Eight games on Monday’s NBA schedule, some of them not involving a certain West Coast fan base that needs to be talked off the ledge. Come back here throughout the night and tell us what you’re watching…

Mavericks @ Magic — Coming off three straight crackings of the Pacers, Cavs and Raptors, the Magic are on a roll. Three All-Stars are enough to deal with, but throw in Hedo and Mickael Pietrus (20-plus points in two of his last three) and the Mavs (namely Dirk) will have to be firing on all cylinders to pull this one out.

Lakers @ Knicks — Be prepared to hear Andrew Bynum‘s name more often than you would in a game where he’s actually playing. We’ve all broken down what Bynum’s MCL injury means for the Lakers, but what does it mean for the Knicks tonight? For starters, about 4-5 more rebounds automatically for David Lee, and a potentially out-of-sorts L.A. squad ripe for an upset. Read More »

For the last couple weeks, all of the Mavs’ news has revolved around finding an heir to Jason Kidd. First, they were reportedly going to get Jerryd Bayless from Portland, then they were trying to figure a way to land Raymond Felton.

But today, Rick Carlisle is trying to right Dallas’ ship without making any personnel changes. Instead, he’s turning the playcalling reigns over to his future-HOF point guard.

The Mavericks coach met with Kidd earlier in the week and told the point guard to take over. Carlisle then handed Kidd a CD with the plays he had been calling and how efficient the players were in those sets. Read More »

I’ve been meaning to post this for days. Amazing…

Andrew Bynum owners should brace themselves. The news is bad. Bynum has a torn MCL and will miss 8 to 12 weeks with the injury. This is a CRUSHING blow to not only the Lakers, but also to fantasy squads everywhere. Bynum was playing the best ball of his NBA career and will, at best, be back right around the first round of the playoffs. Remember, the Lakers were extremely conservative with Bynum’s knee injury last season and we can expect the same this year. Would I cut him if I owned him and it was not a keeper league? I think I would. I might wait a night to see if the Lakers make any additional statements or refute the report, but you need that roster flexibility. There are not many leagues that play into the last week of the season and even so, the Lakers would probably only give him spot minutes if he did make it back. Lamar Odom’s value just skyrocketed on the Lakers and in fantasy and it would not surprise me at all to see the Lakers active at the trade deadline for a power forward or center.

Two more quick fantasy updates for you – Read More »

The Lakers have announced that Andrew Bynum will have to miss 8-12 weeks with an MCL tear in his right knee. Bynum got hurt in Saturday’s game at Memphis after Kobe fell into his knee under the basket. Read More »

After this was everywhere this morning, Chris Bosh was forced to address the situation after practice this afternoon:

Chris Bosh couldn’t have been more emphatic in shooting down an ESPN report that said he’d already told Raptors president and general manager that he wouldn’t re-sign in Toronto when he contract expires in 2010.

“No. No. No, I haven’t told him that,” Bosh said today after practice. Read More »

Why can’t big guys hit from the stripe? It seems like a simple question, but after Wilt Chamberlain (51.1%), Shaq (52.7%), Chris Dudley (45.8%) and Ben Wallace (41.8%) struggled for years, it seems to have gone unanswered.

Attempting to answer the age-old question, former college basketball player John Fontanella, who teaches physics at the U.S. Naval Academy, wrote “The Physics of Basketball,” explaining why tall guys have trouble. Read More »

If you missed this last night during the Superbowl, the trailer was released for the new GI Joe movie; GI JOE: The Rise of Cobra, looks like it is going to be ridiculous. I know I sound like one of those guys that dress up opening night and sit in the front row but hey, I don’t care. When I was a young lad you couldn’t tell me I wasn’t going to be SnakeEyes. Read More »

Despite the fact the Mavericks are 27-19 and are currently slated for only the seven-spot in the playoffs, and one our list of the fake contenders, Josh Howard doesn’t think Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson should do anything before the trade deadline.

“We don’t need no changes right now,” Howard said during an NBA TV interview after Saturday’s win in Miami. “I know people end up getting traded and I know I might end up going somewhere. But I’m looking forward to living and keep playing in Dallas. … I love this Dallas team.”

Read More »

Last night’s fantasy MVP goes to big Al Jefferson. Jefferson has been overlooked a little but this season but has been playing incredible fantasy ball of late. Yesterday he had 34 points, 11 boards, and 4 blocks against his former squad. He also shot over 70% from the field and 80% from the line. It’s lineup Monday and there is a lot to concern ourselves with as we make our final decisions before game time. Andrew Bynum – We’ll know more today. Rumors are already running from a tear (peace season) to a sprain (4-6 weeks). As soon we know, you’ll know. Like I said over the weekend, Lamar Odom was probably dropped in some leagues throughout this season. He should be owned in all leagues right now. Read More »