition will be Anderson Varejao, who will be back after missing

much of last season due to injury. If Varejao stays healthy, Waiters isanything close to as good as advertised and second-year pro TristanThompson continues to improve, the Cavs will have a fairly impressiveyoung core to pair with their future All-Star point guard. But they stillseem like a long shot to make the playoffs in 2013.

DETROIT PISTONS

Whos Coming: Corey Maggette (Trade), Andre Drummond (9th over-all), Kyle Singler (33rd overall, 2011 draft), Vyacheslov Kravtsov (FA),Kim English (44th overall), Khris Middleton (39th overall)Whos Going: Ben Gordon (Trade), Ben Wallace (Retirement), VernonMacklin (FA), Walker Russell Jr. (FA), Damien Wilkins (FA)

General manager Joe Dumars is still trying to dig his way out from

under the ruinous contracts he gave Ben Gordon and CharlieVillanueva in the summer of 2009. He dumped Gordon on theCharlotte Bobcats this summer in exchange for Corey Maggette - whois equally overpaid but whose deal expires after this season.The long-term plan is to build a team around Brandon Knight, GregMonroe, Andre Drummond and possibly Jonas Jerebko. But dead-weight contracts belonging to Villanueva, Tayshaun Prince andMaggette stand in the way. Next summer - when Maggette, JasonMaxiell and Will Bynum come off the books - will bring some relief,but Prince is signed for three more seasons. In the meantime, thebiggest question is whether or not coach Lawrence Frank can findenough minutes to mollify his potentially-disgruntled veterans whiledeveloping the guys that are actually part of the solution. It seemsinevitable that some of his small forward options - Maggette, Prince,Jerebko, Kyle Singler - will be forced to log minutes out of position,

which could lead to Detroit playing a lot of unconventional lineups.

INDIANA PACERS

Whos Coming: Ian Mahinmi (FA), DJ Augustin (FA), Gerald Green (FA),Miles Plumlee (26th overall), Orlando Johnson (36th overall, from Kings)Whos Going: Who's Going: Darren Collison (Trade), Dahntay Jones(Trade), Leandro Barbosa (FA), Louis Amundson (FA), Kyrylo Fesenko(FA), A.J. Price (FA)

The Pacers maintained the status quo in the offseason, which may begood enough to win the Central Division and a number two seed inthe East. Priority one was to re-sign George Hill, who will become the

7

NBA OFFSEASON MOVES & ANALYSIS (cont...)


8/28

ull-time point guard now that Darren Collison has been traded toDallas. Their second big task was to lock up all-star center RoyHibbert, which they accomplished by matching Portland's offer sheeto the restricted free agent. D.J. Augustin may be Hill's backup at the

point and a scorer off the bench to replace Leandro Barbosa. IanMahinmi - acquired in the Collison trade - will back Hibbert and pro-

vide depth in the frontcourt, and Gerald Green - who resurrected hiscareer in a half-season with the Nets - could be a nice complement toDanny Granger at the three spot. The Pacers selected Duke big manMiles Plumlee with the 26th overall pick, a move generally panned asa bit of a reach. It seems unlikely that the rookie will get much playingme unless he's pressed into service by an injury to David West or

Tyler Hansbrough.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Whos Coming: Samuel Dalembert (Trade), John Henson (14th overall),Doron Lamb (42nd overall), Joel Pryzbilla (FA)Whos Going: Shaun Livingston (Trade), Jon Leuer (Trade), CarlosDelfino (FA), Jon Brockman (Trade), Kwame Brown (FA)

The Bucks filled a major void by acquiring veteran center SamDalembert from the Rockets for Shaun Livingston, Jon Leuer andome swapped picks. The addition of Dalembert and free-agentignee Joel Przybilla will allow coach Scott Skiles to play Drew

Gooden, Ekpe Udoh, Luc Mbah a Moute and Larry Sanders at the fourpot - how he finds minutes for them all is anyone's guess.

Milwaukee also re-signed Ersan Ilyasova, who is probably best-suitedo play as a stretch four, but who might wind up at the three due tohe power forward log jam. Ilyasova is a very good three-point shooter

and rebounder. Consider him a poor man's Kevin Love and draftaccordingly. In the backcourt, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings willbe back as the starters. Ellis will be Milwaukee's primary scoringhreat. Beno Udrih and Mike Dunleavy Jr. figure to be the primary

backups, especially with Carlos Delfino headed to Houston, but bothhave contracts that expire after this season and could be shopped

heavily.

SOUTHEAST DIV IS ION

ATLANTA HAWKS

Whos Coming: Devin Harris (Trade), Lou WIlliams (FA), Kyle KorverTrade), Johan Petro (Trade), Anthony Morrow (Trade), Jordan WilliamsTrade), DeShawn Stevenson (FA), John Jenkins (23rd overall), SofoklisSchortsanitis (Trade), Mike Scott (43rd overall)Whos Going: Joe Johnson (Trade), Marvin Williams (Trade), KirkHinrich (FA), Vladimir Radmanovic (FA), Tracy McGrady (FA), JanneroPargo (FA), Jerry Stackhouse (FA), Willie Green (FA), Jordan FarmarWaived)

Danny Ferry took over the Hawks general manager position andmmediately started a major renovation. He moved Joe Johnson'supposedly untradeable contract and dumped Marvin Williams for

another expiring deal, putting the Hawks in position to be major play-ers in free agency next summer. In the meantime, though, this fran-chise could take a major step backwards. As so often happens withosters assembled to clear cap, the 2012-13 Hawks are a collection of

odds and ends. Lou Williams - the leading scorer on the Sixers lasteason - will take over some of Johnson's scoring responsibility, while

Devin Harris and Jeff Teague split the point guard position. KyleKorver and Anthony Morrow are very good perimeter scorers, andDeShawn Stevenson is a lock-down perimeter defender. Throw in

rookie John Jenkins, and coach Larry Drew will have a lot of interest-ing options for his backcourt and on the wing.In the frontcourt, Atlanta will have all-star center Al Horford back;Horford missed the bulk of the 2011-12 season due to injury. They stilhaven't parted ways with Josh Smith, but the moves Ferry made thisoffseason resulted in Smith taking back his yearly trade request. But

there's not much depth after those two - just backup center ZazaPachulia and expiring contract Johan Petro. Seems reasonable to sus-pect that Ferry will bring back Ivan Johnson, who is unsigned.

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

Whos Coming: Ramon Sessions (FA), Ben Gordon (Trade), BrendanHaywood (Waivers), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2nd overall), Jeff Taylor(31st overall)Whos Going: Corey Maggette (Trade), DJ Augustin (FA), D.J. White(FA), DeSagana Diop, Matt Carroll (FA), Derrick Brown (FA), JamarioMoon (Waived)

The Bobcats probably won't be as bad as they were last season. Ofcourse, the 2011-12 Bobcats had the worst winning percentage inNBA history, so that's not saying a whole lot.The addition of veteransRamon Sessions, Ben Gordon and Brendan Haywood should reallyhelp. Sessions' arrival spelled the end of the comically-undersized DJAugustin/Kemba Walker point guard tandem; Augustin is an IndianaPacer now. Gordon gives the league's worst offense some scoringpunch, and Haywood is a serviceable big man on a team that reallydidn't have one. The tricky part will be using the veterans to stabilizethe team without interfering with the development of Walker, BismackBiyombo and especially Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. That'll be a big chal-lenge for rookie head coach Mike Dunlap, who was an assistant onSteve Lavin's staff at St. John's last year. MKG presents an interestingchallenge for fantasy players this season. His unique skill set wouldmake him an ideal player to complement a superstar on a good team.Charlotte, though, is notably short on superstars. Or good-ness. Itmay be a year or two before the rookie starts to really show his con-

siderable potential.

