For the second consecutive season, Elton Brand’s season is getting cut short. After his shoulder was slow too heal, Brand decided to have season-ending shoulder surgery. He should be ready to go by the start of the 2009-10 NBA season.
Interestingly enough, the Philadelphia 76ers are arguably better without Brand. Without the power forward they signed in the offseason, the Sixers are able to play at a faster pace and with a more free-flowing offense. As long as the rest of their team stays healthy, making the playoffs is a very real possibility for Philadelphia.
In the fantasy basketball world, Brand being …read more

Andre Iguodala is prepared to sign a contract worth a reported $80 million to stay with the Philadelphia 76ers. Iguodala had been a restricted free agent. Last summer, Iguodala turned down a deal estimated to be worth around $55 million.
After signing Elton Brand this offseason, re-signing Iguodala was vital if the Sixers wanted to be true Eastern Conference championship contenders. With Iguodala back in the fold, the Sixers can now aim to win at least 50 wins during the upcoming season.
While Iguodala will remain a very good fantasy basketball player, his production might slip a bit in …read more

Elton Brand shocked the NBA world on Tuesday when it came to light that he’d be signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. Brand, who was thought to be re-signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, decided to leave L.A. and head to the East Coast.
In terms of fantasy basketball, this should be a good move for Brand. The Eastern Conference has weaker bigman competition and Brand should be able to flourish. The East is also a slower paced conference, which should also help Brand.
Brand missed most of last season after tearing his Achilles tendon during an offseason workout. …read more

I’m not sure if the Los Angeles Clippers fan was a factor in wooing Baron Davis to LA, but he certainly gave it his best shot. Look at the end of this entry for the Clippers fan video asking Davis to return to Los Angeles.
The big news of NBA free agency so far is Baron Davis signing with the Los Angeles Clippers — as we speculated when Davis opted out. After spending several highly successful seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Davis opted out of his contract and switched over to another Californian team. With the Clippers, …read more

If you’ve been holding out hope for Elton Brand to return to the Los Angeles Clippers this season, you received some good news in the last couple of days. Brand is back on the practice floor for the Clippers and it’s looking more promising than ever that he’ll be able to return to the NBA this season.
Brand has pointed to next week as the earliest he’d be ready to go. According to Brand, it’s a matter of when – not if – he’ll return. Brand has missed the entire 2007-08 season due to a ruptured Achilles’ tendon.
In the world of …read more

With Elton Brand out with an injury, the Clippers are a difficult team to get a read on. It’s even more difficult that whatever read you get, it could be turned upside down once Brand returns (there is talk of brand returning as early as January).
As it stands, here’s a look at each of the Clippers with fantasy appeal:

Corey Maggette
Maggette is back as the main offensive threat for the Clippers. He’s had a couple rough years in which he clashed with coach Mike Dunleavy, but appears to finally be in the coach’s good graces. With Maggette being a main option, …read more

Even though we are just starting the fantasy basketball season, it’s never too early to buy low on the fantasy market. One area to look for buy low candidates is on the injured list. Early season injuries often make fantasy owners overreact and sell of their asset for well below their actual value.
Here is a look at some injured players to make an offer for:
Randy Foye, Minnesota Timberwolves
Foye is sidelined with an injured kneecap. It’s unknown how long he’ll be out but it shouldn’t be any longer than a month. With that in mind, Foye is a good buy low …read more

Elton Brand, Los Angeles Clippers
Brand was recently allowed to shed his walking boot and start more rigorous cardiovascular exercises. The Clippers’ power forward is attempting to come back from a torn Achilles tendon. While Brand seems to be recovery pretty swiftly, drafting him in a fantasy basketball league is risky. There’s a chance he’s out for the season and even if he does return, there’s no guarantee he’ll immediately return to his prior form.
Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
Bosh has been out of action since Oct. 7 when he started to experience knee pain. While the injury wasn’t believed to be serious, …read more

While researching for fantasy basketball, one aspect to remember is the players coming back from injury.  While their numbers don’t stack up with other fantasy hopefuls, you can find great sleepers by looking at this group of players.
Robert Swift, Seattle Supersonics
Swift is a major sleeper this season.  After missing all of last season when he tore his ACL in preseason, he’s flying way under the radar.  However, he could very well be worth a draft pick this year.  He has put on upwards of 40 pounds of muscle this offseason and could start at center for the Sonics.  Keep an …read more