C Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors
Many supposed fantasy experts are touting Andrea Bargnani as a sleeper. I simply don’t agree. He’s a streaky player and with more offensive options in Toronto, I think his slice of the pie will shrink. Look at his stats last year as his ceiling for this season.

PF Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
Since joining the Celtics, Garnett’s stats have suffered while his winning has improved. This year, expect his stats to take another hit. Boston knows he has to be healthy in the playoffs for the team to have a shot, so that means a light regular season load for Garnett.

SF Ron Artest, Los Angeles Lakers
Ron Artest is one of the most talked about players in the NBA these days. But don’t let that fool you. He’s going to only be an average fantasy basketball player this season. His minutes will be lowered and the Lakers don’t need him to shoulder much of the burden on either end of the court.

SG Allen Iverson, Memphis Grizzlies
How many red flags do you need before you avoid Allen Iverson? He has a hamstring injury that could linger. He’s coming off of a bad year in Detroit. He’s on a young team with a lot of scorers. Let Iverson be someone else’s headache.

PG Andre Miller, Portland Trail Blazers
If you haven’t been paying attention, there’s a good chance that Andre Miller may come off the bench for the Blazers. His stats should still be good in that scenario but it definitely hurts his fantasy basketball potential in the 2009-10 NBA season.

Don't Draft Allen Iverson (Image: Zuma Press)

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This is a devastating blow to the Rockets, who thought their trio of McGrady, Yao Ming and Ron Artest could win a championship. Now Houston will have to scramble to replace McGrady.

The person most likely to step into a bigger role is Artest. He may be asked to shoot a lot more and also become the team’s main playemaker. Yao should also see an increase in touches.

Von Wafer has had some success filling in for McGrady at points this season and that could very well continue. Wafer is an explosive scorer who can get hot at any given time.

To replace McGrady, the Rockets may end up considering the thought of trading for Vince Carter. If the Rockets could get Carter without giving up Artest or Yao, their championship hopes could be revived.

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In the video, Roy puts the Blazers up by two points by hitting a shot over Ron Artest of the Rockets. Yao Ming responds with an impressive three-point play to put the Rockets up by one. With 0.8 seconds left on the clock, Roy catches the ball from about 35 feet and drains the long bomb. The Brandon Roy video is certainly worth watching.

If you have Roy on your fantasy basketball team, you should be happy that he’s coming up with big plays at the end of games this year. While his stats haven’t been great so far, he’s improving on a game by game basis. The best news is that he’s the undisputed top dog in Portland right now so you can expect the offense to run through him.

If Roy can stay healthy, there’s no reason why he can’t finish the season as a top 10-15 fantasy basketball player.

Here is the video of Brandon Roy hitting the game-winner against the Rockets:

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Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers
With Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol up front, expect the Lakers to try Lamar Odom at small forward. Odom has been pretty decent at small forward in the past but he could very well struggle this season. He’s the type of player who needs the ball a lot to remain effective and consistent. This season, he will likely see the ball less than ever if all the Lakers remain healthy. That, combined with his position change (he was mostly a power forward last year), will likely cause Odom to struggle for portions of the season.

Jamario Moon, Toronto Raptors
Last season, Jamario Moon came out of nowhere and was one of the better stories in all of the NBA. This year, fantasy basketball owners have taken note and are now drafting him relatively high in fantasy drafts. While he may continue his play from last year, that isn’t set in stone. Head coach Sam Mitchell has proved time and again that he isn’t afraid to shakeup his lineup. If Moon is moved to the bench, he could very well become all but worthless in the fantasy world. Moon is a good prospect but still too unproven to bank on.

Shane Battier, Houston Rockets
In the last few seasons, Shane Battier has been a pretty good fantasy basketball player. However, take a closer look at his numbers and you’ll realize that a lot of his production was due to the fact that he played so many minutes. With stars such as Ron Artest and Tracy McGrady at the wing positions, Battier could see his minutes dip — which would make him much less of a fantasy commodity.

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Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
Last season, most of Ray Allen’s stats dipped during the regular season. He struggled during much of the playoffs, however all of that was forgiven when he bounced back with a good showing in the Finals. That said, Allen very well could take another step down and become more of a role player instead of a star.

Raymond Felton, Charlotte Bobcats
After struggling to run the offense, Raymond Felton was played a lot at shooting guard in the last couple seasons. With new head coach Larry Brown now in charge, he won’t put up with a point guard that can’t run an offense. Felton may be in for a long season and Brown is sure to give him tough love. Steer clear of this situation if you can.

Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix Suns
When Mike D’Antoni was set free, many in the Phoenix area pointed to his use of Leandro Barbosa as a reason why. D’Antoni was a big believer in Barbosa and now with D’Antoni in New York, Barbosa could see his playing time and production slip heavily. New coach Terry Porter won’t hesitate to use a defensive player instead of Barbosa if Barbosa doesn’t improve his D drastically. Stay away from Barbosa during at least the beginning of the 2008-09 fantasy basketball season until we see exactly how he will be utilized.

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Francisco Garcia, Sacramento Kings
With Ron Artest now in Houston, Francisco Garcia should see a lot of starts during the upcoming season. When he gets time, he has proven to be a player that can help in a whole list of categories.

Marvin Williams, Atlanta Hawks
Josh Childress signing in Greece should help Marvin Williams stay on the court. Childress ate up some of his time in the past but this year, Williams could emerge as a very good fantasy basketball player. He’s definitely a sleeper small forward as of right now.

Wilson Chandler, New York Knicks
With Mike D’Antoni in town, everyone knows the Knicks will be running and gunning. While it’s far from a certainty that Wilson Chandler will start at small forward, he could put up really good stats if given the opportunity. During summer league, Chandler was oftentimes the best player on the court.

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2. Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant and company will once again try to win the Western Conference. Adding Andrew Bynum to a team that almost won it all without him is a scary thought.

3. San Antonio Spurs
It’s easy to forget about the San Antonio Spurs but when it is all said and done, the Spurs are seemingly always there in the end giving it their best shot.

4. New Orleans Hornets
The addition of James Posey makes the New Orleans Hornets a team that is very capable of winning the West and going on and taking home a title.

5. Houston Rockets
On paper, the Rockets might be the best team of them all. Ron Artest could be a force if he stays sane and the Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming duo should be better than ever.

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4) Marcus Camby, Los Angeles Clippers
Camby won the award just two years ago and now that he’s heading to a larger market, he may get some votes yet again. If he plays with a chip on his shoulder and stays healthy, he has a decent shot.

3) Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
Paul is the huge favorite to lead the NBA in steals in 2008-09. If he does, voters often look at steals before casting their vote. Paul will get extra points if the Hornets improve as a team defensively.

2) Ron Artest, Houston Rockets
As one of the most interesting stories in the 2008-09 season, a lot of attention will be paid to Artest. If he plays as well as he possibly can defensively and the Rockets are again one of the best defensive teams in the league, Artest has to be considered a very strong candidate.

1) Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year could take home another one at the end of this upcoming season. The Celtics will likely be one of the best defensive teams once again and Garnett is the leader of their defensive unit.

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Artest is seen as the missing piece that could turn the Rockets from pretenders into contenders. With a new Big 3 of Artest, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, the Rockets will undoubtedly be a very formidable team during the 2008-09 NBA season.

Fantasy basketball wise, Artest should see his points dip a little bit but see a rise in rebounds, steals, blocked shots and field goal percentage. Here is the Ron Artest video:

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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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