MIAMI HEAT

Whos Coming: Ray Allen (FA), Rashard Lewis (FA), Justin Hamilton(45th overall)Whos Going: Eddy Curry (FA), Juwan Howard (FA), Ronny Turiaf (FA),Dexter Pittman (FA)

Scary thought for the NBA: this year, Miami might be even better.The NBA Finals showed just how unstoppable Miami can be as ateam when the supporting cast hits open threes. Mike Miller hit 7 of 8from downtown in the championship-clinching 121-106 win overOklahoma City. But Miller is inconsistent and oft-injured; there wasconsiderable talk that he'd retire this summer. No worries - Miami wasable to bring in some insurance sharp-shooters. Ray Allen - the NBA'sall-time leader in made threes - was so eager to get away from RajonRondo that he took less money than the Celtics were offering to signwith the Heat. And Rashard Lewis fell into Pat Riley's lap after beingwaived by the Hornets. It's hard to say how much playing time eitherof the new arrivals will get. It's not hard to envision how they'll beused. Float out on that three-point line, wait until LeBron and D-Wadebreak down the defense, hit that wide-open jumper. The Heat stillhaven't addressed their general lack of size. While they're more thancapable of winning with smaller lineups, they'd probably prefer to havesomeone other than Chris Bosh man the middle for 82 games. Don'tbe surprised if they look to add a center on a minimum deal beforetraining camp opens.

8



9/28

ORLANDO MAGIC

Whos Coming:Arron Afflalo (Trade), Al Harrington (Trade), MoeHarkless (15th overall, from Sixers), Andrew Nicholson (19th overall),Gustavo Ayon (Trade), Christian Eyenga (Trade), Josh McRoberts

Trade), Nikola Vucevic (Trade), Kyle OQuinn (49th overall)Whos Going: Dwight Howard (Trade), Jason Richardson (Trade), RyanAnderson (FA), Chris Duhon (Trade), Earl Clark (Trade), Von WaferWaived)

Say something positive about Orlando's offseason. Didn't think so.The Magic botched the Dwight Howard saga, letting the situation dragon until there were very few suitors remaining. Talks with the Nets fellhrough; Houston was apparently unwilling to make a deal without

assurances that Howard would re-sign next summer; and that left newgeneral manager Rob Hennigan with very few options. That said,wouldn't the Magic have been a lot better off if they had kept AndrewBynum - generally regarded as the second-best center in the league -nstead of taking on Moe Harkless, Al Harrington and a slew of draftpicks that will probably land in the bottom third of the first round?

Orlando's other big trade doesn't make much sense either; they sentRyan Anderson - a talented young stretch four and player that mighthave been part of their rebuilding plans - to the Hornets for unherald-ed backup center Gustavo Ayon. Meanwhile, they still haven'tunloaded Hedo Turkoglu's putrid contract. Re-signing Jameer Nelsonalso looks like a mistake in retrospect. This team probably won't bebad enough to hit the top of the lottery, but they certainly won't begood enough to reach the playoffs. Much of this will be forgotten ifMoe Harkless turns into a real stud; Philly reportedly believed he'durn into an Andre Iguodala type. But most observers believe he'll

need a year or two to develop before we really see that potential.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

Whos Coming: Trevor Ariza (Trade), Emeka Okafor (Trade), Bradley Beal

3rd overall), AJ Price (FA), Thomas Satoransky (32nd overall)Whos Going: Rashard Lewis (Trade), Andray Blatche (Amnesty)

The Wizards could take a significant step forward this season, thankso a series of moves that increased their talent level, with a little "addi-on by subtraction" thrown in. The signature move of the offseason

was the trade of Rashard Lewis - a shooter well past his prime - to theHornets in exchange for slasher Trevor Ariza and center Emeka Okafor.The Wiz took on significant money to make the deal, but the additionof the two veterans should stabilize a team that too often lost gamesdue to immaturity and general knuckle-headedness.Speaking of which, the trade allowed Washington to hang on to theiramnesty waiver, which they used to rid the team of Andray Blatche. It'snot outrageous to suggest that Blatche will some day start playing tohis considerable potential, but it simply wasn't happening in

Washington. Ariza's arrival created another problem, though. He's nota good three-point shooter, and John Wall is just dreadful from beyondhe arc. The Wizards are hopeful that they've solved that problem by

drafting Bradley Beal - generally regarded as the best shooter in thisyear's draft. With Wall and Beal, Kevin Seraphin, Chris Singleton,Trevor Booker, Ariza, Okafor, and Nene the Wizards have a fairlympressive core of players, all under the age of 30. That may not beenough to get them into the playoffs, but don't be surprised if they'ren shouting distance of the eight seed next March.

NORTHWEST DIV IS ION

DENVER NUGGETS

Whos Coming:Andre Iguodala (Trade), Anthony Randolph (FA), EvanFournier (20th overall), Quincy Miller (38th overall, from GS), IzzetTurkyilmaz (50th overall)Whos Going:Aaron Afflalo (Trade), Al Harrington (Trade), ChrisAnderson (Amnesty), Rudy Fernandez (FA)

The Nuggets biggest offseason move was part of the biggest trans-action in the NBA this summer. Denver helped facilitate DwightHowards relocation to Los Angeles. For their role in the deal, theNuggets received All-Star and Olympian Andre Iguodala fromPhiladelphia and upgraded themselves at shooting guard. AaronAfflalo has improved his game over the years, but hes not on par withIguodala, who becomes the unquestioned leader in Denver. The onegamble to acquiring Iguodala is his contract situation. He has twoyears remaining, but can opt out after the coming season. TheNuggets made a quick rebuild after trading Carmelo Anthony, and thismove improves the team further.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

Whos Coming: Brandon Roy (FA), Andrei Kirilenko (FA), DanteCunningham (Trade), Alexsey Shved (FA), Chase Budinger (Trade),Greg Stiemsma (FA), Robbie Hummel (58th overall, from OKC),Jerome Dyson (Trade)Whos Going: Darko Milicic (Amnesty), Martell Webster (FA), Brad

Miller (Trade), Wayne Ellington (Trade) Wesley Johnson (Trade),Anthony Tolliver (FA), Michael Beasley (FA), Anthony Randolph (FA)

The Timberwolves reshaped their roster in the offseason, adding sev-eral pieces while jettisoning players not considered core to therebuilding program. Their nine-win improvement last season wasfueled by the continued development of Kevin Love, the addition ofRicky Rubio and the emergence of center Nikola Pekovic. FromRussia to play with Love comes 10-year NBA veteran Andrei Kirilenko,who will help replace Michael Beasleys production. Kirilenko is not asoffensively explosive as Beasley, but he gives the Wolves a betterwing defender and can certainly do more things with the ball. Hellstep right into the starting small forward job and allows coach RickAdelman some versatility in using a smaller or bigger lineup. BrandonRoy is another veteran who will give Adelman options. There isnt a

pre-conceived notion about Roys role; that will determined by howhealthy his knees are and how he fits with his teammates during train-ing camp. He has experience as a late-game closer from his days inPortland, and that will be important for the young T-Wolves. GregStiemsma and Chase Budinger are role players who should fill inareas of need in the rotation. The Timberwolves were bottom-tier inprotecting the rim and three-point shooting. Stiemsmas biggest assetis as a shot-blocker (1.5 blocks in 14 minutes per game), andBudinger is one of the games more accurate three-point shooters.

