Ike Diogu

Diogu came over in the draft day deal that landed Bayless. He will provide depth to the Blazers' front-court, but the undersized power forward will have a tough time getting significant run. He's a defensive liability and will only find fantasy relevance if Portland's front-court has a rash of injuries.

On a per-minute basis, Diogu is one of the more fantasy-productive players in the NBA. He's capable of putting up double-double numbers every time he hits the floor. Unfortunately, he also best represents the chasm between fantasy and reality, as his offensive production has a hard time keeping up with what he allows on the other end of the floor. At 6-8, 255, Diogu isn't the mobile of players, which could hurt him in Jim O'Brien's system. Still, if you're looking to gamble late in your draft on a cheap source for points and rebounding, Diogu is a nice sleeper. You're better off owning him in league where you can taxi him if he's not getting consistent playing time, then starting him when O'Neal suffers his next injury.

Diogu showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie, most notably with a 27-point, seven-rebound performance against the Pistons, and also finished the season by averaging 12.5 points (54% FG, 86% FT) with 6.1 rebounds in 11 April games. On the whole, though, Diogu’s rookie season was not fantasy worthy as he adjusted to the NBA (7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, .4 bpg). Diogu is a bit undersized at only 6-8, but he has extremely long arms and a strong 255-pound base that allows him to bang in the post and hold his own on the glass. The Warriors would like for Diogu to develop into their power forward of the future, but for now Diogu must compete with the much more expensive Troy Murphy for playing time. If he gets the minutes, Diogu could be a nightly double-double threat with good percentages.

After becoming the 1st player in Pac-10 history to lead the league in scoring (22.6 ppg), rebounding (9.8 rpg) and blocks (2.34 bgp), Diogu should have an immediate impact as a rebounder for a team that ranked last in defensive and total rebounds. He was impressive during the Reebok Vegas summer league averaging 18.4 points and 8.4 rebounds. He will start the season backing up Troy Murphy at PF, but could earn a starter's spot if the Warriors are successful with Murphy at center. Keep an eye on Ike, he could be a productive fantasy player sooner than later.