Andrew Bynum: Knee Woes -- Bynum's career in Philadelphia is not beginning auspiciously. The center's knees have been troublesome throughout his career, but an underrated aspect of a trade is how a new training staff deals with a player's injury history. Bynum has never been an iron man. Prior to last season, he had missed at least 17 games in each of his previous four seasons. If the 76er training staff takes some time to better understand the seven-footer's knee issues, he may be in for an inconsistent season.
Anthony Davis: Brow Down with Groin -- Davis missed Friday's preseason game with a groin issue. He was able to return to practice on Sunday, but did not take part in contact drills. While this groin issue may be minor, it is never a good sign for rookies to be held out of practice and preseason games when they could be getting valuable experience. On the other hand, the Hornets certainly want to protect their investment in Davis. The rookie should be an impact shot blocker and rebounder and may average as many as 12-14 points.
Kyle Lowry/Jose Calderon: Point Problems in Toronto -- Both Raptor point guards have been ailing over the past few days. Lowry has a strained adductor muscle in his left leg and Calderon left Friday's preseason game with hamstring tightness. Neither injury is expected to keep the player out long and the Raptors could have a fantastic point guard platoon. Lowry will being a defensive demeanor to the Raptor backcourt. For now, John Lucas III might get some extra playing time in the preseason.
Kyrie Irving: Clang Clang Clang Goes the Trolley -- As he recovers from a broken hand, last year's Rookie of the Year has had some issues adjusting his shot in the preseason. Irving is connecting on just 23.9 percent of his field goals in exhibition games and is just 5-of-28 from the field (18 percent) in his last two games. While the shooting woes may not be a cause for general concern, it would not be completely surprising to see Irving get out to a slow start. If you draft him, be prepared to bench him a few games at the beginning of the season. If you don't draft him, prepare some low-ball trade offers.
Nicolas Batum: In for Big Minutes -- So far, this report has mainly been dismal news, so let's try to brighten things up with a big finish. Batum, the Blazers' starting small forward, may be the team's primary backup shooting guard as well. A bump in minutes would mean a bump in production. The French wing produced nicely last year with 13.9 points, 1.8 threes, 4.6 rebounds, and a steal and a block per game. Batum could be one of the more valuable defenders in the fantasy game.
Scott Machado: Former-Gael Still Dealing Dimes -- Machado went undrafted in the 2012 draft, but the former Iona Gael is showing that he can pass the rock in the preseason. He had 11 assists in 23 minutes on Sunday and could be a nice change-of-pace point guard for the Rockets. The NCAA's 17th-leading all-time assist maker has NBA size (6-2, 205 lbs) and court vision to spare. While Jeremy Lin will play most of the minutes at the point for Houston, Machado will be a capable backup and should be scooped off the waiver wire if something happens to Lin.