9


WESTERNCONFERENCE


10/28

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Whos Coming: Hasheem Thabeet (FA), Perry Jones (28th overall),Hollis Thompson (FA), Daniel Orton (FA)Whos Going: Nazr Mohammed (FA), Derek Fisher (FA), Royal Ivey (FA)

What do NBA finalists do in the offseason? Apparently, not much. TheThunder, who lost to the Heat in the NBA finals, believe the roster is ingood shape, requiring only changes at the fringe. Oklahoma City iscounting on continued in-house development, so the additions ofHasheem Thabeet, Perry Jones and Hollis Thompson are not going tomake a big impact. Of the three players lost, Derek Fisher saw themost playing time at 20 minutes per game. Nazr Mohammed played1 minutes per game and Royal Ivey 10.4. The competition for

Fishers minutes will come down to Eric Maynor and Reggie Jackson.ackson was the best thing on the floor during OKCs Summer

League season, making good decisions in the pick-and-roll and show-ng an improved jumper. For salary reasons and roster flexibility, lookor the Thunder to develop Jackson this coming season. Cole Aldrichs slated to fill the backup center role, though he didnt have a promis-

ng Summer League. Some of that can be attributed to the unstruc-ured nature of summer hoops, but there are concerns. Aldrich hadrouble doing the things he is expected to supply, like corrallingebounds and passes, turnovers, setting screens and establishing

position defensively. There will be little surprise when you review theOKC roster. All the players of value in 2011-12 will be the same valu-able players in 2012-13.

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Whos Coming:Victor Claver (22nd overall, 2009 draft), Joel Freeland30th overall, 2006 draft), Kostas Papanikolaou (Trade), Dan GadzuricTrade), Jared Jeffries (Trade), Ronnie Price (FA), Sasha Pavlovic (FA),Giorgos Printezis (Trade), Damon Lillard (6th overall), Meyers Leonard11th overall), Will Barton (40th overall)Whos Going: Hasheem Thabeet (FA), Craig Smith (FA), Joel PrzybillaFA), Raymond Felton (FA), Kurt Thomas (Trade), Jonny Flynn (FA),amal Crawford (FA), Shawne Williams (FA), Jon Diebler (Trade)

Recent offseasons in Portland have featured lots of player movement,and 2012 was no different. Following a mid-season swoon that costNate McMillan his job, the ownership directive was to blow up theeam and overhaul the roster. This churn creates an opportunity foreveral players to grab a relevant role in Portland. The main players

are returnees LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Wesley Johnson.Beyond that, well have to see how the new teammates mix. On top ofall the new bodies in Portland, the biggest change comes on the side-nes, where Terry Stotts was named the franchises 14th head coach.

Stotts is considered one of the better offensive minds in the NBA andwas credited by Dallas coach Rick Carlisle for his role in the

Mavericks championship. At his introduction as the Blazers headcoach, Stotts told the assembled media that his team will favor thehree-point shot and play at a fast pace. Hell have a young crew in

Portland, which will feature eight new players and perhaps a couple ofookie starters. Damon Lillard, who had a sensational Summer Leaguen Las Vegas, is being considered as the starting point guard in hisookie season. And Myers Leonard will compete for minutes at center

with J.J. Hickson and Joel Freeland. Leonards probably a few yearsaway from lining up next to LaMarcus Aldridge. With adjustments foreveryone involved at the Rose Garden, success wont be measured inwins and losses, but rather by learning and improvement.

UTAH JAZZ

Whos Coming: Marvin Williams (Trade), Randy Foye (FA), Mo Williams(Trade), Furkan Aldemir (Trade), Shan Foster (Trade), Kevin Murphy(47th overall)

Whos Going: Josh Howard (FA), C.J. Miles (FA), Devin Harris (Trade),Tadija Dragicevic (Trade)

The major changes in Utah wont come until the 2013 offseason whenthe Jazz shed a ton of payroll and when Paul Millsap and Al Jeffersonbecome unrestricted free agents. That, too, might also be the finalseason under coach Tyrone Corbin, who isnt signed beyond theupcoming season the club holds a team option for 2013-14. TheJazz will start giving more playing time to Derek Favors, who is viewedas the power forward of the future. It will be tricky for Corbin, who hasto juggle minutes for both Favors and Millsap. The coach toyed with athree-big lineup of Jefferson, Favors and Millsap last season, but thatmay not be the best match-up every night. Entering the 2012-13 sea-son, the backcourt will see the most change. Trading Devin Harris cre-ates an opening at point guard. Both Jamaal Tinsley and Earl Watsonreturn, but theyll back up Mo Williams, who was acquired via trade.None of the three are locked up beyond this season. The addition ofRandy Foye crowds the field at shooting guard, though the veteranhas grown accustomed to a role off the bench. Hell back up eitherAlec Burks or Gordon Hayward at the two. Haywards coming off abreakout season, so well get a full season of him as a starter, whetherit comes at the two or the three. And Burks lit up the Orlando SummerLeague. Marvin Williams is expected to compete for the starting smallforward spot. Much depends on where Corbin feels Hayward can bebest be deployed.

PACIFIC DIV IS ION

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Whos Coming: Jarrett Jack (Trade), Carl Landry (FA), Kent Bazemore(FA), Harrison Barnes (7th overall), Festus Ezeli (30th overall),Draymond Green (35th overall), Ognjnen Kuzmic (52nd overall)Whos Going: Dorell Wright (Trade), Nate Robinson (FA), DominicMcGuire (FA), Mikki Moore (FA), Chris Wright (FA), Mickell Gladness(FA), Edin Bavcic (Trade)

The new ownership group in Golden State got a bit ahead of them-selves, anticipating a spot in the postseason and generally settingexpectations ahead of the natural growth cycle of a young team witha new coach. Last years 23-win team with all of its glaring holes hasslapped them back to reality, but the Warriors are making positivesteps. The need for a center was addressed last February whenGolden State traded Monta Ellis to Milwaukee for a then-injuredAndrew Bogut. Bogut will start at center and remain there if healthy,playing alongside David Lee. Having the luxury of not being the onlycompetent big on the roster, Lee may be able to survive the seasonwithout too many injuries. Adding Carl Landry means Golden Statecan further reduce Lees burden, while hopefully keeping him fresherfor the long haul. Festus Ezeli, Jeremy Tyler and Andris Biedrins willcompete to be part of the big-man rotation. Adding Jarrett Jackmeans the Warriors have an NBA-veteran backup at point guard forStephen Curry. It also pushes Charles Jenkins back to No. 3 on thedepth chart. Jenkins filled in capably for the oft-injured Curry last sea-son, though it was clearly a learning experience for the rookie fromHofstra. Jacks presence also means Curry can swing to off guard

10



11/28

when coach Mark Jackson wants to use a three-guard look with KlayThompson at small forward. And speaking of small forward, the tradeof Dorell Wright opens up minutes for seventh-overall selectionHarrison Barnes. Richard Jeffersons also around, but Golden State ismoving forward with its young core, so expect Barnes to start at thehree.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

Whos Coming: Jamal Crawford (FA), Grant Hill (FA), Ryan Hollins (FA),Ronny Turiaf (FA), Willie Green (FA), Lamar Odom (Trade)Whos Going: Nick Young (FA), Bobby Simmons (FA), Kenyon MartinFA), Randy Foye (FA), Reggie Evans (FA), Ryan Gomes (Amnesty),Sofoklis Schortsanitis (Trade), Mo Williams (Trade), Furkan AldmirTrade)

The Clippers added some high-character guys in the offseason withhe intent of bolstering the teams depth, though injuries to Chauncey

Billups (Achilles) and Blake Griffin (torn meniscus) may force a coupleof the acquisitions into more prominent roles early on. With the re-

igning of Billups, last seasons starting five will return intact.However, Billups may not be up to speed by the start of the regulareason. That means Willie Green, a former teammate of point guard

