Al Harrington

The veteran small forward will be out ill mid-December after complications from arthroscopic knee surgery. At full strength, though, Harrington can still catch fire, although not as frequently anymore. Still, he was great for Denver last year, providing 14.2 points in 27.5 minutes. Once he returns, he’s a threat to average double-digits.

Harrington has been a perennial disappointment, at least from a fantasy perspective. He has the ability to shoot, but he doesn't do much else and he had a hard time earning minutes last season. The team could use its amnesty clause on Harrington, and that might be the best way for him to find consistent fantasy minutes this season.

Harrington was one of the Knicks' better scorers – and more frustrating players – last season, averaging 17.7 points and 5.6 boards but irritating fans with his questionable on-court decisions. Cast aside to make room for this summer's free agent class, Harrington landed in Denver – a team desperately in need of quality bigs, with both Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen coming off knee surgery. Harrington seems a good fit for Denver's powerful offense, and could be a key player for the Nuggets, especially if Martin isn't at full strength when the season begins.

After feuding with coach Don Nelson, Harrington was traded to the Knicks last season, and his disappointing numbers while playing for Golden State improved significantly in New York. Harrington averaged a career-high 20.7 points and 2.4 threes while also shooting a personal-best 80.4 percent from the free-throw line. It’s safe to say he took a liking to coach Mike D’Antoni’s fast-paced system, and his production was a direct result of all those extra field-goal attempts. Harrington might even be eligible at center in some leagues, but his game better resembles a small forward’s, as he’s a spot shooter who rarely posts up. In fact, Harrington attempted 6.4 three-point shots per game last year, which ranked third in the NBA. The Knicks used their first round pick on forward Jordan Hill, so Harrington’s minutes may be reduced in 2009-10. However, the team lacks many viable scoring options, so Harrington will almost certainly remain heavily in the mix.

The pairing of Al Harrington and Don Nelson seemed like a match made in heaven… a 6-9 swingman with power forward size and perimeter skills, and the offensive mad scientist who loves to play with unorthodox lineups and interesting matchups. But in one-plus seasons in Golden State, the Harrington/Nelson pairing hasn’t been nearly as productive as expected. Harrington has been unable to hang on to a starting spot – his 27.0 minutes per game last season was his lowest average since the 2000-01 season. Making matters worse: every year the Warriors bring in another athletic forward with a similar profile – Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph – who only cut further into Harrington’s minutes. One note in Harrington’s favor – Nelson’s unorthodox lineups have given Harrington center eligibility in many leagues.

The mid-season trade that landed Harrington in Golden State helped his per game stats almost across the board, with increases in points (17.0), assists (2.3), rebounds (6.4), steals (1.0) and treys (1.7) after the move. The Warriors are one of the most fantasy-friendly offenses in the league, and if he can hold his spot, Harrington should put up good offensive numbers again this season. There’s a bit of concern about how Harrington fell out of favor in the Warriors’ playing rotation during the playoffs last season, and also that rookie Brandan Wright could potentially eat into his minutes as well. But it’s more likely that Wright will be brought along slowly and that Harrington will continue to be a big part of Golden State’s prolific offense.

Harrington returns to Indiana where he'll provide scoring and rebounding from the small forward position. Harrington could also see some time spelling Jermaine O'Neal at the four, or if the team decides to go small and move O'Neal to the pivot on occasion. Harrington shoots a decent percentage from the floor and can even contribute in steals and assists, but he's a liability from the charity stripe and doesn't block a significant amount of shots. Harrington could also be pushed for minutes by second-year man Danny Granger.

Harrington should be the Hawks' small forward this year, but will probably be listed as a power forward in your league; with the Hawks having so many guys who basically play the same position (Harrington, Marvin Williams, Josh Childress, Josh Smith), it’s hard to say who Harrington will actually end up guarding on a night-to-night basis. Harrington was the focus of the Hawks' offense (such as it was) after they dealt Antoine Walker, and he responded with a useful season, putting up 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, and shooting 46% from the field. Harrington's not a shot blocker, but he should contribute more than a steal per game. Even with new acquisition Joe Johnson on board, Harrington should see get a good number of shots and should produce numbers in line with last season’s, so long as he remains in Atlanta.

Harrington showed flashes of what he could do last season while subbing in for Jermaine O’Neal and Ron Artest. Put simply, he's a scorer who will shoot a decent percentage from the floor and rebound a little bit. But Harrington's value gets a big boost due to the offseason move to Atlanta where he figures to start at the forward spot alongside Antoine Walker. Expect big minutes, plenty of shots and close to 20 points per game. Don't expect much defense or quality shot selection, though.

Coming off of a torn ACL, Harrington amazingly played all 82 games for the Pacers last year, and averaged a career-high 30.1 minutes. The recovery from the injury still might have taken its toll on Harrington's play, as he shot only .434 from the field, his lowest percentage since his rookie season. The Pacers have a number of options at the 2, 3, and 4 spots, all of which Harrington can play, although he's probably best suited to play small forward. The best expectation is probably to expect more of the same from Harrington, with perhaps a bump in his field goal percentage. One factor worth watching is to see how well Harrington fits into new coach Rick Carlisle's passing offense, as passing hasn't been his strongest point in the past.