Chauncey Billups
Although Chauncey Billups’ stats have slowly been going downhill in recent years, look for him to have a very good season this year for the Nuggets. Coach George Karl has given him complete control of the team and Billups is even more involved than he was with Detroit. Additionally, Karl is playing Billups a bit at shooting guard, which should help Billups’ scoring numbers. Overall, Billups looks like he’s going to have a great 2008 fantasy basketball campaign.

Carmelo Anthony
With Iverson, Carmelo Anthony is once again the team’s number one scoring option. He should eventually be able to get his scoring average back up around 30 points per game. He’s also rebounding more and getting more assists, which should make fantasy basketball owners very happy. With Billups passing him the ball and a non-offensive player in Dahntay Jones replacing Iverson at shooting guard, Carmelo has a chance to have a monster season.

Nene
With Marcus Camby out of the picture, Nene has established himself as the center for the Nuggets. With Billups able to set him up, Nene should have a very good season. He seems to have overcome his injuries and illnesses and is now a full blown beast down low.

Kenyon Martin
Now one year removed from major knee surgery, Kenyon Martin looks even better athletically. He’s not going to do much more than he did last season but even at that production level, he’s a decent fantasy basketball option.

JR Smith
JR Smith might be the one player hurt by the loss of AI. The run and gun, shoot whenever you want days in Denver seem to have left with AI. Now with Billups in control, there are much fewer wild shots. Plus with Smith coming off the bench, it’s going to be hard for him to live up to the hype he was garnering in the preseason.

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First of all for the Nuggets, they finally have a star point guard to build around. Every since trading away Andre Miller, Denver has struggled to find a floor general. Although Billups isn’t as good as he was a couple seasons ago, he’s still an elite point guard. Expect his fantasy basketball numbers to remain relatively the same in Denver.

The biggest winner on the Nuggets roster is Carmelo Anthony. He’ll get a lot more shots now that he doesn’t have to share with Iverson. Anthony should once again challenge for the league lead in points per game. His percentages should also improve now that he has a player to set him up. The other big winner on the Nuggets is JR Smith. He should see way more time at shooting guard and could blossom into a big time scorer who could lead the league in three-pointers made. The big loser on the Nuggets is obviously Anthony Carter, who will go from starter to limited bench player.

For the Pistons, things aren’t nearly as cut and dry. Iverson likely will first begin as the team’s point guard. But throughout his career, Iverson has struggled running the show. With so many different pieces to feed, it’s questionable whether he’ll be able to be a full-time point guard. If he can’t survive at point guard, that opens the door for Rodney Stuckey to play even more. There’s even a chance that the Pistons could opt to start Stuckey and Iverson in the backcourt and then bring Richard Hamilton off the bench. Another option is for Tayshaun Prince to become a pseudo point guard and let Iverson play off the ball.

Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell should also see the fantasy stocks rise due to taking up more of McDyess’ minutes. However, rumor has it that McDyess may return to Detroit after a buyout – a la Brent Barry and the San Antonio Spurs last season.

Photo credit: Newscom

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About JR Smith …

Damon Jones, Cleveland Cavaliers
With Daniel “Boobie” Gibson out with an injury, Damon Jones has been getting more minutes. While Jones is a limited player, the one thing he can do is shoot the ball. Per minute, he’s one of the better long range bombers in the NBA.

Sasha Vujacic, Los Angeles Lakers
Off the bench, the Lakers look to Sasha Vujacic to provide shooting. He comes into the game and basically waits around the three-point line for open shots. If Vujacic gets an open look at a three-pointer, chances are he’s knocking it down.

Al Harrington, Golden State Warriors
If you want three-point shooting out of your center, Al Harrington is still the place to go. He plays center for the small ball Warriors and he’s able to knock down three-pointers. He also provides scoring and rebounding for your fantasy team.

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Amir Johnson, Detroit Pistons
Despite playing only ten minutes per game, Amir Johnson has a very good PER of 19.6. While he’s stuck behind a group of very talented bigmen, head coach Flip Saunders has been trying to give Johnson more minutes. In a dynasty league, Johnson is definitely worth taking a flyer on.

JR Smith, Denver Nuggets
Lately, JR Smith has been on fire for the Nuggets. His PER score of 16.7 is very solid. If he continues to get minutes, there’s no reason why Smith can’t be a very good NBA player. He can shoot. He can jump. He can run. The only part of the game he struggles with is the mental part of the game.

