NBA Fantasy Basketball News 2008-2009

[Hache Man]

The Doug Martsch Interview
After the success and positive response I received on the Stephen Malkmus interview we've decided to go ahead and carry on with the rock star interviews. The strangely attractive hybrid of fantasy hoops and indie rock seems to really be working for people, and for the music fans, I think it's interesting to hear these guys talk about something other than music for a change.

This week's guest is Built To Spill front man Doug Martsch. Built To Spill was formed in 1992 and released a landmark record, Perfect From Now On, in 1997. They played that record start-to-finish at last year's ATP Don't Look Back festivals and are one of the best live bands on the planet. In fact, Doug is considered to be one of the best rock guitarists in the business. Some of Martsch's influences include J Mascis/Dinosaur Jr., Pavement and Neil Young, which should help explain to you why they're one of my favorite bands. Their latest record, You in Reverse, was released in 2006 and there's another one in the hopper.

If you're new around here, I play in a couple rock-and-roll fantasy hoops leagues, one of which includes Malkmus and Marstch, along with several other recognizable jammers. So we've decided to talk some hoops.

20 Questions (or so) With Doug Martsch

Rumor has it that you're a fantasy sports rookie. Is that true?

Doug Martsch: Yes, this is my first season and I'm playing in two leagues – both basketball. One of them is with strangers (not the name of a band), while the other is our league, Plastered In a Sports Bra, run by commissioner Malkmus. And of the two, Plastered is my favorite. I prefer to play with friends, as they may understand my pain.

SA: There's no way to compare a "local league" to a league full of strangers. Beating your buddies is always more fun than housing someone you don't know. And yeah, your buddies probably have better chance than strangers to do of relating to your pain.

Knowing how much you guys tour I'm wondering if you had trouble drafting your team online when we gathered back in October?

DM: Yeah, I started the season on tour, so I was lucky to even take part in the draft. I was in Europe and just happened to be in a hotel that had an internet connection at 6:00 a.m.

SA: You may not know the pain of an "auto-draft" yet, but it only takes one year of suffering through a team built by a computer to make sure it never happens again. And if Doug Martsch can show up at 6 a.m. while on tour in Europe for his fantasy draft, your boys (and girls) should be able to make it to the corner bar, or internet, for your league's draft.

How has your first adventure in fantasy hoops gone over with your family? My wife hated it for the first few years and then gave up. But she also gets me back now by dialing into any reality show that runs on a network you've probably never heard of.

DM: My wife tolerates it and my 14-year-old son likes it (or pretends like he does to humor me).

I know you live in Boise, but you have recorded and spent a lot of time in Portland. And since that's where our league is based, I'm wondering if you have a favorite Trail Blazer?

DM: I like Brandon Roy. Mainly because he's a Blazer, a nice guy, makes big plays and has a unique and beautiful game. I really didn't care about basketball until 1999 when I started playing (actually getting out on the court and playing) and watching, so my all-time favorite blazer is Arvydas Sabonis.

SA: We made a trade back in November when Greg Oden was really struggling. You took Oden and Luke Ridnour off my hands in exchange for T.J. Ford and Nene. For a time there, it looked like I got the better end of that deal with how well Nene has played, but Oden has really been coming on lately. I assume you're an Oden fan because you wanted him when no one else in the league did?

DM: I've liked both Ridnour and Oden since their college days and was then psyched when they went to Seattle and Portland. I thought T.J. (starting for a new team) and Nene (healthy and without Marcus Camby) were good acquisitions, but I wasn't that into them. I released Ridnour a couple weeks after the trade when he continued to under achieve, just like he did in Seattle, and it looked like Ramon Sessions was going to take all his minutes. And now he's hurt again. So I was left with Oden, who I couldn't get rid of mostly because I would then want him to fail (and succeed. I'm still getting used to the psychological dissonance of fantasy b-ball).

Did you draft your team with your head or your heart? In other words, are you a stat freak who is simply trying to win, or were you focused more on players you knew and liked?

DM: Judging players by their stats is new to me. I tried to pick guys whose games I liked and who were going to get minutes. I can't stand a lot of players personally and stay away from them (read: Lakers).

SA: That's good insight, Doug, as potential for minutes/playing time is probably the most overlooked factor by those new to fantasy sports.

Any moves in your draft you wish you had over? Any players you will never own? Since you're a rookie, I'm guessing your "Never Again" list will look much different this coming October.

DM: I took Luol Deng in the fifth round. I have no problem drafting him again, but it won't be in the fifth round next time. I will never draft Damon Jones.

SA: Jones is currently on Milwaukee's roster but hasn't played this year.

Tyrus Thomas and Andrea Bargnani have been two of the most interesting fantasy players this season, being constantly added, dropped and moved from team to team in fantasy leagues. Any thoughts on what the future holds for them?

DM: I think they both will turn out to be good players, but I've thought that for years.

SA: Just after this interview, Bargnani went on a tear that saw him score at least 15 points in 15 straight games, but that streak came to an end on Wednesday night. Thomas' play and consistency continues to bounce up and down like he's on a pogo stick.

Roundball Stew, the title of a Rotoworld column by Matt Stroup, generated quite a bit of chatter on our league message board, mainly because of Malk's dislike of the word 'stew,' as well as 'moist' and 'cuddle.' Anything come to mind when you hear the term? And speaking of Rotoworld, do you consider yourself a junkie?

DM: I like Rotoworld a lot, I also like Rick Kamla and NBA TV. I'm pretty much a junkie. And yeah, when I see Roundball Stew I think of Steve's rap.

SA: Which was:

Roundball Stu
thought he could screw
all the tight ends in Frisco
But he couldn't get through
and then something that rhymes with "pee-yew."

Did you see the dirty wrist-chop that Tyson Chandler put on Joel Przybilla's injured wrist a few weeks ago? Where does that rank on your list of thug moves you've seen in the NBA?

DM : Yes, that ranks somewhere just below Kobe Bryant's string of vicious follow-throughs while his shots were being blocked.

You semi-famously covered MIA's Paper Planes recently and are pretty well known for getting creative with the covers at your shows. In addition, your side project, Boise Cover Band, put out a great record with songs by David Bowie, Captain Beefheart and an instrumental version of the Pretenders' Chain Gang. What song haven't you covered that you want to?

DM : We've already covered every song in the world (that we know about).

What is the first concert you remember attending as well as the first record you bought?

DM : Two years after they'd been my favorite band, when I didn't like them any more, I saw Quiet Riot with a friend who still liked them. My first record (actually, it was a cassette tape) was Billy Squier, Emotions in Motion--which I still like.

SA: Sweet! I think She's a Runner is my favorite Squier song.

What music have you been listening to lately?

DM: I like a lot of Boise bands right now--the Universal, Revolt Revolt, Ian Waters, Finn Riggins, and of course, Le Fleur. The only new music I've been listening to is MGMT.

SA: Of course, Le Fleur.

We got a Wii for Christmas and I often find myself bowling or taking golf target practice at 4 a.m. Any similar problems for you?

DM: I'm playing Zelda Phantom Hourglass on my son's Nintendo DS as we speak.

What's the next project you've got coming up? Seems a little strange that you're not touring right now, as it seems that's where you usually are.

DM : I am working on finishing the new Built To Spill record that will be released in the fall – It's going to be called There Is No Enemy.

Many of today's artists are selling their songs for commercial use, which is usually an issue for their fans. But it also seems to be about the easiest way for indie bands to get paid. Any thoughts?

DM : There's nothing wrong with getting paid, but sometimes if a song has some special meaning to someone, it can be ruined when it's put in a distasteful context.

What are some of your favorite songs by people in our league - Pavement, Sleater-Kinney, Quasi, the Grails, etc.?

DM : I don't know, but my favorite NWA song is F--- tha Police.

SA: In case you're wondering, no – Ice Cube is not in our hoops league. Have you guys ever covered F--- tha Police?

DM: No. Built To Spill has never covered any rap music, but when we were young I thought about doing "Shut 'Em Down" by Public Enemy.

My Morning Jacket is generally regarded as the best live band going, and I tend to agree. What's your take?

DM : Dinosaur Jr. is the best live act going.

What's the best part of living in Boise, Idaho? And do you have a Super Bowl prediction for us?

DM : I've heard the best thing about Boise is the skiing, but I don't ski. And I also don't care about the Super Bowl.

Thanks, Doug. Look for the new record - There Is No Enemy - sometime this fall. And if you go to see Built To Spill and can't get a ticket, don't worry. You may be treated to a private show like these ticket-less folks were.

11 Great Built To Spill Jams (and a Doug Martsch cover)

Car – There's Nothing Wrong With Love
Velvet Waltz – Perfect From Now On
The Plan – Keep It Like A Secret
Just A Habit – You In Reverse
Carry the Zero – Keep It Like A Secret
Else – Keep It Like A Secret
Randy Described Eternity – Perfect From Now On
Liar – You In Reverse
You Were Right – Keep It Like A Secret
Big Dipper – There's Nothing Wrong With Love
You Were Right – Keep It Like A Secret
Strange – by The Delusion – as covered by Boise Cover Band

[Hache Man]

Planet of Thundera
Welcome to the pre-All-Star break Week Ahead. No team has more than two games next week, but we'll deal with the nuances of a shortenened schedule in due time. For now, we delve into a loaded week that has 19 teams playing four times and just one team (the Bucks) playing twice. That means 54 NBA games in the next seven days...I hope you've cleared your schedules.

Also, if you got the ThunderCats reference...I don't know whether to congratulate you or feel second-hand embarrassment. But considering I wrote it (for lack of a more awful pun) I'll stick with a hearty "long live the 80s!"

