Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks was on of the most popular picks in 2008 fantasy basketball. His owners right now aren’t too overjoyed as their star forward is out up to four weeks with a high ankle sprain.
First of all, that four week prognosis may be a bit optimistic. High ankle sprains usually take longer to heal, so don’t be surprised to see Smith out for about six weeks. Then again, Smith is young so he may be able to heal faster.
When he returns, you should keep a close eye on him. So much of his game is dependent …read more

While Kevin Durant will be named the NBA Rookie of the Year, there were a handful of rookies who had a positive impact in the fantasy basketball world. Let’s take a look at the top five.

1. Kevin Durant, Seattle Supersonics
While Kevin Durant sometimes struggled, he also showed his immense talent for large stretches. He’s a great scorer who is an improving rebounder and passer. Going forward, Durant looks like he could be a superstar in the NBA.
2. Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
Rookies don’t come much more solid than Al Horford. He walked into the NBA and was …read more

Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
Coming into the season, many draft experts said that Al Horford was the prospect most ready to step in and play right away. Horford has proven that to be true and is now a fixture in the Hawks starting lineup. He’s a very solid player who has superstar potential down the line.

Sean Williams, New Jersey Nets
Although Sean Williams had off court issues clouding his draft stock, he has shown to be a very good basketball player on the court. He’s extremely athletic and has very good timing. If he can stay on the straight and narrow, he …read more

After consulting with spinal specialists in Cleveland, TJ Ford has been cleared to begin playing basketball. Ford was informed that he will be able to make a full recovery from his latest injury setback.
Ford was injured when Al Horford hit him in the face when Ford was going up for a layup. Ford has been sidelined since then, with speculation being that Ford could even decide to retire.
However, with this latest piece of good news, Ford will begin training in Houston with John Lucas and is expected to return to the court at some point this season. While an exact …read more

Late in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks, TJ Ford was fouled hard by Al Horford and suffered a scary injury. Ford, who has a history of neck injuries even before he joined the Toronto Raptors, had his head snapped back on the initial hit and then his head hit the court when he landed. He was removed from the court on a stretcher.
The good news is that later reports indicated that Ford had feeling and movement in his extremities. However, with as violent a hit he took and his history, there’s a good chance Ford will be sidelined …read more

Grant Hill, Phoenix Suns
Hill was the story of Thursday’s preseason action. The former superstar who has been slowed by injuries had a breakout performance. In the first half against the Los Angeles Clippers, Hill had 21 points to show that he still has a little bit of magic left. While he’s still a risky pick due to his injury history, he could really blossom into a very good fantasy player considering his skill level and the system he plays in.
Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings
Martin was inconsistent last season, leading some fantasy players to wonder how he’d perform this year. So far …read more

With Greg Oden undergoing microfracture surgery and scheduled to miss the entire 2007-08 season, we’ll take another look at this year’s rookie class. While there isn’t a large amount of fantasy prospects in this class, there are some names you should remember come draft day.
Here are the top five rookie fantasy players:
Kevin Durant, Seattle Supersonics
Durant was born to play basketball. He’s a silky smooth athlete that makes the game of basketball look easy. While he’s young and doesn’t have great players around him in Seattle, he’s so good that it’s tough to tell what he’s capable of doing this …read more