Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
There are close to 4.5 million Native Americans living in about 565 federally recognized communities across the Untied States. Many of these communities have been neglected, and unemployment in some areas is as high as 80 percent. The shortage of funds results in little to no organized youth sports activities. Diabetes and obesity are fast-growing problems.
Picks and Roles provides all the vital information you need in making those tough lineup decisions for the week ahead.
This week we have four teams -- Kings, Bucks, Pacers, and Wizards -- who play just two times. Aside from the obvious guys like Danny Granger, Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, I would only consider Tyreke Evans and Andrew Bogut as players to slot into your lineup. Obviously, since most of us play in a "two center" league, if you have to start Roy Hibbert I could see you making the case.
Jason Thompson is another guy on the fringe this week. He's starting to look more and more like a top 50 fantasy baller this year. Brandon Jennings would be another guy you could consider. Though if it comes down to a point guard who plays four times and Jennings, you have to take the four games. Same can be said about Thompson and the other fantasy fringe players. Maximize your games played, it's Fantasy 101.
Who's Got Next is a weekly look at some of the top players widely available on the waiver wires.
The injuries are starting to kick in, so now we have to start looking at players who are getting more burn in the absence of the fallen few. I wrote earlier about the injuries to Kevin Martin and Tyrus Thomas.
The obvious front-runner in Sacramento is Beno Udrih who is now the starting point guard for the Kings. Tyreke Evans will also see an uptick in value, but it's less likely that he's still available in your league.
In Chicago it'll be Taj Gibson's role to step in and replace Tyrus Thomas at the power forward. Gibson dones't have the upside or the dfensive powress that Thomas does, but he should make for a nice short-term add. Is he Paul Millsap? Probably not. But when the opportunities are there, you have to take advantage.
Let's take a look at a few other players widely available who can help you in the week ahead.
You're going to have to forgive us here in the early season for a bit. If we don't report on trends that are developing, we're ignoring what we're seeing. If we do tell you what we see, we're over-emphasizing games that are so young in this season that they can't even legally get into a screening of New Moon.
Basically, that's my way of imploring you to remember that we do take these things with a gigantic mountain of salt, but here's what happened. And trust me, the Spurs are going to want to brush this one off.
Perenially disappointing France dropped some jaws today by destroying Italy in last-gasp Eurobasket qualifying, ratcheting up a 81-61 win on the cape of healed Tony Parker (23 points, 5 assists). The French have assured themselves a place in the Eurobasket play-in game, which will be decided late next week. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the likely foe, though Belgium (where Parker was born) can bully in.
The Italians had been the favorite to move on from the qualifier, but they're bruschetta toast. Not only will Italy miss Eurobasket for the first time since 1961, but the Azzurri will also likely miss the 2010 World Championships. It could be argued that the break-up of Yugoslavia and the U.S.S.R. has hurt Italy's performance, as a host of Slavic states and former Soviet republics have leaped the Italians in international competition.
A few years ago, when I began to get interested in European basketball, it was difficult to grok just how important a tournament Eurobasket is. In the United States, the only international competition we tend to care about is the Olympics, with the World Championships an event that usually registers as a blip instead a marquee. But it's really different in Europe.
The championship of Europe -- Eurobasket, a biannual tournament -- is as big as the Olympics or the Worlds for ballers in the Old World. Legends are made in the tournament, and reputations earned. This year's European Championship kicks off in September. But beginning today, six teams will battle to grab the last spot in the tournament.
Tony Parker, training with the French national team in advance of the Eurobasket 2009 qualifying tournament, suffered what appeared to be a minor ankle injury during a scrimmage against Austria last week. He left the gym on crutches, but an MRI executed by the French and overseen by a Spurs official on location revealed no ligament damage. Parker planned to be ready for this Wednesday's tournament opener against Italy.
In the dog days of summer, every NBA team is filled with championship dreams.
OK, that's a crock of Jerome James-flavored gumbo. Most teams are well aware that the only gold at the end of an NBA season's rainbow is named Jose. And I'm not talking about just the Clippers or Kings here. I'm also talking about the Hawks and Sixers and Hornets and Jazz. There are only a handful of teams that are genuinely in the hunt. And most champions will tell you it takes a precious combination of talent, obscenely hard work, and lots and lots of luck to cash in the ticket to immortality. Some teams expect to contend for a championship. Rarely does any team expect to win a championship, if it's not currently holding the ring (or waiting for it to arrive in the mail).
The San Antonio Spurs, of course, are a pretty rare team. And they have been for the last decade. And much of their success is due to their equally rare head coach.
When I was six, I lifted a pack of gum from a grocery store. I was quickly busted by my mom as I tried to eat the gum, immediately, in the car. After my Dad got through with me, including, and this was not the most severe bit, duct taping the window shut, removing the light bulb and putting a towel at the door overnight when I was afraid of the dark, he asked me a question. "What could you possibly have been thinking?"
There's a dude in San Antonio that makes six-year-old me look like a freaking genius.
Our story begins at the house of San Antonio Spurs superstar point guard Tony Parker.
Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash presented the 2nd annual "Showdown in Chinatown" charity soccer event on Wednesday in downtown New York City. The game benefited the Steve Nash and Claudio Reyna Foundations, and was an 8-on-8 match filled with NBA and soccer greats. Predictably, NBA stars Chris Bosh and Grant Hill didn't fare as well as the likes of Thierry Henry and Edgar Davids. However, international hoopsters, Nash and Tony Parker, definitely held their own on the pitch. Okay, now I'm just name-dropping. Check out FanHouse's look at what was a fun, if not somewhat awkward, game of soccer. The video is below.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. 
Picks and Roles provides all the vital information you need in making those tough lineup decisions for the week ahead. 
Who's Got Next is a weekly look at some of the top players widely available on the waiver wires.
You're going to have to forgive us here in the early season for a bit. If we don't report on trends that are developing, we're ignoring what we're seeing. If we do tell you what we see, we're over-emphasizing games that are so young in this season that they can't even legally get into a screening of New Moon. 
Perenially disappointing France dropped some jaws today by destroying Italy in last-gasp Eurobasket qualifying, ratcheting up 
A few years ago, when I began to get interested in European basketball, it was difficult to grok just how important a tournament Eurobasket is. In the United States, the only international competition we tend to care about is the Olympics, with the World Championships an event that usually registers as a blip instead a marquee. But it's really different in Europe. 
When I was six, I lifted a pack of gum from a grocery store. I was quickly busted by my mom as I tried to eat the gum, immediately, in the car. After my Dad got through with me, including, and this was not the most severe bit, duct taping the window shut, removing the light bulb and putting a towel at the door overnight when I was afraid of the dark, he asked me a question. "What could you possibly have been thinking?"
Phoenix Suns point guard 