Two games -- Bucks

Three games -- Hawks, Bobcats, Bulls, Cavaliers, Pistons, Rockets, Thunder, 76ers, Spurs, Kings

Four games -- Celtics, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pacers, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Grizzlies, Heat, Timberwolves, Nets, Hornets, Knicks, Magic, Suns, Trail Blazers, Raptors, Jazz, Wizards

Two games

Bucks (nj, DET)

The Bucks are the only team with two games this week, leaving their owners at a distinct disadvantage in weekly leagues. Charlie Villanueva is on fire and has raised almost all of his season averages to career-high levels. Even so, the decision whether to start him depends, as always, on your alternatives. Is CV the best Buck to own right now? Probably...Ramon Sessions is extremely promising and Richard Jefferson will eventually pick up some of the slack on offense, but neither guy is a safe bet this week. Neither is Andrew Bogut, whose balky back limited him to just 16 minutes off the bench on Friday. He was productive in limited minutes and didn't have any setbacks, so hopefully he'll be ready to go for Week 16. Hey, at least Michael Redd's owners don't have to make an agonizing decision this week, right?

Three games

Thunder (DEN, POR, SAC)

The Thunder get three home games this week, which should be enough for guys like Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook to help your team. It's worth admiring Durant's January averages: 27.8 points on 49% shooting, 1.4 threes, 8.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.6 blocks. He's also being more aggressive lately, attempting 8.7 free throws per game and converting 88.5% of them. Jeff Green is like KD's little cousin, statistically, but since December his production has been more reliable than in the past. The Thunder don't offer many other worthy options in a three-game week -- Westbrook is fine and Earl Watson is viable in deeper leagues, but neither guy stirs the soul. The frontcourt rotation, unfortunately, is too balanced for Nick Collison, Chris Wilcox or Nenad Krstic to emerge with significant value -- especially with Joe Smith due to return any day now.

Kings (pho, UTAH, okc)

Jason Thompson is on a roll, and is currently one of the best fantasy options among rookies. The following numbers explain why his license to start isn't likely to be revoked any time soon -- Thompson has scored double-digit points in 11 consecutive games, shot 50% or better from the field in nine straight, and is making 88% of his free throws in January. He doesn't get many assists (1.0), steals (0.5) or blocks (0.6), but has been steady enough to be used in a three-game week. Spencer Hawes' minutes and production haven't recovered since he missed time with an abdominal strain, and he recently scheduled a meeting with the front-office to discuss ways to increase his effectiveness. I can't see Hawes having sustained value as long as 1) Thompson keeps up this level of play and 2) Brad Miller is still on the Kings. Speaking of Miller, his recent production makes it hard to play him this week -- in the past four games he has more turnovers than assists, and he hasn't played 30 minutes in a game, grabbed more than six rebounds or had more than one steal or block.

Pistons (MIA, mil, PHO)

The Pistons are shooting 46% from the field over the past 10 games, which sounds like it would lead to some solid scoring totals. Such is not the case...only the Bobcats have averaged fewer than Detroit's 90.2 points during that span. The culprit is three-headed -- 1) the Pistons made just 30.3% of their three-pointers (second-worst to the Nuggets) 2) they made just 70.3% of their free-throws (worst in the league) and 3) they have the league's second-slowest pace (89.6 possessions per game). That adds up to plenty of frustration for the Pistons' fantasy owners. Tayshaun Prince needs to be benched until he sorts himself out -- as of January 21st, he had attempted fewer than 10 shots just six times all year...in the four games since, he has averaged 6.3 attempts per game (and 8.5 points as a consequence). Richard Hamilton, in his five games as a reserve, is averaging 15.2 points, 0.6 threes, 2.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 0.0 steals. Allen Iverson's disappointing play continues, Rasheed Wallace is up-and-down, Antonio McDyess is primarily a rebounding specialist...few would have believed this before the season, but right now Rodney Stuckey is probably the Pistons' most reliable fantasy option.

Rockets (CHI, mem, MIN)

With Tracy McGrady ruled out for Saturday's game, all bets are off next week -- the Rockets play back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday and I'd be shocked if T-Mac plays in both of them. That gives Von Wafer an outside shot at value, but he's a better play in daily leagues, where at least you can cut your losses. Ron Artest is 7-of-29 from the field in his past two games, was limited to 23 minutes on Wednesday and publicly aired an apparently groundless report that he might get shut down until the All-Star break. I can't blame you if you gamble on him...but recognize that 'gamble' is the operative word. I said in last week's column that Rafer Alston would crash to earth after his recent hot shooting -- on cue, he went 6-of-21 from the field in games on Monday and Wednesday.

Cavaliers (TOR, ny, LAL)

Welcome back, Zydrunas! The Cavs pale, amiable, lumbering and occasionally sleep-deprived center returned with a 20 point, 11 rebound effort on Friday, and he should be active in all formats. He won't play more than 30 minutes on most nights, but his combination of scoring with high percentages, rebounding and shot blocking make him a solid fantasy center. Predictably, Ilgauskas' return limited Anderson Varejao to four points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes -- the ride is likely over for his owners. Mo Williams has found his place in the Cavs offense, to put it lightly -- in January he's averaging 19.8 points, 2.7 threes and 4.1 assists. Even better, he'll be playing with a chip on his shoulder after getting snubbed for the All-Star game.

Bulls (hou, no, dal)

The Bulls play the final three games of their road trip this week -- they're coming off two consecutive victories (vs. the lowly Clippers and Kings) but will be lucky to escape with one win against this group. Drew Gooden is dealing with a strained abdomen and groin...he's listed as day-to-day but it wouldn't be surprising if he sat out until the Bulls return home. That gives Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas yet another chance to establish reliable value -- both guys are capable of double-doubles and a handful of blocks (and steals, for Tyrus) but they're also relentlessly inconsistent. Nevertheless, if you own them there's no better time to use them than right now.


Four games

Jazz (CHA, DAL, sac, gs)

The Jazz, like the Suns, have the rare pleasure of facing the league's two worst defenses this week. That should be welcome after facing the stingy Bobcats, who allow the fifth-fewest points of any team (94.0), and the adequate defense of the Mavs. The Warriors yield a ton of points in large part because they play at such a fast pace -- more possessions (league-leading 100.2 per game) leads to more points for both teams. The Kings also have a relatively fast pace (95.9 possessions per game), but they couple it with horrible defense -- allowing a league-high 48.1% from the field and 40.8% from downtown. Mehmet Okur, Deron Williams and Paul Millsap should tear the Kings defense in half like fresh bread.

Nets (MIL, was, DEN, orl)

What happens when the Nets, sporting the league's second-worst 3PT defense (40.6% allowed) face the Magic, sporting the league's best 3PT attack (10.5 per game on 40%)? We'll find out for sure next Sunday, but it doesn't take an expert to deduce that three-pointers will be falling like rain drops in London. The Nets get a taste of their own medicine, so to speak, when they face the Wizards on Wednesday -- the Wiz give up an average of 8.2 threes per game, most in the NBA. Other players likely to benefit from New Jersey's lax perimeter defense include the Bucks' Charlie Villanueva and Richard Jefferson (who has some extra incentive playing in NJ) and the Nuggets' J.R. Smith, Chauncey Billups and Linas Kleiza. Enjoy.

Wizards (MEM, NJ, DEN, IND)

The Wizards face four mediocre defenses this week, and have the added bonus of playing entirely at home. That would be more comforting if the Wizards weren't 6-16 at home this season, but we'll take what we can get. All four of their opponents get blocked more than 5.2 times per game, ranking them each in the bottom half of the league -- unfortunately, with Andray Blatche sidelined the Wizards don't have the personnel to take advantage. Darius Songaila appears to be the starting center for the upcoming week, and all you need to know is that he's averaging 0.1 blocks this season. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are automatic fantasy studs, but beyond that things get sloppy. Nick Young, once a promising fantasy player, hasn't scored double-digit points in any of the past seven games. Starting Dominic McGuire is like betting green in roulette. The only light on the horizon is Javaris Crittenton's 15 points and seven assists on Friday. Mike James isn't a long-term solution for the Wizards, so don't be shocked if he hands over the starting gig before long.

Warriors (SA, PHO, pho, UTAH)

If you're in a weekly league, make sure you play your guards when the Warriors take on Phoenix in a mid-week home-and-home. Suns' opponents rack up an average of 9.6 steals per game, second only to the Thunder, which means Monta Ellis, Jamal Crawford and Stephen Jackson won't need a Ponzi scheme to steal from Phoenix.

Suns (SAC, gs, GS, det)

The Suns have an extrememly favorable schedule to start off -- the Warriors and Kings are reknown for their shoddy defense, and are ranked #1 and #2 in points allowed. With a home-and-home against the Warriors, the Suns get three consecutive games where offensive statistics should flow like the salmon of Capistrano. Hopefully Jason Richardson will use this opportunity to post consecutive double-digit scoring games, something he hasn't done since January 9th and 11th.

Nuggets (SA, okc, was, nj)

Nene's accuracy from the field is astounding -- he's nowhere near Wilt Chamberlain's single-season record of 72.7% (set with the Lakers in 1972-1973, though he attempted just 586 shots), but Nene's 61.7% still leads the league by a healthy margin. San Antonio's defense always poses a challenge, but the Nuggets three road games are all against teams ranked 24th or lower in FG% allowed. Make sure you have J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza active when the Nuggets face the Nets and Wizards -- both of those teams are among the worst at defending the three-point line (Washington is 26th at 38.2% and the Nets are 29th at 40.6%).

Pacers (MIN, phi, ORL, was)

Mike Dunleavy's 30-point explosion was a welcome sight for his owners -- he came into that game averaging 15.2 points on sub-40% shooting. This doesn't mean he is suddenly 100% healthy, of course, but he can at least be started with confidence in a favorable week. Danny Granger's knee is concerning, but at the moment it doesn't sound like it'll cost him more games. Just confirm that he makes it through Saturday's game in one piece. As for the point guard situation...T.J. Ford was scheduled to start at point guard on Friday, bumping Jarrett Jack to the bench, but his back seized up on him minutes before tip-off. He wound up scoring 12 points off the bench, but his owners will need some degree of consistency before relying on him. He's another player to watch closely on Saturday...his back could flare up at any moment, but if he is productive you might as well plug him in and see what happens.

