Dwight Howard will compete for the MVP Award this season.

Let’s get this season underway.  I will be here every week to provide you with the goods for your fantasy basketball squads. Look at me as your basketball junkie-turned-fantasy guru-coach. I will help get your team into shape with all the weapons of stats, injury updates and player trends that I can find. I can hear the sneakers squeaking in the gym now, and the coach yelling at you during suicide drills.   Don’t say I never gave you anything. 

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks didn’t necessarily have a great season in 2007-2008, but they finished 37-45 and snagged the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  Hopefully, they can build on that season-ending momentum and find a way to earn a better playoff seed.  It will start with the young and talented bigs on their roster.  Josh Smith is a shot-blocking dynamo (2.8 bpg) who’s becoming one of the NBA’s top defenders.  His offensive game in the half-court set could use improvement, but then again, that’s what the summer is for.  He averaged 17.2 ppg and 8.2 rpg last season and you should see his numbers increase with the loss of Josh Childress.  Marvin Williams is making steady improvement by increasing his scoring and rebounding averages, but clearly is a second tier fantasy option at power forward.  Coach Mike Woodson has worked extensively with center Al Horford.  Horford rewarded his coach with a breakout rookie season where he averaged 10.1 points and 9.7 rebounds.  This young protégé should improve this season, so taking him a reserve center is a viable option.  

 Boston Celtics

The Celtics were a very balanced team last year at home and on the road. They averaged 100.5 ppg no matter where they laced their sneakers and played.  Kevin Garnett will continue to be in beast mode this year.  Garnett is simply the best power forward in the game right now.  He averaged 18.8 ppg and 9.2 rpg last season.  Paul Pierce is coming off his NBA finals MVP showing and proved those naysayers who questioned his commitment to a team wrong.  You can commit to a team if your supporting cast has just as much game as you, and Pierce really capitalized on the new additions to his team.  Pierce averaged 19.6 ppg and 5.1 rpg last season which is what you can expect on a nightly basis from him.  The loss of James Posey to the New Orleans Hornets will affect the Celtic’s quality depth at small forward, but rookie Bill Walker from Kansas State looks legitimate in the preseason games.  Darius Miles was cut this week, so that experiment is over in Boston.  “Big Baby” Davis and Leon Powe will make up for Posey’s defensive intensity.  Kendrick Perkins is coming off his third shoulder surgery so his fantasy value will be undetermined until the season gets underway.  However, keep him on your radar because he proved he could score when given the opportunity.  

Charlotte Bobcats

The big man situation in Charlotte is truly a mess and they really got pushed around in the paint last year.  Emeka Okafor, who signed a six-year extension in the summer, played all 82 games last season, but this cannot be said for his injured counterparts.  Okafor averaged 13.8 ppg and 10.7 rpg last season which are down numbers from the previous year.  He still can produce a double-double (11^th in the NBA last season) on a nightly basis, so adequate back up center numbers should work on your fantasy team.  Gerald Wallace dropped a career best 71 3-pointers last season, and he works tirelessly on the defensive end of the court.  Sean May and Adam Morrison are coming off missed seasons due to injury.  They are young and unproven so I would not anticipate much from them this year.  Nazr Mohammed is not the answer at the center position.    

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have young and talented players but they lack that physical presence in the middle, which is essential in the eastern conference.  They will have to stretch opposing teams out by fast breaking, and using the speed they possess.  Small forward Luol Deng averaged 17 ppg and 6.2 rpg last season.  He is a bright spot on the team but it sort of goes downhill from there.  I’m not sold on Andres Nocioni since he hoists too many 3’s without positive results.  In 18 games played with Chicago, Drew Gooden made a positive influence on this young team by averaging 14.0 points and 9.3 rebounds.  However, Gooden is really streaky and an unstable pick up for your teams.  Tyrus Thomas had an up and down year.  He complained about playing time and the lack of plays designed for him.  You have to earn that status in this league and he hasn’t done it yet.  Joakim Noah played as expected last season.  He played very actively on defense and ran the court very well but his half court offensive game led much to be desired.  Aaron Gray showed flashes of potential at the center position but lacks quickness.     

Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James led the league in scoring last season (30.0 ppg) while ranking 8^th in assists (7.2 apg) and 10^th in steals (1.8 spg).  He should clearly be your number one pick in the fantasy draft because he is a stat machine.  James may have to work on his perimeter jumper, which is reminiscent of Michael Jordan in his younger days.  When James improves his shot, his opponents will not be able to sag on him and force bad decisions when he bulls through the paint.   The supporting big men on the team are getting up there in age with Ben Wallace (34) and Zydrunas Ilgauskus (32).  The majority of the Eastern teams are run and gun now, so they’ll need the services of Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson to step up their games.  When the Cavs chose Hickson with the 19^th pick in the first round you may have been scratching your head.  However, during the Vegas summer league he was busy turning heads with his play.  He could be a sleeper this season combined with the tutelage of King James. 

Detroit Pistons

GM Joe Dumars made some bold announcements at the end of the Pistons heart breaking loss to the Celtics in the postseason last year.  Dumars basically said there were no sacred cows on his team then he proceeded to fire the coach Flip Saunders.  This was the only major move made during the summer, which leads me to believe he could not obtain any trade value for his aging starters.  New coach Michael Curry was an old teammate of Dumars during Detroit’s Bad Boy years.  He is known to be no nonsense and will not tolerate unmotivated players.  I actually thought Rasheed Wallace would be the first to go but it’s assumed his baggage on the court and ability to get technical fouls at the wrong time made him a hard sell.  Wallace averaged 12.7 ppg and 6.6 rpg last season which are down numbers for him.  His backup Jason Maxiell should start creeping into Wallace’s minutes.  Maxiell had a higher energy level, but at 6’7” it makes him a defensive liability for most opposing power forwards in the league.  Antonio McDyess is in his 13^th year but he showed signs of hitting that clutch 18-foot jump shot and playing average defense.  Tayshaun Price numbers are steady averaging 13.2 ppg and 4.9 rpg last season.  He may show some wear and tear from his recent Olympic Gold medal stint but it could be a double- edged sword since his confidence will increase after playing with the some of the greatest ballers in the world.  Center Kwame Brown signed a two-year contract during the free agency period - I don’t see him having any fantasy value.

Indiana Pacers

I do like Danny Grangers game for the Pacers.  His basketball IQ is above average and he really steps his game up when he plays the so-called superstars in the league.  Granger averaged 19.6 ppg and 6.1 rpg last season.  Rookie big man Roy Hibbert should see plenty of playing time with the departure of Jermaine O’Neal.  Rasho Nesterovic has decent size but his numbers are not explosive.  Troy Murphy is a good big but he really does not fit into the up-tempo style of play that the Pacers will institute this season.  

Miami Heat

After Pat Riley had such a sub-par season he stepped down as coach and now Miami has a fresh start under new coach Erik Spoelstra.  Shaq-fu is not coming through that door so they will have to deal with the bare minimum at forward and center.  All I should have to say is Mark Blount and Udonis Haslem.  The only bright spots are Shawn Marion and rookie sensation Michael Beasley.  Marion is one of the more versatile forwards in the league.  He can rebound, defend and shot a decent percentage from behind the arc.  Beasley wowed the crowd at the Orlando summer league where its reported he was singing rap and top 40 songs while draining three’s and dunking on his foes.  If he is this calm and smooth on the court the eastern conference and the rest of the league should watch out.  He averaged 19.5 ppg and 7.4 rpg during the summer league in five games.  The Heat also has a newcomer James Jones who played at Portland.  He shot an eagle-eyed 44.4% from three land.   

Milwaukee Bucks

Australian Olympian Andrew Bogut has game. Period.  He has an array of low-post moves and can hit the open jumper along with running the open floor.  Bogut has increased his scoring and rebounding numbers each year in his three NBA seasons.  He also averaged 1.7 bpg, which was 9^th overall in the league last season.  Bogut also has the double-double ability by accomplishing this feat 38 times.  First-round pick Joe Alexander may take a while to find his way at the start but I would definitely target him as a must have on your team when he starts producing.  He is a very streaky shooter and his raw skills are impressive for his size (6’9”).  Richard Jefferson was added during the offseason, which was a good move for the Bucks organization.  He is a proven scorer in the league and he is willing to make an effort to defend.  Jefferson will also take some scoring burden off of Michael Redd this season.  With the departure of Yi Jianlian to the New Jersey Nets, Charlie Villanueva should see plenty of floor time and an increase in production.  Villanueva is an incredible offensive player at times but he lacks that same intensity on defense.  He has a tendency to be inconsistent with stretches of 30- point games then he’ll have a longer stretch of 6 point games.   

