狀元刺者
2005-10-17, 10:50 PM
1. Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
http://www.nba.com/media/timberwolves/garnett_140_050713.jpg
Garnett
Kevin Garnett is a fantasy owners dream. Posting six straight seasons of at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks -- with great percentages -- makes Garnett the most reliable and dependable fantasy player in the NBA. He’s only missed a total of three games in the last six years and dominates every single category except for three-pointers. There’s no one better in the league at grabbing tough rebounds in traffic and he’s skilled at finding open teammates when opposing teams collapse on him in the paint. He’ll shoot nearly 50 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the line, which is remarkable for a big man. Better hope you have the first or second pick in the draft if you want to get your hands on Garnett. He won’t fall any farther than that.
Timberwolves Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Timberwolves Season Preview
2. Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan), San Antonio Spurs
http://www.nba.com/media/spurs/duncan_140_050619.jpg
Duncan
He might not be the flashiest or most exciting player but Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) is one of the greatest players to play the game of basketball. Now with three championship rings, there’s not much Duncan has left to prove. For eight straight years he has been the staple of consistency in the NBA. He’s never averaged less than 20 points, 11 boards, 2.4 assists, 0.7 steals or 2.2 blocks a game and doesn’t figure to do so in his ninth season. There’s only one flaw in Duncan’s near perfect game: his free throw shooting. He’s not Shaq-esque just yet but he’ll hurt you in free throw percentage since he attempts nearly seven shots a game from the stripe.
Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) Season Preview
3. Elton Brand, L.A. Clippers
Brand
As a fantasy player, think of Elton Brand as a mini-Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) without the horrendous free throw percentage. He’ll produce dominant stats across the board averaging 20.0 points, 9.6 boards, 2.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 2.1 blocks while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the line. Brand also pulled down an amazing 3.7 offensive rebounds a game leading to easy baskets on the offensive end. Despite his dominance, he’s still sometimes underrated in a fantasy sense. If he drops into the mid-second round, he’s a steal. It’s not even a stretch to suggest that Brand had a better fantasy year than Duncan last season given his ability to hit his free throws.
Clippers Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Clippers Season Preview
4. Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana Pacers
O'Neal
Because of injuries and a lengthy suspension, Jermaine O’Neal played in only 44 games for the Pacers last season. Even that didn’t stop him from posting outstanding numbers for the fourth straight season. Usually a 20 and 10 guy, Jermaine saw his rebounding numbers drop to 8.8 per game but his points soared to 24.3 a night. Part of this can be attributed to the absence of Ron Artest as O’Neal needed to focus most of his energies on the offensive end. Now that Artest is back, O’Neal should return to his normal 20 and 10 ways. In each of the last five seasons he has averaged 2-plus blocks a game. He’s also a very good free throw shooter for a big man, hitting on over 73 percent for three straight years. O’Neal has his fair share of injury problems but he’s a tough guy and will play through pain if he’s physically able. His dominance in points, boards and blocks makes him a great second round pick in fantasy drafts.
Pacers Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Pacers Season Preview
5. Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
Gasol
Fantasy owners had been waiting for the day when Pau Gasol would receive upwards of 36 minutes a game. Stuck in Hubie Brown’s 10-man rotation for much of his career, fantasy owners finally got their wish when Mike Fratello took over the coaching duties in December. During that month, Gasol scored 19.8 points with 8.8 boards, 3.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 0.5 steals a game. Unfortunately, his success was short lived due to a foot injury that caused him to miss 26 games on the season. When he returned, he was severely limited on the court raising concern about his health in the long run. Those concerns are gone after watching Gasol during the Grizzlies four playoff games with the Suns. He dominated the paint scoring 21.3 points, pulling down 7.5 boards while adding 2.5 assists and 1.7 blocks a game. Gasol is ready to join the ranks of fantasy’s elite power forwards. He had only missed four games in three years prior to last season’s injury so he’s quite durable. Don’t let last season’s injury sway you from nabbing the big Spaniard in the third round this season.
Grizzlies Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Grizzlies Season Preview
6. Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
Bosh
If you look at Bosh’s overall numbers from last season, you’ll see a very good power forward who would need to improve on his scoring to become an elite fantasy player. But if you look at his stats after the All-Star break, you’ll see that Bosh is rising star bordering on elite level status. In 28 games after the break, Bosh averaged 18.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.6 blocks on 46 percent shooting from the floor and 85 percent shooting from the free throw line. After starting the season slow, he was an absolute double-double machine from January on, racking up 32 double-doubles on the season. Since he can also create steals, block shots and help in the percentages, Bosh will be a major fantasy force this season.
Raptors Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Raptors Season Preview
7. Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz
Boozer
Last year, Carlos Boozer sat out the last two months of the season with a foot injury, missing a total of 31 games for the Utah Jazz. When on the court, Boozer posted huge numbers for the Jazz, putting up 17.8 points, 9.0 boards, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks a game. He won’t contribute much in the swats category but he’s top tier in points and boards. Looking to avoid another serious injury, Boozer has reportedly worked hard on his conditioning in the off-season. He’ll be ready to go when the season tips-off and is a great bounce back candidate given the way he played for the Jazz at the start of last season.
