FanHouse RodBenson

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.

This morning, Ball Don't Lie published a really smart, self-aware dispatch from D-League All-Star Rod Benson. Benson's one of our favorite baller-bloggers, a real funny, energetic chap who also happens to be a good player. In this morning's post, Rod wondered whether his notable blogging career -- filled with insider humor about NBA players and organizations -- serve as an impediment to his dream of making an NBA roster. Benson has yet to get his big NBA break, and late last season discussed the possibility of "giving up" on the Bigs for now to make his money in Europe.

That post last season made it seem Benson was near his breaking point. But this morning's effort didn't really get at that -- Rod seemed more genuinely curious about the quandary than resigned to giving up either the NBA or the blog. It's especially odd considering Benson has reportedly signed with a French club, according to I Love Basket via Ball in Europe.

The report from ILB (a French language blog) says SLUC Nancy, a team based in Nancy in the northeastern region of Lorraine, has signed Benson. Nancy, the reigning French league champion, will compete in Euroleague's Group B (also featuring Panathinaikos, one of the top European contenders this season -- stacked with Vassilis Spanoulis, Dimitris Diamantidis and Sarunas Jasikevicius) as well as the regular French league.

Congratulations to Benson, if this has in fact happened. (There's no mention on the SLUC Nancy site nor Benson's official site.) Benson would surely have been a better producer than a handful of big men drawing NBA paychecks ... but a man has to squelch his pride at some point and get those dollars. And hey, if it's good enough for Josh Childress and SHAWN KEMP, it'll be just fine for the Boom Tho Movement.

The Summer League in Las Vegas is a time for rookies to get some run before their first NBA season, and a time for fringe players and D-Leaguers to try and get a contract. Rod Benson falls into the latter category, but an injury kept him from seeing the court for the Raptors. But hey, the trip to Vegas wasn't a total loss. Check out this trick that Rod learned while hanging in one of the Palms' (many) hot spots.



"All you gotta say to these breezys is" ... that was awesome. I doubt that an articulate professional basketball player like Benson needs tricks like these to lure women back to his room in a Vegas hotel, but the rest of us usually can use all the help we can get. Thanks, Rod!

Dakota Wizard forward Rod Benson has beef with Utah Jazz rookie (playing for the D-League Flash) Morris Almond over their status as bloggers. The two debated the merits of each other's blogging work (Almond has an NBA.com blog, Benson writes for Yahoo!'s Ball Don't Lie). (Footage here.) Almond followed with some smack on his site; Benson responded forcefully this morning.

Almond argues you are not a real NBA blogger if you are not blogging on the league's official site. Benson counters that he writes his own stuff (instead of calling it in), and that being outside the official league site gives him more cred. Also, Almond scored 51 in a D-League game in December and for one day (apparently) served as FreeDarko's embedded rookie. Benson is tremendous at Rock Band, and violated the NBA's copyright rules. (He is also an incredibly humorous writer.)

This is a tough battle, and we obviously need an impartial observer. So let's leave it to FanHouse readers (since, ahem, FanHouse is the biggest sports blog in the world). Vote below. We'll check in next week.

It has been a rather tremendous year for the cult of NBA personality. Gilbert Arenas is a blogging hero, Baron Davis is insanely hilarious (perhaps unintentionally). Even stoic Chris Bosh has gotten into his groove. But, for me, the top funnyman in the NBA isn't even in the NBA -- it's beloved D-Leaguer Rod Benson.

Over at Yahoo!, Benson tells us why 2007 was the best year ever, despite being broke, getting cut a few times, and residing in North Dakota. He also wonders why fans have been so drawn to his screeds. Maybe he's being modest, but the question itself, posed in today's entry, perfectly illustrates why we love Rod:

Every time someone reads something else I've written I find it crazy. I'm no different than anybody else. I have friends, enemies, hopes and fears. I enjoy a game of Madden daily. Yet, for some odd reason, people want to know the craziness that makes up my mind. Someone even called me an "E" list celebrity, which could be insulting, but it's actually awesome. I'm on the list. There is a list and I am allegedly on it.

Benson's a star because he's a normal person in an incredibly not-normal lifestyle. And he's funny as hell. It may seem simple, but that's why we can never have too much Rod Benson.

Everyone knows by now Nets hopeful/NBDL stud Rod Benson is the leading challenger to Gilbert Arenas' Best Ballin' Blogger title. No slight meant to Agent Zero, but I think Rod's passed him. Exhibit A, from Benson's latest DraftExpress entry, on Rod's first venture into the big city from his New Jersey encampment:

I don't know what it is about this place, but it's just kind of scary. I feel like New York is just hyped up as such a tough place. Like everybody is out to get me or something. I mean I guess it comes from watching too much T.V., but I don't know. Think about it. This is the only city in the world that needs the Fantastic Four, Spiderman, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to protect it. If you get past them, you still have to deal with various Heros from Heros [sic], like Hiro. Then they have CSI and NYPD Blue.

My point is that New York is just scary.

Nope, that has nothing to do with watching too much TV, Rod. But the fact you named your fantasy team 'Wyld Stallions?' Yeah, that might be a problem.