About a month ago, we talked about a Shawn Marion for Jermaine O’Neal trade. On Friday, that trade finally become a reality for the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat.
Thrown into the deal were Marcus Banks going to the Heat to the Raptors and Jamario Moon going from the Raptors to the Heat. Banks could get time at point guard for the Raptors, especially considering that Jose Calderon has been injury prone as of late. Moon, likewise, could find some minutes off the bench for the Heat.
However, Marion and O’Neal are the two big names in this trade. In terms of …read more

A hot rumor out of Miami is that Pat Riley is considering a trade that would send Shawn Marion to the Toronto Raptors for Jermaine O’Neal. While this deal doesn’t appear imminent, it does make quite a bit of sense for both teams.
For the Heat, they desperately need a true center. And although O’Neal has battled injuries and ineffective play the last few seasons, he’s still one of the better available centers in the league. Right now, the Heat are starting Joel Anthony at center. That’s all you need to know about how desperate the Heat are for a legit …read more

The Toronto Raptors are a mess. At 10-17, they are vastly underperforming their expectations. They’ve already fired one head coach and the players don’t seem to be responding to the new head coach.

All that said, they have some interesting fantasy basketball options. First and foremost is Chris Bosh. At the beginning of the season, Bosh was one of the best fantasy bigmen in the NBA. But recently, he has been in a major slump. His shooting percentages have plummeted and he’s settling for too many jumpers. He’s also not rebounding or blocking shots as well as usual. The good news …read more

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers
Although Greg Oden is getting most of the publicity, LaMarcus Aldridge very well could be the better player during the 2008-09 fantasy basketball season. He’s a player that seems to be improving each time he steps out onto the court and could become a star in his third season.
Michael Beasley, Miami Heat
Most league pundits expect Michael Beasley to put up decent stats. But don’t forget that this sleeper was just a certified beast as a freshman in college. If he can adapt quickly to the NBA, he could end up the year as a top eight …read more

On the day before the 2008 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors and the Indiana Pacers completed the offseason’s first big trade. The Pacers traded Jermaine O’Neal to the Toronto Raptors for TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and the 17th pick in the draft.
For the Raptors, O’Neal will give the team the perfect center to put next to Chris Bosh. The last Raptors have never had a very good center but if O’Neal can stay healthy, he can change all that. O’Neal is a very good center with a good low post game. In terms of …read more

After the Pacers 121-111 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Indiana has improved to 3-0. Most league followers expected another down year for the Pacers but apparently the team didn’t get the memo. While the season has a long ways to go, perhaps the Pacers can reclaim a spot in the playoffs.
Here is a look at the key fantasy players on the Pacers:
Jermaine O’Neal
O’Neal can put up very good stats when he’s healthy. The problem has been keeping him healthy over the last couple years. He missed the season opener but has played in both games since.
Mike Dunleavy, …read more