With the annual NBA fantasy season complete, the focus for basketball fans has transitioned to the NBA playoffs and daily fantasy draft leagues. But it’s also a very important time for reflection when it comes to GM’s with teams in annual fantasy leagues as far as looking forward to next year.
While it might seem like a stretch with next season still months away, there is no better time to prepare for next year’s annual fantasy basketball leagues than right now with everything still fresh in our minds. It is definitely important to make notes about what we saw this year and the caution we can take based on how certain players fared this year.
With that in mind, we’re putting four players on a one-year probation. That is, players that we won’t be targeting next year but players we’ll have our eyes on. We liked them previously but they slumped this year. If they can bounce back, they’ll be on radar again.
C: Dwight Howard, Houston
Howard’s 15.8 points per game was his lowest average since his sophomore NBA season while his 10.5 rebounds per game was the second-lowest mark of his career, but the most concerning statistic is his number of games played. The former All-Star managed to play in just 41 games for the Rockets this season and at 29 years old, it’s more than likely his best days are behind him. Howard would be worth a pick in some leagues if he could stay healthy, but the fact that he can’t manage to stay on the floor is going to keep us away. He’s averaged 60.5 games played per season over the last four. It’s a clear indication that he should be avoided next year in order to see if there is anything left in the tank.
SG: Carmelo Anthony, New York
Anthony was considered a perennial fantasy stud with the potential to put up excellent numbers this season but he struggled out of the gate and was eventually shut down with a knee injury that required surgery. The Knicks have a ton of cap space and are in position to be among the teams that could land the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, so there will be the temptation to draft him high if he is surrounded by quality talent. But Anthony’s knee injury will keep him out a while and his conditioning could be horrible. Factoring that and the Knicks dicey situation, we’ll avoid Anthony next year.
PG: Jrue Holiday, New Orleans
Holiday averaged 14.8 points, 6.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game this season and is the starting point guard for a Pelicans team on the rise, led by one of the league’s most dominant players in Anthony Davis. So the case will be pretty obvious for taking him high. However, Holiday has missed 90 games over the last two seasons and was once again sidelined to start the playoffs, so there should be obvious concern taking him too high. Holiday has amazing potential but he can’t seem to stay healthy. This is his second consecutive regular season where he’s started 37 games or less, so it looks like his body is breaking down even though he’s only 24.
SG: Bradley Beal, Washington
Beal is still just 21 years old and there is no denying his potential, but as is the case with Holiday, it’s very important not to invest too much in him before he proves he can both stay healthy and play at a high level for an entire season. Beal averaged 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this season and he’s looked even better in the playoffs. However, he has also missed an average of 18 games per season through three years in the NBA. His talent, potential and situation in Washington will be enough for some GM’s to take him early but it might be better to keep Beal on probation for one more year in order to let him prove what he can do.
