Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat (Image: Newscom)

Playing 45 minutes, Wade finished with 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds, however he made just 9-of-26 field goals and 1-of-8 three-pointers as the Heat lost by a final score of 81-71.

Despite his sore back, Wade vows to play in Game 5. With the series tied 2-2, the Heat desperately need Wade to be at the top of his game.

If you are playing playoff fantasy basketball, you have no choice but to keep Wade in your starting lineup. As long as he’s playing, he’ll help out your fantasy squad. His field goal percentage will likely suffer but the rest of his game would be better than you can find on the waiver wire.

Additionally, Wade has played through pain at different points in his career. He has shown to be very capable of having a big game while battling through an injury.

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Nash and the Phoenix Suns were able to win thanks to a strong second half. Amare Stoudemire led the way with 23 points, while Nash chipped in with 14 points and 13 assists. Smith was the high scorer and high rebounder for the Hawks, finishing with 19 and 12, respectively.

After being slowed a bit by injury to begin the season, Smith has been very good in January. For the month, he’s averaging 19.7 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting better than 55% from the field.

Here is the video of the Josh Smith dunk over Steve Nash:

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If you have Smith on your fantasy basketball team, you are probably disappointed in his play. So far this season, Smith’s numbers have been down in literally every category. His points, rebounds, blocks, steals and field goal percentage are all down. The good news is that his turnovers are also down.

The reason why his points are down is because he’s relying too much on his jumper. He’s shooting a poor percentage on three-pointers but he’s hoisting a lot of them. His reliance on the jumper has also slashed his free throw rate.

Before you give up on Smith, you should note that he’s recovering from an injury. He had a high ankle sprain that forced him to miss a lot of time. Prior to getting hurt, he had started the season off with three straight impressive double-doubles.

Instead of thinking about selling Smith, fantasy owners should be thinking about buying Smith low at this point. His value isn’t going to be this low for much longer. Once he gets fully healthy, there’s nothing stopping him from matching last year’s numbers.

He’ll get back to his normal self once he regains confidence in his health. As you can see in this Josh Smith video, his confidence is rising:

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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 on his unbelievable athleticism that if he doesn’t return at 100%, you could see his numbers dip substantially. However, at some point this season, you can expect Smith to get back to 100%.

With Smith sidelined, it appears as if the Hawks will elevate Zaza Pachulia into the starting lineup. Pachulia is a candidate to pickup off of a fantasy basketball waiver wire because he has a history of producing when given sufficient minutes. Playing next to Al Horford up front, don’t be surprised to see Pachulia rack up double-doubles while Smith is sidelined.

Last season, Josh Childress would have stepped up and taken some of Smith’s minutes. But with Childress now playing in Greece, those extra minutes will likely be taken by Maurice Evans and Solomon Jones. Evans is a small forward who can put up decent stats if given time, although he’s not too much of an exciting fantasy basketball prospect.

Jones, on the other hand is interesting. He’s a third-year player who is very much unknown, however in his last two games he’s averaging 9.5 rebounds per game. A power forward, Jones could see 20 to 25 minutes per game with Smith out if he continues to provide rebounding and a bit of scoring. If you want to find the sleeper that may emerge due to the Smith injury, look no further than Solomon Jones.

Until Smith is able to return, you can get your high flying fix by watching this Josh Smith mixtape video:

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Francisco Garcia, Sacramento Kings
With Ron Artest now in Houston, Francisco Garcia should see a lot of starts during the upcoming season. When he gets time, he has proven to be a player that can help in a whole list of categories.

Marvin Williams, Atlanta Hawks
Josh Childress signing in Greece should help Marvin Williams stay on the court. Childress ate up some of his time in the past but this year, Williams could emerge as a very good fantasy basketball player. He’s definitely a sleeper small forward as of right now.

Wilson Chandler, New York Knicks
With Mike D’Antoni in town, everyone knows the Knicks will be running and gunning. While it’s far from a certainty that Wilson Chandler will start at small forward, he could put up really good stats if given the opportunity. During summer league, Chandler was oftentimes the best player on the court.

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In this NBA fight video, the Hawks stand up to the Celtics and show the Celtics they won’t back down. More specifically, Zaza Pachulia gets into Kevin Garnett’s face and a minor skirmish ensues.

While the Celtics would go on to win the 2008 NBA championship, this show of fortitude by the Hawks helped them eventually extend the series to seven games and put Atlanta on the basketball map.

Here is the best NBA fight video of 2008:

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Alexis Miller, who is an Atlanta based hip hop musician who goes by the stage name of MaryJane, alleges that Shaq threatened her by both phone and email. Additionally, Miller claims that Shaq threatened to blackball her from the music industry.

Miller and Shaq supposedly had a relationship that Miller broke off. Shaq’s threats allegedly came as he was trying to reconcile the relationship.

The fantasy basketball impact of this news should be minimal. Unless Shaq turns into the Big Restraining Order Disobeyer and moves to Atlanta to get close to Alexis Miller. In that case, the Hawks would gladly take him in.

Here is a picture of Alexis Miller also known as MaryJane.

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In terms of fantasy basketball impact, this is good news for Josh Smith. He’ll stay with a team that has seen him become one of the most exciting players in the game. He has also been able to become a very good fantasy basketball player while with the Hawks.

Smith is still young and should continue to get better and better. While there are some negative warning signs concerning his public disdain for the Hawks and the fact that he now has the pressure of a big contract, he still remains a fantasy player with a very high ceiling.

In 2008-09 fantasy basketball drafts, expect Josh Smith to be one of the first forwards selected. And given his potential, it is hard to argue against him.

Here is a Josh Smith highlight reel video:

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Josh Childress, Olympiacos

Photo: Newscom

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With free agent money dried up around the NBA, Smith appears likely to either re-sign with the Hawks or be traded in a sign-and-trade deal. If Smith is indeed involved in a sign-and-trade deal, where would he end up? Here are the leading possibilities:

Detroit Pistons – The Pistons have a lot of veteran player who they are willing to offer to bring in a superstar. While Smith isn’t a superstar quite yet, he’s well on his way of becoming a superstar. Chauncey Bilulps and Tayshaun Prince may be involved in a deal that would bring back Smith.

Los Angeles Lakers – With Lamar Odom as trade bait, the Lakers definitely could be a factor in the Josh Smith talks. If the Lakers were to offer Odom and a few young players, the Hawks would likely have to consider their offer if talks with Smith stall.

Dallas Mavericks – The Mavericks have long had interest in Smith and could use Josh Howard as a piece to bring in Smith. The Hawks would obviously want more than just Howard but Howard would allow the Hawks to replace Smith with a proven winner who could keep Atlanta competitive.

Houston Rockets – If the rumors are true that Tracy McGrady may be traded, a TMac for Smith deal makes sense for both sides. The Rockets get a defensive oriented player who they can use to build around. The Hawks get a big name superstar to compensate for the loss of Smith.

Here is a video discussing more Josh Smith rumors:

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