Hornets (POR, CHI, TOR, MIN)

The Hornets are inching closer to health, having welcomed back David West in Friday's loss to the Warriors. West didn't look like himself offensively, going 5-of-16 from the field, but he obviously should be in your lineup. Tyson Chandler pushed his target return date back to Wednesday's game, making him too risky for use in most leagues.

Clippers (mia, orl, mem, atl)

Baron Davis and Marcus Camby are back, but they haven't stopped the Clippers losing ways -- if L.A. drops a game to the Wizards on Saturday, they'll finish 2-14 in the month of January. This is another situation where you should watch the weekend's performances closely, but owners itching to start Davis and Camby should do so. DeAndre Jordan started but played less than six minutes on Friday, an indication that he won't be starting now that Camby is back. Davis should return to the starting five this week...there's no indication of when, exactly, it will happen, but Fred Jones' value is hanging by a thread. As for Zach Randolph, I'd keep him benched until we've seen him play.

[Hache Man]

The Doug Martsch Interview
After the success and positive response I received on the Stephen Malkmus interview we've decided to go ahead and carry on with the rock star interviews. The strangely attractive hybrid of fantasy hoops and indie rock seems to really be working for people, and for the music fans, I think it's interesting to hear these guys talk about something other than music for a change.

This week's guest is Built To Spill front man Doug Martsch. Built To Spill was formed in 1992 and released a landmark record, Perfect From Now On, in 1997. They played that record start-to-finish at last year's ATP Don't Look Back festivals and are one of the best live bands on the planet. In fact, Doug is considered to be one of the best rock guitarists in the business. Some of Martsch's influences include J Mascis/Dinosaur Jr., Pavement and Neil Young, which should help explain to you why they're one of my favorite bands. Their latest record, You in Reverse, was released in 2006 and there's another one in the hopper.

If you're new around here, I play in a couple rock-and-roll fantasy hoops leagues, one of which includes Malkmus and Marstch, along with several other recognizable jammers. So we've decided to talk some hoops.

20 Questions (or so) With Doug Martsch

Rumor has it that you're a fantasy sports rookie. Is that true?

Doug Martsch: Yes, this is my first season and I'm playing in two leagues – both basketball. One of them is with strangers (not the name of a band), while the other is our league, Plastered In a Sports Bra, run by commissioner Malkmus. And of the two, Plastered is my favorite. I prefer to play with friends, as they may understand my pain.

SA: There's no way to compare a "local league" to a league full of strangers. Beating your buddies is always more fun than housing someone you don't know. And yeah, your buddies probably have better chance than strangers to do of relating to your pain.

Knowing how much you guys tour I'm wondering if you had trouble drafting your team online when we gathered back in October?

DM: Yeah, I started the season on tour, so I was lucky to even take part in the draft. I was in Europe and just happened to be in a hotel that had an internet connection at 6:00 a.m.

SA: You may not know the pain of an "auto-draft" yet, but it only takes one year of suffering through a team built by a computer to make sure it never happens again. And if Doug Martsch can show up at 6 a.m. while on tour in Europe for his fantasy draft, your boys (and girls) should be able to make it to the corner bar, or internet, for your league's draft.

How has your first adventure in fantasy hoops gone over with your family? My wife hated it for the first few years and then gave up. But she also gets me back now by dialing into any reality show that runs on a network you've probably never heard of.

DM: My wife tolerates it and my 14-year-old son likes it (or pretends like he does to humor me).

I know you live in Boise, but you have recorded and spent a lot of time in Portland. And since that's where our league is based, I'm wondering if you have a favorite Trail Blazer?

DM: I like Brandon Roy. Mainly because he's a Blazer, a nice guy, makes big plays and has a unique and beautiful game. I really didn't care about basketball until 1999 when I started playing (actually getting out on the court and playing) and watching, so my all-time favorite blazer is Arvydas Sabonis.

SA: We made a trade back in November when Greg Oden was really struggling. You took Oden and Luke Ridnour off my hands in exchange for T.J. Ford and Nene. For a time there, it looked like I got the better end of that deal with how well Nene has played, but Oden has really been coming on lately. I assume you're an Oden fan because you wanted him when no one else in the league did?

DM: I've liked both Ridnour and Oden since their college days and was then psyched when they went to Seattle and Portland. I thought T.J. (starting for a new team) and Nene (healthy and without Marcus Camby) were good acquisitions, but I wasn't that into them. I released Ridnour a couple weeks after the trade when he continued to under achieve, just like he did in Seattle, and it looked like Ramon Sessions was going to take all his minutes. And now he's hurt again. So I was left with Oden, who I couldn't get rid of mostly because I would then want him to fail (and succeed. I'm still getting used to the psychological dissonance of fantasy b-ball).

Did you draft your team with your head or your heart? In other words, are you a stat freak who is simply trying to win, or were you focused more on players you knew and liked?

DM: Judging players by their stats is new to me. I tried to pick guys whose games I liked and who were going to get minutes. I can't stand a lot of players personally and stay away from them (read: Lakers).

SA: That's good insight, Doug, as potential for minutes/playing time is probably the most overlooked factor by those new to fantasy sports.

Any moves in your draft you wish you had over? Any players you will never own? Since you're a rookie, I'm guessing your "Never Again" list will look much different this coming October.

DM: I took Luol Deng in the fifth round. I have no problem drafting him again, but it won't be in the fifth round next time. I will never draft Damon Jones.

SA: Jones is currently on Milwaukee's roster but hasn't played this year.

Tyrus Thomas and Andrea Bargnani have been two of the most interesting fantasy players this season, being constantly added, dropped and moved from team to team in fantasy leagues. Any thoughts on what the future holds for them?

DM: I think they both will turn out to be good players, but I've thought that for years.

SA: Just after this interview, Bargnani went on a tear that saw him score at least 15 points in 15 straight games, but that streak came to an end on Wednesday night. Thomas' play and consistency continues to bounce up and down like he's on a pogo stick.

Roundball Stew, the title of a Rotoworld column by Matt Stroup, generated quite a bit of chatter on our league message board, mainly because of Malk's dislike of the word 'stew,' as well as 'moist' and 'cuddle.' Anything come to mind when you hear the term? And speaking of Rotoworld, do you consider yourself a junkie?

DM: I like Rotoworld a lot, I also like Rick Kamla and NBA TV. I'm pretty much a junkie. And yeah, when I see Roundball Stew I think of Steve's rap.

SA: Which was:

Roundball Stu
thought he could screw
all the tight ends in Frisco
But he couldn't get through
and then something that rhymes with "pee-yew."

Did you see the dirty wrist-chop that Tyson Chandler put on Joel Przybilla's injured wrist a few weeks ago? Where does that rank on your list of thug moves you've seen in the NBA?

DM : Yes, that ranks somewhere just below Kobe Bryant's string of vicious follow-throughs while his shots were being blocked.

You semi-famously covered MIA's Paper Planes recently and are pretty well known for getting creative with the covers at your shows. In addition, your side project, Boise Cover Band, put out a great record with songs by David Bowie, Captain Beefheart and an instrumental version of the Pretenders' Chain Gang. What song haven't you covered that you want to?

DM : We've already covered every song in the world (that we know about).

What is the first concert you remember attending as well as the first record you bought?

DM : Two years after they'd been my favorite band, when I didn't like them any more, I saw Quiet Riot with a friend who still liked them. My first record (actually, it was a cassette tape) was Billy Squier, Emotions in Motion--which I still like.

SA: Sweet! I think She's a Runner is my favorite Squier song.

What music have you been listening to lately?

DM: I like a lot of Boise bands right now--the Universal, Revolt Revolt, Ian Waters, Finn Riggins, and of course, Le Fleur. The only new music I've been listening to is MGMT.

SA: Of course, Le Fleur.

We got a Wii for Christmas and I often find myself bowling or taking golf target practice at 4 a.m. Any similar problems for you?

DM: I'm playing Zelda Phantom Hourglass on my son's Nintendo DS as we speak.

What's the next project you've got coming up? Seems a little strange that you're not touring right now, as it seems that's where you usually are.

DM : I am working on finishing the new Built To Spill record that will be released in the fall – It's going to be called There Is No Enemy.

Many of today's artists are selling their songs for commercial use, which is usually an issue for their fans. But it also seems to be about the easiest way for indie bands to get paid. Any thoughts?

DM : There's nothing wrong with getting paid, but sometimes if a song has some special meaning to someone, it can be ruined when it's put in a distasteful context.

What are some of your favorite songs by people in our league - Pavement, Sleater-Kinney, Quasi, the Grails, etc.?

DM : I don't know, but my favorite NWA song is F--- tha Police.

SA: In case you're wondering, no – Ice Cube is not in our hoops league. Have you guys ever covered F--- tha Police?

DM: No. Built To Spill has never covered any rap music, but when we were young I thought about doing "Shut 'Em Down" by Public Enemy.

My Morning Jacket is generally regarded as the best live band going, and I tend to agree. What's your take?

DM : Dinosaur Jr. is the best live act going.

What's the best part of living in Boise, Idaho? And do you have a Super Bowl prediction for us?

DM : I've heard the best thing about Boise is the skiing, but I don't ski. And I also don't care about the Super Bowl.

Thanks, Doug. Look for the new record - There Is No Enemy - sometime this fall. And if you go to see Built To Spill and can't get a ticket, don't worry. You may be treated to a private show like these ticket-less folks were.

