| RotoFreak.com: New Jersey Nets Fantasy Preview Authored by Craig Huffman - October 5, 2006 - 1:38 pm
| Current Featured Columns | | Breaking Down The 2nd Round After a somewhat surprising first round of the 2008 NBA playoffs, we find ourselves with even better match-ups in the Round of Eight.
Prospect Report: Brook Lopez Of StanfordFor a team looking for a well-developed offensive game at center, Brook Lopez is the 2008 Drafts best option.
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Vince Carter In last year's 2nd half, Vince saw an increased role in Jersey's offense - leading to a boost in FG, 3PT and FT attempts; however, his poor shot selection soured that potential for extra value. Since the only other above-average shooter on the team is Krstic, we can only assume that Vince will continue to be the number one option, and that his percentages will creep back up closer to his career averages. We'd love for him to run the floor with RJ - to give Kidd another fast-break target and to give Vince some easier buckets. Perhaps the contract that he's working for will help motivate him. Nevertheless, we're expecting more of the same from Vince. With two healthy years under his belt, the knee concerns appear to be behind him. So, we'll be drafting him at last year's value (in the 20 to 25 range).
Richard Jefferson 04-05 showed what would happen if RJ were to try and take on a leading role... he averaged 42 percent from the field and 4 turnovers per game. Last year, with Kidd healthy and Vince the main man, we saw RJ focus back to high-percentage jump shots and driving to the hole. Consequently, his FG% jumped back up near 50 percent and his turnovers nearly split in half. That's not to say that RJ's fantasy game can't improve, though. He shot a respectable 36.5 percent from 3pt land in 03-04. Although that percentage has dropped by a few points each year since, he is reported to have worked on that long-range shot all summer. But any of that would be a bonus, as RJ's return to efficiency allows him to hover around our top 30. With his stats not incredibly flashy and his name not holding a whole lot of brand power, you can usually grab him in the 35 to 45 range come draft time.
Nenad Krstic Nenad's sophomore year wasn't exactly a bust; however, we didn't see a great deal of progress in his stat lines. His jump shot was used more in the offense and he saw a minor increase in rebounds; however, his steal and block numbers actually decreased. We do have more hope for him this year, though. It was his first summer off in about 5 years after he declined to play for Serbia at the Worlds. Instead, he opted to hit the weight room and keep his legs fresh for this upcoming season... with a self-proclaimed goal of becoming an NBA All-Star this year. So, yeah, he's a little delusional; however, considering Jersey's anemic frontcourt, it certainly wasn't a bad idea to take some time off. Unfortunately, unless Nenad limits those fouls, his minutes won't be particularly strong. We think he's on pace for a small improvement yet again; so, we're bumping him up around the 100 mark. That's a projected 20-rank improvement from last year.
Eddie House The opportunities for Eddie won't be as bright as in Phoenix; however, he does fill New Jersey's need for a 3pt gunner off the bench. He's an undersized shooting guard and there aren't more than 15 minutes behind VC; however, is draftable in 20-team leagues. Considering Antoine Wright is also looking for minutes at the 2, we just don't see enough upside right now to warrant taking House in the top 200.
Jason Collins The knee is apparently ready to go for training camp, and he also lost 25 pounds over the summer. So, that's encouraging. Unfortunately, he still can't run the floor... or provide an ounce of offense... or gather enough hustle stats to accumulate any fantasy value.
Cliff Robinson Uncle Cliffy will be the first big off the bench once again this year. He nearly gives you a 3 per game, his turnovers are in check, and he's decent with the hustle stats; however, he still has marginal value in 20-teamers. If Collins or Nenad go down with an injury, he'll likely be worth a wire addition. Otherwise, the minutes won't be strong enough to accumulate any fantasy value.
Antoine Wright He had an impressive summer league, earning All-Second Team honors, and collecting 17 PTS, 2.2 REB, 2 AST, 1.6 STL, 0.4 BLK and 2 TO (in 33.5 mpg). He bulked up some this offseason and is coming into training camp with more confidence. He should earn a spot in the rotation, backing up RJ and perhaps playing some 2 as well. We're keeping an eye on him, as there might be an opportunity there if RJ or VC goes down with an injury.
Mikki Moore There's an ever-so-small window of opportunity for Mikki to start the year with some value, as Cliff still has 2 games left on that drug-related suspension. Once that's over, Mikki will be behind Cliff in the depth charts. So, there's no value here.
Marcus Williams He's a decent prospect in keeper leagues because JKidd only has a few more years left in the tank. With his turnover and steal numbers poor, his effectiveness in limited minutes won't be strong. But he can hit the 3pt shot, is strong at the charity stripe, and has a lot of upside in the assist department... so, if JKidd goes down with an injury, grab him off the wire.
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