Josh Childress

Childress’ return to the States was less than triumphant, as he found himself outside the Suns’ core rotation for much of the season. He is a capable scorer and can provide rebounds and steals if given enough minutes, but it is unlikely that will happen this season.

Childress spent the last two seasons in Greece, but he was a four-year player in Atlanta before that, so we have a pretty good sense of what he's capable of as an NBA player (11.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals as a Hawk). Because his athleticism and willingness to run the floor make him a good fit for the Suns' fast-paced style, he should be able to duplicate those numbers in his first year in Phoenix. The biggest question is his shooting stroke; he's a 52.2 percent shooter in his NBA career (36.0 percent from behind the arc), but his unorthodox motion makes him inconsistent at times. If he shoots well, he could be a nice late-round sleeper.

Childress is one of those guys who generates a “Wait… what?” reaction when his name appears toward the top of the ol’ player rater. He’s yet another small forward who generates a lot of value for fantasy teams by filling lots of categories – and separates himself from other “garbage men” by bringing blocked shots (0.7 per game) into the mix. Combine help in a hard-to-fill category with decent scoring (13.0 ppg) boards (6.1) and assists (2.3), more than one steal per game and better than 50 percent shooting, and you’ve got a surprisingly valuable fantasy player. Don’t be scared off by the fact that Childress is behind potential all stars like Joe Johnson and Josh Smith in Atlanta’s rotation – Childress is a key bench player who averaged nearly 37 minutes per game last year, even though he started just 13.

Childress is another of the Hawks' talented swingmen looking for playing time. He's boxed out of the two by Joe Johnson and the three by Josh Smith. The big question is if Atlanta coach Mike Woodson can find him 30 minutes a night again. Childress can do a little of everything for the team coming off the bench, and should provide good rebounding and steal numbers from the guard position if given enough playing time.

Childress was a small forward in college, but on a Hawks team that has nothing but small forwards, the 6-8 Childress found his niche in the backcourt. He had a slow start to his rookie season, but after he entered the starting line-up he finished strong (14.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 48% from the field, 85% from the line after the All-Star break). Childress should continue to be an excellent source of rebounds from the backcourt, possibly the best boarding shooting guard in the NBA. He also has the makings of a decent all-around player, with 1.2 steals and 2.4 assists per game after the All-Star break. On a Hawks team still short on talent, look for Childress to replicate or perhaps improve upon these post-All-Star break numbers as a sophomore.

It's hard to consider the sixth overall pick a sleeper, but many may be unaware of the rebounding ability the skinny Childress possesses in addition to his well known scoring touch. The man with the mushroom cloud 'fro nearly led the Pac-10 last year with 7.5 rpg, and with his long arms, also creates problems as a defender. With Jason Terry in Dallas, Atlanta has just Antoine Walker and Childress as scoring threats, and only Tony Delk and a past-his-prime Kenny Anderson at the point, which may mean some point forward duties for Childress.

He's an outstanding pro prospect because of his long arms, athleticism, and guard-like skills while playing the forward position. He reminds some scouts of former NBA great George "The Ice Man" Gervin. He can shoot both the mid-range J and the 3-pointer. He has excellent ball-handling skills and can play the point-forward position. He's an excellent rebounder and good shot blocker for his position. He's an amazing defender because of his combination of lateral quickness and huge wingspan. His only downsides are his thin frame and his fragile style of play. Childress should be a top 5 pick in the draft.