If you have Smith on your fantasy basketball team, you are probably disappointed in his play. So far this season, Smith’s numbers have been down in literally every category. His points, rebounds, blocks, steals and field goal percentage are all down. The good news is that his turnovers are also down.

The reason why his points are down is because he’s relying too much on his jumper. He’s shooting a poor percentage on three-pointers but he’s hoisting a lot of them. His reliance on the jumper has also slashed his free throw rate.

Before you give up on Smith, you should note that he’s recovering from an injury. He had a high ankle sprain that forced him to miss a lot of time. Prior to getting hurt, he had started the season off with three straight impressive double-doubles.

Instead of thinking about selling Smith, fantasy owners should be thinking about buying Smith low at this point. His value isn’t going to be this low for much longer. Once he gets fully healthy, there’s nothing stopping him from matching last year’s numbers.

He’ll get back to his normal self once he regains confidence in his health. As you can see in this Josh Smith video, his confidence is rising:

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First of all, that four week prognosis may be a bit optimistic. High ankle sprains usually take longer to heal, so don’t be surprised to see Smith out for about six weeks. Then again, Smith is young so he may be able to heal faster.

When he returns, you should keep a close eye on him. So much of his game is dependent on his unbelievable athleticism that if he doesn’t return at 100%, you could see his numbers dip substantially. However, at some point this season, you can expect Smith to get back to 100%.

With Smith sidelined, it appears as if the Hawks will elevate Zaza Pachulia into the starting lineup. Pachulia is a candidate to pickup off of a fantasy basketball waiver wire because he has a history of producing when given sufficient minutes. Playing next to Al Horford up front, don’t be surprised to see Pachulia rack up double-doubles while Smith is sidelined.

Last season, Josh Childress would have stepped up and taken some of Smith’s minutes. But with Childress now playing in Greece, those extra minutes will likely be taken by Maurice Evans and Solomon Jones. Evans is a small forward who can put up decent stats if given time, although he’s not too much of an exciting fantasy basketball prospect.

Jones, on the other hand is interesting. He’s a third-year player who is very much unknown, however in his last two games he’s averaging 9.5 rebounds per game. A power forward, Jones could see 20 to 25 minutes per game with Smith out if he continues to provide rebounding and a bit of scoring. If you want to find the sleeper that may emerge due to the Smith injury, look no further than Solomon Jones.

Until Smith is able to return, you can get your high flying fix by watching this Josh Smith mixtape video:

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In terms of fantasy basketball impact, this is good news for Josh Smith. He’ll stay with a team that has seen him become one of the most exciting players in the game. He has also been able to become a very good fantasy basketball player while with the Hawks.

Smith is still young and should continue to get better and better. While there are some negative warning signs concerning his public disdain for the Hawks and the fact that he now has the pressure of a big contract, he still remains a fantasy player with a very high ceiling.

In 2008-09 fantasy basketball drafts, expect Josh Smith to be one of the first forwards selected. And given his potential, it is hard to argue against him.

Here is a Josh Smith highlight reel video:

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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:

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2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Perhaps the best player in all of the NBA, James is also great in the fantasy world. The scary part is he’s still getting better.

3. Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
Bosh is an underrated bigman superstar – in both the NBA and in fantasy basketball. His skill level seems to rise each month he’s in the league.

4. Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks
Smith is an athletic freak and he’s also blessed with a lot of natural ability. He’s as explosive as anyone in the league.

5. Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies
Although the Grizzlies are having another down year, Gay is emerging as a star. In fantasy basketball, he’s been fantastic in recent weeks.

6. Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers
Bynum is only 20-years-old but he’s already achieved fantasy greatness. His potential going forward is limitless.

7. Al Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves
While it was definitely tough to trade away Kevin Garnett, Jefferson will dull some of that pain. This kid can play.

8. Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings
Martin is a largely unknown player due to him playing at a small college and now on the struggling Kings. However, Martin is simply an amazing scorer.

9. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
While his game isn’t completely fantasy friendly, his domination in real life still translates over to the fantasy world.

10. Deron Williams, Utah Jazz
Williams is point guard who will only get better as he ages. Right now, he’s already arguably a top five point guard in the league.

Funny Deron Williams commercial …

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2) Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
Everything and everyone around him seems to be sinking but Wade has been playing great lately. He seems to be fully recovered from his injuries and is dominating in nearly every aspect. The Heat may be a bad team right now but the blame can’t be on Wade because he’s playing his heart out.

3) Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
Ginobili struggled with an injured finger for more than a month but has now turned it back around. As he was earlier in the season, Ginobili is a fantasy stud right now. In a game recently, Ginobili had eight steals against the Lakers. Expect him to remain at this level – barring injury.

4) Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
Allen got off to a relatively slow start with the Celtics but has now returned to his old ways. He’s scoring, hitting three-pointers and rebounding at a surprisingly good clip. Allen could have off night occasionally due to the talent around him but he’s a player you want to have on your fantasy team.

5) Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies
Don’t look now but Gay is turning into a star in Memphis. His scoring has been fantastic and he’s now rebounding better than ever. Gay has loads of natural talent and athleticism and he’s putting it all together right now for the Grizzlies. Check out the video below. Gay is asking for YouTube users to send in their best dunks, and he’ll pick one to do in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest.

Rudy Gay’s Slam Dunk Promotion

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2) Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
Ginobili has always been a good fantasy player, but this year Ginobili has been a great fantasy player. He’s doing everything and the amazing part is he’s averaging less than 30 minutes per game for the Spurs. He’s been hot all season so there aren’t many indications that he’s due to cool off.

3) Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings
Some league pundits wondered whether last year was a bit of a fluke for Martin. Martin has responded to those questions by putting up even better numbers this year. He’s quickly proving himself to be one of the best pure scorers in the NBA.

4) Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks
Redd is playing very solidly, as usual. His shooting numbers are great and his all-around numbers are good enough. If you are in the market for a shooting guard you can trust, Redd should be near the top of your wish list.

5) Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks
Smith has been erratic this season, but when he’s on – he’s really on. As a shooting guard, he can give you a massive amount of blocks and very healthy amount of steals. He’s also a very good rebounding when compared to other shooting guards. Once his offense improves (he’s shooting less than 39%), he could begin to climb this ranking.

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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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Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks
Smith is going to be a stud this season for the Hawks. In Atlanta’s win against the Wizards, Smith had 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. He’s starting next to Marvin Williams at a forward spot, which will lead to Smith being able to grab as many rebounds as he can handle. He should also see his blocked shot numbers rise.

Andray Blatche, Washington Wizards
Blatche has been very impressive in the preseason for the Wizards. He continually plays a lot of minutes, which could very well be an indication that Washington plans on giving him extended minutes this season. Against the Hawks, Blatche had eight points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 29 minutes.

Nate Robinson, New York Knicks
Robinson has had a relatively quiet preseason. And while he’s competing with a bunch of quality guards for playing time, Robinson has the potential to have a very good season. He’s a great athlete and is a very natural scorer on the NBA level. Against the Celtics, Robinson finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists and one steal.

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
While everyone in Boston is excited about the additions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, fantasy basketball owners are wondering how those two players will affect the stats of Paul Pierce. Pierce averaged 25 points per game last year but with few other capable scorers on the team, Pierce was expected to carry the load. If Monday’s game was any indication, Pierce should still carry a big part of the scoring load this season. With Garnett and Allen also logging big minutes, it was Pierce who led the way with 29 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in 40 minutes.

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Here’s a look at a player from each team that stood out:

Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks – Smith finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots in his preseason debut. What was really interesting is the Hawks started a small lineup with Smith and Marvin Williams at the forward positions. If that’s going to be the case going into the season, Smith could play minutes at power forward, which would help his rebounding and blocks stats. Smith is immensely talented and this performance did nothing but reinforce that notion.

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic – With 30 points and 11 rebounds to go along with four blocks, Howard had a huge preseason opener. The 30 points is the number to be most impressed with because Howard can at times have trouble scoring. If he adds scoring to his repertoire, he’s going to be even more of a fantasy stud. However, the problem with Howard in the past has been turnovers, and his five turnovers didn’t do anything to reduce those fears.

Wilson Chandler, New York Knicks – While Chandler probably won’t get enough minutes to be considered in a redraft league, Chandler looks like a nice prospect for a keeper league. In his first game against NBA players, Chandler had nine points, six rebounds, two blocks, a steal and an assist in 19 minutes of action. Isiah Thomas has a history of drafting well and Chandler could very possibly be another steal.

Reggie Evans, Philadelphia 76ers – Evans started for the Sixers on Monday. That’s a good sign for fantasy owners looking for a guy who can rebound. Evans is a ferocious rebounder who could very well lead the league in rebounding if given enough minutes. The fact that he’s apparently in the mix to be a starter for Philly should bump up his fantasy stock.

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons – Stuckey was very impressive in his first action with the Pistons. He scored 15 points in 19 minutes, connecting on 5-of-7 shots from the field. Stuckey seems to have locked up a spot in the Pistons’ rotation, however he has a lot of competition for minutes. If he can carve out a niche where he plays 25 minutes a game, he could have a big rookie season.

Marcus Slaughter, Miami Heat – Slaughter led the Heat in scoring on Monday with 17 points. The Heat, who were playing without most of the best players, didn’t put up much of a fight against the Pistons. That said, Slaughter was still impressive. The 22-year-old Slaughter played in Europe last year and had a great season. The Heat have given him a shot and Slaughter should stick in Miami. He’s traveled a similar route to Udonis Haslem and is a similar type player.

Marcus Slaughter Mix …

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