NBA News/Injury News 3/10 - 3/16/08

[Hache Man]

	Iverson will play with fractured finger
	Allen Iverson - G - DEN - Mar. 10 - 5:12 p.m. ET
	X-Rays revealed a small fracture in the right ring finger of Allen Iverson, but he plans on playing through the injury. Of course he does. The fracture was suffered on Friday and is of the small and non-displaced variety. Iverson will tough it out, as usual, but let's hope he doesn't take another hard shot to the finger. Source: Rocky Mountain News

[Hache Man]

	Bucks' Mo Williams, Yi won't play Tuesday
	Mo Williams - G - MLW - Mar. 10 - 3:26 p.m. ET
	Mo Williams (abdominal strain) and Yi Jinalian (wrist) have already been ruled out for Tuesday's game. This is bad news and it looks like both players should be shelved for the scoring period in weekly leagues. We're still not hearing any timetable on a return date, as both players are listed as day-to-day. Royal Ivey will start again, while Charlie Villanueva will see heavy minutes at power forward.

[Hache Man]

	Banks could miss two weeks for Heat
	Marcus Banks - G - MIA - Mar. 10
	Guard Marcus Banks (hamstring), forward Udonis Haslem (ankle) and center Earl Barron (knee) are all expected to miss Monday night's game against the Hawks. Banks, injured in Saturday's game against Atlanta, could miss two weeks with the injury, so get him benched ASAP. Ricky Davis is a must-start now, as the Heat is down to just seven available players: Shawn Marion, Davis, Mark Blount, Alexander Johnson, Chris Quinn, Jason Williams and Daequan Cook, meaning any and all of them could have some value right now. Source: Miami Herald
	Dwayne Wade to miss rest of season
	Dwyane Wade - G - MIA - Mar. 10
	The Heat announced on Monday that Dwayne Wade will miss the rest of the season because he needs "stimulation treatment" on his surgically-repaired left knee. This is the bombshell we we've been dreading all season. Wade missed Friday's game because he could hardly get out of bed, and as coach Pat Riley said in a press conference, "It's time [to shut Wade down]...We've been walking around on eggshells with this thing." Ricky Davis should immediately be scooped up and Marcus Banks will have solid value once he returns from his hamstring injury. Chris Quinn is also in line for more minutes, while owners in deep leagues also need to watch Daequan Cook, who was recently recalled from the D-League. Source: ESPN.com

[Hache Man]

	Gerald Wallace expects to play Wednesday
	Gerald Wallace - F - CHA - Mar. 10
	Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace (concussion) had a successful practice on Monday and expects to play in Wednesday's game against the Mavericks. Wallace said that he has asked the coaching staff to play him at small forward rather than power forward, where he is more likely to be injured against bigger opponents. Coach Sam Vincent already expressed the same sentiment, and the change shouldn't have a negative impact on his fantasy numbers. But it does mean that Matt Carroll will come of the bench when Wallace returns to the starting five. Source: Charlotte Observer

[Hache Man]

	Sam Cassell could make Celtics debut Monday
	Sam Cassell - G - BOS - Mar. 10
	Sam Cassell will be activated and could make his Celtics debut against the 76ers on Monday night. It remains to be seen what Cassell's value will be as Rajon Rondo's backup in Boston, but keep him sidelined for now. Brian Scalabrine will be deactivated to make room for Cassell. Source: Boston Globe

[Hache Man]

	Andrei Kirilenko could return on Tuesday
	Andrei Kirilenko - F - UTA - Mar. 11 - 10:07 a.m. ET
	Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko (hip) practiced on Monday and his status has been upgraded from "doubtful" to a "game-time decision" for Tuesday's match-up against the Bulls. "I want to (play on Tuesday). That's the goal and I think I will be able to," Kirilenko said. "[The hip] doesn't bother me, no soreness. A little tightness, but no pain." Coach Jerry Sloan said that if Kirilenko can play he'll be immediately inserted in the starting lineup, replacing fill-in starter C.J. Miles. utahjazz.com

[Hache Man]

	Bosh sees limited progress w/ injured knee
	Chris Bosh - F/C - TOR - Mar. 11
	Chris Bosh said on Monday that his injured knee hardly improved over the weekend, and his physical activity is limited to receiving treatments and riding on a stationary bike. He will not play on Tuesday and is questionable beyond that. All owners can do is stay patient and try to keep their team afloat, because there's no indication that Bosh will return during the final three games of the Raptors' current road trip. Rasho Nesterovic has been surprisingly decent with Bosh out, and should be considered in deep leagues. Source: Toronto Star

