Camby Near Death

In a shocking development, Nuggets C Marcus Camby has been sidelined by injury.

Camby, who recently suggested, despite his $9.3 million salary this year, that the NBA issue players a stipend to help them pay for the suits required by this season's new street clothes dress code, injured his foot when he stepped on a teammate's foot in practice on Friday. Although he said then that it wasn't serious, he sat out on Saturday.

I've read that it's just a little "soreness"; I've read that it's a sprained ankle; I've read that it's an aggravation of plantar fasciitis. For Camby, none of these would be good. This is a man who needs to be in optimal health to get out of bed in the morning. This is the J.D. Drew of basketball.

Camby's nine full NBA seasons represent about 738 games. He has played in 490 of them. That's 66%. Do the math here: if Camby plays as much this season as he has historically played, he should see in action in about 54 games. I know, I know, he was a fantasy stud last year. So was J.D. Drew. And look what happened to him. Bid accordingly.

I admit I'm biased: after having missed out on just about every good C available in the Sportsline Bloggers League I joined with Nels over at Give Me The Rock, I was forced to take Nene, who is nursing a hamstring injury of his own. Pray for me, and hope that history repeats itself this year.