New NBA Coaches: How Will They Impact Your Fantasy Team?

Last Season's Changes

Indiana Pacers

In the 2006-07 season, the Indiana Pacers averaged 95.6 points per game as a team under Rick Carlisle.  Danny Granger played 82 games in his second season, averaging 13.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.  Mike Dunleavey, who was acquired in a mid-season trade from Golden State, played 43 games with the Pacers, averaging 14.0 points per game and shooting 28.3 percent from behind the arc.

Coach Carlisle did not make the playoffs for the first time in his career, and the Pacers felt it was time to inject the franchise with new blood. 

Jim O'Brien did not lead the team to a winning season in 2007-08, but he did increase the team's scoring average to 104.0 points per game.  Granger has blossomed under O'Brien, averaging 19.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 40.4 percent from three in 423 attempts.  In his sixth season, Dunleavy posted career numbers in points, assists, free throw percentage, three-point percentage and field goal percentage. 

Thanks to this coaching change, the Pacers produced two of last seasons most efficient and productive fantasy players, and Granger is off to a great start this year.


Houston Rockets

Adelman hardly got a chance to break out his golf clubs after his stint with the Kings before he was headed to Houston to take over for Jeff Van Gundy. 

The team's overall production didn’t change much, but stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming did notice a drop in offensive production.  In the 2006-07 season, the injury plagued duo combined to play 119 games and their combined scoring average was 49.6 points per game.  In the 2007-08 season Yao and T-Mac played 121 games with a combine scoring average of 43.6 points per game.

With the addition of Ron Artest and Brent Barry, I would try to unload these often injured players if you can get good value in return. They will most likely never get back to their Van Gundy numbers.


Orlando Magic

The Magic took the Southeast Division crown with an impressive 52-30 record.  The Magic's front office made a plethora of great moves before the season, starting with the hiring of Stan Van Gundy to replace Brian Hill.  The Magic improved their scoring average from 94.8 to 104.5 points per game last season and made 459 more threes than in the 2006-07 season. 

Part of this success was due to the additions of Rashard Lewis and Maurice Evans as well as the subtraction of Darko Milicic.  Let’s not undermine Van Gundy's impact however; Hedo Turkoglu, a career 11.8 point, 4.1 rebound, and 2.5 assist per game player was the NBA's Most Improved Player.  Turkoglu posted 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game on his way to earning the award and he sunk a career-high 166 threes.

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