Hakim Warrick, Memphis Grizzlies
Now that the Grizzlies have cleared out a lot of room on their roster, Hakim Warrick should see his minutes rise substantially. The good news for Grizzlies fans is Warrick’s statistics indicate he could be a very solid player when given more minutes. Pick him up in your fantasy basketball league if you have the room.

Trevor Ariza, Los Angeles Lakers
Although he’s injured at the moment, Trevor Ariza has a chance to become a very good player with the Lakers. He’s extremely athletic and is a natural on the defensive end of the court. While there’s no longer room to start, he should be a key bench contributor once he’s healthy enough to return.

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Kareem Rush, Indiana Pacers
Rush has been a surprise for the Pacers this season. He has been in and out of the starting lineup but he has a chance of locking down a starting spot. He can really shoot it and his three-point shooting can help any fantasy team. He doesn’t give you much more than points and three-pointers but he’s good enough at those two facets to be rosterable.

Thabo Sefolosha, Chicago Bulls
Sefolosha is now starting for the Bulls and has turned his season around. He was horrible for much of the start of the season but now is putting up good stats. He can score, get rebounds, get assists and can even mix in a few blocks and steals. If he can continue his upward climb, he could become a nice fantasy option down the stretch run of the season.

JR Smith, Denver Nuggets
Smith is doing next to nothing for the Nuggets. He just doesn’t seem to fit into what George Karl wants. That said, Smith is on the trading block and is likely to be dealt. If he lands on a team that is desperate for scoring, Smith is the type of player who could all of a sudden begin to average north of 15 points per game. Keep an eye on him, especially if he changes teams.

Morris Peterson, New Orleans Hornets
Peterson is a solid veteran who has had a quiet season. The Hornets have so many other scoring options that Peterson usually gets lost in the mix. The good news for Peterson is he should get more comfortable as the season progresses. If the Hornets get hit with the injury bug, Peterson is fully capable of stepping up and filling a larger role.

Want more? Check out the Sleeper Point Guards.

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Acie Law, Atlanta Hawks
Law, like Landry, is a rookie. Law hasn’t shown much for the Hawks so far. His stats are underwhelming and he hasn’t gotten noticeably better since the season started. That said, the Hawks will continue to give him chances and he should see his playing time improve as the season progresses.

Gerald Green, Minnesota Timberwolves
Green has got little time for the Timberwolves this year. Once upon a team, he was a sought after talent. Now he’s a deep bench player on a horrible team. However, if the T’Wolves go into full on tank mode, Green could see big minutes at a guard position.

Nenad Krstic, New Jersey Nets
Krstic not too long ago was a solid fantasy player. Now, after a failed attempt at an injury comeback, Krstic is a forgotten man. The good news is that he is starting to play basketball again and shouldn’t be too far from returning to the court. Once he returns, he’s definitely worth a look.

JR Smith, Denver Nuggets
Smith seems to have run out of chances with George Karl in Denver. If he were to be traded, Smith is the type of player who could explode onto the scene. He’s a good shooter with extreme athleticism. The knock on him has been his poor work ethic and questionable behavior off the court. If he can straighten up, Smith has the talent to be a star at some point in his NBA career.

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Williams first alley-oop from JKidd last week …

Grant Hill, Phoenix Suns
Hill is starting to really mesh into the Suns’ offense. It helps that Mike D’Antoni plays Hill 40+ minutes a lot of the time. With Hill getting that many minutes in the high-powered offense that is played in Phoenix, get him on your roster if he’s sitting on the waiver wire.

JR Smith, Denver Nuggets
Smith has had a tumultuous last few months on and off the court. That said, there’s never been denying his talent. He has unbelievable range from the field and is an extremely athletic player. George Karl has played him a bit at point guard, which could potentially make Smith’s fantasy stock skyrocket.

Matt Barnes, Golden State Warriors
Barnes was a horrible fantasy player early on because he wasn’t getting playing time. With Barnes back in Don Nelson’s rotation, he’s put up great all-around fantasy numbers. If Barnes continues to get minutes, he’s the type of fantasy player that can help any team.

Juan Carlos Navarro, Memphis Grizzlies
Navarro got off to a slow start as he made the transition from European play to the NBA. However, in Navarro’s last two games, he’s been really good. He’s an extremely good shooter who also has some playmaking abilities. If he can get the minutes in Memphis, he could score at a pretty good clip.

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