Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
Halloween is one of those holiday that everyone loves ... including NBA players.
In this FanHouse exclusive, we catch up with NBA stars Amar'e Stoudemire, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Ron Artest, Kyrylo Fesenko, Channing Frye, Craig Smith, Goran Dragic and Lou Amundson.
Find out who is most likely to be Hugh Hefner, Magic Don Juan, a lumberjack, Frankenstein and an Army vet.
The season is officially upon us. It tips off Tuesday night as the Cavaliers welcome the Celtics to town. This moment we've all been waiting for.
Of course it seems as though you've got your fantasy teams in order. You came up with a more creative team name than "[Your Last Name]'s Team" and you're pretty sure you're the team to beat. But before you go and slack off, there's still work to be done. You need to embrace the math that is the weekly lineup.
It's not quite as easy as playing Player A over Player B just because you drafted him three rounds earlier than Player B. Sure it's safe to say that you're going to start guys like LeBron James each week, no questions asked. But for several players on your team it's crucial to look at the schedule and team matchups in order to gain the upper hand.
Each week it shall be my duty to break down the upcoming schedule and point out a few of the more favorable, and not-so-favorable, matchups. This could help make those start/sit decisions a little easier.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
The Lakers open their 2009-10 NBA season against the Clippers on Oct. 27. Prior to the game, the Lakers will receive their championship rings, and Kobe Bryant tells us he is too excited. In this video we also talk to Kobe's new teammate Ron Artest, who knows the formula for success. We also hear from Al Thornton of the Clippers.
The NBA referees seem to be on their way back to work, according to Howard Beck of The New York Times. What a perfect way to open up a post about those who are undervalued. This is not only good news for Dwight Howard and Mike Dunleavy, but it's also fantastic news for NBA fans in general. No disrespect to the replacement refs, but you don't want a pediatrician performing heart surgery.
All order has been restored in the 2009-10 season, so it's time to put the referee situation behind us and talk about those fantasy players who are not getting the respect they deserve.
Using the data from the fine gents over at Mock Draft Central, I identified 10 players whose average draft position is well below their value.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
Kobe Bryant is the national spokesperson for After School All Stars, a nation-wide, one-of-a-kind, after-school activity for students living in rough areas. From sports to music to arts, After School All Stars is free. In this FanHouse Exclusive we visit the Lakers' practice facility in El Segundo, where we catch up with Kobe, his teammates Sasha Vujacic and Derek Fisher, and two of Kobe's friends from the Clippers -- Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman. The stars were there as 2K Sports handed ASAS a check for $25,000 and set up video games for the students and basketball stars.
The NBA FanHouse team has been posting previews for all 30 teams prior to the start of the 2009-10 season. Along with each preview they examine a player to watch. In the case of the Los Angeles Clippers, Tom Ziller examined Eric Gordon. In keeping up with the theme, I decided to highlight a bench player on the Clippers who might turn into an impact fantasy player this season.
From a fantasy perspective the Clippers are an interesting team. On paper they have one of the more fantasy-friendly rotations with six players currently being drafted in the top 125 picks, according to Mock Draft Central -- Marcus Camby (ADP: 40.12), Baron Davis (ADP: 46.64), Eric Gordon (ADP: 79.41), Blake Griffin (ADP: 81.82), Chris Kaman (ADP: 97.18) and Al Thornton (ADP: 126.26).
FanHouse previews a player to watch from each NBA team in advance of the 2009-10 season.
The 2008 draft class ended up having a collectively surprising rookie season. Four players, by my count, had legitimate claims to the Rookie of the Year award. Derrick Rose, the eventual winner, was a consensus pick, but O.J. Mayo led the race much of the year, with Nets center Brook Lopez getting late consideration.
But one other rookie, eventually only an All Rookie second-teamer, deserved dap in the big award discussion: Clippers gunner Eric Gordon. If you're looking for the next underrated, unheralded magnificently efficient scorer in the mold of Kevin Martin and Danny Granger, this is your dude.
A season ago, the Clippers began the year with a renewed sense of optimism. After losing team staples Elton Brand and Corey Maggette to free agency, the club didn't stand pat -- they went out and got some pieces they hoped would make them better.
Well, things didn't exactly work put as planed. Injuries derailed things fairly quickly, and instead of Baron Davis being the one to revive the franchise, he was merely a bystander who watched the team post its worst won-loss record in nine years.
There was a bright side to last year's debacle, however, as it landed the Clippers the number one overall pick in the draft, which they used to select Blake Griffin. With a healthy group to start the season, and some smart tweaks to the roster, L.A. once again has reason to be cautiously optimistic.
Every Tuesday this offseason, two of our NBA experts will go at it with a Debate in the Paint. This week, the topic is which team will be the most improved.
The Los Angeles Clippers are going to be pretty good this year. Yeah, OK, so my heart just skipped a little bit typing that. But I think they're going to be OK.
Just how good of a season are the Clippers going to have? Well, I'm thinking they might end up being the most improved team in the league, and, yes, that includes the Washington Wizards, who figure to improve a lot.
Both teams won just 19 games a year ago. But in 2009-10, I'm calling that the Clippers will be knocking on the playoff door. The Wizards might also. But it would be a greater achievement for the Clippers to make the playoffs in the Western Conference than the Wizards in the East.
You know what they say. "The best laid plans of mice and men with beards and their own film companies ..."
Needless to say, Baron Davis did not have the kind of season he was hoping for in his debut with the Clippers. He essentially fulfilled every negative concern that's been posited about him during his career. Injury-riddled. Inconsistent. Poor leadership. Bails at the first sign of trouble. You know, Baron Davis before the Warriors tenure.
And in an effort to convey a sincere desire to turn things around, Davis is using some pretty blunt assessments of his own play. The buck stops at the beard, apparently.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. 
The season is officially upon us. It tips off Tuesday night 
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. 
The 
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. 
The 
FanHouse previews a 
FanHouse 
Every Tuesday this offseason, two of our NBA experts will go at it with a 
You know what they say. "The best laid plans of mice and men with beards and their own film companies ..."