New Jersey Nets

Last season the Nets didn’t make the playoffs, something that hasn’t happened in seven years.  The team is clearly in a rebuilding phase before they move the franchise to Brooklyn.  The Nets have size in the middle with rookie center Brook Lopez, who shows signs as a decent big man in his preseason work.  Bobby Simmons could provide some stability at small forward with the departure of Richard Jefferson.  Yi will provide some value towards the all-star break.  He played on the Chinese National team this summer so it could take a while to get his legs underneath him.  Sean Williams was a pleasant surprise in his rookie year last season but he does not score enough points for any type of fantasy value.  Josh Boone improved as the season went along and he collected 13 double-doubles so we’ll track his game this year.     

New York Knicks

Zach Randolph had a nice year averaging 17.6 ppg and 10.3 rpg.  His shoot first slash black hole mentality will surely provide numbers for your fantasy team.  Eddy Curry has been a major disappointment with the Knicks, which shouldn’t change.  David Lee has his moments during the season but he will not give you above 10.0 ppg on a nightly basis.  First-rounder Danilo Gallinari will be touted as a future star for this team, but he will be a basketball science project in his rookie year.     

Orlando Magic

The bigs are the leading force of the Magic ball club.  They skillfully intimidate you inside with the likes of Dwight Howard, who should contend for an MVP award this season.  Howard was the NBA leader in double-doubles last season with 69, and averaged 20.7 ppg, 14.2 boards, and 2.1 bpg last season.  Howard also played in all 82 games so durability is not a problem.  Rashard Lewis showed the change of scenery from Seattle did him some good.  He is a sleeper in the stat-stuffing department averaging 18.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 2.4 assists, and I feel he should improve on those numbers this year.  The team kept their nucleus of players so they should go deeper in the playoffs if they play up to their potential.  Hedo Turkoglu had an outstanding breakout year averaging 19.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 5.0 apg.  He is an excellent shooter and surprisingly good passer for his size.  Assistant coach Patrick Ewing has another year to work with these guys so it could be very scary down low for the Eastern Conference.   

Philadelphia 76ers

This team matured in leaps and bounds towards the end of ’07 by winning 22 of their last 34 regular season games.  They made a superstar addition in Elton Brand, who should pay immediate dividends for the Sixers.  Brand is no big stiff.  He’s very athletic and mobile in the paint with a feathery touch.  He tore his Achilles tendon last August but Brand declared himself 100 percent now (I’m familiar with this type of injury...man was it painful).  He is worthy of a high pick in your draft as many owners may have forgotten how legit he is.  Samuel Dalembert will continue to get his 10-point and 10-rebound average number, but his scoring could increase with the doubling of Brand.  Thaddeus Young impressed me last year with his gritty play and court savvy.  He will move to his natural position of small forward, which could help his production.  Also, be on the lookout for 6’10” rookie Marreese Speights out of Florida.  He dropped 18.2 ppg and 10.2 rpg in the summer league this year.  Based on their late season run, the Sixers should contend with the Celtics in the Atlantic division with their combination of youth and veteran leadership.

Toronto Raptors

Chris Bosh has a fearless game and the numbers to back it up.  He turned in 22.3 ppg and 8.7 rpg last season.  Besides being a good marketer for himself on youtube, he really can fill it up.  The Raptors lack a rebounding presence besides Bosh last year so they obtained Jermaine O’Neal from the Pacers which should improve the outlook of the front court.  Former Harlem Globetrotter Jamario Moon played exceptionally well last year by averaging 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds.  He started 75 games as a rookie last season and the team is very high on his ’08 campaign.  Moon stole all the minutes from former first-round pick Joey Graham which was not that hard to do.  Second-round pick Nathan Jawai is a work in progress.  He is a really big dude at 6’10” and 280 pounds.  They call him the “Aussie-Shaq”.  We’ll see how that works out for them.     

Washington Wizards

This team has been living heartbreak hotel in terms of their playoff situation.  They cannot allow themselves to lose to the Cavaliers yet again this season.  Antawn Jamison did his part as usual averaging 21.4 ppg and 10.2 rpg last year. Caron Butler also showed he could do his thing with a 20.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 4.8 assist average.  I would say the weak link in the bigs is Brendan Haywood.  Haywood looks lost on the court at times when it matters – like the playoffs against the Cavs.  Etan Thomas is back after taking last season off recuperating from heart surgery.