Utah center Mehmet Okur‘s Achilles is still ackillin’ him and the speculation is that he won’t be right in time for the start of the season, which by my count means that he aggravated his Achilles a year ago, because there wasn’t any point in which he was “right” in 2009. For the third straight season he missed at least nine games. But there’s a pattern here, one that I’m not sure you’re going to want to hear. One that, frankly, I’m not sure I want to type. In 2007-08, he had a statistically worse season than last year (fewer points, rebounds, blocks and FG% per36 in ’07 than in ’09) but followed that up in ’08 with the third best statistical season of his career. And because of that season, you drafted him somewhere in the 65-80 range while other guys were snagging Corey Maggette or Aaron Brooks last year. I’m not suggesting he’ll snap back again. He’s already on target to miss the start of the season and come off the bench whenever he does make it back. But you’ll read a lot of people telling you to ignore Okur like the bum on the train freestyling to himself. I’m suggesting you keep an open mind in the tail end of your draft. He’s just as season removed from 17/8/2 in 33.5 minutes and he’s shown he can snap back from an off year.
Here’s some more stuff to open your mind to:
Erick Dampier – By the time you read this, Icky Dampier may have already been sent packing. Waive goodbye. Although the most recent reports say the Bobcats will wait until mid-September to send him off in a package deal, so it’s most likely that by the time you read this, he may just have hurt feelings. And you’d have hurt feelings too if any version of Michael Jordan other than the 2001 version opted for Kwame Brown over you. Jordan more than anyone else on Earth should want to avoid Brown. Fool me once, shame on me for getting fooled by a crappy basketball player. Fool me twice, don’t put either of these guys on your fantasy team.
Baron Davis – Boom-Dizzle is fat according to anonymous ESPN sources that don’t want Baron Davis to know they called him fat. The rumor is that he’s 45 lbs heavier than he normally is, which is about 20 lbs heavier than he should be. That’s 65 lbs overweight, y’all. That’s like Cee-Lo hefty. Yeah, I see you driving around town with the girl I love, Baron.
Yao Ming – His hairline fracture has fully healed and he’s been doin’ drills. Wait … his hairline? What was all that foot talk then?
Jose Calderon – Joe Kettle went down with a torn hamstring and will miss a month or more. This might go a long way toward deciding how much playing time Jarrett Jack gets this season.
Tyler Hansbrough – Still battling vertigo and is far from being Indiana’s opening day PF as the team intended. Psycho T seems keen to accumulate as many Hitchcock references as possible. You have to figure the Pacers are feeling they drafted The Wrong Man last season – so there’s one more.
