With the NBA Finals under way and the playoffs almost over, here's a look at players who have seen their stock rise and fall during the postseason
 | G Chris Paul, NO  It's hard to believe this guy could raise his Fantasy stock any more than he did during the regular season, but that's what he did while leading the franchise's furthest charge into the playoffs, looking more like a seasoned veteran than a third-year point guard. He took his scoring to another level and his numbers where actually better in the Hornets' postseason run than during his breakout regular season. He averaged 24.1 ppg in 12 contests while shooting over 50 percent from the field. Our guard rankings currently reflect the hierarchy with Kobe Bryant being No. 1 guard in Fantasy, but Paul has to be considered more 1-A than No. 2 -- especially in Head-to-Head leagues that reward assists with two or more points. Paul's 11.6 dimes per game make him a top three choice in those formats. |
 | G Steve Nash, PHO  The early playoff exit for Phoenix led to the end of an era with Mike D'Antoni stepping down as head coach. That's bad news for Nash, who enjoyed his best seasons under D'Antoni. He averaged over 10 assists in each of the last four seasons, despite never averaging more than 8.8 in his eight previous years in the NBA. With the Suns in the midst of a philosophical change that will take them away from their run-and-gun style of the past several seasons, Nash's numbers could be in for a decline beginning next season. |
 | G Rajon Rondo, BOS Third-year players are usually hot commodities as breakout candidates in Fantasy hoops and it's not a stretch to believe that Rondo's third season began in late April with the start of the NBA playoffs. If this is what we have to look forward to, Rondo's appeal in Fantasy will be as high as ever in drafts this fall. He enjoyed a bit of a breakout year already as an NBA sophomore while playing as a link between stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. But in the playoffs, the Celtics have taken off the training wheels and have allowed him to run the offense with more authority. His assist totals have gone from 5.1 in the regular season to 7.0 in the playoffs. His 16-dime effort in Game 2 of the NBA Finals goes to show where he's at as a playmaker. Expect him to be drafted as a No. 3 Fantasy guard, with a 14-6-4 season a distinct possibility in his third season. |
 | G Jason Kidd, DAL What does 8.6 ppg, 6.8 apg and 6.4 rpg translate to in most Fantasy leagues? Usually, that's what a Fantasy owner would take from their No. 3 Fantasy guard, not Jason Kidd. But that's exactly what he averaged in the playoffs in a first-round playoff loss to New Orleans, in a series in which he was severely outplayed by Chris Paul. Questions about Kidd's age, commitment and the organization around him in Dallas have crumbled Kidd's Fantasy appeal from that of a solid No. 1 Fantasy guard -- especially in Rotisserie formats and Head-to-Head leagues with heavy weight on assists -- to a risky No. 2. |
 | G Rodney Stuckey, DET The injury to Chauncey Billups in the Conference semis against Orlando allowed him to showcase his skills against both the Magic in the final three games of that series and during the Conference Finals against Boston while Billups wasn't at 100 percent. In fact, his play in those instances has sparked some rumors that Billups could be on the trading block, which could open up a path to a breakout season for Stuckey in 2008-09. He scored 13-plus points in five of his final nine playoff appearances even while playing only 24.9 minutes in those contests. He could be a huge sleeper pick. |
 | F Lamar Odom, LAL Odom is averaging just 12.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 1.5 apg in the first two games of the NBA Finals against Boston, both Celtics wins. Odom averaged a career-high 10.7 rebounds during the 2007-08 regular season and 14.2 points. But the Finals decline isn't the only reason to worry about Odom this fall. There is also the matter of Andrew Bynum and where Odom will fit in next season. Bynum is expected to be fully healthy for the start of training camp in September and he'll be the team's starting center. That will mean Pau Gasol will move to power forward and Odom will play small forward. Odom should see less rebounds with both Bynum and Gasol around and that also means less offensive touches. There is more of a chance for Odom's numbers to dip than there is for a rise. |
 | G Delonte West, CLE His numbers in the first round of the playoffs against Washington and the Conference semis against Boston opened some eyes in Cleveland and in Fantasy circles. He averaged 10.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 13 playoff games while starting all of those games. He got 34.8 minutes per game, which was higher than the 25.1 minutes per game he saw in the regular season. Hopefully, it will open up the way for more minutes in his first full season in Cleveland. He'll be worth drafting as a fourth guard, but the offseason moves made by the Cavs will go a long way in determining where West will fit in. |
 | C Rasheed Wallace, DET The 12-year-veteran saw his numbers decline from series to series in the playoffs, finishing up with 12.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 1.7 apg in the Conference Finals loss to Boston. The departure of head coach Flip Saunders in Detroit after the series leaves more than a few question marks in Detroit including the future of Wallace, who has openly stated that he's not happy with playing center. The volatile veteran should no longer be considered anything more than a No. 3 Fantasy forward in larger leagues and his appeal as a center is that of an inconsistent No. 2 these days. |
 | C Al Horford, ATL Horford started 77 out of 81 games as a rookie and averaged 31.3 minutes per game. He nearly averaged a double-double with 10.1 points and 9.7 rebounds. He proved he could be an above average Fantasy center during the regular season, but his play in the first-round series against Boston set him apart from the pack of No. 2 centers and set him up for a rise to a No. 1 in some formats. He held his own in the paint against Kevin Garnett and averaged a double-double (12.6 ppg and 10.4 rpg). His offensive game figures to improve even more in his second NBA season, but he's already proven to be an able rebounder. He's on the Tyson Chandler track to Fantasy stardom. |
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