OAKLAND, Calif. -- Anyone who has watched the L.A. Clippers so far this season pretty much has the same question: what's up with Chris Kaman?
The guy's been playing some ball and doesn't seem to resemble the player of past years. But according to coach Mike Dunleavy, nothing at all is up.
"The only difference with him is he's shooting the ball," Dunleavy said before the Clippers dismantled the Warriors, 118-90, on Friday night. "And I mean literally shooting the ball. He's always been able to shoot the ball but always had this kind of mentality of 'I can't take too many shots,' or 'I need to get closer to the basket.' "
On the eve of yet another rebuilding season, the Los Angeles Clippers revealed on Monday night that Blake Griffin's knee injury was far more serious than initially feared: he's been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left kneecap (the patella, to be precise) and could be sidelined up to six weeks. He suffered the injury in the team's final preseason game.
ORLANDO -- Danny Granger has all the makings of a great player who may get lost for many years.
Playing for the Indiana Pacers already makes him look like he's standing alone on an island -- waiting to get rescued.
"It doesn't matter how many points you score. If you don't win games, no one really cares,'' Granger told FanHouse Wednesday night before the Pacers played the Orlando Magic. "I've proven I can score. Now I have to prove we can win.''
Granger averaged 25.8 points last season when he won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award, becoming the first player in league history to raise his scoring average by at least five points in three consecutive seasons.
Who doesn't like a list, especially on a Monday morning when that's about all you can handle?
Training camps are opening, so here are five coaches likely to start feeling the heat if their teams don't get off to good starts.
Mike Dunleavy, L.A. Clippers: The Clippers head into the season with expectations, which might not be the best news for Dunleavy. He's got to figure out a way to reconfigure his relationship with Baron Davis so that the veteran point guard once again can thrive. If Dunleavy and Davis aren't on the same page, there's no hope in L.A.
Golden boy NCAA champ Tyler Hansbrough, a lottery pick of the Pacers, isn't getting off on the right foot -- err, shin -- in Indianapolis. A nagging shin injury Hansbrough dealt with at the start of his senior season at North Carolina has returned, and the rook has been deemed to be out "indefinitely." That means he'll miss at the least the start of training camp this week, and perhaps the preseason or the opening weeks of the regular season.
The news ain't good for Mike Dunleavy, either. Lil' Dun missed the majority of 2008-09, and he won't be ready on time for this season either. Indy coach Jim O'Brien told media Dunleavy won't likely be practicing until November, which puts the forward on schedule to miss at least a half-dozen regular season games.
The injuries have opened up an opportunity for other players, though. Like Rod Benson.
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.
LAS VEGAS -- If you were looking for Mike Dunleavy to shoot down rumors of the Clippers' interest in Allen Iverson, he didn't Tuesday night.
The Clippers coach didn't mention the controversial guard by name, but he did say the club is "exploring our options with a lot of different guys and to see what's the best situation for our team, but we'll see it all plays out."
LAS VEGAS -- Blake Griffin made his professional debut in front of an eager crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center, and Clippers fans couldn't have asked things to go any better: he made his first eight shots on his way to posting game-high marks with 27 points and 12 rebounds, helping his teammates past the rival Los Angeles Lakers.
Griffin showed his versatility for all 30 minutes he was on the court, putting the ball on the floor, hitting shots inside the paint and out and even extending his range all the way to three-point land.
While most summer league games are played in front of a laid-back, half-interested crowd, you could tell that this was the main event that fans had anticipated for weeks. Super-fan Clipper Darrell was in attendance, of course, leading the crowd in cheers, as was commissioner David Stern.
The 2002 NBA Draft is filled with what ifs. What if Jason Williams had decided not to jump on that motorcycle? What if DaJuan Wagner had been physically able to withstand the rigors of the NBA? What if NBA scouts weren't so enamored with European prospects?
This is a draft of major successes -- Amare Stoudemire, Yao Ming, Carlos Boozer -- and abject failures -- Marcus Haislip, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Frank Williams. And the 2002 class will be best known for not being the 2003 class, perhaps the best in league history. Yao was perhaps the most mysterious No. 1 pick of all time. Few knew more than he was 7-foot-6 and from China.
And what followed Yao was a bunch of question marks, kids who left school too early and unknown international players. The result was an uneven draft that will go down more for its misses than hits.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
Blake Griffin is an amazing basketball talent who has become the hope of Clippers fans, and when you see him on the court you'll understand why. This 6-foot-10 powerhouse is a very unique player; he hops like Andre Iguodala, has a body like Mark Madsen and handles like Allen Iverson. Along with his basketball skills, Blake has a great personality. In this interview he tell us why people call him Shrek, who he looked up to as a kid and much more. We also hear from Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy about what Blake brings to the table.
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Anyone who has watched the L.A. Clippers so far this season pretty much has the same question: what's up with Chris Kaman?
On the eve of yet another rebuilding season, the 
ORLANDO -- 
Who doesn't like a list, especially on a Monday morning when that's about all you can handle?
Golden boy NCAA champ 
You know what they say. "The best laid plans of mice and men with beards and their own film companies ..."
LAS VEGAS -- If you were looking for 
LAS VEGAS -- 
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. 
