The NBA Draft of 2003 is commonly known as the Lebron James/Carmelo Anthony/Dwyane Wade draft. Great talents like Chris Bosh, Kirk Hinrich, Chris Kaman were also drafted in the same class of 2003. It was the best draft in recent years. Do you remember the last player chosen in the first round in 2003?  If you guessed Josh Howard, you are correct. Like the fat kid getting chosen last for the dodgeball team in gym class, Josh Howard was the underdog. Fast-forward 3 years and Josh Howard is now an integral part of the Dallas Mavericks.

Round 6, Pick 4: Josh Howard, SG/SF, Dallas Mavericks

Coach Avery Johnson loves Howard’s hustle as he is one of the Mavericks’ better defenders. Howard’s quickness allows him to guard point guards to power forwards. When the Mavericks use a small lineup Dirk Nowitki will slide over to play C and Josh Howard will play the four. Should Howard gain PF eligiblity, it will add to his versatility and value.

Howard’s hustle doesn’t necessarily translate well stat wise as his 1.2 steals and 0.4 blocks/game are average in the fantasy world.  However, Howard’s 6.3 rebounds/game is very good from the SG spot. The downside if you choose to use Howard in your SG spot is that he only made 27 3-pointers last year.

Last year Josh Howard missed games due to a pulled hamstring and sprains to both ankles. Chances are he will miss a few games this year, but not as many as the 23 he missed last year, so feel confident and pencil Howard in for 70+ games.

Last reason why Josh Howard will do well this year - it’s a contract year. Fantasy GMs should never overlook players in their contract year because the players will work their butts off for a raise! Josh Howard will want a bigger piece of Mark Cuban’s wallet next year. Don’t bet against this underdog. Career numbers in scoring and rebounding for Josh Howard this year is highly possible.

Other team members

1.9. Chris Bosh, PF/C, Toronto Raptors
2.4. Paul Pierce, SG/SF, Boston Celtics
3.9. Michael Redd, SG, Milwaukee Bucks
4.4. Stephon Marbury, PG, New York Knicks
5.9. Chris Webber, PF, Philadelphia 76ers