11 Great Built To Spill Jams (and a Doug Martsch cover)

Car – There's Nothing Wrong With Love
Velvet Waltz – Perfect From Now On
The Plan – Keep It Like A Secret
Just A Habit – You In Reverse
Carry the Zero – Keep It Like A Secret
Else – Keep It Like A Secret
Randy Described Eternity – Perfect From Now On
Liar – You In Reverse
You Were Right – Keep It Like A Secret
Big Dipper – There's Nothing Wrong With Love
You Were Right – Keep It Like A Secret
Strange – by The Delusion – as covered by Boise Cover Band

[Blondie]

Bye, Bye Bynum Multitude of Casualties

Al Horford – knee – Playing Weds. if practice goes well.
Kevin Garnett – flu – Iffy for Tues @ Philly, may not travel.
Brian Scalabrine – concussion – No fantasy impact.
Gerald Wallace – lung/rib – Who knows? Bench for now.
D.J. Augustin – ab strain – Set back, hopefully returns next week.
Sean May – weight/knee – Will he ever play again?
Drew Gooden – groin/ab strain – Too risky to start right now.
Delonte West – wrist – Cast coming off, could play next week.
Tarence Kinsey – ankle – Out for February.
Richard Hamilton – groin – Playing through it, should be OK.
Rodney Stuckey – thigh – Left Sunday's game, day-to-day.
Kelenna Azubuike – knee – Iffy, both health and playing-time wise.
Monta Ellis – knee/ankle – He's not 100 percent, but is playing.
Marco Belinelli – ankle – Not healing well, ignore for now.
Brandan Wright – shoulder – Out until after AS break.
Tracy McGrady – ankle – Iffy for Tuesday, as usual.
Luther Head – foot – Was due back last week…No fantasy value.
Ron Artest – ankle – Playing through it for now.
Yao Ming – leg – Playing through it for now.
Marquis Daniels – personal – Should be back for Tues, but struggling.
Mardy Collins – calf – Could return soon, but no value w/ Baron back.
Zach Randolph – knee – Day-to-day, complete roll of dice this week.
Mike Taylor – thumb – Getting closer, but no fantasy value.
Chris Kaman – foot – "May" return after AS break. Whatever.
Andrew Bynum – knee – Sounds like six weeks is the answer. Ouch.
Darko Milicic – knuckle – Getting close, shooting for the weekend.
Daequan Cook – thigh – Not likely for Monday's game.
Shawn Marion – groin – Possible for Monday. Use at your own risk.
Dorell Wright – knee – Should be back soon? No fantasy impact.
Michael Redd – knee surgery – Get out your fork.
Andrew Bogut – back – Playing limited minutes, but playing is key word.
Kevin Ollie – elbow – Nearing return, could impact Telfair's minutes.
Vince Carter – ankle – Says he won't miss Tuesday's game.
Bobby Simmons – ab strain – Guessing he's out for week.
Yi Jianlian – finger – Due back some time this month, but not this week.
Stromile Swift – personal – Yes, he's still in the league.
Morris Peterson – foot – Out a couple weeks, Butler should be good.
Tyson Chandler – ankle – Out until AS break.
Jared Jeffries – thigh – Day-to-day. Bench him if you can.
Jerome James – Achilles – Career likely over.
Eddy Curry – knee/personal – May not suit up again this season.
Stephon Marbury – banished – Wade sounds open to him joining Heat.
Desmond Mason – knee surgery – Done, Watson & Weaver playing.
Joe Smith – knee – Getting close, but no value.
Elton Brand – shoulder – Playing through it, getting better.
Shaquille O'Neal – old age – Playing in back-to-backs. Ride him.
Steve Blake – shoulder – Iffy for Monday, but I'd bench him.
Beno Udrih – calf – Day-to-day, but bet you can find a better option.
Brad Miller – ab strain – Likely out Monday, hello, Spencer.
Kris Humphries – broken leg – Still no timetable on his return.
Andrei Kirilenko – ankle surgery – At least a month away.
Carlos Boozer – knee surgery – Probably at least a month away.
Andray Blatche – knee – Not likely for this week.
Etan Thomas – knee – Possibly done for year.
Gilbert Arenas – knee – Nine wins – I just don't see him playing.

Add some spice to your Monday night in the NBA at Snapdraft

Tidbits

Jeff Van Gundy usually says something that will crack me up once or twice a game. Not sure when I heard this gem, but it was probably Wednesday night. Much has been made about Keith Smart being named Don Nelson's "defensive coordinator," especially since the Warriors defense is easily the worst in the league. Van Gundy said something like "Is there a worse job title in America than being the Warriors' defensive coordinator?" I don't know why, but it struck me.

Al Horford is going to practice today and see how the knee responds. If it goes well, look for him to start on Wednesday and play in all three Hawks games this week.

I'm not sure how Doc Rivers knew on Sunday morning that Kevin Garnett was probably not going to play on Tuesday, but that's what he said. It sounds like KG is really sick, so Doc may have already decided to leave him in Boston for Tuesday's game at Philly. He should still play three games this week, although we've seen the flu shut some guys down for an entire week. Of course, those guys weren't named Kevin Garnett.

Delonte West will get his cast off this week and I guess it's possible that he could play this weekend. In Friday's Season Pass Chat, a guy said that "Delonte West fits perfectly on my team and I want to cut Eric Gordon to pick him up." We had some fun at the guy's expense, but I think I now look at West a little differently. Like, if someone was willing to cut EG for him, am I missing something? I somehow feel like I have to pick him up, even though he's still just Delonte West. Don't cut someone like Gordon to pick him up (even if he fits perfectly on your team), but do think about grabbing West if you have someone you've been wanting to drop. My man Earl Watson isn't producing thus far (although it could be coming), and he is someone I would think about dumping for West.

Rodney Stuckey left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter after taking a knee to the thigh. He will be re-evaluated today but the good news is that the Pistons don't play until Wednesday. I think I'm going to roll the dice and play him, although I'm going to go and check my options too.

Tracy McGrady missed his last game and is questionable for the next because Yao Ming stepped on him during practice. I don't know why, but this one puts a smile on my face, especially since Yao and T-Mac weren't said to really be getting along to begin with. Now T-Mac is day-to-day and Rick Adelman is just praying that he won't be out for long. Yao said he didn't think he stepped on him very hard and X-rays were negative, so it would make sense if T-Mac didn't miss much time. Then again, this is T-Mac we're talking about.

My buddy Jeff in one league wants me to give more advice about trading T-Mac than just saying "get what you can" for him, but I'm not sure what else there is to say. Every league is different, every owner's impression of T-Mac is different and I can't really predict whether his ceiling is getting Ronnie Brewer in return, someone like Mike Miller or a good player like Mo Williams. In our league, where everyone reads me bashing T-Mac on a daily basis, my guess is he has less value than in a league where only a couple guys read Rotoworld every day. In any case, there is no reason to try to even trade him while he's not playing. And you really can't cut him, as even I would pick him up if he was dropped in any of my leagues. I might soon regret it, but I would definitely at least get him on my roster just in case. But my guess is that it has to feel quite liberating to cut T-Mac this season. If any of you have a "I cut T-Mac and have never felt better about it" story, please share.

Kelenna Azubuike says he wants to play tonight after missing his last game with a knee injury, but he's a very shaky play right now with the Warriors getting back to full strength.

Zach Randolph could play tonight at Miami, but then again, he may not play at all this week. All we have to go on right now is when coach Mike Dunleavy said "probably in the next week or so" on Saturday. My gut says he's very close and I kind of think he'll play tonight. That said, I would not be one bit surprised if he doesn't and I don't think I would have the guts to start him in a weekly league if I owned him anywhere.

Chris Kaman is on the road to recovery and could come back some time after the break. I cut him three weeks ago in one league and haven't stopped to look back one time. And I'm not thinking about picking him up again, either, until I hear someone say that he will play at all this season.

Andrew Bynum's knee injury simply sucks if you own him. I was cruising along in League Freak last week, but lost Andray Blatche on Monday and then Bynum later in the week. I struggled to a 4-4 tie, but I feel like I should have won. Somehow I was beaten in assists, despite the fact I started Chris Paul and Luke Ridnour. Oh well. As for Bynum, it sounds like the verdict is partially in and he's going to miss at least six weeks with a sprained right knee. I will be punting blocks this week (and many more) by starting Andrea Bargnani at center. If Lamar Odom is available in your league, grab him. In addition, this could be good news for Trevor Ariza as well.

Darko Milicic is close to returning and could play this weekend. I honestly have no idea how he'll fit into Lionel Hollins' plans, but the fact that Hollins is excited to get him back is good enough for me. We at least know he'll get some minutes, boards and blocks. And he looks like he could be a decent pick up if you are still reeling from the Bynum news you just read.

Shawn Marion is saying he may decide to grace us with his presence tonight after taking the last couple weeks off with a groin injury. I'm not sure whether to he happy or sad, but I can tell you that I beat Sergio in 30-deep last week even with a big, fat zero from Marion. My team is locked into the playoffs, which I'd say is a pretty amazing feat considering that I took Marion with my first-round pick. I backed him up with Horford and Mike Bibby with the 53rd and 68th picks. Six "world" teams make the playoffs along with six CBS teams. The "world" will be represented by NBA TV's Rick Kamla, ESPN's Eric Karabell, Rotoworld's Matt Stroup (and me), and as of now, Brian Flood and Mike Yam fill out the list of playoff teams. This is the last week of the regular season in that league so the playoffs start next week. As for Marion? I'll start him again in 30-deep and in my daily leagues, but I would not rely on him in a normal-sized weekly lineup league.

Andrew Bogut is back from his back injury and has looked great in limited minutes. His two-game week is almost a blessing, and owners have to just hope he is ready to go for the start of the next week. So far, so good.

Vince Carter says he'll play Tuesday through his tweaked ankle, so I'd go ahead and run him out there. Bobby Simmons is day-to-day with an ab strain, but I'd be surprised if he plays much this week. Ryan Anderson and Jarvis Hayes are probably each going to have a couple of nice lines this week.