Chris Paul, and Jamal Crawford will have bigger roles early in the sea-on. Look for Green to start at the two until Billups is ready. Crawford

was expected all along to be the teams sixth man and will likelyemain in that role. Between Green, Crawford and the return of Billups,here are capable replacements for the production the Clips receivedrom Mo Williams, Randy Foye and Nick Young. Griffins torn menis-cus is a less serious injury, though you can never take any injury forgranted. Getting Lamar Odom back to the place where his careertarted will allow coach Vinny Del Negro to keep Griffins minutes inhe low 30s. Ryan Hollins and Ronny Turiaf will fill out the big manotation, though neither is expected to see big minutes. Both will give

Del Negro energy guys to back up DeAndre Jordan. Hollins is an ath-etic shot blocker while Turiaf is more of a banger. The other major

acquisition is Grant Hill, who comes to the Clippers after five seasonsn Phoenix. At 40, Hill still has something to offer, but wont be neededor 30 minutes as he was with the Suns. Hell back up Caron Butler atmall forward.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Whos Coming: Dwight Howard (Trade), Steve Nash (FA), Antawnamison (FA), Chris Duhon (Trade), Earl Clark (Trade), Jodie MeeksFA), Darius Johnson-Odom (55th overall, from Dallas), Robert Sacre60th overall)Whos Going:Andrew Bynum (Trade), Troy Murphy (FA), Matt BarnesFA), Josh McRoberts (Trade), Christian Eyenga (Trade), RamonSessions (FA)

Where do we start? Filling the glaring need for better point guard playwith one of the leagues best playmakers, or the acquisition of thegames most dominant big man? The offseason started when theLakers were able to acquire Steve Nash from Phoenix for a collectionof draft picks. Not only does the move improve production at theposition, but Nash provides benefits for other players on the roster.Kobe Bryant wont be asked to handle the ball as much, freeing himup for better looks. And Pau Gasol and Nash should be able to workhe pick-and-roll game masterfully. And just when offseason basket-

ball was all about watching Team USA, the shocking news broke thathe Lakers acquired Dwight Howard from Orlando. Giving up Andrew

Bynum was a large price, but Howard is a better player in several

phases of low-post play. Bynum is more skilled offensively, butHoward is a better defender; hes exhibited better health over theyears; and he can deal with double teams effectively. Adding AntawnJamison is a nice little offseason move that went overlooked. LosAngeles got very little point production from its bench, and Jamisonshould be the answer to that problem. The 14-year veteran, who has

been remarkably durable throughout his career, will not reach the 33-minute per game level hes established over the past three seasons,but he should be a double-digit point producer off the bench playingboth small and power forward.

PHOENIX SUNS

Whos Coming: Luis Scola (Claimed off Waivers), Goran Dragic (FA),Michael Beasley (FA), Jermaine ONeal (FA), Wesley Johnson (Trade),P.J. Tucker (FA), Kendall Marshall (13th overall)Whos Going: Grant Hill (FA), Steve Nash (FA), Ronnie Price (FA),Michael Redd (FA), Aaron Brooks (FA), Josh Childress (Amnesty),Hakim Warrick (Trade), Robin Lopez (FA), Jerome Dyson (Waived)

Two years of mediocrity and lottery finishes have prompted the Sunsto start anew with a younger cast. You dont want to be living in themiddle class of the NBA as you can get stuck spinning in place forseveral seasons. Phoenix kicked off its summer makeover by lettingSteve Nash go in a sign-and-trade with the Lakers, getting only draftpicks back in return. Once Nash left, it was only a matter of timebefore Grant Hill followed him out of the Valley. They let restricted andunrestricted free agents walk and were part of a three-team trade thatsent Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick to New Orleans. The Suns alsohad an offer sheet out to the Hornets Eric Gordon, but that wasunsuccessful when New Orleans matched it. The franchise is re-boot-ing. The roster churn leaves Phoenix with one of the leagues youngerrosters. Chemistry and leadership questions abound and we reallydont know if the Suns are better off, worse off or about the same as2011-12. Were looking at three new starters entering the upcomingseason: Goran Dragic at point guard, Michael Beasley at small for-

ward and Luis Scola at power forward will join returning starters JaredDudley and Marcin Gortat. First-round draft pick Kendall Marshall willback up Dragic, who is entering his first full season as a teams No. 1point guard. In Houston last season, Dragic averaged 18 points and8.4 assists per game as a starter. The Suns are also hoping a normaloffseason of preparation, including summer-league basketball, helpssecond-year forward Markeiff Morris evolve his low post game. Lastly,the Suns were very excited to land former fourth-overall pick WesleyJohnson from Minnesota. In what could evolve to be a classicchange-of-scenery case, Johnson never fit in with the Timberwolves.He can play both perimeter spots and at this stage is more suited to atransition game.

SACRAMENTO KINGS

Whos Coming:Aaron Brooks (FA), James Johnson (Trade), ThomasRobinson (5th overall)Whos Going: Hassan Whiteside (Waived), Donte Greene (FA),Terrence Williams (FA)

The Kings didnt do much in the offseason, but dont take that tomean theyre happy with where theyre at. Coach Keith Smart knowshis team needs to improve on defense opponents shots a league-best 47.6 percent against Sacramento. They also need to shoot bet-ter. None of the new additions appear poised to address those needstoo much. Improvement must come from within from playersbecoming a more cohesive unit and stretching themselves. Dont

11



12/28

underestimate Smarts ability to pull something more from his players.He guided Golden State through a transitional phase to win 36 gamesn 2010-11, and then performed a similar trick with the Kings when heook over five games into the rapidly deteriorating 2011-12 season.

The Kings have talent throughout every level. The frontcourt was bol-tered when Jason Thompson re-signed. Thompson has been a for-

gotten man after a nice rookie season. Hes reclaimed the startingpower forward job and will help groom Thomas Robinson, who madehe team giddy when he fell to pick number five on draft night.

Thomas had an uninspiring summer league. The rookie, at 6-9, needso develop a greater low-post arsenal. Thompson, Robinson, Chuck

Hayes and DeMarcus Cousins will form the frontcourt rotation. Thingsget a bit more muddled as we move back. The Kings enter year fourof the experiment to find Tyreke Evans best position. Hes been apoint guard, a shooting guard and, at times last season, a small for-ward, which may have been stretching him beyond his limit defensive-y. Finding his best spot is encumbered by a crowded backcourt.Marcus Thornton, Sacramentos scoring and minutes leader in 2011-2, thrived at shooting guard. Isaiah Thomas emerged as a viable

NBA point guard credit to Smart for his role in bringing Thomasalong. And that was before the team signed Aaron Brooks to a two-

year deal. Brooks played in China last year after an injury marred2010-11 season that saw him fall off the leagues radar. And wehavent even mentioned Jimmer Fredette. He still hasnt taken to thehooting point guard role the team wants. Smart will be challenged tond the right mix.

