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

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:

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 …read more

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 …read more

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 …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

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 …read more

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. …read more

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, …read more