Steve Blake's shoulder injury still hasn't gone away and while I think he'll play this week, he may not be reliable enough for fantasy use until after the break.

You can probably cut Beno Udrih if you need to, but I bet he gets hot again at some point. But he really wasn't doing that much lately before going down with another calf injury. Brad Miller is not likely to play tonight which should mean good things for Spencer Hawes. I'm not sure how long Miller will be out, but ab strains are nothing to mess around with and he could miss the whole week (or play over the weekend). Bench Miller, but only use Hawes if you're desperate.

[ballwonder]

February
Tuesday, Feb. 3	Cleveland signed guard Trey Johnson to a 10-day contract.

[ballwonder]

Tony Allen: (Flu) Plays Tuesday
Update: Allen (flu) played 14 minutes Tuesday night in Boston's victory over Philadelphia.
Analysis: Allen had four points, four assists, three turnovers, two steals and two blocked shots in the win. He had not been feeling well at the start of the week and was in jeopardy of missing the trip to Philadelphia. We assume he'll be alright for Thursday's meeting with the Lakers in Boston.





Ray Allen: Scores 23 Against Sixers
Update: Allen had 23 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter and the game-winning three-pointer in the Celtics' win over the Sixers.
Analysis: Allen scores 19.7 points per game in Atlantic Division games, as opposed to his 18.1 point per game average through the season.





Al Harrington: Probable Wednesday
Update: Harrington is probable for Wednesday night's game against Cleveland because of a sore left knee, Newsday reports.
Analysis: Harrington did not practice on Tuesday because of the knee.





Chris Duhon: Probable Wednesday
Update: Duhon is probable for Wednesday night's game against Cleveland because of the flu, Newsday reports.
Analysis: Duhon missed Tuesday's practice because of the illness.





Rajon Rondo: 20 Points, Eight Assists Against Sixers
Update: Rondo had 20 points and eight assists in the Celtics' win over the Sixers on Tuesday.
Analysis: Rondo has averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds over his last five games, though his scoring does fluctuate highly.





Paul Pierce: Scores 29 Against Sixers
Update: Pierce had 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the Celtics' win over the Sixers on Tuesday.
Analysis: Pierce has been on a roll lately, averaging 28 ppg over his last three games.





Monta Ellis: Practices on Tuesday
Update: Ellis (ankle) practiced on Tuesday and had no problems with the ankle he tweaked in Monday's loss to San Antonio, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Analysis: Ellis didn't need X-rays so it sounds like the ankle is fine. He is expected to start at shooting guard in Wednesday's game against Phoenix.





Corey Maggette: Sore Back
Update: Maggette missed practice on Tuesday and flew to Los Angeles to visit his physical therapist about some discomfort in his back, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Analysis: Maggette fell on his back during a game last week. He is expected to be back in Golden State in time for the shoot-around on Wednesday and should play against the Suns.





Luther Head: Could Return Next Week
Update: Head (foot) had not improved enough to play against his hometown team Tuesday, but he did shed the protective boot and said he hoped to be cleared to play next week, the Houston Chronicle report.
Analysis: Head, who has not played since Jan. 10, has been out with a sore right foot caused by a bout with sesamoiditis. "It's better than it could have been if we kept going," Head said. "We're trying to prevent it from getting worse." Even when Head returns, he won't see regular minutes.

[Blondie]

Good Times, Bad Times Mondays are generally quiet in the NBA. I usually schedule that night off for the season so I can watch Monday Night Football in peace. And when I write the Tuesday Dose, there's typically not all that much "stuff" to figure out in preparation. That was certainly not the case with the Monday night we witnessed a few hours ago. There was great news, devastating news, very good news and some pretty bad news. There were records set, All-Stars went down, fantasy stars re-emerged from the abyss and there is nothing but fantasy-impacting news out there this morning. Monday started with yours truly spending a good part of the day on "Andrew Bynum watch" and ended with me monitoring emails from my Blackberry and not really believing what I was reading. Let's just dive in to the Good Times, Bad Times edition of the Daily Dose.

And if you're still reeling because you own Chris Paul, Andrew Bynum, Jameer Nelson or Deron Williams, why not change up your karma and play some fantasy hoops at Snapdraft? The next NBA game is happening on Wednesday night and you can draft yourself an entirely new squad of healthy players and try to make a little cash from your knowledge. And once Wednesday's games are over, that team will be dissolved and you can start over again on Friday. That's the best part about the game, is that there is no long-term commitment - hence the name. New users get a free five bucks to play with, or a $100 deposit will get you an additional 10% bonus.

Good Times

Kobe Bryant torched Madison Square Garden for 61 points last night. It was pretty easy to see this coming if you were paying attention. I think I looked at the box score just a few minutes in and Kobe had already racked up 13 points and then had 34 by halftime. Michael Jordan's visitor's scoring record of 55 points, set on March 28, 1995? History. Bernard King's Garden record of 60 points, set Christmas Day, 1984? See ya. Kobe was 19-of-31 from the floor and 20-of-20 from the line, and the New York crowd couldn't have been happier about it. California Love? He may have been treated better in the Garden last night than he is at Staples, as chants of MVP came raining down and the standing ovations were plentiful. Now we have to wonder if Kobe is just warming up to go on one of those runs where he scores about 45 per game for the next 10 days, or if this was just a special gift for his buddy, Mike D'Antoni. Quote of the night? "It was like a road game for us," D'Antoni said. Final score? 126-117 Lakers. Kobe didn't have a rebound or steal, but does anyone really care? Especially when two of his teammates combined for 28 boards on the night.

Bad Times

While there are plenty of injuries to talk about today, none is as important or frightening as the groin injury suffered by Chris Paul last night. Well, unless you don't own Paul, but do own Jameer Nelson, Andrew Bynum or Deron Williams – but more on them later. CP3 was having a typical CP3 evening when he left in the third quarter with a strained groin. As a CP3 owner in a league where there is a lot on the line, I am pretty scared. Not going to use the word devastated just yet, as Paul did a lot of walking under his own power and I've seen guys in a lot more pain. But he'll have an MRI today and owners simply have to pray that the injury is not serious. But the reality is that he has a groin injury and I am not expecting to see him for the rest of this week, at least. Maybe he doesn't miss a single game, but I'm preparing for the rest of the week and then going from there. Devin Brown and Antonio Daniels will split duties if he's going to miss time.

Traveling Riverside Blues

Here is the 'bad stuff,' or Good News For People Who Like Bad News, if you will.

Jameer Nelson left last night's game with a dislocated right shoulder and it did not look pretty. In fact, we are looking at "weeks" as opposed to "days," although we won't know for sure until he has an MRI today. Go ahead and put Orlando in the Stephon Marbury sweepstakes race, as the only PG they have is Anthony Johnson. Then again, the Sentinel's Brian Schmitz says there's no way Marbury is coming to Orlando. I think Johnson's worth a flier if you're desperate, but I also would imagine Hedo Turkoglu will be running a lot of point. With Nelson' All-Star dreams almost certainly crushed, go ahead and welcome Boston's Ray Allen or Cleveland's Mo Williams to the East team as an injury replacement.

Andrew Bynum, as you know, is now listed as out for 8-12 weeks with an MCL tear in his right knee, although there is something weird going on here. In last night's Season Pass chat, someone mentioned that doctors are saying that a normal MCL tear is more like a four-week injury, and not 8-12. And then there are all these quotes of relief from the Lakers and Bynum, some of which hint that he might play again in the regular season. Either the Lakers thought this was a surgery-requiring torn ACL and he was done until early next year at best, or his diagnosis for a return is really more like 4-6 weeks, but they're telling us 8-12. Whatever the case may be, I am still recommending you drop Bynum and get someone in your lineup that can help your team. I would be shocked if he plays in another regular-season game this year. Now, if he comes back in four weeks, I shall stand corrected – but I just don't see how it's possible.

Danny Granger is a game-time decision tonight with his lingering knee injury that's bothered him since last summer. OK – I am officially worried. Deal Granger for one of the elite or a couple studs and let someone else worry about his knee every night from here on out.

We got an update on Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer yesterday, but neither one of them sounds great.

"It's hopefully not season-ending," Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor said of Kirilenko's ankle surgery. "He has not done any rehab yet...It's gonna depend on how he reacts to the swelling." Kirilenko was initially saying 3-4 weeks, but the Jazz have yet to put a timeframe on it. I'm guessing it's going to be a lot closer to six weeks, if he returns at all. Should you cut him? Your call.

"He's not been on the court to run yet, so I'm not presupposing when he can play or when he can't play," said GM Kevin O'Connor said of Boozer. "I'm just (saying) normal rehab would be to have him on the court for a while, and he has not done that." You guys know that I have written Boozer off in my mind already. We'll see if I'm right or wrong, but this is not exactly the great news his owners were looking for.

Deron Williams was scratched from last night's game with a quad contusion that was causing swelling in his knee. Compared to some of the other stuff we're dealing with today, Deron's injury actually doesn't sound too bad. But that doesn't mean he's guaranteed to play in a game this week. Here's what he says about Thursday's game. "[Thursday] might be pushing it," Williams said Monday, "but you've just got to...wait for the swelling to go down and see how quickly it starts feeling better." Hopefully we'll know more on his status on Wednesday afternoon.

Monta Ellis tweaked his surgically repaired left ankle last night in overtime and did not return to the game. In the short time Ellis has been back he's tweaked the ankle twice and suffered a knee injury. None of the injuries have been serious and he's bounced back each time. However, he's yet to have that breakout game and appears to be a little fragile, although he was solid last night with 17 points, eight boards, four assists, a steal and two blocks in the OT loss.

