Update: According to reports, Evan Fournier injured his ankle during a game on Wednesday against Orleans and had to use crutches to get around after the game. Fournier said he will not fly to the US on Friday for Nets combine and wants to see how his ankle develops first.

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It is a little under 4000 miles from France to New Jersey, but the trip west will be well worth the time and effort for Evan Fournier come this weekend.

That is where Fournier -- the 6-foot-7 swing guard for Poiters in the Pro-A French League -- will be one of 44 draft eligible players participating in the annual pre-draft workout camp put on by the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets.

The two day camp (with two start times on Saturday and Sunday) features a wide variety of collegiate talent and NBA draft hopefuls, along with two international players. The first being Fournier, and the second Mindaugas Kupsas, a 7-foot center out of Lithuania.

Players will be divided into four groups of eleven players each, measured, undergo agility tests and will conduct both media and team interviews. As for the actual workout portion of the camp, the 60-minute workouts will entail skill-work and five-on-five scrimmages.

It's that time of the season. Time to impress NBA front offices around the league.

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The NBA Development League held its first national tryout of the season over the weekend and, while the talent on the court didn't include a lot of names your's truly was familiar with, the basketball players that paid the $150 fee were watched by plenty of talented talent evaluators.

The Los Angeles tryout was scheduled to have 20 teams with either 10 or 11 players on the roster and, while there may have been some stragglers added, the initial rosters I received didn't have any names that seemed destined for stardom (though I probably would have overlooked Dennis Horner on last year's list, too, so that may not be saying much).

However, I was rather impressed when I heard about the people that made it out to Golden Grove, Cali., to watch the prospective D-Leaguers showcase their wares.

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Hope.

That's what Acie Law once banked on when contemplating the chance to compete for a Euroleague title against CSKA Moscow on Sunday.

On Friday, the Olympiacos point guard had to be helped off the court at the end of the game against FC Barcelona Regal after injuring his left ankle, and when the red and white stood victorious over Barcelona, 68-64, and celebrated on reaching the Final Four final, Law was seen leaving the arena on crutches.

From hobbled to hopeful, all signs now point to Law not being able to go.

While Law is determined to lace them up and be game ready, Olympiacos' coaching staff doesn't seem as confident. But looking back on the kind of season Law has had overseas, you really can't put anything past him.

Just when Law looks like he might be down and out for the count, he battles back.

It's been that way ever since he signed with Olympiacos -- maybe even longer.

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This story isn't about Andrei Kirilenko or Vassilis Spanoulis.

It's not even about Juan Carlos Navarro or Dimitris Diamantidis.

But when the 2012 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four begins Friday with the semi-finals between CSKA Moscow versus Panathinaikos, and FC Barcelona Regal against Olympiacos Piraeus in Istanbul, Turkey, those are probably the first four names that will be mentioned regarding their respective teams' chances at winning the prestigious Euroleague championship.

And for good reason too.

Kirilenko is "the man" in the Euroleague and best player in Europe for that matter. Spanoulis is MVP worthy and hard to handle. Navarro already has a Euroleague Final MVP on his mantle after leading Barcelona to a win over Olympiacos in 2010, and Diamantidis has the chance to be chosen as the Final Four MVP for the third time in his career.

But much like in the NBA playoffs, these Final Four games could easily come down to a bunch of role players stealing a superstars thunder when all is said and done.

Here are four players not named Kirilenko, Spanoulis, Navarro, or Diamantidis to keep an eye on in Istanbul:

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The Fort Wayne Mad Ants decided to open up their head coaching job following a less-than-stellar season and, despite interviewing interim coach Steve Gansey for the position, Jeff Potter decided to add a bit more experience to the sideline.

It would have been great to see what Gansey could have done with a full offseason, but new hire Duane Ticknor certainly shouldn't hurt the program. He's been one of the premier minor league coaches for quite some time, dating back to his days with the Black Hills Posse of the IBA, and has plenty of experience in the D-League as a former head coach of the Dakota Wizards and Sioux Falls Skyforce.

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