The odd aspect about Howard’s absence is that it has actually helped the Mavs. They are playing much better without him. The main reason why is the play of JJ Barea. Barea is a small guard who has played stunningly well in the last handful of games. Not only can he create plays, Barea is also a quality scorer. He can shoot from range and also finish at the basket. In the fantasy world, he’s definitely a player to pick up right now if you have the room on your roster. He’s not going to stay this hot forever but he probably has cemented a large role for himself going forward.

Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd are all playing about how you’d expect. Nowitzki’s shooting percentage is a bit low but his scoring and rebounding are up. Terry is like Nowitzki — lower than usual shooting percentage but more points. Kidd’s points, assists and rebounds are down a bit but he’s swiping steals at a good rate and also shooting the ball very well.

No one else on the Mavs is too interesting fantasy-wise. Brandon Bass scores the ball at a good clip but doesn’t get enough minutes. Erick Dampier is a good rebounder but he too isn’t getting consistent minutes.

Photo credit: Newscom

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All told, these changes should have positive effects on may of the players on the roster in terms of their fantasy basketball status. Dirk Nowitzki should see his scoring average rise and should also see more three-pointers. If his numbers would go down anywhere, it might be rebounding because Carlisle doesn’t have him crashing the boards as much as Johnson did.

The player who this new offense should really help is Jason Kidd. Under Johnson, Kidd looked totally uncomfortable playing for Dallas. But now with the offense basically under his guidance, expect Kidd to put up a lot of triple doubles and a lot of nights with a big amount of assists. The only thing that could stop Kidd this season is age or injury.

Josh Howard and Jason Terry should both see their numbers go up a bit. If Howard is used more at power forward, his rebounding and blocked shot numbers could rise. Terry may start at shooting guard for Carlisle, which would be good for his scoring numbers and his overall consistency.

Other than these four players, there doesn’t seem to be much potential for quality fantasy basketball players to emerge from this roster. Erick Dampier might be a surprise if he plays big minutes, but foul trouble usually limits that from happening.

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C Erick Dampier, Dallas Mavericks
Since Jason Kidd has been brought onboard, perhaps no Dallas Maverick has seen his production rise as much as Erick Dampier. The Mavs’ starting center is shooting over 70% as of late and he’s becoming a nice fantasy option right now. Expect him to remain consistently good for the rest of the season.

PF Carl Landry, Houston Rockets
While Carl Landry is currently injured, this rookie for the Houston Rockets simply doesn’t miss too many shots. He usually an extremely athletic frame to score almost every time when he’s around the basket. When he does take a jumper, he usually knocks it down.

SF Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers
Lamar Odom isn’t exactly known for his consistency but he’s been consistently making baskets for the Lakers lately. When he shoots, the ball typically goes in the basket. Over the last month, Odom is shooting over 63% from the field. Combine that with his all-around play and he’s a fine fantasy option right now.

SG Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
Like Landry, Ray Allen is also currently banged up. However, Allen has been shooting lights out in recent weeks. His shooting is a bad sign for the rest of the NBA because the Celtics were winning without Allen shooting at his current pace. Now with Allen rarely missing, the Celtics will be even harder to be the rest of the season.

PG Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
After struggling for the middle portion of the season, Tony Parker’s shooting percentage has returned to its normal lofty state. In recent games, Parker has rarely missed from the floor. With his ability to get to the basket and finish at the rim, Parker is the rare point guard who can post a shooting percentage that would make a center blush.

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Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
Noah has had good per minutes stats all year and has had a few games recently that could open up some playing time for him. While the Bulls have a loaded front court, Noah is talented and can be a fantasy mainstay once he gets enough playing time. However, for the time being he’s risky until he starts getting consistent minutes.

Mikki Moore, Sacramento Kings
Moore is a decent plug-and-play possibility at center. He won’t be hugely productive but he also won’t hurt you. Moore is adjusting to life without Jason Kidd and is getting better as the season progresses. As a backup fantasy center, he’s not a horrible option.

Channing Frye, Portland Trail Blazers
Frye has shown huge potential in his career, especially back when he was a rookie for the New York Knicks. While he still is struggling a bit after being traded to Portland, he’s playing better as of late. His confidence has improved and it appears as if he’s rediscovered his shooting touch. He’s the type of player who could explode for a big second half of the season.

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Nenad Krstic, New Jersey Nets
Krstic has been horrible this year for the Nets. He was so bad in fact that the Nets decided to make Krstic go back to rehabbing his knee that he hurt last year. However, Krstic is close to returning to the team. If he can regain the health of his knee, he could be a very nice center – just like he was before he got hurt.

Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors
Bargnani is starting look like a bust. In his second season in the NBA, his numbers are actually worse than they were last year. That said, he’s still very young and you have to think that the Raptors will keep giving him chances. If he can earn playing time, he can score well enough to become a very nice fantasy player.

Erick Dampier, Dallas Mavericks
Dampier hasn’t lived up to his potential since he signed with the Mavericks after starting his career with the Golden State Warriors. But as of the last couple weeks, he’s actually playing rather well. Over his last three games, he’s averaging around 30 minutes and has played relatively well in each game. In fact, Dampier has connected on all of his last ten field goal attempts.

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