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.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

The Kings did the trade because in return they get a young player in Greene who shined in the Vegas Summer League, an expiring contract in Jackson (who just happens to be a fan favorite in Sacramento) and a future pick. For the Kings, they get a couple of young pieces without having to add salaries to the books.

The Rockets did the trade to try to win a championship. With a Big Three of Artest, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, the Rockets will now be true championship contenders as long as they remain healthy. In addition to the Big Three, the Rockets have solid role players in Rafer Alston, Shane Battier, Brent Barry and Luis Scola.

Artest personally should have a very good season in Houston. The Rockets will let him score as much as he can. Defensively, his rebounding and blocks could go up because he’s likely to see a lot of time at power forward. Artest has played for Rick Adelman in the past and had good fantasy basketball success.

All around, this a good trade for the Kings, Rockets and Artest’s value in fantasy basketball.

Here is a video with more on the Ron Artest trade:

Post from: Expert Fantasy

McGrady would give the Pistons a go-to scorer — something the team has lacked in recent years. The Pistons have been great defensively but have struggled a bit offensively, especially late in games.

For the Rockets, this trade makes a lot less sense. While Houston isn’t strong at the point guard position, Chauncey Billups is definitely on the decline and might only have one or two good seasons left. Tayshaun Prince is a good player but he and Shane Battier are similar type players.

While this trade is unlikely to happen, don’t expect the Pistons to sit around during the summer. Detroit will continue looking for a way to bring some star power to their team. The Rockets, meanwhile, will be somewhat active but for the 2008-09 season, Houston just need to remain healthy to become a true contender.

Here is a video talking about the McGrady to the Pistons rumors:

Post from: Expert Fantasy

The good news is it sounds like McGrady will be able to play on Friday. He missed a game to rest his sore shoulder but insists he’ll be ready to go against the Suns. Although he has struggled with his shot in recent weeks, McGrady should be a quality fantasy basketball start on Friday.

Battier’s status appears to be less sure. He’s officially listed as questionable and there’s a very real chance he’ll miss at least one game for the Rockets. Battier bruised his foot in Wednesday’s game against the Seattle Supersonics.

Behind McGrady and Battier at the swingman positions for the Rockets are Luther Head, Bobby Jackson, Mike Harris and Steve Novak. While none of those three players is a true small forward, they are next in line to get minutes if McGrady and/or Battier miss time.

Image details: Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Lakers served by picapp.com

Post from: Expert Fantasy

Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
Ginobili’s numbers have dipped in recent weeks but there’s no reason not to value him highly at this point. All of Ginobili’s struggles can be traced back to his injured finger. Before his finger injury, he was a top 15 fantasy player. Expect him to get back to that once his finger is fully healed. As it stands, Ginobili is wearing a brace on his left hand that is hindering his play.

Shane Battier, Houston Rockets
Battier has played surprisingly ineffectively for much of the season. His offense has been almost non-existent at times. However, as of late, he’s been turning on. Not only is he scoring better but he’s also helping out by expanding his all-around game. He’s a solid fantasy player at this point and should continue to improve as the season progresses.

Grant Hill, Phoenix Suns
Hill recently had an emergency appendectomy and is scheduled to miss about two weeks. If an owner in your league is willing to move Hill, now is a good time to buy him. His value is relatively low now that he’ll be out for a couple of weeks. If your team is good enough to wait for Hill to get better, trade for him now and then reap the rewards in the second half of the season.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
Nowitzki has been the ultimate streaky player as of late. In his last 11 games, he either has scored under 20 points or over 25 points. Lately, he’s been taking the under. The low point came Friday when Nowitzki had a season-low seven points against the New Orleans Hornets. The previous game, Nowitzki had only 13 points against the Raptors. He should be able to turn it around, but for a great scorer to be struggling so much there could be more wrong than just a cold streak.

Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
Ginobili has put together back-to-back horrible outings for the Spurs. He has been bad at both ends of the court and has racked up a huge amount of turnovers. The good news is that there is a logical explanation. With Tim Duncan sidelined, Ginobili had to take on more of the load. However, with both Duncan and Tony Parker now out, Ginobili doesn’t have the open space that he usually has to operate. Once Duncan and/or Parker return, Ginobili should return to form.

Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix Suns
Barbosa has been quiet over the last few games. Since scoring a season-high 35 points on December 5th, he has scored less and less in each of the subsequent four games. In his last outing, Barbosa only had five points in 26 minutes. Barbosa’s woes are a little troubling because part of the problem is a lack of minutes. With Steve Nash, Raja Bell and Grant Hill eating up most of the minutes in the front court, Barbosa’s role on the Suns isn’t as stable as you’d like.

Shane Battier, Houston Rockets
Battier isn’t a fantasy star but he’s usually a solid player. However, recently his offense has been horrible. In his last two games, Battier has a total of five points in 68 minutes. While he’s a good defender, the Rockets will need more offensive production out of him. Over his last 11 games, Battier has only scored in double figures twice. On the season, he’s averaging a career low in points and is shooting just a shade over 40% from the field.

Post from: Expert Fantasy