April 15 -- War has always fascinated me. I totally revere anybody that has anything to do with the military. I don't know how they do it – put their lives on the line like that. I could never do it myself. I watch lots of war movies to try and at least get some little understanding of what army life must be like. I've seen just about every one you could think of. Most recently, I've really appreciated the Band of Brothers series based on World War II. Another thing that fascinates me is the Orient. I've never been there and probably will never get a chance to go, but I really like movies that give me some insight into the culture. I loved The Last Samurai, and last week, I loved watching Memoirs of a Geisha. It was great on all fronts – cinematography, costume, scenery, music, and acting. I highly recommend it. I had seen the girls with white faces before, but never knew what the deal was. Try to see it if you haven't already.

Now, back to the hardwood... usually, I go through the five positions and comment on things that I’ve seen around the league over the past week. I try to give you the heads-up on position battles, injuries, hot and cold streaks, upcoming schedules, and how you can get the edge on your league-mates from my analysis. However, I'll use today's column to look at some players whose performances next season should exceed their draft day perception, due to some sort of negative vibe from this season. So, let’s get cracking...

Stephon Marbury, NY – Marbury just flat out had a bad season, based on the standards that he had set in his recent seasons. He only played in 60 games, but his scoring average dropped from 22 to 16, and his assists dropped from 8 to 6. What will happen in 06-07? Who knows, but the Knicks are a mess, and I don't think they'll improve dramatically enough next season to get Stephon back to his elite number levels. Let somebody else in your league take him on name value, regardless of any discount.

Damon Stoudamire, MEM – Come draft day 2006, Damon should have recovered well enough from his surgery to be able to produce around 13 points and six assists per game, plus chip in a bunch of three-pointers. He'll likely go lower than he should, so target him in deeper leagues.

Larry Hughes, CLE – Hughes only played in 34 games this past season, but his numbers were way down across the board on his new team, besides. He only made it into 61 games in each of the previous seasons, so he's actually a player to avoid in 06-07, regardless of discount.

Juan Dixon, POR – Like the Knicks, the Blazers are a mess, and we don't know how the roster will shake out come October. Dixon averaged just 12 points per game on the year, but he averaged 18.7 per game in January, when he was getting 30 minutes per game. In baseball, I like taking pitchers with talent regardless of role. The same idea should apply to Dixon in deeper leagues. He should be a nice late-round player to fill out your fantasy roster. (Interesting – both of these shooting guards used to play for the Wizards.)

Corey Maggette, LAC – Dude had an epidural recently. Ouch. Even though his value may be depressed on draft day, I don't touch players with back problems, so you can have him. It's my T-Mac rule. Pass on this one.

Ron Artest, SAC – I still don't like the volatility factor, but he's certainly a better player than his final 05-06 stat line would indicate. He only played in 53 games this season, and his numbers pretty much matched what he did in his last full season, 03-04. However, look at what he did in 04-05 before he got suspended, and you get a glimpse of what he's capable of. Given that he'll get a full training camp with the Kings in 2006, and his value could be slightly depressed, he's a good player to at least watch on draft day to see if he falls to you.

Emeka Okafor, CHA – Okafor had a great rookie season, averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds per game. He actually had a decent sophomore season using those two metrics (13 and ten). However, his games played dropped from 73 to 26. Whether you use this to your advantage or not depends on off-season news. If the news is good, and he falls on draft day, certainly consider him. Still, if there are safer options, consider them first. Ankles are hard to trust once they've been injured.

Carlos Boozer, UTA – Boozer only played in 51 games in 04-05 and the final 29 games of the 05-06 season, and he took a while to get on track, so it's possible that he could be discounted in 06-07. He should get back to his 17 points, ten boards per game levels next season while logging at least 70 games, so target him accordingly.

Chris Wilcox, SEA – I mentioned him last week, and I'll do it again. He has been a monster lately, but his overall 05-06 stats will belie his 06-07 value, so target him next season.

Amare Stoudamire, PHO – I'll mention him briefly, but even with his injury problem, I doubt he'll be discounted. He's an amazing player, but I don't want to hedge my first round pick on a player coming off of a serious injury, so I'll pass.

Jermaine O'Neal, IND – As with Amare, his injury (groin here) worries me, so I won't be taking him next season, no matter the discount, but the discount probably won't be much anyway, he's so talented.

Nene, DEN – Nene missed all of this past season, and he'll still have to fight Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin for time next season, so he should go nice and low on draft day. He's exactly the kind of player I'd like to take a chance on late, though, as my second center. Camby and Martin are brittle, and Nene should average around ten points and seven boards, and almost a block per game when healthy, with upside for more.

That’s all for this edition. Have a happy Easter, blessed Passover, etc. Have a great summer, and thanks for reading my blatherings this season.

Dave Gawron is a fantasy expert for NBA.com. His column Slam Dunk runs every Saturday as part of the NBA.com Premium Scouting Report. Contact him at Dunk@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.