| Haywood injures wrist | Friday 10/3, 11:55 PM CT |
|
Brendan Haywood injured his wrist in practice and will likely miss a week of action according to the Washington Post. Haywood, who missed Friday evening's camp-ending intrasquad scrimmage, is expected to be out at least a week, at which point he will be re-evaluated.
Our View: The Wizards have a deep center rotation featuring Andray Blatche and Etan Thomas which will cut down Haywood's minutes and his fantasy value. |
|
| Stoudemire out two weeks | Friday 10/3, 11:37 PM CT |
|
Amare Stoudemire will miss up to two weeks because he was poked in the eye! The East Valley Tribune reports that after consulting with two eye doctors and still experiencing some blurred vision after Boris Diaw’s finger partially tore the iris in his right eye, Stoudemire said he will shut down totally for the next five to 10 days and will then need at least a week of practice before taking part in any preseason games. He also says he will wear goggles throughout the remainder of his career to avoid similar situations. “I felt severe pain right away. I didn’t even know my eye was open because I saw nothing but darkness for two, three minutes,” Stoudemire said. “I was terrified. I was praying to God that I wasn’t blind in the eye. Slowly I started to see silhouettes but everything was very blurry. I could barely open the eye all day (Thursday). Today, the medication is taking away the pain and the blurriness is better. But my iris will never heal. I think I will wear goggles from here on out. I’ve been hit in the eye before and I don’t want to deal with this anymore. We’ll try them and see how it goes.”
Our View: With a new coach in camp, Stoudemire is missing out on some key practices and will likely miss the first week of preseason games. This is unfortunate news, but the plus-side is the NBA severely needed someone to rock the goggles on a nightly basis. Especially one of their biggest stars. Keep an eye on his preseason performances, but for now, don't let this effect his fantasy value. The bigger concern is how steep Terry Porter's learning curve is. |
|
| Yue cleared to practice | Friday 10/3, 7:02 PM CT |
|
The L.A. Times reports that Sun Yue has been cleared to join the Lakers in training camp as his case of mono is believed to be behind him. Yue started for China's national team in the Olympics.
Our View: The Monkey King has been called "China's Magic Johnson." He is incredibly athletic and at 6-foot-9 he is one of the biggest point guards in the game. Keep an eye on him to see how he competes with the other Lakers in training camp. Currently, the 22-year-old does not figure into the Lakers rotation. |
|
| Williams showing vast improvement | Friday 10/3, 4:43 PM CT |
|
NorthJersey.com reports that Sean Williams has made big strides over the summer according to Vince Carter. “He’s definitely made strides forward, 100 percent,” Carter added. “I’m happy for him...His growth is tremendous.”
Our View: If Williams earns 25-plus minutes per game he will be a lock for two or more blocks per game. He is a classic category specialist. Keep an eye on how Lawrence Frank uses this season. |
|
| Yi returns to practice | Friday 10/3, 4:39 PM CT |
|
Yi Jianlian practiced for the first time with the Nets on Sunday according to NorthJersey.com. He was recovering from a mild ankle sprain he suffered in the Olympics.
Our View: He participated 100 percent and his sprained ankle was not giving him any trouble. He should be able to see enough playing time to improve upon his modest rookie numbers. He is a risky selection in fantasy, but his risk/reward should be worth a late bench selection. |
|
| Noah suffers eye injury | Friday 10/3, 1:34 PM CT |
|
Bulls forward Joakim Noah will miss about five days of practice after he was poked in the left eye, according to the AP.
Our View: NBA players should try a little harder to keep their hands free of their teammates eyes, as Noah now joins Amare Stoudemire as players injured by being poked in the eye by a teammate. |
|
| Wallace has sore feet | Friday 10/3, 1:28 PM CT |
|
Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace missed part of the team's practice on Friday due to soreness in his feet, according to the Detroit News.
Our View: Wallace practiced the first two hours before sitting down. The team expects him to practice on Saturday and play in their exhibition game Sunday. |
|
| Stoudemire eye injury explained | Friday 10/3, 11:13 AM CT |
|
When Suns center Amare Stoudemire was accidentally poked in the eye by teammate Boris Diaw, he suffered from a partially torn iris, according to ESPN.com.
Our View: The injury is not serious, and though he will not play in the team's Friday scrimmage, he should return sometime over the weekend. He will be sporting goggles when he comes back, which he may have to wear for the remainder of his career. |
|
| Livingston signs with Heat | Friday 10/3, 11:09 AM CT |
|
Point guard Shaun Livingston is close to signing a two-year contract with the Miami Heat, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Our View: Livingston should be ready to play sometime this season, and should compete with Marcus Banks and Mario Chalmers for playing time. |
|
| Tinsley deal is false | Friday 10/3, 11:06 AM CT |
|
A trade reported by the New York Post that said Indiana was trading Jamaal Tinsley to Denver for Chucky Atkins and Stephen Hunter is untrue, according to the Rocky Mountain News. "I think there have been conversations because everybody knows the Nuggets are looking for a point guard and Indiana another big. But I don’t think anything is imminent or close," said Hunter's agent, Mark Bartelstein.
Our View: Tinsley is not allowed to come to Pacers camp because of off-court incidents, and the team is desperately trying to move him. This trade, or a similar one, may in fact be in the works, but it appears as if it is not happening today. |
|
| Gordon may negotiate with Bulls next summer | Friday 10/3, 10:44 AM CT |
|
Chicago guard Ben Gordon will play this season on a one-year, $6.4 million contract that will make him an unrestricted free agent after the year, but he did not rule out the possibility of re-signing with the team next summer, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Our View: Gordon rejected a contract that would have paid him nearly $60 million over six years. He averaged 18.6 points, and just over three rebounds and three assists per game last season, hardly the numbers of a franchise player. |
|
| Jackson to play point guard? | Friday 10/3, 8:05 AM CT |
|
Golden State forward Stephen Jackson may see time at point guard while Monta Ellis is out, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "He'll have to play a little differently than a normal point guard, but I think he can do it," Warriors coach Don Nelson said.
Our View: The Lakers are undergoing a similar move with Lamar Odom. Jackson averaged 4.1 assists per game last season, and this move would likely increase those numbers. He is not a great rebounder for a forward anyway, and pulled down 4.4 last per contest last season. |
|
| O'Bryant getting work in | Friday 10/3, 8:00 AM CT |
|
Center Patrick O'Bryant is working on his game, getting quality time on the floor during practice while Kendrick Perkins remains out with a shoulder malady, according to the Boston Globe.
Our View: O'Bryant was the ninth overall pick in 2006, but was a bust with Golden State. He averaged a measly 1.5 points per game to go with 1.2 rebounds per game, and has very little fantasy value on the World Champion Celtics. |
|
| Tinsley traded to Denver | Friday 10/3, 7:31 AM CT |
|
Point guard Jamaal Tinsley was traded from the Indiana Pacers to the Denver Nuggets for Chuckie Atkins and Stephen Hunter, according to the New York Post.
Our View: Tinsley had long been rumored to be leaving the Pacers, and he will join the Nuggets, and likely compete with veteran Anthony Carter for the point guard spot. |
|
|
|