[Hache Man]

	Kirilenko to play against Bulls Tuesday
	Andrei Kirilenko - F - UTA - Mar. 11
	Andrei Kirilenko (hip) said at Tuesday's shootaround that he will play tonight against the Bulls. He wasn't exactly tearing it up when he went down, so we're not expecting any miracles. But if he ended up in your lineup for tonight's game, congratulations. He'd been out for three straight games with his hip injury, so it made sense to use caution with him this week. Source: Deseret News

[Hache Man]

	Sixers' Green to miss at least two game
	Willie Green - G - PHI - Mar. 11
	Sixers' guard Willie Green will miss at least the next two games with a lower back strain. He didn't make the two-game road trip to Detroit and Chicago, staying home to get treatment on his injury. Consider him questionable for Saturday's home game against the Spurs. In the meantime, expect Lou Williams and Rodney Carney to see a boost in minutes. Source: Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News

[Hache Man]

	Wizards' Butler nearing return to action
	Caron Butler - G/F - WAS - Mar. 11
	Caron Butler went through shootaround Tuesday morning and while he won't play tonight, the fact that he woke up feeling good and was able to get back on the court is a very good sign that his left hip is feeling better. He also practiced back on Feb. 18 but woke up the next morning with stiffness and pain, couldn't go through shootaround for that night's game against the Knicks and had not practiced again until yesterday. He may or may not play this week, but if all goes well, it sounds like he should make an appearance next week at the latest. Source: Washington Post

[iLoViK]

Originally Posted by Hache Man

Just saw a live interview with him to a russian sports news channel, this is about 1 hour ago, he said he is ready but not sure if the coaches will let him play

[wayne1]

Thanks. Very nice work.

[Hache Man]

	Caron Butler could play on Thursday
	Caron Butler - G/F - WAS - Mar. 12
	Caron Butler could return to play in Thursday's game against the Cavaliers. Ironically, this news comes from the Bucks' blog at the Journal Sentinel, which hasn't provided much information about the possible return of Mo Williams. Ivan Carter of the Washington Post is also reporting that Butler could play on Thursday, so don't be surprised to see him in the lineup agianst the Cavs. Source: Washington Post

[Hache Man]

	Caron Butler expected to return on Thursday
	Caron Butler - G/F - WAS - Mar. 12
	Caron Butler made it through a full practice on Wednesday and is expected to return from his hip injury on Thursday. Feel free to activate him if you're playing in a daily league -- he'll be rusty, but with less than 20 games remaining on the Wizards schedule this isn't a good time to be picky. Source: Washington Post

[Hache Man]

	Kaman questionable for Wednesday
	Chris Kaman - C - LAC - Mar. 12 - 3:24 p.m. ET
	Chris Kaman (back) is questionable for tonight's game against Orlando. His back flared up earlier this week, forcing him out of Monday's action. The Clippers have an early game tonight, so we probably won't know more about Kaman until he's locked into rosters. Source: Los Angeles Times

[Hache Man]

	Jamison, Daniels probable for Wizards
	Antawn Jamison - F - WAS - Mar. 12
	Antawn Jamison (back) and Antonio Daniels (thumb) both sat out Wednesday's practice but are probable for Thursday's game. Ivan Carter of the Washington Post assures us that they'll be playing, so go ahead and keep them active. On a side note, Oleksiy Pecherov (left foot sprain) did some shooting around and will also be available. Source: Washington Post

[Hache Man]

	O'Neal, Tinsley still out indefinitely
	Jermaine O'Neal - F/C - IND - Mar. 12 - 11:36 a.m. ET
	Pacers center Jermaine O'Neal (bruised knee) still isn't practicing but has been doing individual work and playing some one-on-one. Teammate Jamaal Tinsley (sore knee) has been restricted to working out on the sidelines. Asked if he expects both O'Neal and Tinsley to return this season, Pacers coach Jim O'Brien replied, "Absolutely." He admitted that there is no timetable for either players return, and fantasy owners can't rely on them as we approach the most crucial part of the season. Source: indianapacers.com

[Hache Man]

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	Rasheed Wallace (ankle) is game-time decision
	Rasheed Wallace - F/C - DET - Mar. 12
	Rasheed Wallace (sprained ankle) tempered expectations on Tuesday, saying that his ankle felt "so-so" and declaring himself a game-time decision for Wednesday. The Pistons are floating toward the playoffs in the weakened Eastern Conference, so they're in no rush to activate Wallace. Keep him sidelined until either he plays or we know for sure that he's going to play. Source: Detroit News