Dec. 5 -- Last year the Orlando Magic had the third-worst scoring defense in the NBA, allowing nearly 102 points a game. So far in 2005-06, the Magic are giving up fewer than 88 points a contest -- only Memphis is stingier defensively.

So is this the biggest transformation to hit central Florida since Disney started turning its swamp land into a sprawling series of theme parks? I'm not sold.

You look at the Orlando roster, which is about what it was last year, and -- save for rebounding machine Dwight Howard -- there aren't a lot of defensive standouts. Certainly there's talent, with Steve Francis along with improving youngsters like Howard, DeShawn Stevenson and Jameer Nelson. And Grant Hill might be back practicing again in a couple of weeks. But it seems there's no, um, magic behind Orlando's turnaround -- the team is simply emphasizing the defensive game.

So give coach Brian Hill and his players credit for that. But when you're setting your fantasy lineups, don't give the Magic too much credit.

Orlando's overall defensive statistics are decent, but not superb. The team is holding opponents to 43 percent field-goal shooting, which is ninth in the NBA, is allowing nearly five three-pointers a game, which is 13th overall. However, the Magic rank near the bottom (26th) of the league in forcing turnovers.

The other thing that makes me wonder how good the Magic are defensively is their early schedule. Of the league's six highest-scoring teams, Orlando has faced only Cleveland. And in two games against the Cavs, the Magic allowed 108 and 102 points, respectively. And they lost both contests.

Orlando has obviously progressed defensively. But as a group, the Magic probably aren't as close to the Pistons and Spurs as they appear.

Luther Head, Houston -- Only two games next week for the Rockets, but two good match-ups for the Houston point guard. Both Boston and Sacramento allow around 100 points a night and give up about 5.5 three-pointers a game.

Erick Dampier, Dallas -- I'm not saying he's become Ben Wallace, but Dampier has played well of late, averaging nearly nine points and nine rebounds over his last seven games. The Mavs' upcoming schedule features New Orleans/Oklahoma City, Chicago, Indiana and Memphis. You might be surprised to learn that of these teams, only the Hornets are out-rebounding their opposition, and all of these teams are in the bottom half of the league in total rebounds.

Kareem Rush, Charlotte -- If you have Rush on your team, it's because you need his three-pointers, period. So be sure to have him in your lineup when the Bobcats host New Jersey on Dec. 7. The Nets are by far the league's worst team at defending the three -- they're giving up nearly eight a game. The streaky Rush may have an off night, but it won't be for a lack of opportunities.

Despite the Magic's impressive defensive play this year, Howard may be their only true stopper. Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images

Forgive me for not showing much attention to detail where Joel Przybilla is concerned. E-mailer Tad Halley alerted me to the fact that Przybilla's big game against Orlando last week came with Theo Ratliff sidelined with a sore left foot. When Ratliff returned the next game, Przybilla returned to his usual pedestrian numbers: five points, five board and three turnovers in 23 minutes at Atlanta. But then Ratliff reinjured himself, and Przybilla went off again: 17 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks at Washington on Nov. 30. So in two games without Ratliff, Przybilla is averaging 42 minutes, 16 points on 70 percent shooting, 13.5 rebounds and five blocks. Yeah, I may be oblivious when it comes to my Minnesota guys, but what does that make Blazers coach Nate McMillan, who says he wants both his centers to share playing time?

I also said I liked Kyle Korver's chances of dropping lots of threes this week. He totaled four vs. Portland and Boston. That's about average for him.

Udonis Haslem, Miami -- If you're playing Haslem for his stellar rebounding (he averages better than eight a game), you might want to take heed of the Heat's upcoming schedule featuring games with Denver, the Clippers and San Antonio. Each of these teams is out-rebounding its opposition, and the Clippers and Spurs are near the top of the league in fewest rebounds allowed.

Kareem Rush, Charlotte -- You remember Rush. It wasn't three paragraphs ago that I told you to play him next week. But only against New Jersey. When the Bobcats have their upcoming games against the Lakers and Sixers, you might want to look for other options. A year ago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia couldn't stop the three, but both teams have improved markedly in this area this season. The Lakers are sixth in fewest three-pointers allowed, and Philly is 10th.

Last week I mentioned some slumping players -- just in time to watch them come to life. I harped on Milwaukee's struggling point guards, T.J. Ford and Maurice Williams, but really, it was as if the whole Bucks team was air(ball)ing it out. In a stretch of eight games, the Bucks managed to shoot better than 41 percent just once -- and that was a less-than-stellar 43.4-percent showing in a Nov. 25 loss at Minnesota. Ironically, with Michael Redd out with a strained right quad, Ford, Williams and Bobby Simmons erupted Nov. 30 against Dallas, combining for 66 points and shooting better than 50 percent.

Meanwhile, Donyell Marshall's numbers continue to be ugly -- 4-of-20 from the field in his last two games going into Friday's game at Seattle. But he made three huge baskets at the end of an overtime win over the Clippers, so perhaps Marshall's about to break out as well.

Fantasy Forum

I love managing my fantasy basketball teams. Well, let me be specific: I love micro-managing them. It's great to grab a three-point specialist like Rush or J.R. Smith off the waiver wire in time for his team to take on New Jersey or Seattle. Of course it's cool to be able to count big stars like LeBron James or Kevin Garnett among your players, but it's a blast to be the first on -- and sometimes, the first off -- the Smush Parker/Nick Collison/Kendrick Perkins bandwagons. Every league I'm in, I make dozens more transactions than any other team. It's a dubious formula for success, but I can't help myself. I'm way into it.

Just once though, I'd like to be in a league with others who are as obsessive as I am. Anybody with me? If so, I'd like to propose a TMR columnist/subscriber mixer league: If there's sufficient interest, I'll start something on Yahoo! by the middle of this month. E-mail me and show me that you're fanatical enough to put off your holiday shopping to be in my league, and competitive enough to beat me at my own game, even if I don't have any prizes for you (and I most definitely don't). Creativity counts -- so does anal-retentiveness. Kissing up to the columnist isn't required, though it could be used to break ties. Let's hear from you.

Neil Tardy is a fantasy expert for www.talentedmrroto.com, a site featuring free advice, news, stats and analysis for all fantasy sports. The site has been nominated for 16 Fantasy Sports Writing Awards by the FSWA, twice as many as any other site. Contact him at NJT64@talentedmrroto.com

The views expressed by the TalentedMrRoto.com represent only the views of the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA team.