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Shooting Guards
It's going to be hard to tell what to expect from this years crop of shooting guards. We know we're getting a monster year from Dwayne Wade, that Kobe will lose another step and Joe Johnson will continue to be overpaid. The uncertainty lies in the rest of the class. Will we find out the ceiling of Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans and other budding stars or will they stall for anther year? Much like many of the teams in the league, shooting guards seem to be in a state of transition at the moment. Moving from old to new.
Superstars-
Dwayne Wade- D. Wade had a great inaugural season next to LeBron and Bosh. With a year under their belts and the drive to win the championship I expect similar, if not better production from the best player at the position.
Automatics-
Kobe Bryant- You may be shocked to see me drop Kobe out of the superstar relm and into the automatics. Father time is going to catch up with the Black Mamba at some point and I say this is the year we really see a drop. All that really means is that he still puts up better numbers than most, just not great ones.
Joe Johnson- Joe Johnson is so overpaid that if I owned the Hawks I might amnesty him. Okay, perhaps that is a little harsh. He won’t put up numbers to back what he is being paid, but you can count on him to drop 18-5-5 every night.
Monta Ellis- An explosive scorer on the trading block. He’s a lock at 25-5-4. Some may think he can rise above that, but even with a change of scenery I think Ellis has peaked, which, from a fantasy standpoint, is perfectly fine.
Eric Gordon- Not this year, but next year I see EG joining Wade as the cream of the crop for shooting guards. The change and scenery gives Gordon the opportunity to be the alpha dog. I say he adjusts fine and goes for 23-4-3, but it takes him a year to flourish and rise to superstardom.
Manu Ginobili- I may be stretching a bit to still include Ginobili in this group, but the dude has a lot of heart. Even with his age creeping higher I expect a slight increase in his production with Tim Duncan losing another step this year.
Breakouts/Fantasy Grenades-
Kevin Martin- K-Mart is not going to have any sort of breakout, but rest assured he is a nightly candidate to go off and drop 40.
James Harden- The Thunder have no current plans of starting Harden over Thabo Sefolosha, but that doesn’t mean they won’t consider it at some point this season. Harden is my candidate for the sixth man award if he comes off the bench. I expect His ppg to jump into the upper teens and a slight rise in assists and boards.
Shannon Brown- As an explosive role player for the Lakers Brown was very productive. Now he is joining Steve Nash’s Suns and contending for a starting gig. Something special may be rising in Phoenix.
Wesely Matthews- With Brandon Roy now retired I don’t expect the Blazers to miss a beat. Two words: Wesely Matthews.
Tyreke Evans: Tyreke won the ROY and then fell off quite a bit last season. I think that was just a sophomore slump and expect his best season yet.
DeMar DeRozan- A lock for 20 ppg this year. Fortunate for Raptor fans, you have a budding star.
Mr. Consistant-
Ray Allen- It’s probably time to start getting concerned with what Ray has left in the tank. Fortunately, the three-point king still has his shot and that should allow him to put up a solid 15 per game this year. Added with a few rebounds, assists and an occasional 30-40 point game and you have yourself a reliable fantasy starter.
Jason Terry- Terry was huge for the Mavs in last years title run and should continue to play a role in their efforts to repeat. The Mavs count on him to add a spark off the bench, you can count on him in your fantasy lineup.
Nick Young- Nick Young is going to average 20-25 points per game this year. And aside from a rebound and an assist here or there, that’s about all you should expect. Luckily, his scoring output is good enough to make him a solid fantasy contributor night in and night out.
Arron Afflalo- Afflalo is expected to resign in Denver and become a key part of their rebuilding process. He has always served his teams as a quality backup, I expect his increased floor time to add up to 15-5-5 from him this season.
Purgatory-
Vince Carter- Orlando gave up on Vinsanity and Phoenix quickly followed suit. Now we find the former dunk champion in Dallas surrounded by other quality vets. There is a chance remains well rested by only being given a handful of minutes. There is also a chance he is washed up.
