TOP 5 NBA NEWSMAKERS FROM WEDNESDAY 8/4/10 TO TUESDAY 8/10/10

We have many great articles planned leading up to the 2010-2011 Fantasy Basketball season including sleepers, busts, rookies, strategy, full player rankings and projections all wrapped up into a nifty draft kit to help you win your league next year. Below, we analyze the top fantasy basketball news items from the previous week.

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5. McGrady, Tracy SF/SG (HOU) signed with DET

McGrady had some decent run with the Knicks last season, but he'll have a hard time garnering major minutes on the wing on a crowded Pistons roster (Prince, Hamilton, Ben Gordon). Plus, we don't trust his knee. Do you? Avoiding T-Mac in 2010-11 would be a good idea.

4. Beaubois, Rodrigue G DAL broke his foot

This is a real shame, as Dallas had planned to feature him more this season. He could miss up to three months, which would mean he would miss some regular season games. So bump him down from a pre-season sleeper to an in-season "watch" as a waiver wire pick-up. Jason Kidd could play more minutes to start the season, so he could be one to draft if he falls below value and then deal as it looks like Beaubois ramps up to speed.

3. Mason, Jr., Roger SG (SA) signed with NY

Mason could see some good action with the Knicks. They score so much, he has a shot at averaging 10 ppg off the bench, providing perhaps 1.5 threes per game. It depends how the chips fall with Gallinari, Chandler, Azubuike, and Bill Walker, but Mason could potentially be useful for those seeking threes in deep leagues.

2. Ford, T.J. IND is currently the starter

Just like the last two seasons, but he lost his starting job in each one. He only has the injured A.J. Price and the rookie Lance Stephenson behind him, but there is talk of the Pacers trading for a point guard like Jose Calderon. Ford is likely a player to avoid in fantasy this season.

Shaq joins Jermaine O'Neal in the paint in Boston. The Celtics will likely play it smart until Perkins returns (which will be most of the season) and give each O'Neal about 22 minutes per game, letting Big Baby or Garnett play some center, too. Jermaine has had constant nagging injuries lately, and Shaq is old with eroding skills, so limiting minutes is a good thing. Each O'Neal qualifies as a low-end fantasy C2 at this point, with Jermaine having a bit of an edge over Shaquille.

ALSO

Tiago Splitter F SA suffered a leg contusion. Some feared the injury to be worse, but we're here to tell you that it's nothing serious, so continue to consider him a sleeper for the upcoming season... Ben Wallace C/PF officially re-signed with DET. In a limited role, he'll provide rebounds, blocks, and steals as a low-end C2 in deep leagues... Rasheed Wallace was waived by BOS. You may officially consider him retired... The following players signed this past week, but they aren't likely to be fantasy assets: Jason Williams PG ORL, Shannon Brown SG LAL, Tim Thomas F DAL, Keith Bogans F/G (MIL) CHI, Sean May PF, and Acie Law PG (CHI) MEM.

Again, ask a question about your keepers in our FORUM. Leave a comment about this article down below.