Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers
Common sense says that if you play next to a very good passer like LeBron James, your fantasy value will rise. However, that hasn’t really been the case. A lot of players have gone to Cleveland as good fantasy players and then fall off the map. Williams should be okay but don’t over value him.

Randy Foye, Minnesota Timberwolves
Ever since he’s come into the league, Randy Foye has gotten fantasy love around the draft time. But each of his first two seasons, he underachieved. He’s once again ranked highly but that is based mostly on hope instead of reality. Don’t draft him expecting a huge jump in numbers.

Beno Udrih, Sacramento Kings
While in San Antonio, Beno Udrih had problems with dedication and staying healthy. He played very well in a short stint on the Kings but don’t let that fool you into thinking he’s a safe player. Now that he has financial security, he could fall back into being an undermotivated injury risk.

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Delonte West, who was one of the best players for the Cleveland Cavaliers last year in the NBA playoffs, has re-signed with the Cavs. The Cavs acquired West from the Seattle Supersonics in the three-team mega deal that also brought Ben Wallace to Cleveland.

Last year in the playoffs, West started at point guard. This year, things will be different. The Cavs traded for Mo Williams and he will be the team’s starting point guard. However, that doesn’t mean West won’t play. He should see many minutes behind Williams and even next to Williams.

As far as fantasy basketball is concerned, West is still an intriguing fantasy prospect. He can score a bit, pass adequately, get some steals and he’s a pretty good rebounder for his size. If he gets enough minutes, he could be a player that helps you out in a lot of statistical categories. The main question will be how much he’s going to play.

Look for Williams, West and Daniel Gibson to vie for minutes next to LeBron James in the 2008-09 NBA season for the Cavs.

Photo: Newscom

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1. Boston Celtics – The defending champs are the team to beat.
2. Los Angeles Lakers – The Lakers with Andrew Bynum will be tough.
3. San Antonio Spurs – The Spurs always seem to lurk near the top.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers – With the addition of Mo Williams, watch out.
5. New Orleans Hornets – James Posey will add a mean streak in NO.
6. Detroit Pistons – The Pistons should once again win a lot of games.
7. Houston Rockets – Ron Artest could make the Rockets great.
8. Utah Jazz – The Jazz might be a tad overrated heading into 2008.
9. Phoenix Suns – The window is closing fast for the Suns.
10. Orlando Magic – Dwight Howard will make sure the Magic win.

Here is a Dwight Howard highlight reel video:

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Mo Williams was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade between the Cavs, Milwaukee Bucks and the Oklahoma City Supersonics. Williams is the biggest name involved in the trade, but he’s far from the only player to switch teams. Here is a list of the players who are switching teams and the fantasy football impact of each aspect of this trade:

Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers
Williams should be a very good next to LeBron James on the Cavs. He can pass, shoot and score the ball effectively. While he’s not the purest point guard, his scoring ability should fit very well next to LeBron. LeBron will be able to take some of the point guard slack, while Williams can concentrate on putting the ball in the basket. In terms of his fantasy value, expect Williams assists to go down but the rest of his stats to remain the same.

Luke Ridnour, Milwaukee Bucks
Ridnour used to be a solid fantasy basketball player, then he fell off the map. He split time the last few years at point guard and that hurt his value. On the Bucks, his fantasy value will be determined by how many minutes he plays. If he can win a starting spot, he could see his fantasy value bounce back. However, the Bucks have a lot of point guards and it will be difficult for Ridnour to win the starting gig.

Desmond Mason, Oklahoma City’s NBA team
Mason is going back to his roots. Mason played in Oklahoma during his college days. His addition to the Oklahoma City team should be good both for him and the fans. While he’ll likely be backing up Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, he could see a solid amount of minutes off the bench as a sixth man.

Joe Smith, Oklahoma City Barons
Like Mason, Smith will bring a solid veteran presence to the Oklahoma City team. He’s be deceptively solid in the last few years. If he can win a starting spot, he could be decent as a backup big in fantasy basketball. The more likely outcome, however, is that Smith is traded to a contender around the trade deadline.

Damon Jones and Adrian Griffin, Milwaukee Bucks
Neither Jones nor Griffin will have much fantasy value this upcoming season. Jones is strictly a spot-up shooter at this point of his career, while Griffin is strictly a defensive specialist. Neither skill translates will to fantasy basketball.

Photo: Newscom

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Redd is currently battling a nagging knee injury. The good news is that the Bucks are hopefully that Redd will be able to play on Saturday against the New York Knicks. If he’s able to go, Redd is obviously a very good start in fantasy basketball considering he’s going up against the lowly Knicks.

With Redd out of the lineup, Mo Williams has been the main player who has picked up the scoring burden. Williams, who becomes more of a shooting guard with Redd sidelined, has scored more than 30 points in his last two games. Both Royal Ivey and Charlie Bell get extended playing time when Redd is out.

If you own Redd in a fantasy basketball league, consider trading him if you can get a good deal. Redd’s knee may continue to bother him to the point the Bucks decide to end his season early and play for the ping pong balls. If you can get a more durable player that can produce similarly, look into trading Redd soon after he comes back.

Michael Redd Time to Shine …

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