The big news for the Dallas Mavericks recently has been the absence of forward Josh Howard. Although Howard was listed as day-to-day, on Tuesday the team revealed that he’s been given a walking boot and will be sidelined for an indefinite period of time. For Howard fantasy owners, that means you probably will have to wait for at least another couple of weeks before getting him back in your lineup.
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. …read more

The Dallas Mavericks have roughly the same team that they had last season, but with a new coach at the helm, expect big changes. Rick Carlisle is promising to let the offense be faster paced than it was under Avery Johnson. He’s also going to make the defense more of a gambling unit than a bend-but-don’t-break unit.
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, …read more

Kobe Bryant – The reining MVP will try to be world’s best.
LeBron James – The manchild could be team’s go-to player.
Dwyane Wade – Wade has a history of needed clutch play.
Carmelo Anthony – May be the best pure scorer in the world.
Dwight Howard – The interior anchor of the team.
Chris Paul – Becoming an MVP caliber point guard quickly.
Deron Williams – Joins Williams as young stud point guard.
Jason Kidd – Old veteran still great asset for this team.
Chris Bosh – Multifaceted bigman capable of anything.
Michael Redd – The team’s designated shooter.
Carlos Boozer – The muscle for Team USA.
Tayshaun Prince – …read more

According to a report in the New York Post, Jason Kidd has broken up with Hope Dworaczyk and is now dating May Andersen. Andersen is a former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. Here is a picture of May Andersen:

While it usually doesn’t matter who NBA players are dating, Jason Kidd is another matter. Women trouble off the court has led to poor play on the court for Kidd. For whatever reason, when Kidd is happily in a relationship, he seems play his best basketball.
In fact, the last time he was a member of the Dallas Mavericks, rumor …read more

Shortly after the Dallas Mavericks were eliminated from the 2008 NBA playoffs by the New Orleans Hornets, rumors surfaced that Avery Johnson will be fired. Johnson, the head coach of the Mavericks, is just a couple years removed from leading Dallas to the NBA Finals.
However, since that appearance in the Finals, everything has been downhill for Johnson and the Mavs. After getting up 2-0 in the Finals, the Miami Heat came back and won four straight games to claim the NBA championship. Last season, the Mavericks fell to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of …read more

According to reports, Tyronn Lue will sign a contract with the Dallas Mavericks. While this move won’t send ripples through the fantasy basketball world, it should at least be noted.
Many teams were interested in signing Lue. He’s a quick point guard who can score and also pass the ball a bit. Against quick offensive players, he’s a deceptively good defender. However, he can struggle against stronger players.
On the Mavs, he will pair with JJ Barea to form the backup for Jason Kidd. Jason Terry will also play some point guard when Kidd rests. Both Barea and Lue have their weaknesses …read more

The on-again, off-again trade is finally on for good. Jason Kidd has officially been traded from the New Jersey Nets to the Dallas Mavericks along with Antoine Wright and Malik Allen for Devin Harris, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, Keith Van Horn and DeSagana Diop.
With Kidd in Dallas, expect an increase in efficiency from all the players on the Mavericks. Kidd is still a great point guard who is arguably the best in the game at making players around him better. Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Jason Terry will now find themselves open more than ever before.
Kidd himself could be …read more

The on-again, off-again trade between the Dallas Mavericks and the New Jersey Nets hasn’t become official just yet. However, the proposed trade would send basically Jason Kidd to the Mavericks, while the Nets would get Devin Harris and DeSagana Diop. There are other players and picks involved but in the fantasy world, these are the three relevant moving parts.
If this trade goes down, Jason Kidd owners would have to be happy. Kidd would be motivated and happy once again. In the NBA, never underestimate the power of happiness. While Kidd’s stats are pretty good right now, expect his stats to …read more

1) Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets
Kidd has had a rough year shooting the ball, but recently he’s been struggling even more in that department. As a result, his scoring is dropping to dangerously low levels. He’s also rebounding less and turnover the ball over more than usual – which is obviously a bad combination. Kidd should bounce back but there’s a chance that age and being on a non-contending team could cause him to tailspin further.
2) Vince Carter, New Jersey Nets
Carter and Kidd are hurting each other’s stocks at this point. Carter is also shooting poorly, which is hurting Kidd’s …read more

As the time for the fantasy drafts approach, here is a look at my current top five players to pick going into the 2007-08 season:
1) Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
Garnett is a relatively risky number one pick because he’ll be in a new situation, but the reward is too high to pass up. He’s a monster in virtually all statistical categories and should play with new life this season. His points could be down but even so, he’ll make up for it in other areas.
2) Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Bryant is going to get the rock and he’s going to score. …read more