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. 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

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, 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.

Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks has had a busy offseason. First he publicly admitted to smoking marijuana. Then he got arrested for speeding. Now Josh Howard is caught on video disrespecting the Star Spangled Banner.

In the video, Howard says he doesn’t celebrate the Star Spangled Banner. I believe his reasoning he offered is “because I’m black”. He also mumbled something about Obama. Perhaps he was talking about Barack Obama’s basketball video.

Here is the Josh Howard video where he talks about the National Anthem. Judge for yourself:

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Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks was arrested after he was caught racing on public streets. Howard was clocked going nearly 100 miles per hour in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Howard, who is from around Winston Salem and went to school at local Wake Forest University, has seen his name in the headlines in the last few months. For Howard, the bad news is he has been in the news for the wrong reasons.

Howard admitted to smoking marijuana in the offseason during the regular season. He then went on to struggle for the Mavs as they lost in the first round of the playoffs against the New Orleans Hornets. Now Howard has some more trouble to worry about.

The Mavs aren’t expected to do anything drastic such as waive him or trade him for less than his full value. Why? Here is a video of Josh Howard at his best on the basketball court:

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The Atlanta Hawks and restricted free agent Josh Smith don’t appear to be getting closer to agreeing to a new contract. Reports indicate that the Hawks have offered Smith at least $11M a year but Smith wants more.

With free agent money dried up around the NBA, Smith appears likely to either re-sign with the Hawks or be traded in a sign-and-trade deal. If Smith is indeed involved in a sign-and-trade deal, where would he end up? Here are the leading possibilities:

Detroit Pistons - The Pistons have a lot of veteran player who they are willing to offer to bring in a superstar. While Smith isn’t a superstar quite yet, he’s well on his way of becoming a superstar. Chauncey Bilulps and Tayshaun Prince may be involved in a deal that would bring back Smith.

Los Angeles Lakers - With Lamar Odom as trade bait, the Lakers definitely could be a factor in the Josh Smith talks. If the Lakers were to offer Odom and a few young players, the Hawks would likely have to consider their offer if talks with Smith stall.

Dallas Mavericks - The Mavericks have long had interest in Smith and could use Josh Howard as a piece to bring in Smith. The Hawks would obviously want more than just Howard but Howard would allow the Hawks to replace Smith with a proven winner who could keep Atlanta competitive.

Houston Rockets - If the rumors are true that Tracy McGrady may be traded, a TMac for Smith deal makes sense for both sides. The Rockets get a defensive oriented player who they can use to build around. The Hawks get a big name superstar to compensate for the loss of Smith.

Here is a video discussing more Josh Smith rumors:

During the first round of the playoffs, Josh Howard admitted to smoking marijuana during the offseason when he was on Michael Irvin’s radio show. In a recent interview with Dan Patrick, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban admitted he has tried marijuana in the past.

While Cuban didn’t give Howard a clean pass, he did make it seem like the Mavs weren’t going to punish Howard. It also doesn’t sound like Dallas will look to trade Howard in the offseason.

Howard’s play struggled down the stretch of the season and especially into the playoffs. Some rumors around the team point to ex-coach Avery Johnson partially being at fault. Supposedly Johnson and Howard didn’t see eye to eye at the end of Johnson’s tenure as coach of the Mavs.

Under new coach Rick Carlisle, Howard should be able to regain his All-Star status. His fantasy basketball stock is a bit down due to his poor showing in the playoffs, but expect Howard to make a full fantasy recovery for the 2008-09 season. That is especially true now that Cuban seems to have come to his defense.

Photo: Newscom

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 the playoffs. Now this season, the Mavs again lost in the first round of the playoffs.

While the decision to fire Johnson is questionable, fantasy basketball owners will actually view this move as a positive for the players on the Mavs. Under Johnson, the Mavericks played a slow paced game that concentrated mostly on defense. If Mark Cuban and the Mavs bring in an offensive coach, players such as Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowtizki and Josh Howard could see their fantasy production skyrocket.

Keep an eye on who the Mavs hire to be their new coach if Johnson is indeed fired. If it’s an offensive coach, such as Mike D’Antoni, fantasy owners should definitely take note.