SOUTHWEST DIV IS ION

DALLAS MAVERICKS

Whos Coming: Chris Kaman (FA), Darren Collison (Trade), Dahntayones (Trade), Elton Brand (Claimed off Waivers), O.J. Mayo (FA),

Tadija Dragicevic (Trade), Jared Cunningham (24th overall, fromCleveland), Bernard James (33rd overall, from Cleveland), JaeCrowder (34th overall, from Cleveland)Whos Going: Jason Terry (FA), Ian Mahinmi (FA), Jason Kidd (FA), Yiianlian (FA), Brian Cardinal (FA), Brendan Haywood (Amnesty), Lamar

Odom (Trade), Shan Foster (Trade), Kelenna Azubuike (Trade), SeanWilliams (FA)

The Mavericks continued their roster shuffle with the intent to land amajor free agent at some point in 2012 or 2013. The master plancalled for Deron Williams to sign in Dallas and eventually lure DwightHoward to form the NBAs next super team. Well, Williams re-signedwith New Jersey, and Howards been traded to the Lakers. Is there aPlan B? Howard can be Plan B, but we may not know until the sum-mer of 2013 whether he intends to extend his contract in L.A. To playhis thing out and retain financial flexibility, Dallas added a lot of one-

year rental talent and some youth to begin re-tooling. Its not accurate

o call this rebuilding. We dont know how the news pieces will fit andhe chemistry mixes, but this should be a playoff team. Darren

Collison, playing for his third team in four seasons, is the presumedtarter at point guard. It took Collison some time to acclimate inndiana, so the Mavericks re-signed system veteran Delonte West justn case. O.J. Mayo is finally out of Memphis and could replace JasonTerry as a scorer off the bench or compete for the starting job withVince Carter. This is a big year for Roddy Beaubois to show some-hing staying healthy would be a start or hell be buried in the

guard rotation. Chris Kaman signed a one-year deal and will start atcenter. Elton Brand, another one-year special, will be fine in a backupole. There are possibly three new starters that will be joining Shawn

Marion and Dirk Nowitzki. Coach Rick Carlisle has a job ahead of him.

HOUSTON ROCKETS

Whos Coming: Omer Asik (FA), Jeremy Lin (FA), Carlos Delfino (FA),Gary Forbes (Trade), Toney Douglas (Trade), Jon Diebler (Trade),JaJuan Johnson (Trade), Sean Williams (Trade), Jon Brockman (Trade),

Shaun Livingston (Trade), Jeremy Lamb (12th overall), Royce White(16th overall), Terrence Jones (18th overall), Furkan Aldemir (Trade),Jerome Jordan (Trade)Whos Going: Courtney Lee (FA), Marcus Camby (FA), Goran Dragic(FA), Kyle Lowry (Trade), Luis Scola (Amnesty), Chase Budinger(Trade), Samuel Dalembert (Trade), Josh Harrellson (Waived), JonLeuer (Waived)

Add the Rockets to the list of teams performing big re-modeling jobsthis offseason. The goal was to entice the Magic to trade DwightHoward to Houston, but we know how that worked out. The Rocketsare left to rebuild around an unlikely core package of Jeremy Lin andOmer Asik. Well, at least they have salary cap room. General managerDaryl Moreys moves will be heavily scrutinized this season. Nobody isexpecting Houston to challenge for a playoff spot this season, butthere had better be tangible signs of development from what may bethe youngest roster in the NBA. Lin returns to Houston, a team appar-ently filled with remorse after releasing him on the eve of the 2011-12season. The three-year, $25 million contract was too much for theKnicks, so they let the point guard go. To pair with Lin, Asik givesHouston an elite team defender, rebounder and rim-protector. Hell getplenty of minutes, so were going to find out if he has any offense.Donatas Motiejunas, the 20th overall pick in the 2011 draft, will backup Asik. The rest of the veteran acquisitions are mostly fodder. CarlosDelfino should work his way into a scoring role off the bench and canspace the floor for Lins pick-and-roll forays, but the Rockets willinvest heavily in the young players added via the draft. Recent draftpicks Chandler Parsons and Patrick Patterson should end up as thestarting forwards, but we also see rotation minutes for 2012 picksTerrence Jones and Royce White. And with Kevin Martin on the finalyear of his contract, hes an ideal candidate to be traded, which will

open up playing time for Jeremy Lamb. With so much youth and inex-perience, were bound to see changes within the rotation throughoutthe season. Pay close attention to the Rockets as there will be a sur-prise fantasy contributor from this group.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

Whos Coming: Jerryd Bayless (FA), Wayne Ellington (Trade), D.J.Kennedy (Trade), Tony Wroten (25th overall)Whos Going: Gilbert Arenas (FA), Dante Cunningham (Trade), JeremyPargo (Trade), O.J. Mayo (FA)

The Grizzlies have squandered some recent draft picks and are left tosustain their current run of success through trades or free agency. Thelist of unfulfilled promise goes back to Hasheem Thabeet (2nd overall

in 2009), DeMarre Carroll (27th overall in 2009), Xavier Henry (12thoverall in 2010), Dominique Jones (25th overall in 2010) and GreivisVasquez (28th overall in 2010). All these wasted drafts have leftMemphis in need of improved backcourt play/depth. After they got alook at Tony Wroten, drafted 25th overall in 2012, in the SummerLeague, the Grizzlies knew they had to look elsewhere for a backuppoint guard. Wroten may be the future, but hes not the present. So,Memphis is pretty stoked about signing Jerryd Bayless, who will beginthe season as Mike Conleys backup. The Griz needed point guardhelp and some perimeter scoring/shooting. Bayless, who shot 42 per-cent from 3-point range last season, helps to fill both team needs. So,Bayless turns out to be the key acquisition of the offseason, but we'llhave to see if Wayne Ellington can give them the outside shooter

12



13/28

hey've been lacking. And maybe, just maybe, they can get somethingout of 2011 second-round pick Josh Selby (49th overall). Selby, whohot 56 percent and was named the co-MVP of the Las Vegas

Summer League, is an x-factor entering the season. The starting units rock solid for another season. Conley, Tony Allen, Rudy Gay, ZachRandolph and Marc Gasol return. The Grizzlies also locked up Darrel

Arthur and Marresse Speights, so frontcourt depth is on hand. Arthurshad some injuries to start his career, but has impressed the Grizzliesenough to give him another three years. Speights was up and downor the Grizzlies, but as a backup in the frontcourt, he should be fine.

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

Whos Coming: Ryan Anderson (FA), Edin Bavcic (Trade), Robin LopezFA), Hakim Warrick (Trade), Roger Mason (FA), Brian Roberts (FA),Anthony Davis (1st overall), Austin Rivers (10th overall), Darius Miller46th overall)Whos Going: Emeka Okafor (Trade), Trevor Ariza (Trade), Carl LandryFA), Chris Kaman (FA), Marco Bellinelli (FA), Gustavo Ayon (Trade),Darryl Watkins (Trade), Jarrett Jack (Trade), Jerome Dyson (Trade),

DeJuan Summers (FA), Darryl Watkins (Trade), Rashard Lewis (Waived)

The Hornets were all optimism after landing the first pick in the draftand having two lottery selections. A young and rebuilding team on theway up; whats not to be optimistic about? Well, the mood souredpretty quickly when Eric Gordon not only signed an offer sheet withPhoenix, but also had comments about the organization on his wayout of town. The problem is that Gordon was a restricted free agentand New Orleans had every intention of matching any offer. Gordonsback in the fold and there may be some uncomfortable and awkwardmoments initially. But hes expected to be the teams scoring leaderand all will be forgiven as long as he produces. That means avoidingnjury something Gordon hasnt done since his rookie season. In thebackcourt with Gordon, well see Greivis Vasquez and 10th-overallpick Austin Rivers compete for the starting point guard job after theeam shipped Jarrett Jack to Golden State. The Hornets are attempt-ng to make Rivers a combo guard, an experiment that yielded mixedesults in the Summer League. Whether or not Rivers is starting, hell

be part of coach Monty Williams rotation. Rivers is expected to be

ready for training camp after undergoing offseason ankle surgery(bone spurs removed). Anthony Davis was the consensus No. 1-over-all pick and hell start right away. Probably at small forward, thoughhell see time at both forward spots. Ryan Anderson, acquired fromOrlando, lines up at power forward. But hes a stretch four, who does-nt make his living near the basket. Behind Davis and Anderson will be