Drew Gooden (ab/groin) did some practicing Monday but doesn't sound likely to play on Tuesday or Wednesday. Good news if you played Joakim Noah this week, and bad news if you own Gooden. The Bulls are bringing him back slowly in hopes that he can finish the season healthy.

Andrew Bogut has been ruled out for tonight's game after not traveling with the Bucks yesterday due to his nagging back injury. Just when it looked like it was safe to go back in the water…Which player is more frustrating to own? Bogut or T-Mac? I'd say it's pretty close at this point. If you want to cut Bogut, please go for it. But I'm tired of the 'should I cut Bogut?' emails – it's officially your call.

Steve Blake is probably out for the week after skipping the road trip with the Blazers. He was a game-time decision with a shoulder injury and the news broke late, so hopefully he wasn't in your lineup.

Kevin Garnett didn't travel with the Celtics for tonight's game because of the flu. The C's play the Lakers on national TV on Thursday. Ya think he might figure out a way to play in that one? Yeah, me too. Tony Allen is also bothered by the flu, but did travel with the team and is questionable for tonight.

Daequan Cook is likely out for the week after missing a two-game road trip with a thigh injury. And since he won't have practice time prior to the weekend, I doubt he plays at all this week.

Going To California

Well, not really. But the bus trip Gerald Wallace is taking from L.A. to Charlotte reminds me of the movie Almost Famous for some reason. In any case, if Wallace hasn't even been cleared to get on an airplane to fly all the way across the friggin' country, it raises some serious doubt in my mind of when he'll be cleared to get on the court again. We will have our answer eventually, but I really have no idea when he's going to play again.

Dazed and Confused

A glance at Brandon Roy's line from last night would lead one to think he's going to be the next guy I talk about on the injury report. However, owners can relax. He just had 'one of those nights,' hitting 2-of-10 shots for a season-low four points. He did have four boards, five dimes and a steal, but given the injury devastation from last night, my guess is Roy owners will gladly take a healthy player and a crappy line this morning, as opposed to the alternative.

Celebration Day

Now for some good news.

Owners of Zach Randolph, Shawn Marion, Al Horford, Tyson Chandler, Darko Milicic and, dare I say, Tracy McGrady should all be feeling a little better this morning. Randolph (21 points, five boards) and Marion (11 points, seven boards, three blocks) returned to action last night after long layoffs with injuries.

"My first time in 10 years coming off the bench," said Marion. He almost wasn't lying, as he had not entered a game as a reserve since March 10, 2000, as a rookie for the Suns.

Horford (knee) is expected to start for the Hawks tomorrow night, Chandler (ankle) had a good practice yesterday and is getting closer, and T-Mac (ankle/knee) practice yesterday and has vowed to grace us with his presence this evening. Darko (knuckle) practiced yesterday for the Grizzlies and could play Wednesday.

Stephen Jackson had season highs of 33 points and 11 assists in last night's OT loss to the Spurs. If you're in a league that doesn't count percentages and TO's, I'm guessing S-Jax is a real stud.

Manu Ginobili is back! He had 32 points, three boards, three assists, two steals and a block last night and appears to have finally turned the corner.

Jason Richardson finally broke out of his slump, going off on the Sacramento Generals by hitting 10-of-12 shots and three 3-pointers for 24 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals in just 25 minutes. This should only mean three things to you if you own him – Sell, Sell and Sell.

Amare Stoudemire was also nice with 25 & 8, but the lack of the occasional monster line is still annoying.

Pau Gasol had 31 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two blocks on 12-of-17 shooting. Say hello to the 'post-Bynum' edition of Pau. Lamar Odom also chipped in with 14 boards, four assists, a steal and a three blocks, but hit just 2-of-9 shots for six points. In case you missed it, Odom started last night and should have a big second half. If you had patience with him all year, you're about to be rewarded.

O.J. Mayo tied a career high with 33 points and hit three 3-pointers for the Grizzlies. Lionel Hollins is going to be good to his guards, so do not get rid of Mayo or Mike Conley right now. Mayo also created some controversy when he threw down a nasty dunk at the buzzer, even after Memphis had clearly crushed the Wiz. Caron Butler wasn't happy about it, but I'm guessing the rest of the Wizards didn't care. They're just prepping for the All-Star break and making summer vacation plans.

In addition, Grizz center Marc Gasol had a big night, finishing with 22 points, 11 boards, four assists and a steal on 7-of-11 shooting. Maybe he could sense that fantasy owners were dropping him, or maybe he knows that Darko is getting ready to come back and screw with his minutes. Or maybe it was the defense of JaVale McGee that allowed Gasol to do whatever he wanted. Whatever the reason, this was a nice surprise out of Gasol and you should just hang onto him until we see how this Darko thing impacts him.

McGee finally got some minutes again for the Wizards last night and had 11 points, seven boards, two steals and two blocks in a loss to the Grizzlies. That's very Tyrus Thomas like, and he will be worth owning if the Wizards finally just admit that it's over and stop worrying about winning or pleasing the fans. Run the kids out there and get ready for the return of Agent Zero next year. I've got McGee sitting on several benches in hopes that he will become a regular the rest of the way. We'll see.

Bron-Y-Aur-Stomp

In 14 games in January, LeBron James averaged 27.5 points on 45.6 percent shooting, 9.6 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game. The last player to put up those kind of numbers? Larry Bird in 1987.

Gallows Pole

The Suns beat the Kings 129-81 last night, no joke and the 48-point spread was a US Airways Center record. Here's the score for the first three quarters: 40-19, 33-24, 30-12 and then they tied at 26 in the fourth. The Suns were the 12th consecutive team to drop 100 or more points on the Kings, and Phoenix hit triple-digits before the third quarter was even over. This was also the sixth time the Kings lost by 30 this season. Wow. Reggie Theus must be laughing his you-know-what off right now. And if the Bulls came into Phoenix Saturday and waxed the Suns by 11, what does this say about the Kings? I guess not much, as the Bulls crushed the Kings in Sacto on Friday by a final score of 109-88. Ouch.

The Grand

I stumbled across a pretty sweet movie called The Grand last night (Woody Harrelson, David Cross, Cheryl Hines), which is what I was doing while you were watching Kobe make history. This mockumentary was along the lines of the Chris Guest collection - Waiting For Guffman, Best In Show, Mighty Wind - and was quite entertaining. The number of stars you'll recognize in this thing is amazing and there was really no script – Just a bunch of funny people doing improv. The backdrop was a poker tournament in Vegas and my favorite character was Ray Romano's, as he played a nerdy "amateur fantasy football expert." He and his wife had a bunch of kids, the first question he asked when checking into the hotel was whether the room had an internet connection, and he couldn't go watch his wife compete in a poker tournament at the final table for a chance to win $10 million because he had a football draft to attend to. While I don't consider myself to be the complete dork Romano played in this movie, his character was pretty much a mirror image of what it's like for me any time I check into a hotel with my family. Except unlike his character, I get paid for my "hobby."

[Blondie]

Young-est Gun San Antonio Scrubs

If you own any of the Spurs' Big 3, you probably got an early taste of what the last 10 days of the regular season could look like on Tuesday. Gregg Popovich chose to sit Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Michael Finley 'just because,' while Manu Ginobili was out with a hip contusion. Manu was legitimately hurting and couldn't go against the Nuggets, while the other three were held out for rest after an overtime game the previous night. I don't use the final week of the season in the leagues I run because of all the weird DNPs that come with it, but was not expecting this prior to the All-Star break. All four players should be available for their next game, Sunday against the Celtics.

Snapdraft

And if you're still reeling because you own Chris Paul, Andrew Bynum, Jameer Nelson or Deron Williams, why not change up your karma and play some fantasy hoops at Snapdraft? The next NBA game is happening on Friday night and you can draft yourself an entirely new squad of healthy players and try to make a little cash from your knowledge. And once Wednesday's games are over, that team will be dissolved and you can start over again on the next night. That's the best part about the game, is that there is no long-term commitment - hence the name. New users get a free five bucks to play with, or a $100 deposit will get you an additional 10% bonus.

Jameeracle on Ice

Jameer Nelson has a torn labrum in his right shoulder and needs surgery. Whether he'll have it sooner or later is still up in the air, so owners should just hang tight for now. He'll miss 2-6 weeks without surgery, or the rest of the season if he goes under the knife. Unfortunately, that's all we know at this point.

CP3

When will we see Chris Paul again? He wants to play tonight, but has already been ruled out with a strained groin. It's possible he could play Friday, but it's also possible he could sit until after the break.

You Say Hello, I Say Goodbye

Joe Johnson is out for tonight's Hawks' game with some kind of virus, while Al Horford is expected to return to action from his knee injury. Hopefully Joe only misses this one game, and it sounds like Maurice Evans will start in his place.

D-Will He or D-Won't He?

Deron Williams is still iffy for Thursday against Dallas with his quad contusion that has caused swelling in his knee. C.J. Miles is also iffy for that one after suffering a shoulder injury in his last game.

Influenza

Kenyon Martin, Sasha Pavlovic and Lorenzen Wright all missed Tuesday with the flu.

Good-en News for Drew

Drew Gooden is hoping to play Saturday vs. Dallas after a long bout with groin and abdominal injuries. His return will hurt Joakim Noah, just like Noah hurt his owners last night.

Tuesday's Action

Tuesday was much less painful on the injury front, but that shutdown by the Spurs will leave a mark. In addition, Kevin Garnett sat out for the Celtics for the second straight game with the flu, but should be back on Thursday against the Lakers in Boston.

Cleveland beats Toronto

LeBron James scored 33 points to lead the Cavs over the Raptors and became the youngest player ever to score 12,000 points. And that's saying something. Daniel Gibson scored 18 points and Wally Szczerbiak, who started over Pavlovic (flu) scored 15. That's all well and good, but the shooting guard job is Delonte West's when he returns soon from his broken wrist. Mo Williams had 16 points and nine assists, and many folks believe he's headed to the All-Star game in place of Nelson.

