NBA 2012-13 Fantasy Preview: THE BAD AND UGLY

Felipe M

(The following article will now deal with NBA players who are destined to see a dip in their production as we enter the upcoming NBA season. All projections are based on fantasy point, head-to-head leagues.  I apologize, once again, to any roto fans out there).

Unfortunately, what goes up, must come down in the real world, and it's no different in the NBA as some players' stock just has to come down for various reasons (age, new coach, new system, new teammates, new rules, etc).  The following is a list of players who will most certainly see a dip in their stock for this upcoming (and maybe beyond this) season:

• Jameer Nelson--Despite being the de facto best scoring option and playmaker in Orlando, projections show that he will not produce as much as most guards who are in similar situations (i.e. Ramon Sessions).  There's a reason why Dwight Howard did not want to play with him in Orlando. 
• Gerald Wallace--How "experts" can pick the New Jersey Nets as a title contender with Wallace in the starting lineup is perplexing to me. His career will continue to "crash."
• Andrew Bogut--After sustaining a number of injuries (most of them very serious) Bogut gets a fresh start at Golden State, but it's doubtful that he will post up the numbers he used to post up in Milwaukee. 
• Elton Brand--You can make the argument that his decline began a long time ago, but many fantasy owners still believe that a fresh start in Dallas where he will play in a more conventional half-court offense will revitalize his career.  My prognosis is that he cannot be relied on too heavily for this season.
• Anderson Varejao--Despite the fact that his production comes in the hustle categories, Varejao's time in Cleveland might be coming to an end as the Cavs might use him as trade bait for a contending team, which might mean a decrease in minutes/production.
• Chauncey Billups--Age and decline in production and play time play a factor in him making this list.
• Tyreke Evans--What should be the prime of his career, Evans is stuck in basketball limbo as he has refused to develop another dimension to his game. 
• Jose Calderon--Mr. Calderon, here's Kyle Lowry.
• Nene--No longer will benefit from the fast-paced game of the Denver Nuggets and was already unhappy being traded to D.C.
• Ray Felton--This is an obvious submission to this list as his timing is horrendous in returning to New York only to have coach Mike D'Antoni missing.
• Paul Pierce--He's still the best scoring option in Boston, but every year, he's relinquishing more and more control to Rondo.  
• Devin Harris--His days as a starting point guard in the NBA have come to an unexpecting end.
• Gerald Henderson--With the selection of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Henderson's days in Charlotte and as a somewhat fantasy relevent player might be nearing an end soon.
• Dorrell Wright--Was a fantasy darling when he played at Golden State, I don't expect him to do much in Philly despite the similar styles in play by both teams. 
• Caron Butler--Too much talent in Clipper-land and not enough basketballs to go around. Butler is in "Swingman Hell."

Next up, we will take a look at the NBA players who are in the crossroads of their careers coming into this season.