Al-Farouq Aminu. Robin Lopez inherits the opening at starting centerafter Emeka Okafors contract was shipped to Washington. Lopez hadhis ups and downs in Phoenix, mostly due to injuries. Hes never aver-aged more than 20 minutes a game in any of his four seasons, sowell get a good look at his capabilities in 2012-13. Hes coming offknee (repair a torn meniscus) surgery and will be ready for trainingcamp.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Whos Coming: Marcus Denmon (59th overall), Nando De Colo (53rdoverall, 2009 draft)Whos Going: James Anderson (FA), Derrick Byars (Waived)

Ho-hum. Its the San Antonio Spurs and nothing much changes. In theoffseason, San Antonio re-signed the players they wanted to keepfrom last seasons team Tim Duncan, Patty Mills, Boris Diaw andDanny Green and added a couple of draft picks. What you saw atthe end of the 2011-12 season is pretty much what youll see comeOctober. Much like Oklahoma City, the Spurs will look for in-houseimprovement from young wing players like Green and Kawhi Leonard.The Spurs are excited to see what a full offseason of development wilbring out in Leonard, who toyed with Summer League competition.Hell have an increased role this season. And theyll get a full seasonof Boris Diaw, who became an immediate part of the rotation when hesigned on with them in late March. His addition means DeJuan Blairwill be marginalized in the rotation. After Diaws arrival last season,Blairs playing time took a hit and he played less than eight minutesper game in the playoffs. Nando De Colo, a 2009 draft pick, comes toNorth America after three seasons playing at a high level in Europe.He has good size at guard and can play both spots, though his rolewill be determined once hes in town and playing with his new team-mates.

13



14/28

BISMACK BIYOMBO, PF, BOBCATSAs a 19-year-old rookie, Biyombos playing time increased by themonth from 13.1 minutes in 18 games in January to 31.1 in 16 Aprililts as he started 41 of Charlottes final 43 contests. His superior

shot blocking skills were on display throughout. He finished the 2011-2 campaign ranked eighth in the NBA averaging 1.83 blocks in only

23.1 minutes per game, including at least two swats in each of his lastnine games. Biyombos raw repertoire on offense limited his effective-ness on that end of the court, but he still managed 7.1 points pergame on 47.8 percent from the field over the final month. Along withhis undeveloped portion of his game, he could stand to improve hisebounding (5.8 per game) and free-throw percentage (48.3), though

his block totals should experience at least a modest bump during hissophomore season.

GLEN DAVIS, PF, MAGIC

Once it became apparent that teammate Dwight Howards seasonwas in jeopardy, Davis stepped into the Magics starting lineup onApril 1 and promptly rolled off five double-doubles in six contests. Forhe month, he posted 16.4 points (on 50.3 percent shooting), 8.8ebounds, and 1.4 steals in 31.4 minutes per game. Davis was a beastn the playoffs, averaging 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in38.1 minutes over five telling tilts. If he arrives in training camp inshape and focused, as new coach Jacque Vaughn expects, the mer-curial Davis should slot perfectly into Howards vacant spot in thepost and rack up double-doubles at a similar rate to his final month-plus of 2011-12.

GORDON HAYWARD, SG, JAZZHayward was a mainstay in the lineup during his second season in theeague, starting 58 of 66 games for the Jazz. After a stint as a reserve

n early March, he returned to the starting five a more focused andaggressive player on offense, scoring in double figures 18 timesacross 21 tilts. During that stretch, Hayward dazzled with his multi-aceted game, averaging 15.8 points (on 46.9 percent shooting), 4.7

boards, 3.6 assists, 1.4 treys, and one steal in 36.9 minutes. Heshould be locked into the starting shooting guard slot for the foresee-able future, and with formidable post presences in Paul Millsap and AlJefferson manning the paint, Hayward should continue to have theuxury to roam free on the perimeter and contribute across the board.

ANDREI KIRILENKO, SF, TIMBERWOLVESKirilenko spent the lockout-shortened year abroad, plying his wareswith CSKA Moscow since his NBA prospects had waned after anmpressive start to his career. As a result, the 31-year-old rejuvenatedhis game, posting averages of 14.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 dimes,.9 blocks, and 1.5 swipes over 17 contests en route to the 2012

Euroleague MVP award. After recalling his AK-47 days with Utah, theNBA again came knocking this summer, and he inked a two-year dealwith Minnesota, joining forces with Kevin Love and company. Kirilenkowill provide a much needed presence in the paint for theTimberwolves as he bolsters the defensive counting stats of fantasyowners everywhere.

COURTNEY LEE, SG, CELTICSFollowing a sign-and-trade from Houston to Boston this offseason,Lee will enter the starting lineup in place of the injured Avery Bradleyshoulders), thereby forming a dynamic backcourt with last years top

distributor, Rajon Rondo, who dished out 11.7 assists per game. Whilenot on the level of the departed Ray Allen, Lee should be a very solid

complement to Rondo after putting up 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0treys, and 1.4 steals in 37.0 minutes per game, while shooting 40.2percent from three-point land in 24 starts to finish off last season. IfLee is able to form a strong rapport with Rondo and the rest of theCeltics in the early going, he could secure the starting gig for good,even when Bradley is healthy enough to return.

JAVALE MCGEE, C, NUGGETSA change of scenery may be just what this former presumed head-case needs. In the aftermath of his in-season trade from Washington,McGee received inconsistent playing time from Denver coach GeorgeKarl, grabbing far fewer rebounds and swatting less shots than he hadin previous seasons. However, something clicked in the playoffs, whenMcGee displayed his massive potential with two huge double-doublesin the Nuggets seven-game series defeat to the Lakers. Overall, heaveraged 8.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks in 25.9 minutesagainst Los Angeles, which likely helped him procure the four-year,$44 million contract with Denver this summer. Consequently, McGeeis expected to take over the teams starting center spot, potentiallyproviding fantasy owners with a true breakout year.

JAMEER NELSON, PG, MAGICOn an Orlando squad devoid of Dwight Howard, the scoring burdenwill have to fall on someones shoulders. A typical scheme would relyon its point guard to direct the offense and distribute accordingly. TheMagic hiring Jacque Vaughn away from San Antonios coaching staffcould lead to Nelson seeing a notable jump in playing time after theSpurs gave point guard Tony Parker a team-high in minutes a seasonago. Furthermore, Nelson has no viable backup behind him but jour-

neyman Ish Smith, which could result in the first season of his careeraveraging 32 or more minutes. As a preview of what life withoutHoward could be like for Nelson, he boasted averages of 17.3 points,8.9 assists, and 2.4 three-pointers in 32.4 minutes in eight contestsafter Howard was sidelined last season.

KLAY THOMPSON, SG, WARRIORSThompson enjoyed a rather successful rookie year, which culminatedin a spot in the starting five for the final 28 games of the season fol-lowing Monta Ellis trade to Milwaukee. During that stretch, he scoredin double figures on all but one occasion, averaging 18.6 points, 3.3boards, three assists, 2.1 treys and 1.1 steals in 34.1 minutes, withshooting splits of 44/38/91 percent. There is no guarantee that team-mate Stephen Curry will be fully recovered from ankle surgery whencamp tips off in early October, leaving Thompson as the safe bet inthe Warriors backcourt to put up very solid percentages and countingstats from the wing.