Jermaine O'Neal started over Jamario Moon and it's time to cut Moon again. JO had 20 points and eight boards, while Andrea Bargnani had 10 points and 10 boards despite another off-shooting night. Bargnani is struggling, but I think he'll bounce back. He'll be especially valuable for the second half if JO is traded. Jose Calderon hit just 1-of-9 shots for two points and six assists. You can blame it on his lingering hamstring concern, or a stout Cavs' D – your pick.

Wolves beat Pacers

Minnesota got 19 points and nine turnovers from Randy Foye, 16 points and four assists from Sebastian Telfair and 15 points and 11 boards from Kevin Love. Love isn't blocking shots, but should be a double-double machine over the second half. Mike Miller had 13 points, six boards and three assists, and appears to be close to finally breaking out.

Danny Granger played well through his knee injury, going for 28 points, five boards, four assists, a steal, two blocks and four treys in the loss. Some trades of Granger that I've heard of recently include giving up Granger and Eric Gordon to get Brandon Roy, Mike Dunleavy and Kirk Hinrich. I also heard of someone trading him straight up for Antawn Jamison. I'm still not sure if it's completely worth panicking on Granger, but his knee injury is certainly a concern. It does sound like he plans on playing in the All-Star Game, which could mean that the Pacers aren't all that worried about his knee. But then again, we'll see if he shows up for the exhibition or not.

As for Eric Gordon, in his one game with Baron Davis and Zach Randolph back he struggled. He may continue to do so, but I bet he still has some value. The prevailing thought is that he won't have many of those 30-point nights when everyone is healthy.

Ray Allen's 3-pointer beats Sixers

Ray Allen, who is another serious candidate to replace Nelson on the All-Star team, hit a three at the buzzer to beat Philly. Allen finished with 23 points, while the C's also got a dub-dub from Glen Davis. With KG set to return Thursday, don't bother picking up Big Baby.

The Sixers got 14 points, seven boards and three blocks from Samuel Dalembert, who is suddenly relevant again. Who is not relevant? Elton Brand, who failed to score and had just three boards in nine minutes last night. I am not counting on much from him the rest of the way and suspect he'll aggravate his shoulder injury. Trade him for what you can get. Andre Iguodala had 22 points, six boards, six assists, three steals and a block, and I've heard from some folks that they're having a lot of trouble moving him right now. I'm not sure why that is, but with Brand so out of it, I'm not sure you want to move Iguodala anyway.

Nets hold off the Bucks

Vince Carter hit just 3-of-12 shots but finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for his fifth career triple-double as the Nets beat the Bucks. Brook Lopez was beastly again, finishing with 22 points, 12 boards and two blocks without Andrew Bogut in the middle, and Keyon Dooling had 18 points and five threes despite the presence of Devin Harris. Dooling, as usual, is intriguing, but is only reliable when Harris is out. Ryan Anderson hit 7-of-10 shots and three 3-pointers for 19 points and seven boards, and should be a decent play for as long as Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian are out.

Richard Jefferson had 27 points, six boards, three assists and three 3-pointers against his former team, and it's too bad he can't play Jersey every night. Ramon Sessions had 19 points and six dimes, while Charlie Villanueva had just 11 points. I'm guessing CV got limited minutes so that RJ could torch his former team, but let's just hope this isn't a sign that Scott Skiles is about to start screwing with his minutes again.

Rockets tame Bulls

Yao Ming had 28 points, eight rebounds and four blocks, while Luis Scola torched Tyrus Thomas and company for 13 points and 18 boards. If you have a big man you can play against the Bulls, do it. I don't care who it is. Tracy McGrady played and scored 16, but Rafer Alston (1-of-7, seven points) and Ron Artest (10 points) struggled in the win.

Derrick Rose played well through his foot injury, finishing with 12 points, seven boards, seven dimes and two steals, while Luol Deng scored a season-high 28 to go along with six boards. Joakim Noah struggled for two points and one rebound, and will continue to struggle when Gooden returns. Tyrus Thomas is still playing well and had 14 points, 13 boards, four assists, a steal, three blocks and a 3-pointer. Wow. He should be in all starting lineups right now, until he pisses his coach off again.

Nuggets struggle to beat Spurs' scab team

The Nuggets barely held on to beat the Spurs' reserves and were led by Carmelo Anthony's 35 points. He hit 10-of-17 shots and 14-of-15 free throws, and should be poised for a big second half. Nene had 17 points, 11 boards and a whopping five blocks, while J.R. Smith started at shooting guard over Dahntay Jones. Good news, right? Not last night, as he hit just 1-of-10 shots for six points, five boards and four assists. But if he continues to start, he'll be better on most nights. Chauncey Billups sat out the second half with a right ankle sprain and is day-to-day. Hopefully he's ready to go tonight at OKC. Consider him a game-time decision at this point, but watch for updates throughout the day.

Roger Mason led the Spurs with 26 points, five boards, six assists and five 3-pointers, which could have been useful to you if we'd known of Pop's plan to bench his studs.

Wednesday's Story Lines

Clippers @ Magic - Should be interesting to see how Anthony Johnson fares against Baron Davis, and vice versa. I'm expecting big things from both point guards tonight, although I suspect Hedo Turkoglu will play plenty of PG for the Magic, as well. Dwight Howard vs. Marcus Camby should also entertain, while I'm anxious to see if Eric Gordon still has any juice left with the return of Zach Randolph and Baron.

Lakers @ Toronto - Kobe's coming off a 61-point feast on the Knicks and has an 81-point game under his belt against the Raptors. I'm going to predict 47 from Kobe tonight, which might be conservative?

Nets @ Wizards - Brook Lopez could go for 20 & 20 tonight.

Cavs @ Knicks - LeBron is downplaying his matchup with the Knicks tonight, but I would not be surprised to see him go off for 52 or so. And as much as the fans were behind Kobe the other night, LeBron will be showered with even more love.

Heat @ Pistons - D-Wade vs. Rodney Stuckey will be fun.

Nuggets @ OKC - Trap game for the Nuggets and I am looking for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to go off – especially if Billups is out.

Hawks @ T-Wolves - Horford will struggle against Al Jefferson and the Hawks will struggle to win this game without JJ. In fact, my guess is they get blown out, with Kevin Love posting a big line tonight.

Rockets @ Memphis - Will T-Mac and Ron-Ron go? I assume so. Yao should go off and if Rafer Alston struggles against Memphis, it's going to be a long second half. He just can't seem to get it going when the Rockets are at full strength.

Bulls @ Hornets - David West and Hilton Armstrong should have big lines tonight, while Devin Brown and Antonio Daniels should do something without Paul in uniform. And if Tyson Chandler returns from his ankle injury, forget about Armstrong. Chandler's likely a game-time decision.

Blazers @ Mavs - Greg Oden could torch Erick Dampier tonight, while Dirk Nowitzki and Brandon Roy should put on a show.

Suns @ Warriors - Jason Richardson and Matt Barnes are almost must-starts tonight against their former team, while Corey Maggette is a little questionable with a sore back. He missed practice yesterday, but is expected to play off the bench.

Cutting T-Mac

Dropping Tracy McGrady has become a popular game within the game in fantasy leagues, and this is reader Kenny's take on the sport.

Subject: I Cut T-Mac and Couldn't Feel Better About It

Dr. A,

I cut T-Mac soon after his second projected shut-down of a week-plus and would feel hard pressed to draft him next year even past the eighth or ninth round. This is after drafting him fifth (I know, but Jameer in the tenth is more than fair consolation) so I as much as any other T-Mac owner had reason to stick with him.

Would I rather have McGrady over Mickael Pietrus? Maybe. Maybe I would like another wave of inconsistency on my roster rather than just Tyrus Thomas. The thing is nobody in any league needs McGrady to win. Pick him up from the waiver wire if he is available. Take him as a throw-in for whatever trades you make. Or if you were foolish enough to draft a known first round talent (or two) in a later round (like me), ride that one gem of a stat-line among a plague of injuries and re-injuries.

Or pick up a Trevor Ariza or Mario Chalmers. They might not only produce, but also take you to the playoffs.

Kenny

Take the Poll

[Blondie]

Player notes

Position Center Forward Guard All All Teams Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics Charlotte Bobcats Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers Dallas Mavericks Denver Nuggets Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Indiana Pacers Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Memphis Grizzlies Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota Timberwolves New Jersey Nets New Orleans Hornets New York Knicks Oklahoma City Thunder Orlando Magic Philadelphia 76ers Phoenix Suns Portland Trail Blazers Sacramento Kings San Antonio Spurs Toronto Raptors Utah Jazz Washington Wizards

Josh Howard - G/F - Mavericks

Josh Howard tweaked his back during Monday's game but he expects to play against the Blazers on Wednesday.

The last thing Howard's owners need is another lingering injury, so let's hope he doesn't aggravate it. Feb. 4 - 10:31 a.m. ET

Source: Dallas Morning News

Manu Ginobili - G - Spurs

Manu Ginobili (hip contusion) expects to play in the Spurs game against the Celtics on Sunday.

Manu scored a season-high 32 points on Monday -- we don't expect him to duplicate that against the Celts, but it sounds safe to keep him active. Tim Duncan, Michael Finley and Tony Parker should also be active after getting the night off on Tuesday. Feb. 4 - 10:23 a.m. ET

Source: San Antonio Express-News

Beno Udrih - G - Kings

The Mavericks have reportedly inquired about trading for Kings point guard Beno Udrih.

Jerry Stackhouse would likely head to Sacramento in any such deal, which would be a salary dump for the Kings (Udrih signed a five-year, $32 million deal last summer). If Udrih gets traded without the Kings getting another PG, Bobby Jackson and Bobby Brown would suddenly be very intriguing fantasy players. Feb. 4 - 10:14 a.m. ET

Source: Sacramento Bee

John Salmons - G/F - Kings

The Thunder have "expressed a strong interest" in trading for Kings swingman John Salmons, according to the Sacramento Bee.

