First of all, Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph both appear to be safe bets. Crawford has been very consistent over the last few years and should put up similar stats this year. Don’t expect to see a big jump in his production because although he has a green light this year, he’s always had a green light. Randolph, on the other hand, should see his production rise — due partly to D’Antoni and partly to Eddy Curry being out of the way.

At power forward, David Lee and Wilson Chandler are both interesting options. Lee is a player who can give you ten points and close to ten rebounds a night. He also shoots for a high percentage and does little to hurt a fantasy basketball team. Chandler, however, has the higher fantasy ceiling as he’s a multidimensional player who could really thrive in D’Antoni’s system.

Other players to keep an eye on are Nate Robinson, Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson. Robinson could see his scoring numbers improve as he’s playing a lot of minutes off the ball this year. Duhon is the Knicks’ version of Steve Nash, although he’s not going to give you nearly the production. Still, Duhon is a solid fantasy option who should explode for a few big games this season. QRich, if he can get in shape and stay healthy, could produce a lot of three-pointers — just like he did previously under D’Antoni when both were with the Suns.

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After two preseason games, Chandler is averaging 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks. Those are the same type of all-around numbers he put up during the NBA Vegas Summer League.

The biggest question for Chandler this fantasy season will be the number of minutes he’ll play. If he plays a lot of minutes, he should be a very fine fantasy basketball player in Mike D’Antoni’s fast pace attack.

In this Wilson Chandler video, you can see his very good athleticism that has the Knicks and their fans excited about the second year small forward out of DePaul:

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Francisco Garcia, Sacramento Kings
With Ron Artest now in Houston, Francisco Garcia should see a lot of starts during the upcoming season. When he gets time, he has proven to be a player that can help in a whole list of categories.

Marvin Williams, Atlanta Hawks
Josh Childress signing in Greece should help Marvin Williams stay on the court. Childress ate up some of his time in the past but this year, Williams could emerge as a very good fantasy basketball player. He’s definitely a sleeper small forward as of right now.

Wilson Chandler, New York Knicks
With Mike D’Antoni in town, everyone knows the Knicks will be running and gunning. While it’s far from a certainty that Wilson Chandler will start at small forward, he could put up really good stats if given the opportunity. During summer league, Chandler was oftentimes the best player on the court.

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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

Photo: Newscom

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Smush Parker, Los Angeles Clippers
After being waived by the Miami Heat, Smush Parker has landed with the Los Angeles Clippers and is now getting good playing time. Parker is a good defensive point guard who is erratic offensively. If he gets a lot of minutes, he can help in fantasy basketball by getting your team points, assists and steals.

Wilson Chandler, New York Knicks
The Knicks are another team in tank mode, which is helping Wilson Chandler. He is starting for the Knicks at small forward and his stats seem to be improving. He can score a bit and his rebounding is solid. He’ll even mix in some steals and blocked shots in his time on the court.

Marcus Banks, Miami Heat
Although Marcus Banks is currently out injured for the Heat, the latest word is he should return to the court at some point. Once he does, he’s a player to watch. A scoring point guard, Banks will get as many shots as he can stomach once he returns. There’s no reason why he can’t average 15 points and five assists coming down the stretch.

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Here’s a look at a player from each team that stood out:

Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks – Smith finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots in his preseason debut. What was really interesting is the Hawks started a small lineup with Smith and Marvin Williams at the forward positions. If that’s going to be the case going into the season, Smith could play minutes at power forward, which would help his rebounding and blocks stats. Smith is immensely talented and this performance did nothing but reinforce that notion.

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic – With 30 points and 11 rebounds to go along with four blocks, Howard had a huge preseason opener. The 30 points is the number to be most impressed with because Howard can at times have trouble scoring. If he adds scoring to his repertoire, he’s going to be even more of a fantasy stud. However, the problem with Howard in the past has been turnovers, and his five turnovers didn’t do anything to reduce those fears.

Wilson Chandler, New York Knicks – While Chandler probably won’t get enough minutes to be considered in a redraft league, Chandler looks like a nice prospect for a keeper league. In his first game against NBA players, Chandler had nine points, six rebounds, two blocks, a steal and an assist in 19 minutes of action. Isiah Thomas has a history of drafting well and Chandler could very possibly be another steal.

Reggie Evans, Philadelphia 76ers – Evans started for the Sixers on Monday. That’s a good sign for fantasy owners looking for a guy who can rebound. Evans is a ferocious rebounder who could very well lead the league in rebounding if given enough minutes. The fact that he’s apparently in the mix to be a starter for Philly should bump up his fantasy stock.

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons – Stuckey was very impressive in his first action with the Pistons. He scored 15 points in 19 minutes, connecting on 5-of-7 shots from the field. Stuckey seems to have locked up a spot in the Pistons’ rotation, however he has a lot of competition for minutes. If he can carve out a niche where he plays 25 minutes a game, he could have a big rookie season.

Marcus Slaughter, Miami Heat – Slaughter led the Heat in scoring on Monday with 17 points. The Heat, who were playing without most of the best players, didn’t put up much of a fight against the Pistons. That said, Slaughter was still impressive. The 22-year-old Slaughter played in Europe last year and had a great season. The Heat have given him a shot and Slaughter should stick in Miami. He’s traveled a similar route to Udonis Haslem and is a similar type player.

Marcus Slaughter Mix …

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