EVAN TURNER, SG, 76ERSAndre Iguodalas trade to Denver this summer, along with LouWilliams and Jodie Meeks departure via free agency, has opened thedoor for Turner to flourish in Philadelphia. With more possessionspotentially available to him, as well as the top post player in the East,Andrew Bynum, in his frontcourt, fantasy owners should hope that hecontinues to build upon a 2011-12 season that was rather variable,but which included stretches of brilliance. Turner finished the secondhalf of his second NBA season averaging 10.6 points (on 45.6 percent

SLEEPERS & UNDERSLEEPERS & UNDERVVALUED PLAALUED PLAYERSYERS

14


15/28

rom the floor), six rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 28.9 minutes as hetarted 20 of 32 contests. In 12 subsequent playoff tilts, though, he

put it all together with an uber-consistent 12.1 points and 8.2 boards,hough his shooting percentage (36.4) left a lot to be desired. If he

puts it all together, expect the 6-7 guard/forward to be a near double-double machine this season.

GREIVIS VASQUEZ, PG, HORNETSWith Jarrett Jack out of the picture in New Orleans, Vasquez appearso be the unquestioned starter at point guard. In 26 starts last season

with the Hornets, he averaged 12 points, seven assists, 2.9 boards,

1.1 steals, and 0.8 three-pointers in 32.8 minutes per game, while

shooting 44.9 percent from the floor and 85.7 percent from the charity

stripe. A healthy Eric Gordon, new addition Ryan Anderson, and No. 1

overall pick Anthony Davis will provide plenty of options at Vasquezs

disposal, allowing him an opportunity to be a consistent source of

assists man by seasons end. Theres a chance that Vasquez couldsplit minutes at point guard with Austin Rivers early in the season, but

Vasquez was effective in a timeshare with Jack last season, so split-

ting minutes is not much of a concern. Unless Rivers demonstrates a

quick learning curve in training camp, the job should belong to

Vasquez all season.

15

SLEEPERS & UNDERSLEEPERS & UNDERVVALUED PLAALUED PLAYERSYERS (cont...)(cont...)


16/28

OMER ASIK, C, ROCKETSAsik will find it difficult to live up to his three-year, $25.1 million con-ract, even though Rockets coach Kevin McHale will do his best to

effectively implement his skill set into the teams scheme. When youook closely at his first two seasons, he only improved modestly as aebounder - from 11.0 to 13.0 rebounds per 36 minutes - whileemaining steady across the board statistically. In a compressed

2011-12 schedule, he managed just 3.1 points (on 50.6 percentshooting), 5.3 boards, and 1.0 blocks in 14.7 minutes per game. Asiksoutput doesn't suggest that such a robust deal, including a quasi-ludi-crous $15 million in the third year, is a viable one. However, as theonly decent option at center, he will rack up a fair amount of minutes,unless of course his propensity to commit fouls - 5.2 per 36 minutesduring his career - follows him to Houston.

ELTON BRAND, PF, MAVERICKS

Yet another in a line of amnesty casualties, Brand was grabbed byDallas before he could reach free agency. Unfortunately for him, hellbe backing up a top-10 talent in Dirk Nowitzki, who will see his typical35 minutes per game. With Chris Kaman, another minutes maven,starting at center, gathering up to 30 more per night, playing time inhe Mavericks frontcourt will be somewhat limited. Brand should

again put up modest block numbers and a solid field goal percentagen a limited role, but dont draft him expecting the same production hehad with the Sixers.

KOBE BRYANT, SG LAKERSFollowing an offseason of wheeling and dealing, Bryants Lakers willagain reside at the pinnacle of the leagues hierarchy, next to Miamiand Oklahoma City. However, Bryant himself is set to stomach statisti-cal declines throughout his line with the arrival of Steve Nash and

Dwight Howard. Bryant will no longer be asked to be the Lakers pri-mary ballhandler with Nash on his side, thus limiting his assist poten-ial. This could allow Bryant to find his spots on the floor more com-ortably, helping his field-goal percentage bounce back from its lowest

mark (43.0) since the 1997-98 season. Moreover, Howards presenceas the leagues reigning rebound king should further limit Bryantschances on the boards. On the whole, he should finish the season asa top-20 player, but his years as a top option in fantasy may be ahing of the past. Were also a little worried about how playing with the

US National Team all summer will affect his endurance and efficiencyhis season.

TYREKE EVANS, SG, KINGSEvans has let it be known he prefers playing one of the guard spots,and its possible discontent could lead to another disappointing seasonor the swingman. The Kings signed Aaron Brooks in free agency thissummer. And with Isaiah Thomas, they have too many small pointguards not to play Evans off the ball, where his shooting touch has notmproved over three NBA seasons. In fact, he shot career lows fromboth 16-23 feet (30 percent) and three-point range (30.3 percent) lastyear. If this trend isnt reversed, his fantasy value will certainly plummetas his scoring, percentages, and assists decrease simultaneously.

DEVIN HARRIS, PG, HAWKSMany fantasy players may not realize the impact Harris trade toAtlanta had on his overall worth, but he should slot into the backuppoint guard role behind Jeff Teague. As a reserve guard, he will have

to contend with Lou Williams for minutes behind Teague and startingshooting guard Anthony Morrow. Harris should may find difficulty

earning 25 minutes per game in the Hawks guard rotation, what withTeagues baseline as a starter established last year (33.1 minutes).Even if Harris were to win the starting shooting guard spot, it might bea fools endeavor. Hes been a point guard the bulk of his career, andhes too small to play shooting guard against most teams. The Hawkshave committed to Teague as their point guard of the present andfuture. Harris acquisition was a means to end to clear cap space forthe 2013 offseason.

JASON RICHARDSON, SG, 76ERSPhiladelphia coach Doug Collins is known for giving preferential treat-ment to veterans, which would seem to favor Richardson. However,Collins tough love in the development of Evan Turner over his firsttwo seasons, along with the addition of Andrew Bynum, could forcethe coaching staff to reconsider its strict socialist offense, which hasstifled scorers and floor generals alike. If Turner and Bynum take on amajority of the offensive load, Richardson, whose field goal percent-age has tailed off each of the last five seasons, could see himself onthe outside looking in, only able to contribute with his three-point shotas he embarks on his 12th NBA season.

BRANDON ROY, SG, TIMBERWOLVESRoy is less than a year removed from a forced medical retirement byPortland, this after enduring multiple surgeries on his knees during theprevious five seasons. As a member of the Blazers, he took part in321 out of a possible 410 contests, playing the role of late-game heroa number of times. A wait-and-see approach is best when consideringRoy, who could return to his great heights and fulfill one of theTimberwolves great needs, a wing scorer with three-point range. On

the other end of the spectrum, he could completely wash out, suffer-ing yet another season- or career-ending injury. Be cautious with Roy.

AMARE STOUDEMIRE, PF, KNICKSA season and a half into the Carmelo/Amare experiment, the duo hasfailed to mesh effectively, culminating in the dismissal of coach MikeDAntoni midway through the 2011-12 season. Stoudemires outputhas also suffered dramatically as he posted his worst scoring (17.5points per game) and rebounding numbers (7.8 rebounds per game)since his rookie year in 2002-03 (13.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg). Adding injuryconcerns over his back, and historically questionable knees - heshouldnt be drafted as high as he has been in past seasons, even ifhe has consulted with Hakeem Olajuwon this summer in order to honehis post-up game.

KEMBA WALKER, PG, HORNETSAs with many rookies who enter the league in less-than-ideal situa-tions, Walker struggled a fair amount with Charlotte last season, aver-aging 12.1 points (on 36.6 percent shooting), 4.4 assists, 3.5 boards,1.0 treys, and 0.9 steals in 27.2 minutes while appearing in all 66games (25 of them starts). To make matters worse for Walker, man-agement brought in guards Ramon Sessions, as a free agent, and BenGordon, via trade. New coach Mike Dunlap intends to implement anup-tempo style with a trapping, aggressive defense, which would pre-sumably favor Walker. However, if Walker decides its in the teamsbest interests for him to chuck up shots, Sessions could take over asa more traditional point guard. If Walker is put in a reserve role, he

BUSTS & OVERBUSTS & OVERVVALUED PLAALUED PLAYERSYERS

16


17/28

would likely be stuck behind Gordon in the pecking order off thebench, thereby minimizing any potential fantasy value he held goingnto the season. The murky situation in Charlotte will likely continuehis season, but itll be worth watching in training camp and the start

of the season to see if hidden value arises.