Jazz Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Jazz Season Preview
8. Zach Randolph, Portland Trail Blazers
Randolph
Plagued by a right knee injury for most of the year, Zach Randolph burned many fantasy owners by missing 36 games a year after winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. Even when he was on the court, he wasn’t his normal self, experiencing a drop in points and rebounds and shooting only 44 percent from the floor. Despite the injury, Randolph managed to post 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 0.4 blocks a game for the Portland Trailblazers. After undergoing successful surgery last season, Randolph has reportedly worked hard in the over the summer and is expected to be ready to go when the season starts. If he’s fully recovered from the knee injury, expect Randolph to go back to his 20 and 10 ways in 2005-06. If only Randolph could become a better shot-blocker, he’d be one of the top two or three fantasy power forwards in the game. That said, his production in points and boards more than makes up for his lack of swats.
Trail Blazers Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Trail Blazers Season Preview
9. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
Howard
Averaging a double-double is no easy task, especially when you are still a teenager. Blessed with great height and athleticism, Howard averaged 12.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 1.7 blocks in his rookie season. He’s still young but Howard showed Amare Stoudemire-like potential in his first professional season. In fact, his first season numbers are eerily similar to Amare’s rookie season stats. In terms of potential, there might not be a player in the league with more upside than Howard. He’s going to have a huge season for the Magic and could become one of the more dominating forces in the league by the end of the season. Here’s a glimpse of what type of numbers Howard might put up in his sophomore campaign. In April, Howard came into his own averaging 16.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.8 blocks a game. There’s no telling just how good Howard can be.
Magic Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Magic Season Preview
10. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Sacramento Kings
Abdur-Rahim
Abdur-Rahim has a ton of talent, in his nine-year career he has averaged 19.8 points, 8.1 boards, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks. Add in that he’s tremendously efficient from both the floor and the free throw line and you have yourself a legit fantasy stud. After spending a year and a half behind Zach Randolph, Shareef goes to Sacramento where he will own the starting power forward spot all to himself. The move will allow Abdur-Rahim to move back into the upper echelon of fantasy forwards as he contributes in almost every category. Proving that he still has the talent to put up great numbers, Abdur-Rahim averaged 17.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks in 49 starts last season. The Kings have more scoring options than any team Shareef has ever played on so he’ll probably score around 18 points a game as opposed to his normal 20.
http://www.nba.com/media/timberwolves/garnett_140_050713.jpg
Garnett
Kevin Garnett is a fantasy owners dream. Posting six straight seasons of at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks -- with great percentages -- makes Garnett the most reliable and dependable fantasy player in the NBA. He’s only missed a total of three games in the last six years and dominates every single category except for three-pointers. There’s no one better in the league at grabbing tough rebounds in traffic and he’s skilled at finding open teammates when opposing teams collapse on him in the paint. He’ll shoot nearly 50 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the line, which is remarkable for a big man. Better hope you have the first or second pick in the draft if you want to get your hands on Garnett. He won’t fall any farther than that.
Timberwolves Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Timberwolves Season Preview
2. Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan), San Antonio Spurs
http://www.nba.com/media/spurs/duncan_140_050619.jpg
Duncan
He might not be the flashiest or most exciting player but Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) is one of the greatest players to play the game of basketball. Now with three championship rings, there’s not much Duncan has left to prove. For eight straight years he has been the staple of consistency in the NBA. He’s never averaged less than 20 points, 11 boards, 2.4 assists, 0.7 steals or 2.2 blocks a game and doesn’t figure to do so in his ninth season. There’s only one flaw in Duncan’s near perfect game: his free throw shooting. He’s not Shaq-esque just yet but he’ll hurt you in free throw percentage since he attempts nearly seven shots a game from the stripe.
Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) Season Preview
3. Elton Brand, L.A. Clippers
Brand
As a fantasy player, think of Elton Brand as a mini-Tim Duncan (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tim_duncan) without the horrendous free throw percentage. He’ll produce dominant stats across the board averaging 20.0 points, 9.6 boards, 2.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 2.1 blocks while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the line. Brand also pulled down an amazing 3.7 offensive rebounds a game leading to easy baskets on the offensive end. Despite his dominance, he’s still sometimes underrated in a fantasy sense. If he drops into the mid-second round, he’s a steal. It’s not even a stretch to suggest that Brand had a better fantasy year than Duncan last season given his ability to hit his free throws.
Clippers Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Clippers Season Preview
4. Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana Pacers
O'Neal
Because of injuries and a lengthy suspension, Jermaine O’Neal played in only 44 games for the Pacers last season. Even that didn’t stop him from posting outstanding numbers for the fourth straight season. Usually a 20 and 10 guy, Jermaine saw his rebounding numbers drop to 8.8 per game but his points soared to 24.3 a night. Part of this can be attributed to the absence of Ron Artest as O’Neal needed to focus most of his energies on the offensive end. Now that Artest is back, O’Neal should return to his normal 20 and 10 ways. In each of the last five seasons he has averaged 2-plus blocks a game. He’s also a very good free throw shooter for a big man, hitting on over 73 percent for three straight years. O’Neal has his fair share of injury problems but he’s a tough guy and will play through pain if he’s physically able. His dominance in points, boards and blocks makes him a great second round pick in fantasy drafts.
