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Dude, He Was My Sleeper

Physioballs are kind of fun to pretend you're bouncing an oversized basketball, or to playfully bounce on one like those Moonwalk things I see at a kids party. But I've never been a fan of them as a workout aide. And now that I've learned Garcia broke his forearm while lifting weights on one when the physioball exploded, I'll never get on another one again. For me, the incident will do the same thing for my physioball use, that the first roller-coaster accident I heard about did to my roller-coaster career.

On top of the workout trauma I've suffered, Garcia was a sleeper I was eying this year. He's coming off a year in which he had a few nagging injuries while playing for a team nobody sees or cares about. The Kings liked him so much that they signed him to a contract extension prior to the 2008 season, which kicks in this season. He makes up for his slight build with basketball savvy and a tremendous stroke. First and foremost is his ability to knock down threes (39.8|PERCENT| in 2008-09), and he's provided contributions in most fantasy categories while playing three positions. He's not strong enough to create his own opportunities, but he can finish plays and hit jumpers -- both pull up and catch-and-shoot jumpers from all ranges. Garcia has initiated offense for the Kings and can move the ball. He's not a great defender, but takes chances and uses his length to get into passing lanes (1.23 spg). I saw him as a potential six-to-eight category contributor, who I could get cheaply or in the later rounds. Oh well, onto my Plan B: Golden State's Anthony Morrow.

With Garcia out of the picture, it looks like the starting small forward job comes down to Andres Nocioni or Desmond Mason. Both can defend, but Nocioni is the more complete player, who can rebound, help defend the interior, or play the four in a smaller lineup. We like the offense from Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson, but both are works-in-progress defensively. Donte Greene enters his second NBA season with orders to make better decisions and not to shoot so much. In 55 games for the Kings, he shot 32.6 percent from the field, including a woeful 26 percent from 3-point range. He wasn't shy, averaging 4.3 shots in 13 minutes per game. Nocioni should be the biggest benefactor.

At shooting guard, where Garcia was also expected to pick up minutes, it looks like first-round pick Tyreke Evans will get the biggest bump. New coach Paul Westphal has already employed a three-guard lineup during preseason, with Evans, Beno Udrih, Kevin Martin. Evans needs to develop his jump shot, so exposing him on the perimeter seems like a misuse of resources this season. He'd be better suited playing more minutes at point guard, where Udrih is likely to start, but that may not be a season-long gig for him. Udrih plays within control, but can be contained by an average defender and market forces will dictate giving the rookie the job before long. Martin remains the unquestioned leader and needs to stay healthy after two seasons impaired by injury. Much of the Kings' 3-point scoring falls to Martin with Garcia out.

In the front court, Hawes and Thompson provide enough space for each other. Hawes is a face-the-basket guy who step out and hit jumpers. Thompson has the upside. He had a nice rookie season, using his strength and athleticism effectively while being an active participant near the rim. His 2.9 offensive rebounds per game were tied for 8th in the NBA last year. In Year Two, we're hoping for a more polished offensive game. Developing some go-to moves in the low post along with better footwork will result in bigger production.