Ben Gordon- To say Gordon had a lackluster performance last season is an understatement. Will he bounce back?
Paul George- Indiana is looking like a young team poised to cause trouble in the East and Paul George is a reason why. If he is given the minutes and continues from where he left off last year, he could evolve into a special player this season.
Anthony Morrow- When he was on the court Morrow was streaky at times, stringing a few 20-point games together. He was also injured for a good bit of the season. If he can stay healthy, being paired with D-Will is probably going to be a good thing for Morrow.
Jason Richardson- I think he still has some left in the tank, but right now Orlando doesn’t smell right to me and J-Rich just signed an extension. Oops.
Daniel Gibson- Boobey has shown the world he can score over the years. The problem is that he is often times given inconsistent minutes or becomes inconsistent himself. With the Cavs in rebuilding mode, Boobey could wind up seeing valuable minutes.
Marcus Thornton- Marcus is a future 20-point player. My concern is with the amount of minutes he will get in Sacramento. It’s looking like there won’t be enough to go around.
Too Soon To Tell-
Rip Hamilton- Rip is a big pickup for the Bulls. More than likely it’s a pickup that has more of an effect in the playoffs. If Brewer/Krover/Bogans are stealing minutes for defensive or sharpshooter purposes, Rip’s fantasy value will dwindle.
Rudy Fernandez/Corey Brewer- With some of Denver’s piece’s stuck in China, both Rudy and Brewer could wind up seeing valuable minutes in the Mile High City.
Chauncey Billups- He’s getting a fresh start in Clipperland and playing along Chris Paul and Blake Griffen. If he’s motivated to lead them to a potential title run, he’ll produce, but there is a chance father time has a larger say than he does.
OJ Mayo- Mayo had a bit of a rough season last year. Got into a fight with Tony Allen and lost a lot of playing time. If he is given the minutes and gels with his teammates he could be relevant to your fantasy team.
DeShawn Stevenson- The LeBronStopper might actually find quality minutes this year. He’s a risk, but one that could pay off handsomely.
Michael Redd- Yes, that Michael Redd. It feels like he has been injured for an eternity and can’t seem to catch a break, but if he finds a way to get healthy and can even grasp an ounce of his old game, he is worth picking up for your team.
Mike Dunleavy/Carlos Delfino- Both players will have solid stats, the question is, with the two of them sharing minutes in Milwaukee, will either of them be consistent enough to be fantasy worthy.
Landry Fields- Fields showed some signs of greatness in the Big Apple last year. I expect only a slight improvement in his game now, but in two or three we better start watching out for this kid.
Evan Turner/Jodi Meeks- Turner needs to mature and Meeks needs minutes. I expect the Sixers to still be invested in their number two pick, which will hurt Meeks’ value, but may improve Turner in the long run.
Jamal Crawford- Crawford was huge for the Hawks last year. Now he is with the Blazers. I’m uncertain though if his game translates seamlessly to the west coast or not.
Mid-Season Upside-
Tracy McGrady- T-Mac is probably washed up. But somehow or another he had a few games for Detroit last year where he filled the stat sheet and became relevant to fantasy owners. There’s always a chance he does that again in Atlanta this year.
J.R. Smith- China.
Klay Thompson- Thompson could see some valuable time on the court if Monta Ellis gets traded.
Xavier Henry- He showed some flashes when he stole time from Mayo last year. If he’s given the opportunity again, he won’t disappoint.
Gerald Henderson- There is going to be a youth movement in Charlotte as the Bobcats attempt to build through the draft. If Henderson keeps developing he could turn into a solid start come midseason.
Mid-Season Downside-
Anthony Parker- Parker is going to slowly lose minutes as the season moves along in Cleveland. Not that he was going to produce much to begin with.
Washed-Up-
Josh Childress- Probably one of the worst free agents signings in recent memory. He will do nothing in Phoenix.
Raja Bell- Bell will get lost in the mix as the Jazz go full throttle on their rebuilding process.
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