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Fantasy Updates
 Durant headlines All-Rookie team
Kevin Durant, SF SEA
News: Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant and Al Horford headlined the NBA All-Rookie team announced Tuesday. Atlanta's Horford was the only unanimous choice with 58 votes, followed by Seattle's Durant with 57 in balloting by the league's head coaches. Houston's Luis Scola (53), Los Angeles Clippers forward Al Thornton (48) and Seattle's Jeff Green (43) also made the first team.
Analysis: The 6-foot-9 Durant led the SuperSonics with 20.3 points per game, 7.6 more than any other rookie. He was the only first-year player to lead his team in five categories - points, blocks, steals, free throws made and free throw percentage. Durant blocked more shots than any other guard in the league (75). He was a bright spot during a dismal basketball season in Seattle. The Sonics won only 20 games, and the owner is moving the team to Oklahoma City. Durant ended the season with his best overall game as a pro, scoring 42 points with 13 rebounds and six assists at Golden State in a hint of what's to come for the burgeoning star. He'll be selected in the early rounds in most Fantasy formats next season as a possible No. 1 guard option with high upside.
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 Billups doubtful for Game 5
Chauncey Billups, PG DET
News: Chauncey Billups is not expected to play for the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 against the Orlando Magic because of a strained right hamstring. He was hurt early in Game 3 and did not play the following game, which the Pistons won to take a 3-1 lead in the second-round series
Analysis: The All-Star point guard went through a strenuous workout confined to a 15-foot area on Monday, the day before Game 5. Billups was replaced by rookie Rodney Stuckey and veteran Lindsey Hunter on Saturday. For the second consecutive season, Billups averaged exactly 17.0 ppg. He added 6.8 apg and 2.7 rpg, only slightly down from his 2006-07 totals. Billups continues to be a consistent Fantasy guard, but at 31 he can no longer be expected to surpass his totals. Instead, it's very likely his numbers will start to decrease slightly. Fantasy owners should still view him as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy guard, just understand that it's more likely he'll under-perform than it is that he'll exceed his draft value.
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Kobe: I'll be ready for Game 5
Kobe Bryant, SG LAL
News: Kobe Bryant tweaked his back in the opening minutes of Sunday's 123-115 overtime loss at Utah that tied the Western Conference semifinals 2-2. He met the media Monday with an electronic stimulation device hooked up to his sore lower back. "It's pretty sore right now," Bryant said Monday. "It's tight. It's to be expected the next day, I guess. I don't know how I made it through the game, to be honest with you." Bryant said he was receiving treatment around the clock. Bryant said he was glad Game 5 wasn't being played Tuesday. "It was give me another day to recuperate," he said. "I'll be ready to play. I can't imagine it being any worse than it was last night."
Analysis: Bryant entered the season as the league's two-time defending scoring champion and took home his first NBA Most Valuable Player award. He averaged 28.3 points while playing all 82 games despite tearing a pinkie ligament in February. That was actually down from the 31.6 average he had a season ago, but he appeared in all 82 games for the first time since 2002-03 and led the Lakers to the top seed in the Western Conference. The MVP award comes on the heels of a regular season in which he seemed to mature as a total player, getting others involved and making his team better in the process. Playing alongside the likes of Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum (when healthy) could actually result in a slight decline in his scoring numbers again next season, but a 28-6-5 season isn't too shabby. The NBA MVP will be worth a top-5 pick in all Fantasy formats once again in 2008-09.
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Landry on All-Rookie second squad
Carl Landry, PF HOU
News: The NBA's All-Rookie second team was announced Tuesday. Toronto's Jamario Moon, Memphis' Juan Carlos Navarro, Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young, Detroit's Rodney Stuckey and Houston's Carl Landry were selected. Landry appeared in 42 games during his rookie season, but did not start any games. He shot a very impressive 61.6 percent from the field, but averaged taking just 5.2 shots per game.
Analysis: Landry's biggest contributions came in the second half of the season after Yao Ming went down with an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. But his efforts may have earned him a bigger role in 2008-09. He'll be a restricted free agent in the offseason, but the Rockets may look to keep him as a backup to Luis Scola. Chuck Hayes is also around to take some of the minutes at power forward, though, and the cluster limits Landry's Fantasy appeal.
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Young on All-Rookie second squad
Thaddeus Young, SF PHI
News: The NBA's All-Rookie second team was announced Tuesday. Toronto's Jamario Moon, Memphis' Juan Carlos Navarro, Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young, Detroit's Rodney Stuckey and Houston's Carl Landry were selected. Young appeared in 74 games during his rookie regular season in 2007-08. He averaged 10.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 22 games as a starter.
