A few stories around the team indicate that the players had quit on Carlesimo and weren’t giving a good enough effort. New coach Scott Brooks will try to turn that around and make the Thunder at least a respectable basketball team.

As far as fantasy basketball is concerned, there were a few subtle difference right away with Brooks in charge. First of all, Damien Wilkins got his first start of the season as Brooks decided to go small. Wilkins was put in at shooting guard with Kevin Durant moving to small forward, Jeff Green moving to power forward and Nick Collison moving to center. Previously, Carlesimo had been using Johan Petro and Robert Swift at center. Under Brooks, neither Petro nor Swift played.

Chris Wilcox also appears to be part of Brooks’ plan. Wilcox played a season-high number of minutes of the bench. Joe Smith also had a healthy role as the team’s backup center. The point guard situation continues to be Earl Watson in the starting lineup backed up by Russell Westbrook.

All told, it appears as if Brooks will go smaller and faster than Carlesimo. That could lead to more shot attempts for Durant and should help the fantasy values of players such as Wilkins, Collison and Wilcox. Green should also be called upon to grab more rebounds and block a few shots.

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Stromile Swift, New Jersey Nets
Always one of the most athletic players in the league, Stromile Swift is now in the perfect situation with the Nets. With Jason Kidd around to let Swift fully utilize his athleticism, there’s no excuse for Swift not to finally blossom. Kidd will allow Swift to finish alleyoops and easy dunks in the line. If Swift starts, he could put up relatively big numbers before too long.

Nenad Krstic, New Jersey Nets
Nenad Krstic is another player who has come back slowly from a knee injury. He played a bit earlier this season but he was horrible. The Nets shut him down and have brought him back slowly. Now that he’s getting playing time again, Krstic has a chance to live up to the potential he showed in his first couple seasons in the league.

Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are a disaster right now and Joakim Noah has been a part of the problem. His excitable personality has gotten him into some hot water this season. That said, he’s arguably the best bigman on the Bulls already. He should see a lot of minutes down the stretch run of the season, especially if the Bulls fall out of playoff contention.

Shaquille O’Neal, Phoenix Suns
Yes, the Big Diesel is somewhat of a sleeper in the fantasy basketball world. Most everyone runs away from the idea of picking up O’Neal. His strengths this season have been negated by his weaknesses. But if he’s available on your league’s waiver wire, you may want to think about picking him up. Shaq will be motivated to bring Phoenix a ring and his level of play should improve greatly playing next to Steve Nash.

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Tony Battie, Orlando Magic
Battie is likely out for the season with a shoulder injury. Battie wasn’t going to be a viable fantasy option in many leagues, so this injury shouldn’t have a huge impact. The bigger impact is it could force the Magic to start a small lineup with Rashard Lewis at PF and Hedo Turkoglu at SF. If that’s the case, Lewis’ value should rise and Turkoglu should become a fantasy option.

Brandon Roy, Portland Trailblazers
Big things are expected out of Roy this season. Those expectations will have to put on hold for the time being because Roy will likely be sidelined for all the preseason games. While the Blazers are hopeful that Roy will be ready for the regular season, fantasy owners should be on high alert and lower Roy’s stock accordingly.

Yao Ming, Houston Rockets
Yao recently passed a physical, however they found a slight tear in his labrum in his right shoulder. While the Rockets say they aren’t concerned about the tear, it’s not a great sign that Yao is already ailing.

Robert Swift, Seattle Supersonics
Swift, who is coming back from a torn ACL, has tendinitis in that same knee. While it’s not a shock to see him slowed as he attempts to come back from injury, this could hurt Swift’s chances of winning the starting center spot in Seattle.

Antawn Jamison, Washington Wizards
Jamison is day-to-day with a bruised shin. Obviously, this isn’t a huge injury concern. As long as we are speaking of Jamison, he’s about as safe of a fantasy pick as there is this season. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t put up the exact same stats he did last season during this upcoming campaign.

Beno Udrih, San Antonio Spurs
Udrih broke his finger and looks to be out until the start of the regular season. Since Udrih is the third string point guard of the Spurs, it’s highly doubtful this injury was a blip on any fantasy radar.

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Robert Swift, Seattle Supersonics
Swift is a major sleeper this season.  After missing all of last season when he tore his ACL in preseason, he’s flying way under the radar.  However, he could very well be worth a draft pick this year.  He has put on upwards of 40 pounds of muscle this offseason and could start at center for the Sonics.  Keep an eye on him.

Nenad Krstic, New Jersey Nets
Another center flying below the radar is Krstic.  Krstic also tore his ACL last season but is scheduled to go when the season tips off.  He’s a very skilled bigman who can do a little bit of everything.  With the scorers and playmakers around him, he could be the ultimate garbage man for the Nets this season.

Bobby Simmons, Milwaukee Bucks
Simmons missed all of last season with injuries to his right foot.  When healthy, Simmons is a solid fantasy player.  The problem with him right now is his role is unknown.  After missing the time he did, it’s unsure what the Bucks will do in their swingman rotation.  If Simmons is starting, he could very well be worth a draft pick.

Kenyon Martin, Denver Nuggets
Martin missed all but two games for the Nuggets last season.  After undergoing his second microfracture surgery (one on each knee), who knows if Martin can return to even a shell of his former self.  If he can return and gets a starting spot for the Nuggets, he’s a viable fantasy player.

Elton Brand, Los Angeles Clippers
Brand is a bit of a different story.  Brand tore his Achilles tendon this summer while working out in early August.  The notable part of this story is Brand vows to be back this season.  When healthy, Brand is a very good fantasy player.  If you have a lot of roster spots, it could be worth drafting Brand and stashing him to see if he indeed comes back.

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