Courtney Lee, the rookie sensation for the Orlando Magic, could miss the rest of the playoffs. Lee suffered a fractured sinus after taking an elbow to the face from superstar teammate Dwight Howard during Game 5 of the team’s first round series versus the Philadelphia 76ers. In the contest, Lee was only able to play six minutes before leaving the game.
While there’s a chance he could return in the playoffs, those chances don’t seem very likely. He has to undergo surgery to repair the fractured sinus.
During the regular season, Lee played in 77 games and started 41 of those …read more

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

During the 2008-09 NBA season, Tony Parker has quietly been one of the league’s best clutch players. His clutchness was on display against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday when he hit a turnaround jumper as time expired to pull out the win for the Spurs. You can see the Tony Parker video of his game winning shot at the end of this entry.
For fantasy basketball owners, Tony Parker has been a bit better than expected. His stats are up across the board — especially in scoring and assists. Although he’s had a couple of poor games along the way, overall …read more

Using John Hollinger’s PER statistic, which undervalued players may become viable fantasy basketball players if their minutes increase? Here’s a look at a few fantasy basketball sleepers as indicated by PER:
Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers
This one is rather obvious. Although the Blazers are purposely monitoring Greg Oden’s minutes, it’s no secret that he’s a stud in the making. Now would be a good time to buy low on Oden before he takes over the starting job and really explodes onto the scene. The only risk regarding Oden is an injury risk, although that risk is definitely worth the reward at …read more

Pat Garrity announced that he has retired from the Orlando Magic. If you want one last glimpse of Garrity on a basketball court, check out the video at the end of this entry that has Garrity dunking on Samuel Dalembert of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Garrity was never a great fantasy player, however he’d sometimes be useful as a spot three-point shooter. Although, his retirement likely won’t impact many fantasy basketball teams around the world.
Here is the Pat Garrity video of his dunk:

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

According to multiple reports, the San Antonio Spurs are in the lead when it comes to possibly signing Corey Maggette. Maggette, formerly of the Los Angeles Clippers, has generated a huge amount of interest around the NBA.
Since the Clippers are signing Baron Davis, that leaves Maggette without a home. Along with the San Antonio Spurs, other teams that have shown interest include the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic. The Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors have enough cap room to offer Maggette more money than the Spurs.
While it’s far from a sure thing, Maggette …read more

The Eastern Conference Finals is set and has the Detroit Pistons going against the Boston Celtics. The Pistons reached the Eastern Conference Finals by beating the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round and the Orlando Magic in the second round. The Celtics arrive after beating the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Since the Celtics finished with the better record, they’ll have homecourt advantage in this series. While the Celtics will be favored due to their homecourt advantage, there are reasons to believe that the Pistons can give the Celtics a run for their money.
First of all, the …read more

The 2008 NBA playoffs are set. Although the end of the regular season means the end of the fantasy basketball season for almost everybody, let’s take a look at the first round of the playoffs. Who will win each series?
Western Conference
1) Los Angeles Lakers
8) Denver Nuggets
Prediction: Lakers in six. The Nuggets have no one to guard Kobe Bryant and Bryant will destroy the Nuggets’ porous defense.
2) New Orleans Hornets
7) Dallas Mavericks
Prediction: Mavs in six. Dallas will get revenge for last year’s first round flameout by pulling an upset of their own.
3) San Antonio Spurs
6) …read more