Pau Gasol got his championship ring on Tuesday, however he wasn’t able to play due to a sore hamstring. Diagnosed with a strained right hamstring, Gasol’s injury is expected to keep him out only a matter of days.
While Gasol is out, the fantasy basketball value of many of his teammates will be high. Andrew Bynum will get more touches in the low block with Gasol out, which makes him a better fantasy player. Lamar Odom will also get more playing time.
Once Gasol is able to get back on the court, he’ll continue to be a valuable fantasy basketball player. He’s …read more

After Andrew Bynum injured his knee against the Memphis Grizzlies, many Los Angeles Lakers fans feared the worst. While Bynum apparently avoided serious injury, he has been diagnosed with a torn MCL. The recovery time for such an injury is typically 8-to-12 weeks.
For fantasy basketball owners who own Bynum, this isn’t very good news. If he misses the full 12 weeks, that means he’ll miss the rest of the regular season. Even if he misses only eight weeks, he’ll be back only for the last two weeks of the regular season. The only hope for Bynum owners is that he …read more

If you have any questions about whether or not Andrew Bynum is healthy following last season’s knee surgery, the video at the end of this entry should help answer your questions. The Bynum video shows that he’s healthy and able to finish at the rim.
While his numbers aren’t quite at the level they were last year, they are still good. Compared to last season, his field goal percentage is down, his points per minute are down, his rebounds per minute are down. However, his assists, block shots and free throw numbers are all either similar are up. He’s also turning …read more

Marcus Camby, Los Angeles Clippers
Although Marcus Camby has been a very good fantasy basketball player the last few years, look for his reign of dominance to come to an end. First of all, Camby is always an injury risk and he’s dodged quite a few bullets the last couple of years. Second of all, the Clippers will play at a much slower pace than the Nuggets. That in itself will lower his stats across the board. There is also some question regarding how well he will mesh on the court next to Chris Kaman.
Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
Pau Gasol is …read more

Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando Magic
Hedo Turkoglu has had a habit recently of alternating good seasons. Last year he played really well, so that’s not a good sign for the 2008-09 campaign. Additionally, the Magic will try to play more with Rashard Lewis at small forward, which could then force Turkoglu out of position. He should have a good season but last year was likely his peak.
Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers
With Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol up front, expect the Lakers to try Lamar Odom at small forward. Odom has been pretty decent at small forward in the past but he could …read more

With training camp less than one month away, who are the worst teams in the NFL? Let’s take a look.
5. Charlotte Bobcats
Larry Brown will turn around the Bobcats. That said, it likely isn’t a one year project. Expect a few headaches this year until LB can get the team playing the way he wants.
4. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are starting to assemble a nice amount of talent. If Pau Gasol’s brother pans out, the Grizzlies could surprise.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
The former Seattle Supersonics still won’t be ready for the big time. However, with a future Big Three of Kevin …read more

Which basketball players were the best in the world at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games? While many players performed very good, here are the best of the best:
Kobe Bryant, USA
When Team USA got in trouble, Kobe Bryant took over and got the Gold Medal for the United States. Kobe was lights out down the stretch of the game. His four-point play was the turning point of the game.
Pau Gasol, Spain
While Spain wasn’t able to shock the world and beat the United States, Gasol did all he could. The Los Angeles Lakers forward led the entire Olympic …read more

The Team USA basketball squad, called by many the “Redeem Team”, completed their mission by beating Spain in the gold medal game. Although the game was closer than expected, the United States prevailed to claim the gold medal.
With the outcome still in question, Kobe Bryant took over in the fourth quarter. He not only scored but he handed out a team-high number of assists. Helping Bryant close out the game for the USA was Dwyane Wade, who led the United States in scoring.
Spain put up a great fight and was led by Pau Gasol and Rudy Fernandez. …read more

The Spanish Olympic basketball team has been accused by some for being racist due to a picture that was leaked onto the internet. Now another potentially racist picture has surfaced containing Spanish athletes.
This time the picture isn’t of basketball players but rather women tennis players. The picture, which has a caption regarding the tennis playing preparing for China, is reportedly at least a few weeks old.
In the aftermath of the original picture that surfaced which contained the Spanish basketball team, many players on the team apologized for any perceived racism. The NBA players in that original picture included …read more

The Golden State Warriors signed French forward Ronny Turiaf to an offer sheet that the Los Angeles Lakers declined to match. Turiaf is now official a member of the Golden State Warriors.
Turiaf isn’t an overly skilled player and he doesn’t have great size, however he hustles and he brings boundless energy to the court. He’s also a good shotblocker and has an emerging jump shot.
While Turiaf likely won’t start for the Warriors, he’ll be one of the first bigs off the bench. And with the way Don Nelson likes to run the ball up and down the …read more