Photo: Newscom

Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks admitted to smoking marijuana in the offseason while on Michael Irvin’s radio show in Dallas. While Howard isn’t expected to be penalized by either the NBA or the Mavs for his comments, could there be an impact on his fantasy basketball worth?

It’s doubtful Howard will lose significant fantasy value but he may be put under the microscope. I’m sure David Stern wasn’t happy with the comments and may try to make an example out of Howard. A really random drug test for Howard may be in the cards.

Overall though, if you have Howard on your dynasty fantasy basketball team, you don’t have much to worry about. It was a stupid and unnecessary comment but it will likely try to be swept under the rug.

Currently, Howard’s main focus should be on helping the Mavericks overcome the New Orleans Hornets in the first round of the 2008 NBA playoffs. Howard is struggling with his shot, shooting 28.6% from the field and 16.7% from beyond the three-point arc. For the Mavs to have success in the playoffs, they need better play from Howard on the court and less comments from him off the court.

Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
Garnett has been far from dominant recently. His points are down, his rebounds are down and his overall play isn’t as great as it was earlier in the season. That said, he should be a very good fantasy option down the stretch run of the season. Right now, he’s going through the mid-season doldrums. Once the finish line gets in sight, expect Garnett to produce much better. If you can trade for him, do it.

Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic
Lewis hasn’t been as good as many touted him to be. His scoring isn’t spectacular, neither is any other statistic. However, Lewis is still learning the Eastern Conference and is adjusting to his teammates. Expect him to start carrying more of the load in the coming weeks. Once he starts playing his best, he’ll be a great source for points and three-pointers made.

Josh Howard, Dallas Mavericks
Howard has been in a funk recently. He started the season playing great but that hasn’t been the case recently. He actually missed a game recently due to personal reasons. Once whatever is wrong is cleared up, expect Howard to become a dominant player yet again. Right now you can trade for him at his lowest point if you wish to do so.

Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
Parker has struggled with both injuries and poor play. His focus might not be 100% and the reigning Finals MVP might be a bit bored. With that in mind, trade for him now and reap the rewards when he starts to turn it around. You might have another month of uninspired play forthcoming, but after that he should turn the switch and enter playoff mode.

Parker Mix:

Elton Brand, Los Angeles Clippers
Brand was recently allowed to shed his walking boot and start more rigorous cardiovascular exercises. The Clippers’ power forward is attempting to come back from a torn Achilles tendon. While Brand seems to be recovery pretty swiftly, drafting him in a fantasy basketball league is risky. There’s a chance he’s out for the season and even if he does return, there’s no guarantee he’ll immediately return to his prior form.

Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
Bosh has been out of action since Oct. 7 when he started to experience knee pain. While the injury wasn’t believed to be serious, it’s good to report that Bosh is back at practice and is aiming toward playing in Thursday’s preseason game. If Bosh plays on Thursday, you can erase any worries you had about him and his knee heading into the NBA season.

Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers
Reports out of Los Angeles indicate that Odom could be sidelined from anywhere from two to five regular season games as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. Even with this injury news, Odom should still be a valuable fantasy player this season. If he starts to slip in your fantasy draft, don’t be afraid to pick him.

Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets
Camby had back spasms prior to Tuesday’s preseason games that kept him out of the contest. Injuries are nothing new to Camby. In fact, history tells us this will be the first of many injuries Camby suffers this year. When selecting Camby, you have to know that he’ll miss some time due to injury. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best centers in fantasy basketball.

Josh Howard, Dallas Mavericks
Howard hurt his wrist on the defensive end of the court against the Bulls on Tuesday night. He’s scheduled for an MRI to judge the severity of the injury. Until the results of that MRI are known, you should probably shy away from Howard a bit in fantasy drafts. After the game he was seen with his wrist in a splint, which isn’t a great sign.

Kevin Durant, Seattle Supersonics
Durant injured his ankle in the fourth quarter of the preseason game on Tuesday. The Sonics are listed him as day-to-day. Since this injury doesn’t appear to be serious, go ahead and keep Durant’s stock the same. However, when you draft Durant, you have to know that he’ll have his rough spots just like any other rookie.

Photo credit: USA Today