Draft Prep : Injuries Part 2

Andrew Bynum: Knee
Miraculously Bynum was able to stay healthy for an entire year last year, and had his best year as a pro. Many thought maybe he had put his injury problems in the rear view, many thought wrong! Bynum is currently dealing with knee issues and is expected to be sidelined for three weeks as a precuation. What to do come draft day ??

• Missing three weeks would still put Bynum on track to be ready for the opener, and as long as this is truly precuationary then I still believe that he is worth a late first rd/early second rd pick. Keep an eye on what develops overs the next few weeks.  There is no doubt he is the second best big man in the game and now that he has become the main dog in philly, look for his numbers to reflect that.

Stephen Curry: Ankle
After an offseason ankle surgery, the team is saying that Curry's ankle is as healthy and strong as possible. As of now it seems as if he has regained his explosiveness however his young career has been riddled with injuries.

• When healthy, sky is the limit on his talent, especially now that shoot happy Monta Ellis isn't sharing the backcourt with him. However, I would temper expectations come draft day. I just cant endorse gambling on one of my first two picks on a guy who hasn't proven he can handle the grind of an entire NBA season. Let him fall to you in the middle rounds, and if he gets snapped up earlier, you can feel good knowing you dont have to worry about an injury on a nightly basis.

Blake Griffin: Torn Meniscus
Griffin was forced to miss the London Olympics this summer in order to undergo surgery on his torn meniscus. He has been cleared for full contact and should be 100 percent when the season opens. Expect another solid season from Griffin who is almost a lock to average a double double.

• This isn't the first time  Griffin has dealt with a knee injury, so it is a bit concerning, however I think you can go ahead and draft him as if he were completely healthy. What you really need to watch when thinking about drafting him is your leagues scoring structure. If free throw percentage is a catagory, you may want to wait until the middle rounds for Blake. He is simply awful from the stripe.