Parker finished with 15 points and seven assists in 17 minutes of action. Best of all, he looked healthy and ready for big minutes. He could be back in the starting lineup as quickly as Saturday against the Houston Rockets.

Even though rookie point guard George Hill has been impressive, Parker is in no danger of losing his grip on the Spurs’ point guard duties. His minutes might be cut a little bit but his numbers should remain looking very good.

Earlier in the season, Parker was leading the league in scoring and even had a game in which he scored 55 points. If Manu Ginobili healthy and Hill and fellow newcomer Roger Mason, Jr. playing well, Parker won’t have to score as much as before. The good news is that his assists could receive a bump and his shooting percentage should remain high.

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JaVale McGee, Washington Wizards
With the Washington Wizards struggling to win games early in the season, there have been some whispers about moving JaVale McGee into the starting lineup. If that happens, he instantly becomes a fantasy viable center. But even if it doesn’t, McGee is starting to put up very nice numbers. We’ve been calling him a sleeper since preseason and he looks like he’s going to transform from a sleeper to the real thing pretty soon.

George Hill, San Antonio Spurs
Now that Tony Parker is out at least one month, rookie George Hill has taken over at point guard. While his first two starts haven’t been overly impressive, he’s going to get a good opportunity. As long as he keeps getting minutes, he’s a player who can help your fantasy basketball squad in points, assists, rebounds and steals. Overall, he’s still raw but the potential is definitely there.

Anthony Tolliver, San Antonio Spurs
A second Spur on this list, Anthony Tolliver is an unknown quantity with most NBA fans. But with the Spurs struggling to get production from the bigmen next to Tim Duncan, Tolliver has emerged as a legit option. It wouldn’t be too surprising if he eventually becomes a starter next to Duncan. Tolliver is a center who can hit three-pointers and hand out assists. Those unique talents for his position could make Tolliver an interesting fantasy basketball option.

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For the Spurs, this is a devastating blow. Parker will join Manu Ginobili on the sidelines and now Tim Duncan will have to fend for himself. With Ginobili out another 3-to-5 weeks, winning is going to be a difficult task for San Antonio.

As far as fantasy owners are concerned, the player to pounce on is Roger Mason, Jr. While he won’t start at point guard right off the bat, he’s going to get plenty of offensive opportunities and should be a very good option for the next month. Even with Parker, he 16.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Rookie George Hill will likely start at point guard for the Spurs with Parker out. While Hill is a decent prospect, it’s not a sure thing that he will produce enough to be on a fantasy basketball team roster. He’s more of a defender and his offensive game is very raw. However, he’s made great strides since summer league so he may be able to surprise.

Backing up Hill at point guard will be Jacque Vaughn and Mason. If Hill struggles, expect one of those two players to get the nod as a starter.

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Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
During summer league, Russell Westbrook looked amazing. While he hasn’t looked as amazing in preseason, he still is showing a lot of promise. He might not start getting a huge amount of minutes early on but by late in the 2008-09 fantasy basketball season, expect Westbrook to play around 30 minutes per game.

DJ Augustin, Charlotte Bobcats
In Charlotte, Larry Brown will undoubtedly be extremely hard on his point guards. With starter Raymond Felton truly being more of a shooting guard, you can expect DJ Augustin to get plenty of minutes at point guard. If Brown puts Felton into the dog house, Augustin would be next in line to start.

Mario Chalmers, Miami Heat
Even though Mario Chalmers was a second round pick, he fell into a perfect situation in Miami. He has a chance to start at point guard and play next to Dwyane Wade. While he’s not going to be a bigtime scorer at the NBA level, he’ll be able to get a healthy amount of assists and steals. He should also be able to knock down the NBA three-pointer.

Goran Dragic, Phoenix Suns
Another second round selection, the Suns are extremely high on Dragic. In fact, Suns management had him rated as one of the top handful of point guards in the entire 2008 NBA Draft. Although he’s playing behind Steve Nash, the fact that Phoenix runs a point guard oriented offense should help Dragic’s stats. Don’t expect points but Dragic should be able to do everything else.

George Hill, San Antonio Spurs
George Hill is the sleeper of the fantasy basketball rookie point guard prospects. Coming out of tiny IUPUI, Hill was drafted by the Spurs late in the first round. After struggling in summer league, Hill bounced back and played very well in preseason. He’s a guard in the Monta Ellis mold he can play the passing lanes on defense and knock down shots offensively. He’s currently dealing with an injured thumb but he could possibly be fantasy viable at some point during the 2008-09 fantasy basketball season.

Keep an eye on rookie point guard George Hill.

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Richard Hendrix, Alabama
It seems like every year, a couple quality bigmen fall to the second round of the draft. In the 2008 NBA Draft, the second round steal appears to be Richard Hendrix. Hendrix is a brute who can rebound, block a few shots and use his strength to score around the basket. The only knock on him is he’s a bit undersized for the power forward position. However, in the second round, Hendrix is a definite sleeper who will end up better than many first round picks.

George Hill, IUPUI
Point guard is a weak spot in this draft, especially in the second round. George Hill comes from a small school and doesn’t have a lot of experience against top-flight competition, but he has been very impressive during individual workouts. He’s a bit of a risk but his offensive stats were fantastic in college and there’s a chance he can transition those numbers to the NBA.

Pat Calathes, St. Joseph’s
While Pat Calathes definitely lacks athleticism, he has everything else to be a very good role player in the NBA. At 6-foot-10, Calathes has the ability to play out on the wing. He can shoot, pass, handle the ball and is a smart defender. Calathes doesn’t have a high ceiling as a player but he’s a guy who could become a jack of all trades on the NBA level.

Will Pat Calathes shine in the NBA?

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