Jarrett Jack, the point guard who has played for the Portland Trail Blazers and the Indiana Pacers, has officially joined the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors signed Jack to an offersheet worth a reported $20 million over four years, however the Pacers had a chance to match the offer. After the Pacers past, Jack became a Raptor.
Last year with the Pacers, Jack teamed with T.J. Ford at the point guard position. With the Raptors, he will basically be replacing Ford.
Ford played with the Raptors and formed a powerful 1-2 punch with Jose Calderon. Last season, Calderon had the reins all to …read more

The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly going after Shawn Marion of the Toronto Raptors. To try to acquire him, Dallas is offering the expiring contract of Jerry Stackhouse in what would be a sign-and-trade deal.
On the Mavs, Marion would likely start alongside Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Dirk Nowtizki and Marcin Gortat. That would give the Mavs a deep starting lineup with capable players at each position.
Marion used to be one of the best all-around players in the game but he has slowed down the last few years. Since leaving the Phoenix Suns, his fantasy stats have suffered massively. Specifically, his …read more

Shaquille O’Neal turned back the clock on Friday night against the Toronto Raptors. The Big Cactus poured in 45 points for the Phoenix Suns and did so on 20-for-25 shooting from the field. He also finished with 11 rebounds, three steals and three blocks in his 35 minutes of play.
With Amare Stoudemire out with an eye injury, it’s not too surprising that Shaq is more involved in the offense. He no longer has to share touches with Stoudemire down low and will be more involved in the pick-and-roll attack.
That said, don’t expect this type of outburst too often from Shaq. …read more

Brook Lopez, New Jersey Nets
Starting now for the Nets at center, Brook Lopez is starting to establish himself. While he’s still very much inconsistent, he’s scoring skills as both a scorer and a rebounder that should keep him in the starting lineup. It’s not out of the question that he could become a double-double machine sooner rather than later.
Courtney Lee, Orlando Magic
With news that Mickael Pietrus broke his rest and is out for an indefinite amount of time, Courtney Lee should see an upshoot in playing time as a result. The rookie shooting guard can shoot, score and provide decent …read more

The Toronto Raptors are a mess. At 10-17, they are vastly underperforming their expectations. They’ve already fired one head coach and the players don’t seem to be responding to the new head coach.

All that said, they have some interesting fantasy basketball options. First and foremost is Chris Bosh. At the beginning of the season, Bosh was one of the best fantasy bigmen in the NBA. But recently, he has been in a major slump. His shooting percentages have plummeted and he’s settling for too many jumpers. He’s also not rebounding or blocking shots as well as usual. The good news …read more

Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers
Since Cuttino Mobley has been traded, Eric Gordon has definitely become a fantasy viable player. He’s starting, getting good minutes and producing at a good clip. Since he’s a rookie it’s hard to tell what his ceiling is but he is looking like a player that can average between 13 and 15 points in his rookie campaign.

Kris Humphries, Toronto Raptors
With new coach Jay Triano now in charge of the Raptors after Sam Mitchell got fired, there’s some rumblings that Kris Humphries could see his minutes rise. Andre Bargnani isn’t defending well and Humphries could be the …read more

Like the NBA, the best passers in fantasy basketball are the ones who rack up a lot of assists without turning the ball over a lot. Here’s a look at the top passers in fantasy basketball who can help you in the point guard statistics without hurting you in other aspects:

Chris Paul, New Orleans
Although he turns the ball over more than three times a game, he easily makes up for it by posting more than 11 assists per game. In fact, Paul is the only player in the NBA who is currently averaging double-digits in assists. At 11.8 assists per …read more

In fantasy basketball, the players that help your free throw percentage the most are players who get to the line a lot and hit for a high percentage. Here is a look at fantasy basketball players who can get to the line and drain their attempts:
Dirk Nowtizki, Dallas Mavericks
If you have Dirk Nowitzki on your fantasy team, you have to love what he does for you at the free throw line. Not only does he get there often, he also is hitting over 90% from the charity stripe. Since he’s the Mavericks’ number one option offensively, he’ll have no trouble …read more

Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando Magic
Hedo Turkoglu has had a habit recently of alternating good seasons. Last year he played really well, so that’s not a good sign for the 2008-09 campaign. Additionally, the Magic will try to play more with Rashard Lewis at small forward, which could then force Turkoglu out of position. He should have a good season but last year was likely his peak.
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 …read more

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers
Although Greg Oden is getting most of the publicity, LaMarcus Aldridge very well could be the better player during the 2008-09 fantasy basketball season. He’s a player that seems to be improving each time he steps out onto the court and could become a star in his third season.
Michael Beasley, Miami Heat
Most league pundits expect Michael Beasley to put up decent stats. But don’t forget that this sleeper was just a certified beast as a freshman in college. If he can adapt quickly to the NBA, he could end up the year as a top eight …read more