For the Celtics, Marbury would give the team another scorer off the bench. While the bench is solid, it doesn’t have many true scorers outside of Eddie Houston. Marbury could also potentially fill part of the role Sam Cassell filled last season as a guy who comes into the game to put points on the board.

Although he may be useful for the Celtics, there’s not much of a chance that he’d be useful for your fantasy basketball team. First of all, the minutes likely won’t be there for him to do much. Second of all, he didn’t look very good last year and he might not have anything left in the tank.

The only way to even consider adding Marbury to your fantasy basketball team is if Rajon Rondo went down. Even then, it’d be hard to imagine Marbury playing more than 25 minutes per game.

The only way to rush and pick up Marbury is if he ends up signing with a team that will hand him a starting gig and 30+ minutes. He might be worthwhile at that point — but don’t count on that happening.

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While the rebuilding the Knicks will be extremely difficult, D’Antoni has a president who believes in him and who will rebuild the team around D’Antoni’s vision. Down the road, there’s a good chance that D’Antoni will have the Knicks running and gunning – just like the Suns.

Which current players fit D’Antoni’s run and gun coaching style? David Lee is a natural fit as a guy who can run and score without having plays called for him. Nate Robinson and Jamal Crawford like to run. Wilson Chandler and Renaldo Balkman are both long and athletic, traits D’Antoni likes. Quentin Richardson is a former Sun who had arguably the best year of his career under D’Antoni.

The two players who don’t fit at all are Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph. Curry and Randolph are slow, halfcourt type players who will need to be moved. Stephon Marbury is a question mark but he’s not the pass-first type point guard that D’Antoni prefers.

The Knicks could turn around quickly if the team is able to draft Derrick Rose out of Memphis. Rose is a pass-first point guard who could play a Steve Nash type role for D’Antoni. The Knicks will have to hop to land a top two pick in the 2008 NBA Draft to have a shot at Rose.

Mike D’Antoni, head coach – New York Knicks

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Reports indicate that the Knicks are offering big money to woo D’Antoni to the Big Apple. If D’Antoni takes over the Knicks, he’ll have a big challenge on his hands. The Knicks have been a disaster in recent years – on the court, off the court and in the locker room.

D’Antoni would likely try to make the Knicks run, run and run some more. With a deep, talented and athletic roster, D’Antoni might just be able to coax wins out of the Knicks. Even if he can’t get wins, fantasy basketball owners will be keeping a close eye to see which players start to flourish in D’Antoni’s system.

As has been the case since he began coaching the Suns, D’Antoni is a very fantasy basketball friendly coach. Players on the Knicks who could thrive under D’Antoni include Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Zach Randolph and Nate Robinson. Basically, if you can score, D’Antoni will play you.

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Nene, Denver Nuggets
According to reports, the initial diagnosis indicates that Nene’s tumor wasn’t cancerous. However, more tests need to be done to verify those results. If the tumor turns out to be benign, that’s obviously fantastic news for Nene. Fantasy wise, Nene still wouldn’t have that much value. He’ll be out for a while regardless and when he returns, it could take a while for him to get back into the groove.

Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets
McGrady tried to practice recently but was unable to finish the session. For upcoming games, consider McGrady highly doubtful. Even when he returns, wait a few games to see how he plays. McGrady might take it easy until he regains full confidence in his knee.

Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers
Bynum will be sidelined two months with his knee injury. In his place, Kwame Brown will start at center. Once Chris Mihm is healthy, Mihm may battle Brown for that starting spot. Bynum is expected to make a full recovery and should be healthy by the time fantasy playoffs roll around.

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Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies
Conley recently returned from injury and is now in the starting lineup for the Grizzlies. With Damon Stoudamire placed on the inactive list for the game, it’s obvious that the Grizzlies will give Conley every chance to win this starting position. And while he’s young and playing difficult position, expect Conley to put up solid numbers almost right away. He has a high ceiling, especially in dynasty leagues.

Antonio Daniels, Washington Wizards
Although Daniels is just a stopgap until Gilbert Arenas returns, he’s a really good fantasy player when he starts. After recovering from an injury, Daniels is back in the starting lineup for the Wizards. Arenas should be back before long but until then, start Daniels with confidence.

Chris Quinn, Miami Heat
Quinn returned from an ankle injury and was placed back into the starting lineup. While he’s not a very explosive player, Quinn could become a valuable fantasy player if he can lock down a starting spot for the Heat. He’s a good shooter, a decent playmaker and is a definite sleeper at the moment.

Stephon Marbury, New York Knicks
Marbury has been away from the Knicks as he dealt with the passing of his father. The Knicks are a mess and Marbury hasn’t exactly played well this season, he still has time to turn it around. When on top of his game, Marbury is a very nice fantasy player. If he gets traded or Isiah Thomas gets fired, that could light a fire under Marbury and help him reach his potential.

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