For fantasy basketball owners, this could potentially be big news. If Gentry completely opens the offense and lets the team run D’Antoni type seven seconds or less type basketball, the fantasy value of everyone on the team rise.

The two who would be helped the most are Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. Although Nash, due to age, probably won’t be able to reach his former heights, his stats could definitely rise. Stoudemire, who is also having a bit of a down year, could see his shot attempts go up and his production also rise with the implementation of the new offense.

Other players who become more valuable even before we see what Gentry does are Jason Richardson, Grant Hill and Matt Barnes. A faster pace can’t help but let these three players produce more.

The only player this might hurt is Shaquille O’Neal. Under Porter, the Suns made sure to give O’Neal his touches. If the pace is quickened and O’Neal can’t keep up, his stats may revert to the numbers we saw out of him last season.

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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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2. New Orleans Hornets
For the second straight year, I expect the Hornets to finish with the second best record in the West.

3. Houston Rockets
There’s no denying the Rockets got better in the offseason — and they were already pretty darn good.

4. Utah Jazz
The Jazz may be the sleeper team in the Western Conference that is capable of finishing in the top two.

5. San Antonio Spurs
Without Manu Ginobili in the lineup, the Spurs will struggle to have their usual regular season success.

6. Phoenix Suns
It’ll be interesting to see how the Terry Porter will be able to transform this team in his first year as coach.

7. Portland Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers have playoff aspirations. They should be able to make it as long as they stay healthy.

8. Dallas Mavericks
Without Avery Johnson, the Mavericks will have to face the harsh reality that they simply aren’t that good.

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Shaquille O’Neal has announced that he will retire in two years after his current contract is complete. While this isn’t an unexpected turn of events, it is the first time that Shaq has laid out a timeline for his exit from the NBA.

O’Neal, who was traded from the Miami Heat to the Phoenix Suns last season, will return to the Suns and once again start for the team at center. With a new coach in Terry Porter, it will be interesting to see how he is used.

Fantasy basketball wise, Shaq isn’t too valuable. His low free throw percentage and high turnovers make him a liability in most fantasy basketball formats. Don’t expect his numbers to go up much from last year — in fact his numbers will likely drop a little bit more. The Suns will likely limit Shaq’s minutes over the next two years to keep him fresh for the playoffs.

Last season, Shaquille O’Neal averaged 12.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game while with the Phoenix Suns.

Photo: Newscom

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Porter has long be a favorite of Suns general manager Steve Kerr. The two became close when they played for the San Antonio Spurs. The two have remained friend throughout the years.

With Porter as the new head coach, it’s difficult to assess how this will affect the Suns’ style of play. D’Antoni ran a run-and-gun system that relied on scoring more than defense. Porter will undoubtedly stress defense more than D’Antoni did.

However, Porter as a former point guard will likely let Steve Nash keep running the show offensively. Porter was a free-wheeling point guard himself so it’s unlikely that he’ll place too many restrictions on what Nash can and can’t do. The biggest difference for Nash is that Porter will likely require him to play more defense.

The two players who could be in for the biggest change next season are Amare Stoudemire and Leandro Barbosa. D’Antoni let Stoudemire and Barbosa make mistake after mistake defensively. Porter won’t give the same leeway.

Overall, this was a good hire for the Suns. Porter is a respected coach who has paid his dues — most recently as an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons.

Photo: Newscom

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