Chris Mihm

Mihm is the X-factor on this year’s Lakers, and his health will go a long way in determining the team’s frontcourt production. When healthy, Mihm is a capable center, putting up double-figure scoring, strong field goal shooting and more than a blocked shot a game. However, he missed all of last season after reconstructive ankle surgery, and no one is sure how the injury will affect his game. Mihm has publicly stated that his explosiveness and rebounding ability are back to what they were before the injury, but fantasy owners should be wary and look to Mihm only if he displays flashes of brilliance in the preseason.

Toward the end of the 2005-06 season – when the Lakers made their late 12-5 run to qualify for the playoffs – it was Kwame Brown starting at center while Mihm sat out with an ankle injury. Brown averaged 10.7 points and 7.8 rebounds as the team’s center, up from the 6.2 ppg and 6.5 rpg averages he posted at power forward. This could be the arrangement when this season starts. If so, we expect Mihm’s production to fall off. He’s got a nice offensive game once he does get on the court, but is foul prone. He underwent surgery on the ankle in the offseason, but will be ready by the time training camp rolls around in October.

Mihm has a decent low post game and can rebound in spurts but hasn't consistently seen minutes in his career to amass totals worthy of much fantasy consideration. Mihm struggled to stay out of foul trouble most nights against stronger, more athletic opponents and wasn't very effective even in his short stints on the court in the 2004 season. The 7-0, 265-lbs. center averaged just 24.9 minutes per game and scored 9.8 points per game while grabbing a 6.7 rebounds per game in those minutes. Mihm is a decent free-throw shooter (career, 70.1%) for the center position, and is a decent shot blocker (career, 2.1 bpg) if given extended time. With only Andrew Bynum, Brian Cook, and Slava Medvedenko competing for minutes at center, Mihm will get a chance to play more this season if he can limit the fouls. Expect decent rebounds, blocks, and FG percentage, but going into the season, he's not someone you'd want to rely on for fantasy purposes.

Mihm comes over from Boston as part of a package that shipped Payton and Fox to the east coast. Mihm is a decent rebounder but doesn't have much of an offensive game or shot-blocking abilities to log important minutes for the Lakers this season.

Mihm was given some playing time at power forward during the last three months of the season, but didn’t establish himself as a better alternative to Carlos Boozer. There isn’t much for him in the way of playing time at center, either. Expect a similar bench role this season.