While there’s a chance he could return in the playoffs, those chances don’t seem very likely. He has to undergo surgery to repair the fractured sinus.

During the regular season, Lee played in 77 games and started 41 of those contests. He averaged 8.4 points per game while shooting 45% from the field, 40.4% from the three-point line and 83% from the free throw line. In the playoffs, Lee averaged 15.8 points per game in the first four games of the series before getting hurt in the fifth game. He shot 48.1% from the field, connecting on 26-of-54 shot attempts.

On Thursday evening, the Magic were able to beat the Sixers to advance to the second round of the playoffs. Orlando won despite not having Lee or Howard able to play. Howard missed the game because he was serving a one-game suspension for elbowing Samuel Dalembert of the Sixers.

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Interestingly enough, the Philadelphia 76ers are arguably better without Brand. Without the power forward they signed in the offseason, the Sixers are able to play at a faster pace and with a more free-flowing offense. As long as the rest of their team stays healthy, making the playoffs is a very real possibility for Philadelphia.

In the fantasy basketball world, Brand being out has a dramatic affect on the Sixers. First of all, Andre Iguodala is much more valuable in fantasy basketball when he’s not playing next to brand. His points and assists go way up because the offense is run through him.

The other players who become more valuable are Thaddeus Young, Samuel Dalembert and Marreese Speights. Young will be able to start at power forward with Brand gone, which is great news for his fantasy value. Dalembert hasn’t played very well at times this season but as of late, he’s started to pick it up. His minutes will also be more consistent without Brand available.

The fantasy basketball sleeper in all of this is Speights. His per-minute numbers have been fantastic and he could see more and more minutes as the season progresses, especially now with Brand out of the way. If you have a roster spot and want to take a long-term gamble, consider picking up Speights.

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For fantasy basketball owners, Tony Parker has been a bit better than expected. His stats are up across the board — especially in scoring and assists. Although he’s had a couple of poor games along the way, overall he’s having his best season to date in his NBA career.

Going forward, Parker should continue to produce. With his outside jumper improved from past seasons, he’s more of a weapon offensively. Additionally, the Spurs are putting the ball in his hands to win games more than ever. So far, that has resulted in a lot of positive outcomes so far this season.

Here is the video of the Tony Parker game winner against the 76ers:

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Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers
This one is rather obvious. Although the Blazers are purposely monitoring Greg Oden’s minutes, it’s no secret that he’s a stud in the making. Now would be a good time to buy low on Oden before he takes over the starting job and really explodes onto the scene. The only risk regarding Oden is an injury risk, although that risk is definitely worth the reward at this point.

Ryan Anderson, New Jersey Nets
No one is really talking about Ryan Anderson. If you think of Nets bigman rookies, you are going to think of Brook Lopez first. However, if you look at the stats, Anderson is producing quite nicely. Once the Nets really start losing and start trying to get as many ping pong balls as possible, expect Anderson to get plenty of minutes.

Brandan Wright, Golden State Warriors
Brandan Wright had very good per minutes stats as a rookie. His per minute stats are even better as a sophomore. Although the Warriors have some good bigman options, Wright could eventually find himself in the starting lineup. This becomes even more likely if the Warriors are able to find a trade partner to ship out Al Harrington.

Marreese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers
Although Marreese Speights doesn’t get many minutes, his PER statistic makes him look like a potential fantasy basketball sleeper. The problem for Speights will be minutes. Playing behind Elton Brand, there won’t be many minutes at power forward for the Sixers. If there is an injury on the Sixers frontline, picking up Speights would be the smart move.

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Garrity was never a great fantasy player, however he’d sometimes be useful as a spot three-point shooter. Although, his retirement likely won’t impact many fantasy basketball teams around the world.

Here is the Pat Garrity video of his dunk:

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After signing Elton Brand this offseason, re-signing Iguodala was vital if the Sixers wanted to be true Eastern Conference championship contenders. With Iguodala back in the fold, the Sixers can now aim to win at least 50 wins during the upcoming season.

