Preseason Player Previews

Top 5 Impact Rookies

1. Adam Morrison - Impact by default. Immediately the new face of the franchise, he will log major minutes and hoist the most shots. Also probably the most overrated college prospect since Keith Van Horn. There will only be on Larry Bird people..the earlier everyone understands this the easier it will be for us to move on.

2. Rajon Rondo - I can only imagine how good this kid would be if Phoenix had kept him. He is lightning fast and is probably one of the 5 best rebounding guards as soon as he plays his first game. With the unsettled backcourt in Boston don't be surprised if he is top 3 in the ROY race.

3. Brandon Roy - Scouts love this kid and he will get every opportunity to prove them right. Perfect team and situation will allow him to flourish.

4. Andrea Bargnani - The #1 overall pick should show why he made Charlie V expendable. Only fear with him is that he may not be physically strong enough to play in the frontcourt over an 82 game season.

5. Rudy Gay - On talent alone may be best player in the draft. One of the main beneficiaries of the injury to Pau Gasol. Will get plenty of PT as Memphis tries to fill the void.

Breakout player candidates

Mike Dunleavy - This years Boris Diaw. A favorite of new coach Don Nelson. Will be asked to play a "point" power forward role this year which looks like it could translate to 10-15 fpg in the lesser heralded rebounds, assists, stls and block categories.

Chris Wilcox - After spending his career behind All-Star Elton Brand, Chris will finally have an opportunity to showcase his talents. On a team of shooters and slashers, Chris should thrive around the basket.

Marvin Williams - Now we will see why he was chosen as the 2nd overall pick. Baby Al was moved to give him his shot and he should not dissapoint.

Kevin Martin - The only thing keeping this kid and becoming a 17-20 point scorer is minutes. With Peja and Bonzi out of the picture he should see plenty.

Raymond Felton - This is officially his team. No more controversy. Showed last year that he is almost as capable as CP3 at filling up the stat line when given the opportunity. This year he as more weapons with the addition of Morrison and a healthy Okafor.

J.R. Smith - He will also be noted below in the change of scenery category. He has all the attributes of your prototypical NBA 2 guard. Range beyond the 3, a 40+ vertical and a total lack of defense.

Darko Milicic - Some draft experts were saying he should be the #1 overall pick instead of King James. Obviously they have all been fired since then. He finally got a chance to take the court late last season and showed flashes of why everyone had been so high on him. He should take the next step this season on a young talented Orlando team.

Players who should benefit the most from offseason team change

Tyson Chandler - A fresh start should do him well. Still very young and now determined to show he can do more than get injured and collect paychecks.

Speedy Claxton - Any point guard can put up decent stats when surrounded by the athletic and versatile young talent, but it helps when the PG actually has some skills... and Speedy does.

Charlie V - Not that he didn't do well up in Canada, but the frontcourt up there got crowded in a hurry when Bargnani was drafted at #1. He should see the minutes he deserves in Bucktown.

J.R. Smith - Probably the best of the bunch, and not just saying that because I drafted him. J.R. was deep in the NO doghouse and he should thrive on a Denver team that has been starved for a good 2 guard. Only question is if there will be enough shots to go around.

One Injury Away

Dajuan Wagner/Monta Ellis - We all know that Baron is going down...the only question is when. When he is out one of these 2 will get a chance to showcase their offensive arsenal

Marcus Williams - Best PG in the draft fell all the way to New Jersey. A perfect fit as a back-up to Kidd and the perfect replacement when the tread on Kidds tires start wearing down.

Shaun Livingston - OK..maybe a little baised to put another one of my guys on the list, but he has the talent to be special. Problem at this point is that he plays behind a very saavy veteran who not only still has a little left, but is also a great leader.

Paul Millsap - If I get to list the good on my team I might as well list the bad. Mr. Boozer is bound to miss some time again this year, we just don't know why yet. Millsap is essentially the same type of player and would put up respectable numbers if given similar minutes.

Randy Foye - Who doesn't love this kid. Comparisons to D. Wade are very optimistic, but he definitely has a bright future. Too bad they are stuffing him behind Mike James, Ricky Davis, Hassell, Hudson, Jaric, etc. Even with that expect big things by mid-season.

Marcus Banks - He should learn alot from the 2-time MVP. He could never replace Nash if you are a Phoenix fan, but would great for fantasy owners should Nash go down.

Comeback Players

Knicks (Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, Q Richardson, Steve Francis, etc) - Without the shackles of Larry Brown, Knick players should be free to resume their selfish, stat stuffing ways.