Analysis: Young was inserted into the starting lineup after showing some flashes of brilliance in a limited role off the bench. The first round pick figures to play an even bigger role in his sophomore NBA season, but his full potential likely won't be reached for another couple of seasons. In 2008-09, view him more as a sleeper than a regular starter in Fantasy.
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Stuckey on All-Rookie second squad
Rodney Stuckey, SG DET
News: The NBA's All-Rookie second team was announced Tuesday. Toronto's Jamario Moon, Memphis' Juan Carlos Navarro, Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young, Detroit's Rodney Stuckey and Houston's Carl Landry were selected.
Analysis: Stuckey appeared in 57 games as a rookie, averaging 7.6 ppg, 2.8 apg and 2.3 rpg. He came off the bench in all but two of those games. Stuckey, unfortunately, is stuck behind Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups and while he stands to see more playing time next season, he likely won't break out until either player leaves the Pistons and that doesn't figure to happen anytime soon. His Fantasy appeal will be limited as a backup in 2008-09, making him worth only a late-round pick as insurance.
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Moon on All-Rookie second team
Jamario Moon, SG TOR
News: The NBA's All-Rookie second team was announced Tuesday. Toronto's Jamario Moon, Memphis' Juan Carlos Navarro, Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young, Detroit's Rodney Stuckey and Houston's Carl Landry were selected.
Analysis: Moon averaged 27.8 minutes as a rookie and made a good impression by averaging 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. He displayed very promising raw athleticism and burst onto the scene with some very acrobatic dunks and flashy play. His best month was February, when he averaged 10.2 points per game. Fantasy owners should expect his numbers to rise a bit in his second NBA season, but a true breakout season may still be a couple of years away. He started 75 games as a rookie and should have a head start at a starting job in 2008-09.
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Green selected for All-Rookie team
Jeff Green, SF SEA
News: Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant and Al Horford headlined the NBA All-Rookie team announced Tuesday. Atlanta's Horford was the only unanimous choice with 58 votes, followed by Seattle's Durant with 57 in balloting by the league's head coaches. Houston's Luis Scola (53), Los Angeles Clippers forward Al Thornton (48) and Seattle's Jeff Green (43) also made the first team.
Analysis: Green averaged 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists as a rookie, but had a much better second half after a slow pre-All-Star start. He averaged 13.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 31 games after the break and figures to be a fixture at small forward for the young Oklahoma-bound team. Green and Durant are the building blocks of that franchise and Fantasy owners should use his post-All-Star break numbers as a guide to his 2008-09 projections.
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Thornton selected for All-Rookie team
Al Thornton, SF LAC
News: Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant and Al Horford headlined the NBA All-Rookie team announced Tuesday. Atlanta's Horford was the only unanimous choice with 58 votes, followed by Seattle's Durant with 57 in balloting by the league's head coaches. Houston's Luis Scola (53), Los Angeles Clippers forward Al Thornton (48) and Seattle's Jeff Green (43) also made the first team. Thornton had the second highest scoring average of any rookie during the 2007-08 regular season, trailing only Durant with 12.7 points per game. He appeared in 79 games and started 31 of them. As a starter, he averaged 15.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists -- getting 35.5 minutes of playing time in those games.
Analysis: Fantasy owners should realize that much of Thornton's success as a rookie came with Elton Brand out of the mix due to an Achilles' injury. With that said, Thornton did average 14.9 points and 6.4 games in April while playing alongside Brand, so the team will likely look to give him as much playing time as possible as a sophomore. There is also the possibility that Brand skips town with a player option to bail out of his contract in the offseason. In any case, Thornton is one of the better keeper options in Fantasy and will be a solid middle-round pick with his upside.
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Scola selected for All-Rookie team
Luis Scola, PF HOU
News: Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant and Al Horford headlined the NBA All-Rookie team announced Tuesday. Atlanta's Horford was the only unanimous choice with 58 votes, followed by Seattle's Durant with 57 in balloting by the league's head coaches. Houston's Luis Scola (53), Los Angeles Clippers forward Al Thornton (48) and Seattle's Jeff Green (43) also made the first team.
Analysis: Scola appeared in all 82 games as a rookie, starting 39 of those games after beating out Chuck Hayes for the starting power forward job. As a starting power forward, he averaged 13.0 points and 7.6 rebounds. He shot 53.4 percent from the field in those games. He did a lot of his damage this season while Yao Ming was out with an injury. But the Argentine rookie proved he can be a workhorse in the paint for the Rockets and will likely fit in well alongside Yao in 2008-09. He'll be able to be around 10 points per game on most nights due to the double teams Yao faces and will also see a good amount of loose rebounds, making him a worthy pick in the middle rounds as a No. 3 or 4 Fantasy forward.
