The NBA All-Disappointment Team

Fantasy owners can be a bitter lot.

When things are going well it's because we're the greatest managers of all time. We remind our fellow owners in which round we took the steal of the draft. If we happen to get the better of you in a trade, well, have fun reading the message board the rest of the year.

When things don't go well it's never our fault. We'll blame players, coaches, refs and even the weather before we take responsibility for a bad draft.

I'm no different. I've been getting screwed all year by tinkering coaches, unreliable relievers, jittery wide receivers and underachieving players. All my drafts have been flawless from top to bottom. It's a conspiracy that has prevented me from winning each league.

My All-Disappointment Team for the first quarter of the 2003-04 NBA season:

PG: Jamal Crawford, Chicago Bulls
Bill Cartwright is at it again. Last season it was his distribution of point guard minutes between Crawford and Jay Williams that drove fantasy owners crazy. In my league both players were passed between teams like a frisbee. Everyone got a touch.

With Williams out of the picture, Crawford became a popular offseason sleeper. I took him in the sixth round of my draft and was pleased with his early production. Trouble is, Chicago stumbled out of the gate and Cartwright felt another shakeup would get him off the hot seat. Enter rookie Kirk Hinrich. Step aside, Mr. Crawford.

Hinrich is a gritty player, which Cartwright likes. Grit is great when you're sitting courtside and inhaling the aroma of burning flesh. Floor burns, however, don't light up your StatTracker. In a worst-case scenario, Crawford has lost his job to a player with no fantasy value. Hinrich hasn't topped 11 points or six assists in any of his starts.

Better times are ahead for Jamal. In his first game back after spraining his neck he netted 23 points. More minutes and shots are on the way if rumors of a Jalen Rose trade materialize into an actual deal. Hold on to Crawford, but leave him on the bench until the point guard mess is settled.

Fixes: For a short-term point guard fix, scan your available player list for Carlos Arroyo or Marko Jaric. Arroyo averaged 23 points during a recent four-game stretch that likely touched off a modest buying frenzy. Jaric is recovering from a foot injury that has increased his availability. He's shooting 55 percent from three-point range and is averaging 14 points and eight assists when logging more than 30 minutes.

SG: Jalen Rose, Chicago Bulls
So maybe Cartwright is justified in his desperation. Nobody picked the Bulls to win the East, but Chicago was a popular stop for fantasy owners on draft day. In addition to Crawford, Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler were popular sleepers. Jalen Rose was the one sure thing.

All have underachieved, and none worse than Rose. On the heels of averaging at least 20 points, four rebounds and four assists in each of the last three seasons, Rose was a late fourth round pick in my draft. As we approach the season's quarter-pole he stands as the bust of the year.

In six games entering Sunday, Rose was held to single-digit scoring three times. In Chicago's two most recent losses he missed 22 of 27 shots, including eight of 10 from beyond the arc. For the season his scoring is down nearly eight points a game and his assist total and shooting percentage have sagged.

What's the prognosis? Well, after starting every game for nearly three seasons Rose recently was benched for two games. Trade talks have heated up. A move at this time would have to be welcomed by fantasy owners. Rose remains a start, but on reputation only.

Fixes: Shandon Anderson is averaging 16 points, four rebounds and one three-pointer per game in three starts for the Knicks and remains a strong play while Allan Houston nurses a sore back. It's probably too late to nab surprises Ronald Murray and Quentin Richardson in all but a few leagues, but the versatile Joe Johnson may still be available. He'll give you four threes one night, three steals the next and follow up with 12 boards to close the week – a welcome boost in Head-to-Head leagues.

SF: Antawn Jamison, Dallas Mavericks
Note to Mark Cuban: The next time you want to own a fantasy team, your former employers here at Yahoo! welcome you to join one of our free leagues. ...

Look, I respect Cuban for not laying down and handing the Western Conference to the Lakers. It's the timing of Dallas' deals that has fantasy owners scanning the JumboTron for Cuban's email address. We can adjust to offseason trades. Midseason trades generally are rumored for weeks in advance. But shuffling players a few moments before the opening tip? That's just cruel.

Nobody got a worse deal than Jamison, who went to bed on October 19 as the next Bernard King and woke up the following morning with Terry Teagle's role. Sure he's carried the Mavs a few times this season, including this past Saturday (26 points). But Jamison already has registered six games in which he scored 13 or fewer points, and has to be considered a disappointment for fantasy owners.

Fixes: Aaron McKie is another nice guy to have around in Head-to-Head leagues. In five games as a starter this year he's averaging 14.6 points, five rebounds and 1.8 assists. He's shooting well from everywhere on the floor, including 68 percent on threes. Would I bench Jamison for McKie? No. But with Allen Iverson always a reckless drive to the basket away from the injured list it's wise to keep an eye on McKie.

PF: Juwan Howard, Orlando Magic
Those of you who thought a coaching change might jump-start Howard's season can guess again. He's still coming off the bench, and just recorded a season-low 17 minutes in the club's 12th straight loss. Howard's rebound numbers are down and his current shooting percentage would be a career low by more than five points.

Drew Gooden has been equally disappointing, leaving Orlando looking for answers in the frontcourt. On the bright side, this has to be rock bottom. Things can't get any worse for Orlando. Howard owners should remain patient, but as the minutes dry up a short-term benching may be wise, particularly in Head-to-Head leagues.

Fixes:: Chris Wilcox has done a nice job filling in for an injured Elton Brand in Los Angeles. He's stumbled a bit in his last two games, but when playing more than 30 minutes Wilcox is averaging 15.5 points and eight rebounds per game. He's a good short-term add, but don't expect the production to continue when Brand returns.

C: Michael Olowokandi, Minnesota Timberwolves
Just a few weeks ago I listed the Kandi Man as a center sleeper and advised owners to be prepared for the first double-digit rebound season of his career. A few days after that, I used an eighth-round pick to make him my No. 1 fantasy center.

In a recent six-game stretch before he was mercifully sidelined with sore knees, Olowokandi grabbed a TOTAL of 10 rebounds.

In defense of Olowokandi, he missed the entire preseason and has been hobbled in the early going. Still, fantasy owners who thought a change of scenery might be just what the former No. 1 overall draft pick needed must be ready to cut their losses. At this point I can't advise against such action.

Fixes: For now, I'm holding on to Olowokandi. As insurance I just signed Marc Jackson, a Minnesota castoff who is averaging 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in his last six starts for Philadelphia. Toronto's Chris Bosh also may be available. He's now regularly logging 30-plus minutes a game, and he followed a recent 25-point outburst with six blocks against the Sixers. Things should only get better as the rookie develops.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Don't forget to get those fantasy football lineups in order by Thursday. I'll be back in a week to gripe about underachievers on my hockey roster.