Now that the 2009-10 NBA season has finally begun, we’ll have brief overviews of the previous night’s games each day, highlighting noteworthy performances and trends, along with some recommendations. These will be fantasy-focused posts and hopefully, you’ll find these to be at least a bit helpful as you navigate your fantasy squads through the regular season.

The Rundown:
LeBron James was the Beast of the Night, putting up 38 points, 4 threes, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks (the one on Rajon Rondo should’ve counted twice) last night against the Celtics. He also chipped in 5 turnovers and shot a business-as-usual 10-13 from the free throw line, but this line certainly helps his fantasy owners surge right out of the gates.

Dirk Nowitzki wasn’t so shoddy himself, shooting 10-25 from the floor to finish with 34 points, 2 threes, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. Also, he wasn’t wearing the headband he donned during the preseason and trimmed his hair. Nice.

Kobe Bryant was himself, finishing with 33 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals, but no threes.

Andrew Bynum was a stud, putting up 26 points on 9-15 shooting from the field and 8-10 from the line, along with 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in 38:12. He looked good and should maintain this level of production so long as Pau Gasol is out.

Lamar Odom finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds, 2 threes, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. He’ll also see boosts in his numbers so long as Gasol is sitting.

Gilbert Arenas hung 29 points, 1 three, 2 rebounds and 9 assists in 38:20 of floor time against the Mavericks. He looks prepared to reward his fantasy owners handsomely, but check back in a couple months to see how his knee is doing.

Travis Outlaw had 23 points, 3 threes, 4 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block off the bench for the Blazers. He’s been flying under the radar lately and while this should get owners’ attention, don’t expect this on a nightly basis.

Greg Oden was a mixed bag, finishing with 2 points, 12 rebounds, 1 steal and 5 blocks, along with a dreadful 7 turnovers in a foul-plagued night. Be patient with him.

Chris Kaman finished with 18 points, 16 rebounds and 2 steals. He didn’t disappoint owners who started him or picked him up after news of Blake Griffin’s knee injury, though he failed to block a shot. If he can stay on the floor, these kinds of lines could be the norm.

Waiver Wire Appeal:
Anthony Parker - 10 pts, 2 threes, 3 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk in 40:10; should be a key player while Delonte West sits

Marquis Daniels - 7 pts, but looked good off the bench; more appealing in deeper leagues

Andray Blatche - 20 pts, 7 reb, 1 stl, 2 blk off the bench; guy to own as Antawn Jamison recovers

Craig Smith - 12 pts, 5 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk; will have value as long Blake is out

Brendan Haywood - 7 pts, 10 reb in 37:36; if he plays this many minutes on a consistent basis, could be great source of boards and blocks

For Tonight:
Mike Conley (who is back from an ankle injury) and Marcus Williams will start in the backcourt for the Grizzlies tonight, which will disappoint owners who were optimistic about Conley heading into this year. Allen Iverson isn’t expected to play.

Jason Richardson will miss the first two games of the season due to a suspension. Leandro Barbosa should put up gaudy numbers in the meantime.

Anthony Randolph sounds good to go, but will come off the bench. Let’s see how frustrating Nellie will be tonight.

Emeka Okafor looks like he’ll play for the Hornets after missing all of the preseason with a toe injury. Observe him to see how long it takes him to gel with his new team and if he’s anywhere near to being in shape.

Kevin Garnett played decently last night, but has first back-to-back as the Celtics take on the Bobcats tonight in Boston.

Watch Al Jefferson to see how he copes with a tender Achilles.

Throughout the season, be sure to leave your questions, comments, concerns, trade offers, roster problems and more in the comments below.

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