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Horford makes All-Rookie team
Al Horford, PF ATL
News: Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant and Al Horford headlined the NBA All-Rookie team announced Tuesday. Atlanta's Horford was the only unanimous choice with 58 votes, followed by Seattle's Durant with 57 in balloting by the league's head coaches. Houston's Luis Scola (53), Los Angeles Clippers forward Al Thornton (48) and Seattle's Jeff Green (43) also made the first team.
Analysis: Horford ranked first among rookies in double-doubles (25) and rebounds (9.7), helping the Hawks end the league's longest postseason drought with their first playoff berth since 1999. Unlike Joakim Noah, who was the star of the University of Florida's back-to-back national championship teams and a teammate of Horford's, the Hawks rookie was able to make a seemingly easy transition from the college game to the pros. He has the build of a power forward, but has enough athletic ability to bump with centers in the paint. He figures to improve upon his numbers over the next couple of seasons with a big breakout year somewhere on the horizon. Fantasy owners should look to target him as a No. 2 center with the chance he'll do more.
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Alston undergoes ankle surgery
Rafer Alston, PG HOU
News: Rafer Alston had minor surgery done Friday to repair an injury he sustained late in the season. Alston's surgery repaired ligament and tendon damage in his right ankle. Team doctor Tom Clanton said Alston would ready to play when the Rockets begin training camp in the fall.
Analysis: Alston had missed the first two games of the series with a hamstring injury which was not related. He is expected to be ready in plenty of time for the start of training camp this summer. He started 74 of the Rockets' 81 games this season, averaging 13 points and five assists per game. Alston's numbers have been pretty steady the last two seasons, so to expect anything more than 13.0 points and 5.0 assists a game in 2008-09 could be stretching it. Consider him a No. 3 Fantasy guard on Draft Day 2008-09.
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J. Jones not a major factor
James Jones, SF POR
News: Blazers F James Jones appeared in just 58 games during the 2007-08 regular season, mostly due to a knee injury. He averaged only 22.0 minutes, 8.0 points and 2.7 rebounds. His best game of the season came on Dec. 12 against Golden State when he scored 21 points with six rebounds in 34 minutes of action.
Analysis: Jones became an afterthought in the rotation in the second half of the season after a pretty decent start to the season due to the emergence of Travis Outlaw during his knee injury. Jones is a decent player with upside, but without the minutes or role to produce. Fantasy owners will not need to worry about drafting him in most Fantasy formats.
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Jack struggles in third season
Jarrett Jack, PG POR
News: After averaging 12.0 points, 5.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 2006-07 while starting all 79 games he played, Jack saw his scoring drop (9.9) as well as his assists (3.8) during the 2007-08 regular season. He quickly lost his starting job at the beginning of the season due to general inefficiency and started just 16 games.
Analysis: Jack not only lost his starting role, but he even was replaced in his niche role as sixth man by Travis Outlaw. He was still productive in spurts over the course of the season, but simply didn't see the playing time or shot attempts he saw in his second season. His Fantasy stock has dropped to that of a late-round flier, but he's still talented enough to bounce back. Consider that his main competition for minutes at point guard is Steve Blake.
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Blake becomes starting point guard
Steve Blake, PG POR
News: Blazers G Steve Blake appeared in a career-high 81 games during the 2007-08 regular season, starting 78 of them. He also averaged a career best 1.5 three-pointer per game, shooting at a 40.6 percent clip from beyond the arc.
Analysis: Blake won the starting job early in the season when Jarrett Jack failed to produce as the starting point guard and he produced solid, albeit unspectacular totals all season. He rarely cracked double figures in scoring, let alone any other category, but was the definition of a serviceable point man. He'll enter the 2008-09 regular season with a chance to serve in the same role and put up more or less the same meager totals. He'll only be worth a late-round pick in Fantasy as his upside is very limited.
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Outlaw breaks out in 2007-08
Travis Outlaw, SF POR
News: Blazers F Travis Outlaw enjoyed career highs in scoring (13.3), rebounds (4.6), assists (1.3) and minutes played (26.6) during the 2007-08 regular season. He appeared in 82 games, mostly off the bench, and became the team's sixth man.
Analysis: Outlaw became the team's source of energy and scoring off the bench early in the season after Jarrett Jack failed in that role and he may have found his niche at the NBA level. Expect the Blazers to give him around 25-30 minutes off the bench again in 2008-09, with a very real possibility that Outlaw could approach a 15-4-1 line. He'll be worth pick in the middle-to-late rounds as a No. 4 Fantasy forward.
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