While Iguodala will remain a very good fantasy basketball player, his production might slip a bit in the upcoming years. Brand will take a lot of his touches. Younger players such as Louis Williams and Thaddeus Young will also need touches. While Iguodala’s all-around game will no doubt remain solid, expect his scoring and assist numbers to plateau.

Here is an Andre Iguodala highlight video:

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In terms of fantasy basketball, this should be a good move for Brand. The Eastern Conference has weaker bigman competition and Brand should be able to flourish. The East is also a slower paced conference, which should also help Brand.

Brand missed most of last season after tearing his Achilles tendon during an offseason workout. If he can get back to 100%, he should have a great season with the Sixers and help lead that team to at least the second round of the playoffs.

What is bad news for the Clippers is good news for the Sixers, Brand and fantasy basketball owners.

Here is a video regarding Elton Brand’s decision to join the Sixers:

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Since the Clippers are signing Baron Davis, that leaves Maggette without a home. Along with the San Antonio Spurs, other teams that have shown interest include the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic. The Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors have enough cap room to offer Maggette more money than the Spurs.

While it’s far from a sure thing, Maggette would be a great addition for the Spurs. During the 2007-08 season, the Spurs routinely had trouble scoring the ball. Maggette is a very good scorer and is also a player who gets to the line a whole lot. Bringing those skills to San Antonio would make him a fantastic addition.

Fantasy basketball wise, Maggette’s stats would likely go down while with the Spurs. He’d probably start and play a healthy amount of minutes, but he’ll have to share touches with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

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Since the Celtics finished with the better record, they’ll have homecourt advantage in this series. While the Celtics will be favored due to their homecourt advantage, there are reasons to believe that the Pistons can give the Celtics a run for their money.

First of all, the Celtics have been far from dominant in their 2008 playoff run. They’re 0-6 on the road in the playoffs and have had to win two Game 7’s to even reach this point. The Celtics’ offense has struggled and they aren’t getting a lot of production from a few key players — including Ray Allen.

Secondly, the Pistons are playing really well. After struggling at the beginning of the series against the Sixers, Detroit has turned it around. They beat the Magic in five games, despite the Game 3 injury to Chauncey Billups.

On the other hand, the Celtics have a few reasons to be happy with their position. They won two out of three matchups against the Pistons in the regular season. Their defense has been the best in the NBA in both the regular season and the playoffs — especially at home. Additionally, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are arguably better than any player on the Pistons.

That said, I’m going to predict that the Pistons will win this series in six games. The Celtics have played with fire too much in these playoffs and this time they will get burned.

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Western Conference
1) Los Angeles Lakers
8) Denver Nuggets
Prediction: Lakers in six. The Nuggets have no one to guard Kobe Bryant and Bryant will destroy the Nuggets’ porous defense.

2) New Orleans Hornets
7) Dallas Mavericks
Prediction: Mavs in six. Dallas will get revenge for last year’s first round flameout by pulling an upset of their own.

3) San Antonio Spurs
6) Phoenix Suns
Predictions: Spurs in seven. The Suns are built to beat the Spurs. However, they don’t quite have the cohesiveness to beat the Spurs this season.

4) Utah Jazz
5) Houston Rockets
Prediction: Jazz in five. The Jazz may have gotten the easiest draw of the first round. The Rockets enter the playoffs limping.

Eastern Conference
1) Boston Celtics
8) Atlanta Hawks
Prediction: Celtics in four. The Celtics are just too good.

2) Detroit Pistons
7) Philadelphia 76ers
Prediction: Pistons in five. The Sixers will get one game but that’s it.

3) Orlando Magic
6) Toronto Raptors
Prediction: Magic in six. The Raptors come into the playoffs struggling. The Magic should take advantage.

4) Cleveland Cavaliers
5) Washington Wizards
Prediction: Cavs in seven. LeBron James is just too good, even though the rest of his team isn’t very impressive.

Image details: Cleveland Cavaliers v New York Knicks served by picapp.com

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