Early on during the 2009 NBA playoffs, a number of point guards are playing at amazingly high levels. If you are playing playoff fantasy basketball, you definitely want to have one of these point guards quarterbacking your fantasy team:

Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets (Image: Newcom)

Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets
During the regular season, Billups was very good. In the postseason, he’s taken his game up another level. He’s been simply amazing in his first two outings as a Nugget during the playoffs.

Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics
Filling the void left by an injured Kevin Garnett is point guard Rajon Rondo. He’s a certifiable star at this point and his numbers in the fantasy world are just sick.

Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
Quietly, the Spurs have shifted to become Parker’s team. On a night to night basis, whether or not San Antonio has success is tied to Parker’s play.

Deron Williams, Utah Jazz
Williams has a difficult matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers but he’s done well in his first two outings. Returning to Utah for Game 3 and Game 4, he should be even better.

Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
Usually Paul is easily the best fantasy point guard in the NBA. In the playoffs he is struggling a little bit relatively speaking but his stats are still very, very good.

Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs played his second game on Friday night after returning from an ankle injury. Against the Los Angeles Clippers, Ginobili illustrated why he’s such a fantasy basketball force. Despite playing limited minutes, he dominated for San Antonio.

In 17 minutes, Ginobili had 14 points, seven assists, three steals and one block while hitting 5-of-7 shots from the field, 2-of-3 attempts from behind the three-point line and 2-of-2 shots at the charity stripe. As he returns to health and gets in better shape, expect his minutes to return to about 30 to 32 minutes per contest.

Ginobili is the rare fantasy basketball player that you can count on even when he comes off the bench. The Spurs rely on him for production and he comes to play on a nightly basis. If you have him on your roster, keep him active from now on.

The overall impact on San Antonio’s roster will be positive. Tony Parker might not have to carry such a huge load but since Ginobili is such a good passer, his impact will almost entirely positive for the fantasy basketball world.

Here is a Manu Ginobili video showing you highlights of what the Argentine star is capable of doing on the basketball court:

When Manu Ginobili was originally diagnosed with a stress reaction in his leg, the Spurs said he’d be out for two-to-three weeks. Three weeks later and Ginobili still isn’t ready.

The latest out of San Antonio is that Ginobili will miss another week or two. If you are a betting man, expect him to return at some point in the last week in March.

Until Ginobili, Tony Parker and Roger Mason, Jr. will see their values retain their current level. Parker has had a few monstrous games as of late and is a good fantasy player to have on your team. Mason is streaky but his scoring and three-point shooting can definitely help.

The Spurs should also debut Drew Gooden at some point in the coming week. Keep a close eye on that situation to see how he affects the shot distribution in San Antonio.

During the 2008-09 NBA season, Tony Parker has quietly been one of the league’s best clutch players. His clutchness was on display against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday when he hit a turnaround jumper as time expired to pull out the win for the Spurs. You can see the Tony Parker video of his game winning shot at the end of this entry.

For fantasy basketball owners, Tony Parker has been a bit better than expected. His stats are up across the board — especially in scoring and assists. Although he’s had a couple of poor games along the way, overall he’s having his best season to date in his NBA career.

Going forward, Parker should continue to produce. With his outside jumper improved from past seasons, he’s more of a weapon offensively. Additionally, the Spurs are putting the ball in his hands to win games more than ever. So far, that has resulted in a lot of positive outcomes so far this season.

Here is the video of the Tony Parker game winner against the 76ers:

Tony Parker returned to the basketball court after missing three weeks due to a left ankle injury. Although he came off the bench for the San Antonio Spurs, Parker played extremely well in helping the team beat the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

Parker finished with 15 points and seven assists in 17 minutes of action. Best of all, he looked healthy and ready for big minutes. He could be back in the starting lineup as quickly as Saturday against the Houston Rockets.

Even though rookie point guard George Hill has been impressive, Parker is in no danger of losing his grip on the Spurs’ point guard duties. His minutes might be cut a little bit but his numbers should remain looking very good.

Earlier in the season, Parker was leading the league in scoring and even had a game in which he scored 55 points. If Manu Ginobili healthy and Hill and fellow newcomer Roger Mason, Jr. playing well, Parker won’t have to score as much as before. The good news is that his assists could receive a bump and his shooting percentage should remain high.

Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs thrilled fantasy basketball owners recently when he had a game with 55 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. He then had fantasy owners shedding tears the next game when he injured his ankle. The ankle injury is expected to keep Parker out for about a month.

For the Spurs, this is a devastating blow. Parker will join Manu Ginobili on the sidelines and now Tim Duncan will have to fend for himself. With Ginobili out another 3-to-5 weeks, winning is going to be a difficult task for San Antonio.

As far as fantasy owners are concerned, the player to pounce on is Roger Mason, Jr. While he won’t start at point guard right off the bat, he’s going to get plenty of offensive opportunities and should be a very good option for the next month. Even with Parker, he 16.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Rookie George Hill will likely start at point guard for the Spurs with Parker out. While Hill is a decent prospect, it’s not a sure thing that he will produce enough to be on a fantasy basketball team roster. He’s more of a defender and his offensive game is very raw. However, he’s made great strides since summer league so he may be able to surprise.

Backing up Hill at point guard will be Jacque Vaughn and Mason. If Hill struggles, expect one of those two players to get the nod as a starter.

Photo credit: Newscom

The San Antonio Spurs have started the season 0-2, however fantasy basketball owners have to be excited about what they are seeing out of San Antonio’s two biggest stars. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker have been very productive in the first two games.

The good news for the fantasy basketball community is that the production for Duncan and Parker should continue in the short term. Both players are healthy and in a rhythm offensively.

However, once Manu Ginobili returns, expect the pie to be divided three ways instead of in half. All three players will likely average around their career numbers once Ginobili is back on the court. Right now, he’s sidelined with an ankle injury and is expected to be out up to the first 25 games of the season. Until then, milk Duncan and Parker as much as possible.

Outside of those three players, there’s not much in terms of fantasy viable players. The one player to keep an eye on right now is Roger Mason, Jr. He’s played two very good games so far and is a candidate to start at shooting guard at some point this season.

In a new Microsoft Windows commercial, Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs and his wife Eva Longoria make a cameo. On the Microsoft commercial, Parker boasts about his three championship rings, while Longoria boasts about her wedding ring. You can see the Parker and Longoria Microsoft Windows commercial video at the end of this entry.

Tony Parker hasn’t spent the whole summer filming commercials. The point guard was recently playing for the French National Team and was putting up notable stats. In his last game with France, Parker finished with 37 points seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and no turnovers in 32 minutes of action.

With Manu Ginobili injured and out until at least some point in December, Parker will be asked to carry a larger than normal role for San Antonio. That should up his fantasy value, especially early on in the year.

Here is the video of the Microsoft commercial featuring Parker and Longoria:

Read more

Monta Ellis re-signed with the Golden State Warriors on Thursday for a deal that is believed to be worth $67 million over six years. Ellis has gone from a second round pick to one of the most exciting guards in the NBA.

With Baron Davis signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, Ellis will likely shift over to point guard for the Warriors. If Ellis plays big minutes and is able to up his assists, he could be a top flight fantasy basketball player for the 2008-09 season. However, be sure to see how he transitions to point guard. It’s a lot easier to play shooting guard next to Davis than to lead the show.

If Ellis is able to make a successful transition to point guard, he’s a player who could average 20 points and six assists per night. His stats would be comparable to Tony Parker with more rebounds and more steals.

Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors

Photo: Newscom

According to multiple reports, the San Antonio Spurs are in the lead when it comes to possibly signing Corey Maggette. Maggette, formerly of the Los Angeles Clippers, has generated a huge amount of interest around the NBA.

Since the Clippers are signing Baron Davis, that leaves Maggette without a home. Along with the San Antonio Spurs, other teams that have shown interest include the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic. The Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors have enough cap room to offer Maggette more money than the Spurs.

While it’s far from a sure thing, Maggette would be a great addition for the Spurs. During the 2007-08 season, the Spurs routinely had trouble scoring the ball. Maggette is a very good scorer and is also a player who gets to the line a whole lot. Bringing those skills to San Antonio would make him a fantastic addition.

Fantasy basketball wise, Maggette’s stats would likely go down while with the Spurs. He’d probably start and play a healthy amount of minutes, but he’ll have to share touches with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.