DORELL WRIGHT, SF, 76ERSAfter a breakout 2010-11 season, in which he provided prescient fan-asy owners with a surprising 2.4 treys per game, Wright fell back to

earth last season. The hot shooting of Brandon Rush and emergence

of Klay Thompson lead to Wrights role on the Warriors being margin-

alized. Overall, he started 61 contests, averaging 10.3 points, 4.6

rebounds, 1.7 three-pointers, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals in 27 minutes

or nearly 11.5 less minutes per game than in the previous season. A

change of scenery to Philadelphia, where he was traded to this off-

season, leaves Wright in a logjam on the depth chart with fellow wingsEvan Turner, Jason Richardson, Nick Young and Thaddeus Young.

Under this new reality, hell be hard-pressed to surpass 25 minutes

per game this season, with his one plus stat, three-pointers made,

barely able to survive on standard league rosters.

17

BUSTS & OVERBUSTS & OVERVVALUED PLAALUED PLAYERS (cont. .. )YERS (cont. .. )


18/28

The NBA Draft almost always serves as a way teams can help them-selves down the road, not right away. That means most rookies enter

heir first season in the pros having little-to-no fantasy value. However,here are always those gems, those diamonds in the rough. There

probably wont be more than 10 or 11 rookies drafted in standard fan-asy leagues this season (depending on your league depth and rules),

but that doesnt mean those who go undrafted arent worth stalkingon the waiver wire a couple of times a week. Heres our evaluation ofhis years rookies, and what we believe are reasonable expectationsor their contributions this season.

ANTHONY DAVIS, PF, HORNETSDavis is clearly on a different level from the rest of the players on thisst, but that doesnt necessarily mean he will hold the most fantasy

value for the upcoming season. The areas in which Davis excels dontalways have tangible value, especially on the defensive end of theoor. He should be able to get blocks against smaller forwards, but he

may struggle to get the ball on the other side of the floor with the glue-handed Austin Rivers potentially running the New Orleans offense.

MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST, SF, BOBCATSKidd-Gilchrist is a defensive-minded player, much like Davis. He willhave opportunities to score, considering he is on a team with limitedoffensive options. Kidd-Gilchrist also might be able to get KembaWalker out and running considering his transition game was the bestn the NCAA last season.

BRADLEY BEAL, SG, WIZARDSBeal is a tremendous shooter, who will most likely be a starterOpening Night. The big question here is How much can John Wallmprove? If Wall is able to slash to the hoop, Beal could be left openor plenty of three-point jumpers.

DION WAITERS, SG, CAVALIERSgnore the fact that Waiters came off the bench in college. That was adecision based on a system, not raw ability. He should be able towork well with Kyrie Irving, who will only improve in his second sea-son. A slashing, Dwyane Wade-type of guard paired with a good,young point guard is the type of player that can put up big numbers ina rookie year.

THOMAS ROBINSON, PF, KINGSRebounding tends to translate into the NBA as well as or better thanany other stat and oh boy, can Robinson rebound. He has led the Big

2 in each of the past two seasons in both offensive and defensiveebounding percentage. The problem is that Robinson may have hisminutes limited by the veterans in the Kings frontcourt rotationDeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson, Chuck Hayes). He had his fairshare of struggles in the Summer League, and the re-signing ofThompson is a big wall hell have to climb over to be a consistentcontributor in his rookie season.

DAMIAN LILLARD, PG, TRAIL BLAZERSLillard is a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate if only because hewill have the ball in his hands so often. A point guard with a quickelease on his jumper, he should work seamlessly with a forward like

LaMarcus Aldridge in the pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop. Meanwhile,someone with his ability to score could end up getting Brandon

Jennings-like media attention in his first year in the league.

HARRISON BARNES, SF, WARRIORSBarnes measurables at the combine were elite, but the problem is heusually doesnt display that sort of athletic ability during games. If hestarts to use his athleticism to his advantage, he could be a produc-tive rookie with the amount of minutes he should be getting.

AUSTIN RIVERS, G, HORNETSRivers is a talent, but struggled as a decision maker in his sole seasonat Duke. Each play seemed premeditated. If he was going to pass, healready knew. If he was going to shoot, that choice was already madebefore the play even started. That is a trait that may not translate towell to the NBA, especially considering he will be playing a lot of point

guard in New Orleans. His ability as a natural scorer and shooter,though, should not be overlooked, and the fact that many of NewOrleans plays will start with the ball in Rivers hands means plenty ofopportunities for him to put up numbers.

JONAS VALANCIUNAS, C, RAPTORSValanciunas struggled in the Olympics and has a reputation for gettinginto foul trouble. However, many scouts have said that if he were inthis past seasons draft (as opposed to the 2011 NBA Draft, when hewas picked sixth overall), he would have been the second overall pickHe can run and jump better than most big men. Now, the Raptorsneed to see just how ready he is for NBA play.

TERRENCE ROSS, SG, RAPTORSRoss might not fit in right away. He is an athlete and a strong wingshooter, but could start the season as the Raptors fourth guard, play-ing directly behind DeMar DeRozan. He is still young and relativelyraw. That means he could struggle integrating his game into the NBA.

JEREMY LAMB, SG, ROCKETSLamb is one of the few guards on a team that is building itself as ashelter for forwards. He is still unspeakably skinny, but if he can addsome bulk, he might be able to score some points off the bench forHouston.

JARED SULLINGER, PF, CELTICSThis pick will depend on health. If Sully is healthy, all of a sudden, he

could make an impact and could have fantasy value. If he isnt healthyand isnt able to play a consistent amount of minutes, his fantasyvalue will be shot.

ALEXSEY SHVED, SG, TIMBERWOLVESShved could actually find himself in a starting role from day one inMinnesota. If that is the case and he ends up playing 30 minutes anight at shooting guard, he could end up having legitimate fantasyvalue. However, due to coach Rick Adelmans love of veterans, welllikely see Shved start the season coming off the bench. Where hecould find a lot of minutes is if the Timberwolves fall prey to the samecatastrophic number of injuries as last season.

IMPIMPACT ROOKIESACT ROOKIES

18


19/28

ANDREW NICHOLSON, PF, MAGICNicholson will likely come off the bench in Orlando, a rebuilding teamhat will probably try to develop its young players. That means he

could start to see more minutes nearing the end of the season, butdont expect big minutes at the start of the year.

MAURICE HARKLESS, SF, MAGICHarkless was moved in the Dwight Howard deal and is now likelytuck behind both Hedo Turkoglu and Quentin Richardson on the

Magic depth chart. Unless Orlando is able to move Turkoglus bigcontract, he may not see enough minutes off the bench this season tobe of use in most leagues.

KENDALL MARSHALL, PG, SUNSMarshall will back up the recently signed Goran Dragic and will pro-vide a pass-first mentality off the bench. He is a magnificent passer inransition, but the problem is that this Suns team isnt really meant toun a lot. With plenty of possessions potentially starting and ending

with Michael Beasley in isolation, Marshalls fantasy value might not

be too high in the upcoming season.

ROYCE WHITE, F, ROCKETSWhite can play both forward positions, but the problem is the Rocketsoster staffs 12 players that identi

rotowire complete draft kit

Documents