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Michael Redd Returns, Jennings Can't Buy One in Bucks' Loss

Home Delivery is your morning roundup of last night's action in the NBA from a fantasy perspective.

Michael Redd returned to action last night after missing the past nine games. Redd played just 11 minutes, scoring four points on 1-of-3 shooting from the floor and 1-of-6 from the free-throw line. Brandon Jennings wasn't much better shooting 6-of-21 from the floor and turning the ball over five times in 31 minutes. The most promising performance came from, you guessed it, Ersan Ilyasova -- 20 points, 8-of-13 from the floor, one three-pointer, four rebounds and four steals. Check and mate.

The Spurs out-rebounded the Bucks 46-29 and shot 51.3-percent from the floor. Tim Duncan was the leader of this joint with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Matt Bonner, yes that Matt Bonner, came alive for the first time in a few weeks with 23 points on 6-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Typical performance. He was on and off the waiver wires last season thanks to his three-point shooting. It's up to you, but I don't think he has standard league value.

Kevin Martin Sidelined Indefinitely

What a night for Kevin Martin. The dynamic guard for the Kings -- and currently the league's No. 3 scorer -- learned Thursday morning his sore wrist was actually a fractured navicular bone, a pretty brutal injury in terms of risk and recovery. Sources tell FanHouse Martin was strongly recommended by at least two doctors (including Sacramento's team doctor and a separate hand specialist) to undergo reparative surgery or to put the in a cast for 6-8 weeks. The franchise, however, left the decision to Martin, who kept a third option -- play through it wearing a soft cast -- open temporarily.

Martin told reporters he'd sleep on it and make a decision Friday. Sanity has prevailed over machismo, and Martin told the Sacramento Bee's Sam Amick today that playing with a soft cast has been ruled out. Martin will either put a hard cast on the arm, or undergo surgery.

Kevin Martin Sidelined Indefinitely

What a night for Kevin Martin. The dynamic guard for the Kings -- and currently the league's No. 3 scorer -- learned Thursday morning his sore wrist was actually a fractured navicular bone, a pretty brutal injury in terms of risk and recovery. Sources tell FanHouse Martin was strongly recommended by at least two doctors (including Sacramento's team doctor and a separate hand specialist) to undergo reparative surgery or to put the in a cast for 6-8 weeks. The franchise, however, left the decision to Martin, who kept a third option -- play through it wearing a soft cast -- open temporarily.

Martin told reporters he'd sleep on it and make a decision Friday. Sanity has prevailed over machismo, and Martin told the Sacramento Bee's Sam Amick today that playing with a soft cast has been ruled out. Martin will either put a hard cast on the arm, or undergo surgery.

Home Delivery: Iverson Returns, Griz Have No Answer for Martin

Allen IversonHome Delivery is your morning roundup of last night's action in the NBA from a fantasy perspective.

The Kings spoil the debut of Allen Iverson by outscoring the Griz 17-6 in overtime, on their way to winning 127-116. Kevin Martin scored 48 points and Spencer Hawes chipped in by almost posting a triple-double off the bench -- 21 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists. The Kings bench outscored the starters 67-60.

Iverson came off the bench to score 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting with just one assist. Underwhelming, but it was just one game. I refused to draft Iverson this year and probably won't get excited about him as we move forward, so keep that in mind.

Three Grizzlies posted double-doubles -- Rudy Gay (21 points, 13 rebounds), Marc Gasol (16 points, 16 rebounds), and Zach Randolph (30 points, 16 rebounds).

Iranian and Israeli Players Could Face Off For First Time

DENVER -- Forget about a Tar Heel against a Dukie or a Kentucky Wildcat against a Louisville Cardinal. This is a lot different.

On Monday night in Sacramento, an Israeli player could face a player from a rival Middle East Muslim nation for the first time ever in the NBA.

Kings forward Omri Casspi is the first man from Israel ever to play in the NBA, and has three games under his belt. His team at Arco Arena next plays Memphis, which features center Hamed Haddadi, a second-year man from Iran.

Before his Grizzlies met Denver on Sunday night, Haddadi told FanHouse he never has faced an Israeli player on the court because teams from his Iran, which does not recognize the Jewish nation, are not allowed to play Israel. In 2005, Haddadi said his Iranian team was not allowed to go to Argentina for the 2005 FIBA World Championship for Young Men because of the possibility of Israel being an opponent.

But Haddadi has no problems with facing Casspi.

Omri Casspi Enters the History Books

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Omri CasspiWhen the Sacramento Kings opened the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this week, rookie Omri Casspi officially entered the NBA history books as the first Israeli player to play in the NBA. In his first game, Casspi looked good, dropping 15 points (7-9 from the field) in just 19 minutes of action. In this FanHouse video we talk to Caspi and several of his former teammates from Israel's champion Maccabi Tel Aviv. We also hear from Tony Gaffney, who now plays in Israel and worked out with Casspi all summer, about Casspi's competitive nature.

Check out the video after the jump.

Tweet This: Fifty Fantasy Basketball Tips


You kids and your Twitter. There's something about 140 characters to get your point across that just seems to make sense. The whole idea got me thinking that instead of dragging out some fantasy basketball column that you'll likely just skim over, what do you say I give you 50 fantasy basketball tips and observations in 140 characters or less. You have no vote in this matter, so you're getting them anyway.

These tips are not only designed for those of you who have yet to draft your fantasy teams, but they're also for those who are looking to improve on their post-draft squads. Hopefully this is a helpful way to get out as much information as possible while keepin' it mainstream.

Mason Looking Like Kings' Starting SF

Desmond MasonSACRAMENTO -- Sacramento Kings coach Paul Westphal continues to maintain he hasn't yet settled on a starting small forward. He talks of possibly using either Kevin Martin there or perhaps rookie Tyreke Evans.

But that's only if he decides to roll out a smaller lineup that would include Beno Udrih as the starting point guard. Westphal has even suggested that rookie Omri Casspi is in the mix, saying he likes Casspi's hustle and competitiveness.

And Westphal also claims he hasn't ruled out Andres Nocioni -- despite acknowledging that he likes Nocioni off the bench. But if you've been watching the Kings in the preseason, it's starting to seem apparent who's going to get the nod for the regular-season opener against Oklahoma City: Desmond Mason.

Sacramento's Struggles Won't Slow Down Kevin Martin's Rise

Kevin MartinBRADENTON, Fla. – It's not easy being the best player on the worst team in the league.

It's why Sacramento guard Kevin Martin is wearing blinders this summer -- looking only straight ahead.

"All the losing is tough -- it wears on you -- but this time of year I try not to worry about things I don't control,'' he said. "What I can control is that I can become a better player every summer by working at it.''

Omri Casspi Making NBA History

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon, bringing lots of excitement to the American people as he made history. These days the country of Israel is experiencing similar excitement, as Omri Casspi of the Sacramento Kings is making his mark in the history books, becoming the first Israeli baller in the NBA.

Casspi, 21, has been one of the hottest names in European basketball the last few years, starring for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He now has the entire country of Israel celebrating its first representative in the best basketball league in the world. In this exclusive FanHouse video, we catch up with Casspi, a talented player known for his toughness. We also hear from his teammates Donte Greene, who tells us about Omri's hip-hop nickname, and Jason Thompson, who says Casspi reminds him and a taller, right-handed Manu Ginobili.

Check out the video after the jump.

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