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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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 be much better on the Mavs.

Also for the Mavs, you can expect improved play from Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Jason Terry. Kidd is a great point guard and would automatically become the leader of the team. He’ll get the stars around him easy shots, like he always does.

In New Jersey, the outlook isn’t as pretty. Harris at best would put up the same stats he’s averaging now. Although, it’s likely that his stats would go down. Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter also won’t be helped by losing Kidd. DeSagana Diop would likely not be a major part of this trade, however he might get a look at center for the Nets.

Overall, this trade is good news in the fantasy world for Kidd and everyone on the Mavs. For the Nets, this is bad fantasy news. As a fantasy basketball owner, look to buy players on the Mavs and sell players on the Nets. If you do it now before others see how it will play out, you might be able to get good value.

At this point, the trade has hit a snag thanks to Devean George but we’ll see how this plays out in the next day or so.

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2) Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
As Nash ages, he seemingly just gets better. He’s getting to the age where a lot of players start to decline, but that decline hasn’t hit yet. Instead, he’s playing as good as or better than ever. His shooting is fantastic and all his other stats are very good.

3) Baron Davis, Golden State Warriors
Davis had his coming out party last year against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. This year, he has continued to play at that level. Since Stephen Jackson has returned to the starting lineup, the Warriors have played much better and are now one of the hottest teams in the league.

4) Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets
Any worries about Iverson getting old were ended earlier this week when he went for 51 points. Although the Nuggets rarely need him to score a huge amount of points, he’s still capable when asked to do so. The bad news is he’s seeing less and less time at point guard and more time at shooting guard, which could limit his assists.

5) Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks
Terry has moved back to the starting lineup with Eddie Jones out injured. He was playing really well off the bench and has continued to stellar play as a starter. He’s not going to give you a huge amount of assists, but he can score, shoot for good percentages and he doesn’t turn the ball over.

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1) Kevin Garnett
If you have Garnett on your team, you have to be happy with his production. He’s giving you production in every category except three-pointers. There’s a great chance he finishes in the top three this season.

2) Shawn Marion
Although Marion had a tumultuous summer, his fantasy game is as good as ever. Even though his free throw percentage is down a bit, he’s still near the top like usual. Once his free throw percentage improves, he could very well move into the top spot.

3) Chris Paul
Paul was projected to be really good but he’s been amazing so far. Other than blocked shots, Paul gives you everything you could want. His free throw percentage is great, he’s hitting three-pointers now and he’s an assist machine.

4) Jason Terry
Terry comes off the bench for the Mavs but he looks amazingly comfortable in that role. He’s giving you a bit of everything, while at the same time he’s not turning the ball over. Don’t expect him to remain a top five player, but he could finish in the top 25.

5) Kobe Bryant
Bryant’s scoring is down a tad and his turnovers are rather high, but other than that he’s doing a great job in the fantasy world. Obviously a trade could have a huge impact but as of now, expect Bryant to remain around this area in the rankings.

6) Manu Ginobili
Ginobili is giving a bit of everything this year. He’s bound to cool off sooner or later but so far this season, he’s been a huge steal. It’s extra amazing to consider he’s ranked this high while not only coming off the bench, but also not even playing that many minutes.

7) Allen Iverson
Since his field goal percentage is high and his turnovers aren’t as bad as we’ve seen out of him in the past, Iverson is playing at a top ten level right now. He’s streaky so his field goal percentage should dip but so far, so good for Iverson owners.

8) Kevin Martin
Martin is having a fantastic season. He improved greatly last year and seems to be taking yet another step this year. He’s a talented scorer that is a dark horse to lead the league in scoring this year. He’s definitely a fantasy player to have on your side right now.

9) LeBron James
James is putting up sick numbers across the board. The only reason why his ranking is lower than expected is his free throw percentage is a bit low and his turnovers are a bit high. If he can correct that, he could surge up the rankings with the way he’s playing.

10) Rashard Lewis
Orlando’s big offseason acquisition is paying off so far. He’s shooting the ball really well and is producing well in most every category. It’ll be hard for him to live up to the contract he got from the Magic, but this is a good start.

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Jason Terry
Terry is off to a great, great start. He’s playing very well in his new role off the bench – the same role he played at the University of Arizona. That said, he’s not going to keep up this pace all season. Trade him high if you can.

Chris Paul
Paul, like Terry, is playing great. The difference is that Paul might be able to stay this much of fire. He’s an extremely talented player and has good players around him. A top ten finish isn’t out of the realm of possibilities for Paul.

Shawn Marion
Mr. Fantasy is right where you always find him. He might not be the best player on his team (or even the second best player), but fantasy-wise Marion is a stud. A top three finish is entirely possible for Marion.

Manu Ginobili
Ginobili is a great player. The problem with him is usually minutes played. This season, Ginobili is playing slightly more minutes than usual. However, don’t expect that to continue for the whole season. He could, though, remain a top 20 to 30 player.

Richard Jefferson
With Jason Kidd and Vince Carter on his team, Richard Jefferson oftentimes gets lost in the shuffle. However, right now, he’s producing the best fantasy numbers of the three. While he won’t stay this hot, he’s looking completely healed from the injuries he suffered last year.

LeBron James
The King has had some huge fantasy performances to date. What is exciting for fantasy owners is the possibility that James becomes a better rebounder and shotblocker. So far this season, he seems to be better than ever. A top five finish is likely.

Josh Smith
Smith is one of the most gifted players in the league. He’s an amazing athlete who is really starting to master the game of basketball. There’s a good chance that he could finish in the top 15 in the fantasy world this year.

Marcus Camby
Camby is always a fantasy stud – when healthy. So far he’s healthy and playing extremely well. Camby should continue to produce, barring injury.

Allen Iverson
Iverson has seen a lot of time at point guard, which has increased his fantasy value. He’s going to be streaky like always but at the end of the year, he has a chance to be a top ten fantasy player.

Rashard Lewis
So far, Lewis looks like he was worth the money. He has the Magic sitting at 5-1 and his stats look really good. I don’t expect him to play this well for the entire season, but so far Magic fans have to be happy with what they are seeing.

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