Early PG Rankings

It's the middle of summer, we've seen the Summer League's in Las Vegas and Orlando wrap up, free agency has begun, players have moved and deals have been consumated. So---what's next? Unfortunately for the NBA diehards, not a lot. We've got a few months before fantasy basketball talk really starts to heat up again so I thought I'd give a quick glance over the next few weeks into where certain players rank in the fantasy pecking order. I will be taking into account the rookie years of our soon-to-be Sophomore Class and player movement. This week I'll take on the PG position, so let's roll.

#1- Jason Kidd, New Jersey- Yes, I still consider Kidd the best overall PG. He may be getting older and his minutes may start to decline (especially considering the drafting of Marcus Williams) but his overall game is still hard to pass up. To this day, Kidd remains a nightly triple-double threat and there is nothing better to look for in a fantasy player than someone who has the type of overall, stat-sheet filling game. While his offensive game has always left owners a bit short in the scoring and FG% categories, the number of weapons at his disposal on that end continue to grow. Along with Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson, the Nets have seen a steady increase in the production of center Nenad Kristic, are hoping to see increased production of 2nd year guard Antoine Wright and have solid rookies in Marcus Williams and hopefully Josh Boone.

#2- Chris Paul, New Orleans- I can't say this surprises me. How was he not the #1 overall pick? Paul shot out of the gates last year and proved to be one of the Top 5 PG's in the NBA as a rookie. He's almost as much of a triple threat as Kidd and is heading into his second year. While Pauls FG% was a bit lower than expected, that can be partially attributed to the fact that New Orleans didn't have many weapons which allowed teams to give Paul double coverage. He should be helped this year by an improved David West, newly acquired Peja Stojakovic and Bobby Jackson and return help of Desmond Mason. Every statistical category should see a significant increase in Paul's 2nd year, possibly moving him into a Top 5 Overall Fantasy player.

#3- Gilbert Arenas, Washington- In his four years in the league, he has increased his scoring average in every one-- 11, 18.3, 19.6, 25.5 and 29.3. Can he do it again? I think it'll be hard to increase it again, not that I think he is unable to. While he has already proven himself to be one of the biggest scoring machines in the league, he is far from a one-sided fantasy selection. He should be a Top 10 selection every year. The only area he didnt contribute as much as he could've was with rebounds, averaging only three per game. The rest of his career has been up around five per game, so I dont see any reason he cant repeat those numbers. You can't go wrong with Arenas being your #1 overall selection.

#4- Steve Nash, Phoenix- If you're team is in need of a boost in assists, look no further than Nash. He's lead the league in that category the past two years and has helped lead your's truly to a league title. Nash isn't that offensive minded or as well rounded as other PG's and it ends up dropping his stock slightly in fantasy drafts. It's not that the guy can't score, he just doesn't need to. He shoots over 50% from the field can fill it up from downtown some nights. He is getting a bit older and his minutes may take a hit this year with the addition of Marcus Banks but you can still count on 15 points and 10 assists.

#5- Chauncey Billups, Detroit- The former Finals MVP is coming off the best year of his career, posting highs in both points (18.6) and assists (8.5). Detroit hasn't added anyone of significance this offseason so you should be able to expect a repeat or slight increase in those numbers. From a fantasy perspective, Billups is mainly a three category player: points, assists and FT%. He won't get you many rebounds, nor does he shoot the ball particularly well or come up with many steals. The one thing you can count on from him is to play the full season. His toughness and ability to play through injuries will keep you from worrying too much about whether or not he'll miss a significant portion of the season.

#6- Baron Davis, Golden State- Here's an enigma. Putting him this high is probably a huge mistake, I just cant ignore the numbers he puts up when he's healthy. I really stress when he is healthy. In the past three years, he's missed 18, 36 and 28 games. When he plays like an actual team leader, he's capable of putting up 20+ points, 5-6 rebounds and double digit assists. If he doesn't feel the need, he can turn into nothing but a worthless chucker that can put up solid numbers across the board but absolutely kills you in terms of FG% (42% is his career high). I wish this guy would get his head straight, he reminds me of Antoine Walker during his Boston years. And thats not necessarily a good thing.

#7- Mike Bibby, Sacramento- Bibby's a PG thats always been healthy, always been a lethal scorer and a mediocre distributor. His assist numbers left a little to be desired last year, averaging only five per game. Nonetheless, he's still a solid mid-round selection. With more weapons on offense this year, especially on the perimeter, his numbers could bump him back to his days with Webber and Stojakovic.

#8- Kirk Hinrich, Chicago- Hinrich's been a solid PG since his rookie year and one of the most consistent PG's as well. His game is that of an old-school PG. A pass first mentality with good scoring skills, solid FG% and a nice shot outside the arc. Luckily for fantasy owners, they also get a solid rebounder from the PG position. Hinrich is also a player that could make a huge jump in the rankings following next year--Chicago has reloaded their already playoff-ready roster with Tyrus Thomas, Ben Wallace and a sleeper rookie wing, Thabo Sefolosha. If Hinrich lasts into the 3rd or 4th rounds, snatch him up as fast as possible.

#9- Raymond Felton, Charlotte- Yes, yes, I know. Felton's only coming into his 2nd year, he shouldn't be rated among the Top 10 fantasy guards, right? I don't see it that way. Charlotte eased him into the rotation last year while starting Brevin Knight. Over the last 30 games of the season, Charlotte started both Knight and Felton in the backcourt. During those games, Felton averaged 18 points, 7.5 assists and 1.5 steals. His FG% was a disappointing 42% but he showed streaks of being a reliable shooter considering where was in that area in college. I'm expecting a big boost in his numbers this year with the addition of Adam Morrison and what will hopefully be a healthy year from Sean May and Emeka Okafor.

#10- Jameer Nelson, Orlando. Here's another guy I believe will step up and have a career year. He started off last year backing up Steve Francis until his dealing to New York. Before an injury in mid-January, Nelson had a gaudy ten game stretch in which he put up 23 points, dished out 7 assists, grabbed 4 boards and shot a bilstering 54% from the field and an even better 55% from behind the arc. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see Nelson have a near repeat of those numbers again this year. It seems that I keep repeating myself, I know, but Orlando has also added additional weapons that could help contribute to bigger numbers from Nelson. Most namely, a full season of Darko, another step forward for Dwight Howard, JJ Redick's outside shooting and hopefully a healthy Grant Hill.