Tracy McGrady - feeling good: McGrady says he feels better than he has in two years as he enters the Pistons' training camp. An assortment of injuries, most recently microfracture surgery on his left knee, have taken their toll on McGrady's production the last two seasons. He may feel better than he has in two years, but he faces a lot of competition for minutes on the Pistons' perimeter unless some sort of deal is made before or during the season.
Baron Davis - needs more conditioning: Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro said Davis has been working out this offseason, but still needs more conditioning. "Percentage-wise, I'd be guessing," Del Negro said. "He's put in a lot of work in the last month or so. He started a little bit later probably than he needed to. He's in pretty good shape right now, but he's not where he needs to be. He knows that." Davis' weight tends to be an issue from year-to-year, but not as much as his shot selection and, at times, his attitude. The Clips have some interesting pieces heading into the 2010-11 season, and it would be nice to see Davis buy into the team concept and shoot less in favor of setting up other scorers.
Andrew Bogut (elbow) - no restrictions entering camp: Coach Scott Skiles said the Bucks will put no restrictions on Bogut in training camp. Skiles said that Bogut is fully healed other than some occasional elbow pain. Unfortunately, that pain is something that might linger through much of the season, but Bogut is not at risk of aggravating any of his injuries by participating in camp. The biggest hurdle for Bogut will be taking hits and falling, which will be important for a player who was one of the league's best at drawing charges last year.
Rodrigue Beaubois (foot) - can walk without boot now: Beaubois walked around Mavs Media Day without a protective boot on his surgically-repaired foot. Beaubois is hoping to be ready for the season opener on October 27. He is likely to assume the starting shooting guard position once healthy.
Greg Oden (knee) - will miss opener: Oden said that he will not play in the Blazers' season opener on October 26 against the Suns. Oden said he doesn't have a timetable for his return other than that he won't be ready for the opener. Structurally, his knee is fine, but he still experiences pain occasionally and has not yet been cleared to participate in basketball activities.
Jamal Crawford - reports to training camp. Crawford, who asked the Hawks for a contract extension or trade this offseason, reported to training camp Monday. After the Hawks passed on both a contract extension and trade, it was uncertain if Crawford would report to camp on time or hold out. The veteran guard is still seeking a contract extension, but he opted to report to training camp. Give Crawford a slight bump on your cheatsheets, but he could become a headache if he remains disgruntled over his contract situation all season long.
Michael Beasley - may start at small forward. Beasley has been practicing at small forward and the T-Wolves may begin the season with a front-court lineup of Beasley, Kevin Love at power forward and Darko Milicic at center. Head coach Kurt Rambis has been cryptic about how he'll fit all the power forwards into the lineup, even suggesting Love will come off the bench. However, this is the best scenario to get Minnesota's two best players (Love and Beasley) the most minutes.