Pacers Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Pacers Season Preview
5. Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
Gasol
Fantasy owners had been waiting for the day when Pau Gasol would receive upwards of 36 minutes a game. Stuck in Hubie Brown’s 10-man rotation for much of his career, fantasy owners finally got their wish when Mike Fratello took over the coaching duties in December. During that month, Gasol scored 19.8 points with 8.8 boards, 3.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 0.5 steals a game. Unfortunately, his success was short lived due to a foot injury that caused him to miss 26 games on the season. When he returned, he was severely limited on the court raising concern about his health in the long run. Those concerns are gone after watching Gasol during the Grizzlies four playoff games with the Suns. He dominated the paint scoring 21.3 points, pulling down 7.5 boards while adding 2.5 assists and 1.7 blocks a game. Gasol is ready to join the ranks of fantasy’s elite power forwards. He had only missed four games in three years prior to last season’s injury so he’s quite durable. Don’t let last season’s injury sway you from nabbing the big Spaniard in the third round this season.
Grizzlies Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Grizzlies Season Preview
6. Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
Bosh
If you look at Bosh’s overall numbers from last season, you’ll see a very good power forward who would need to improve on his scoring to become an elite fantasy player. But if you look at his stats after the All-Star break, you’ll see that Bosh is rising star bordering on elite level status. In 28 games after the break, Bosh averaged 18.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.6 blocks on 46 percent shooting from the floor and 85 percent shooting from the free throw line. After starting the season slow, he was an absolute double-double machine from January on, racking up 32 double-doubles on the season. Since he can also create steals, block shots and help in the percentages, Bosh will be a major fantasy force this season.
Raptors Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Raptors Season Preview
7. Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz
Boozer
Last year, Carlos Boozer sat out the last two months of the season with a foot injury, missing a total of 31 games for the Utah Jazz. When on the court, Boozer posted huge numbers for the Jazz, putting up 17.8 points, 9.0 boards, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks a game. He won’t contribute much in the swats category but he’s top tier in points and boards. Looking to avoid another serious injury, Boozer has reportedly worked hard on his conditioning in the off-season. He’ll be ready to go when the season tips-off and is a great bounce back candidate given the way he played for the Jazz at the start of last season.
Jazz Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Jazz Season Preview
8. Zach Randolph, Portland Trail Blazers
Randolph
Plagued by a right knee injury for most of the year, Zach Randolph burned many fantasy owners by missing 36 games a year after winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. Even when he was on the court, he wasn’t his normal self, experiencing a drop in points and rebounds and shooting only 44 percent from the floor. Despite the injury, Randolph managed to post 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 0.4 blocks a game for the Portland Trailblazers. After undergoing successful surgery last season, Randolph has reportedly worked hard in the over the summer and is expected to be ready to go when the season starts. If he’s fully recovered from the knee injury, expect Randolph to go back to his 20 and 10 ways in 2005-06. If only Randolph could become a better shot-blocker, he’d be one of the top two or three fantasy power forwards in the game. That said, his production in points and boards more than makes up for his lack of swats.
Trail Blazers Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Trail Blazers Season Preview
9. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
Howard
Averaging a double-double is no easy task, especially when you are still a teenager. Blessed with great height and athleticism, Howard averaged 12.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 1.7 blocks in his rookie season. He’s still young but Howard showed Amare Stoudemire-like potential in his first professional season. In fact, his first season numbers are eerily similar to Amare’s rookie season stats. In terms of potential, there might not be a player in the league with more upside than Howard. He’s going to have a huge season for the Magic and could become one of the more dominating forces in the league by the end of the season. Here’s a glimpse of what type of numbers Howard might put up in his sophomore campaign. In April, Howard came into his own averaging 16.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.8 blocks a game. There’s no telling just how good Howard can be.
Magic Fantasy Preview | NBA.com's Magic Season Preview
10. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Sacramento Kings
Abdur-Rahim
Abdur-Rahim has a ton of talent, in his nine-year career he has averaged 19.8 points, 8.1 boards, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks. Add in that he’s tremendously efficient from both the floor and the free throw line and you have yourself a legit fantasy stud. After spending a year and a half behind Zach Randolph, Shareef goes to Sacramento where he will own the starting power forward spot all to himself. The move will allow Abdur-Rahim to move back into the upper echelon of fantasy forwards as he contributes in almost every category. Proving that he still has the talent to put up great numbers, Abdur-Rahim averaged 17.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks in 49 starts last season. The Kings have more scoring options than any team Shareef has ever played on so he’ll probably score around 18 points a game as opposed to his normal 20.