7 NBA Stars in Line for a Monster Bounce-Back Season

Before you draft your fantasy teams on the basis of last season's NBA performances alone, it might be worth taking a longer look at the overall trajectory of a guy's career. When one or two seasons look like they were down years, sometimes, there's a reason for that.

From injury troubles to bad chemistry to mismanagement, there are a lot of reasons that even the NBA's best struggle.

If they're truly among the best, they usually bounce back.

Last season may have been especially anomalous on account of the abbreviated 66-game schedule. Though it was only a marginally smaller sample size, it also disrupted the usual flow of a season, beginning with the typical summer routine and training camp.

Add to that an injury or some off-court drama, and you can see how things might take a turn for the worse.

Here are seven stars on pace to take a turn for the better this season.

Amar'e Stoudemire: PF, New York Knicks

It wasn't the best of seasons for Amar'e Stoudemire, but nor was it a sign of imminent decline. His 2011-12 campaign was an amalgamation of things gone wrong, and it's hard to imagine this season serving as anything other than a chance for Stoudemire to get his game back on track.

Understanding why the future is comparatively bright requires us first to understand a little something about what went wrong last season.

After attempting to settle into a role as a second option to Carmelo Anthony, life on the court got even more difficult for Stoudemire when head coach Mike D'Antoni resigned in March. His longtime coach in Phoenix, D'Antoni put his power forward in a position to succeed with bountiful pick-and-roll opportunities and plenty of touches in the high-post.

Life off the court wasn't any easier.

Stoudemire lost his brother to a car accident in February and then wound up having to spend some time on the bench due to a bulging disc in March.

The Miami Heat were only the beginning of the frustration that drove the star to get frisky with a fire extinguisher in April.

While things couldn't have gotten much worse for Amar'e, he still managed to put together a halfway decent season. But, his scoring production dropped by nearly eight points (to 17.5 PPG) from the season before.

With the help of legendary center Hakeem Olajuwon, Stoudemire is working to diversify his post game and develop the skills he'll need to make a maximum impact with head coach Mike Woodson's system. Even without the tutorials, this guy is due for an improved showing, so look for good things from the New York Knicks' pricey power forward.

Al Horford: C, Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford missed all but 11 regular season games on account of a shoulder injury that put a crimp in the club's hopes of making yet another postseason push to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

He mustered a return for the final three games of Atlanta's first-round series against the Boston Celtics, and he surprised everyone with how well he played. Rust was not a factor.

Horford scored a combined 46 points in those three contests despite seeing limited action in the first one. His Game 5 performance (19 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and three blocks) was a reminder of what this guy can do for the Hawks when he's healthy.

With Joe Johnson traded to the Brooklyn Nets, look for Atlanta to rely even more on Horford.

He's got a smooth mid-range jumper and a solid post game. He just hasn't had many opportunities to show off his skills, but was already on track to being a more featured scorer after he put up a career-high 15.3 points per game in 2010-11.

With even more opportunities, this could be Horford's best season yet.

Carlos Boozer: PF, Chicago Bulls

After an underwhelming first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, it's easy to forget that Carlos Boozer played deceptively well last season.

Hold the eye-roll. "Deceptively well" isn't a euphemism.

Boozer made 53 percent of his field-goal attempts, and his reduced point production has more to do with the fact he played just 29.5 minutes a contest. His minutes may remain somewhat limited due to the continued emergence of Taj Gibson, but he could also see an uptick in playing time.

Now that Omer Asik is playing for the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau may opt to play Gibson at the 5 from time to time. The 6'9" Gibson is obviously a more natural power forward, but Thibodeau could opt to go small at times to keep his best players on the floor.

With Derrick Rose to miss a few months recovering from knee surgery, the Bulls will need Boozer's offensive contributions.

He's not as explosive as he once was and will miss Rose's ability to set him up in pick-and-pop scenarios, but the guy still has a nice mid-range game. By now, he should also be eager to prove he's worth the money Chicago threw at him in 2010.

Jamal Crawford: SG, Los Angeles Clippers

Raymond Felton wasn't the only guy struggling in his first season with the Portland Trail Blazers. Jamal Crawford had his worst shooting percentage since his rookie year.

Yes, the sometimes electrifying scorer is now 32, so some of the electricity may simply be fading.

But there could be other reasons for his apparent decline.

For one thing, before his firing, head coach Nate McMillan favored a slower half-court offense that relied on isolation and the post. Needless to say, that's not Crawford's game. The run-and-gun guard became frustrated with his reduced opportunities and never quite fit into the Trail Blazers' dysfunctional family.

He should have an easier time with the Los Angeles Clippers.

The team has a dire need for production at shooting guard, especially if Chauncey Billups' return from a ruptured Achilles runs into any hiccups. Crawford will also benefit from playing alongside a point guard like Chris Paul.

Don't expect a return to prime-year production, but it would be surprising to see Crawford once again shooting around 38 percent.

O.J. Mayo: SG, Dallas Mavericks

O.J. Mayo had become something of an afterthought in his third and fourth seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies. He still served an important function of the club as a sixth man, but his contributions were a far cry from what he was producing during his first two years in the league.

Mayo averaged 18.5 points as a rookie, then 17.5 in a sophomore campaign in which his shooting efficiency improved to just under 46 percent.

When the scoring guard was then moved to the bench in 2010-11, his production, efficiency and playing time all took significant hits.

The Dallas Mavericks should know better than to make the same mistake. Fortunately, they probably won't even be tempted to do so given the team's need for a legitimate starter at shooting guard. Mayo could quickly become the Mavs' second or third option behind Dirk Nowitzki and re-establish himself as one of the game's brightest up-and-coming stars.

Still just 24, Mayo once appeared to have all the makings of a future All-Star. Now that he's once again in a position to succeed, he just might prove all the initial hype surrounding his career was well-justified.

Andrea Bargnani: C, Toronto Raptors

Besides his typically woeful defense, Andrea Bargnani didn't have a bad 2011-12 campaign by any means.

It just appeared to be a step down from the season before it, a slight decline that probably had something to do with injuries that caused him to miss half the season. Bargnani's efficiency from beyond the arc dipped to just under 30 percent from a 35 percent mark the previous season (and 37 percent the year before that).

His overall field-goal percentage also reached its lowest point in four years.

Could it just be that the guy is settling into an early decline? At just 26 years old, that's unlikely.

The more probable scenario is that Bargnani's shooting stroke will return to form along with his health. Given that the Toronto Raptors have made significant strides in improving their roster, his overall production may not improve much.

If anything, it might take a slight step back.

But the more important variable is his consistency, and that should return to the level we'd begun to see in the prior two or three seasons.

Kevin Martin: SG, Houston Rockets

There are a few reasons that Kevin Martin's scoring average fell by over six points last season. At just 29 years old, he can safely assume age wasn't one of them.

The most important factor was injury. A shoulder problem bothered him throughout the season and eventually held him to just 40 games. For a guy that makes his living shooting the ball, that's not the kind of injury you want to be dealing with.

The Houston Rockets were also deep with scoring options that won't be back this season. Gone are Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic, Chase Budinger and Luis Scola. In their stead, you'll find Jeremy Lin and a small army of rookies.

That could mean a lot of touches for Martin, who immediately becomes the team's elder statesman and best scoring option.

It doesn't hurt that Martin is playing in a contract year. This summer will be his last opportunity to cash in on a solid career that's never quite blossomed into all-out stardom.

Will the shooting guard average the 23.5 points he put up in 2010-11?

Maybe not. But he'll probably improve substantially upon 17.1 he scored last season.