The Thunder has offered the $4.8 million expiring contract of veteran forward Joe Smith, and might also include some combination of younger players or draft picks. The Blazers were previously reported to have interest in Salmons, and it sounds like he's one of the Kings players most likely to be traded. Feb. 4 - 10:09 a.m. ET

Source: Sacramento Bee

JaVale McGee - F/C - Wizards

Wizards center JaVale McGee and guard Nick Young were each charged with reckless driving after being pulled over for speeding on January 1st.

The two players were driving separate cars, but Young said they were hurrying to get to the airport for a team flight to Boston. This shouldn't have any fantasy impact. Feb. 4 - 10:01 a.m. ET

Source: Washington Post

Sasha Pavlovic - G/F - Cavaliers

The Cavs will be without Sasha Pavlovic and Lorenzen Wright again on Wednesday. Both players have the flu and did not travel with the team to New York.

Wally Szczerbiak will get another start in place of Pavlovic, but even as a short-term pickup his appeal is very limited. Feb. 4 - 9:57 a.m. ET

Source: Chronicle Telegraph

Craig Smith - F/C - Timberwolves

Timberwolves forward Craig Smith left Tuesday's game after bruising his ribs in a collision with Pacers forward Troy Murphy.

There is no report of X-rays, so we're assuming nothing is broken, but coach Kevin McHale said Smith is "dinged up pretty good". If he misses any time, Kevin Love will likely absorb most of his playing time. Feb. 4 - 9:45 a.m. ET

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Kenyon Martin - F - Nuggets

Kenyon Martin (tonsillitis/strep throat) traveled with the Nuggets to Oklahoma City but is questionable to play on Wednesday.

"There's a chance," Karl said about K-Mart's status for Wednesday. "I think Kenyon will understand, after watching us play (Tuesday), we need him." Considering he had a 103-degree fever, it would be surprising if he comes right back with an effective game -- use him at your own risk. Feb. 4 - 9:28 a.m. ET

Source: Rocky Mountain News

Chauncey Billups - G - Nuggets

Chauncey Billups (ankle) is questionable for the Nuggets game on Wednesday

"Just pushed off and I felt a little pop," Billups said. "It's a little sore, but I'll be all right." Nuggets coach George Karl said the idea of giving J.R. Smith more point guard duties "scares the hell out of me", but both Smith and Anthony Carter should get extra run if Billups can't play. The Nuggets play again on Friday. Feb. 4 - 9:22 a.m. ET

Source: Rocky Mountain News

Corey Maggette - G/F - Warriors

Corey Maggette missed practice on Tuesday to see a physical therapist about discomfort in his back, but is expected to return in time for the Warriors' shootaround on Wednesday.

No significant change to his fantasy outlook here. Maggette should continue to get solid minutes off the Warriors bench, and owners should plan on keeping him active going forward. Feb. 4 - 12:59 a.m. ET

Source: Contra Costa Times

Anthony Carter - G - Nuggets

With Chauncey Billups missing the second half due to a sprained ankle, Nuggets backup point guard Anthony Carter played 40 minutes on Tuesday, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds, nine assists (and seven turnovers).

Carter would be a nice point guard option if Billups missed any significant amount of time, but the ankle sprain didn't appear to be serious and it's possible that Billups will be back in the lineup as soon as Wednesday. Feb. 4 - 12:48 a.m. ET

Renaldo Balkman - F - Nuggets

Renaldo Balkman started in place of Kenyon Martin (flu) on Tuesday, but finished with just six points, five rebounds, a steal and a block in 18 minutes.

Balkman could get another start if Martin is out for Wednesday's game against Oklahoma City, and while he would have a better matchup against the Thunder, we'd still recommend leaving him on the waiver wire in most leagues. Feb. 4 - 12:45 a.m. ET

Carmelo Anthony - F - Nuggets

In just his second game back from a broken hand, Carmelo Anthony had 35 points on Tuesday, his second-highest scoring output of the season.

Carmelo shot 10-of-17 from the field, 14-of-15 from the line and added nine rebounds, two steals and a three. With the hand injury clearly behind him, he's hopefully ready to go on a tear and give his patient fantasy owners a huge boost. Feb. 4 - 12:43 a.m. ET

Nene Hilario - F/C - Nuggets

Nene had 17 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and five blocks against the short-handed Spurs on Tuesday.

Regardless of how short-handed the Spurs were, the five blocks represent a season-high, and hopefully the Nuggets center can up his output in that category -- he came into Tuesday with just six blocks in his last nine games. Feb. 4 - 12:39 a.m. ET

J.R. Smith - G - Nuggets

J.R. Smith started at shooting guard over Dahntay Jones on Tuesday, but shot just 1-of-10, finishing with six points, five rebounds, four assists, a three, a steal and a block against the Spurs.

The good news here is that he started and played 35 minutes, and odds are he did enough on an off shooting night to hold his spot in the starting five over the defensive specialist Jones. Feb. 4 - 12:37 a.m. ET

[Blondie]

All NBA Teams
All NBA Teams | Eastern Conference | Western Conference
Atlanta Hawks - 2 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Joe Johnson (G) Illness (Day-to-Day)
01/30/2009 Al Horford (F) Knee (Day-to-Day)


Boston Celtics - 5 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Tony Allen (G) Illness (Day-to-Day)
02/02/2009 Kevin Garnett (F) Illness (Day-to-Day)
01/28/2009 Brian Scalabrine (F) Concussion (By All-Star Break)
03/13/2008 Scot Pollard (C) Ankle (Out for the Season)
12/18/2007 Brandon Wallace (F) Wrist (Two Weeks)


Charlotte Bobcats - 1 Injured Player
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Gerald Wallace (F) Ribs (Day-to-Day)


Chicago Bulls - 1 Injured Player
Date: Player: Injury:
01/28/2009 Drew Gooden (F) Groin (Day-to-Day)


Cleveland Cavaliers - 3 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Delonte West (G) Wrist (Two Weeks)
01/30/2009 Tarence Kinsey (G) Ankle (Late February)
10/12/2008 Eric Snow (G) Knee (Out Indefinitely)


Dallas Mavericks - 1 Injured Player
Date: Player: Injury:
12/02/2008 Jerry Stackhouse (G) Heel (Day-to-Day)


Denver Nuggets - 1 Injured Player
Date: Player: Injury:
11/14/2008 Steven Hunter (C) Knee (Mid-February)


Detroit Pistons - 2 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/02/2009 Richard Hamilton (G) Groin (Day-to-Day)
02/02/2009 Rodney Stuckey (G) Thigh (Day-to-Day)


Golden State Warriors - 5 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Monta Ellis (G) Ankle (Day-to-Day)
02/01/2009 Marco Belinelli (G) Ankle (Out Indefinitely)
01/25/2009 Brandan Wright (F) Shoulder (By All-Star Break)
03/25/2008 Chris Webber (F) Knee (Day-to-Day)
01/11/2008 Troy Hudson (G) Hip (Late April)


Houston Rockets - 2 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Tracy McGrady (F) Ankle (Day-to-Day)
02/24/2008 Adam Haluska (G) Ankle (Two Months)


Indiana Pacers - 1 Injured Player
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Danny Granger (F) Knee (Day-to-Day)


Los Angeles Lakers - 1 Injured Player
Date: Player: Injury:
02/02/2009 Andrew Bynum (C) Knee (Two Months)


Los Angeles Clippers - 2 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/01/2009 Chris Kaman (C) Foot (After All-Star Break)
01/27/2009 Mardy Collins (G) Calf (By All-Star Break)


Memphis Grizzlies - 3 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Darko Milicic (C) Hand (Early February)
02/02/2009 Kyle Lowry (G) Ankle (Day-to-Day)
01/17/2009 Steve Francis (G) Quadriceps (Day-to-Day)


Miami Heat - 2 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/02/2009 Daequan Cook (G) Thigh (Week to 10 Days)
12/10/2008 Dorell Wright (F) Knee (Out Indefinitely)


Milwaukee Bucks - 2 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/02/2009 Andrew Bogut (C) Back (Day-to-Day)
01/25/2009 Michael Redd (G) Knee (Out for the Season)


Minnesota Timberwolves - 2 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/02/2009 Kevin Ollie (G) Elbow (Early March)
12/01/2008 Corey Brewer (F) Knee (Out for the Season)


New Jersey Nets - 4 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Eduardo Najera (F) Abdomen (Day-to-Day)
02/03/2009 Jianlian Yi (F) Finger (Late February)
02/03/2009 Bobby Simmons (F) Abdomen (Day-to-Day)
02/01/2009 Vince Carter (G) Ankle (Day-to-Day)


New York Knicks - 3 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
01/19/2009 Jerome James (C) Achilles (Out for the Season)
12/10/2008 Cuttino Mobley (G) Chest (Day-to-Day)
10/14/2008 Allan Houston (G) Quadriceps (Out Indefinitely)


Orlando Magic - 2 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Jameer Nelson (G) Shoulder (Out Indefinitely)
11/20/2008 Mike Wilks (G) Knee (Out for the Season)


Philadelphia 76ers - 2 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Samuel Dalembert (C) Ankle (Day-to-Day)
11/28/2008 Jason Smith (F) Knee (Out for the Season)


Portland Trail Blazers - 3 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Steve Blake (G) Shoulder (Day-to-Day)
01/28/2009 Raef LaFrentz (C) Shoulder (Late March)
01/24/2009 Martell Webster (G) Foot (Mid-March)


Sacramento Kings - 2 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Bobby Jackson (G) Personal (Day-to-Day)
02/02/2009 Brad Miller (C) Abdomen (Day-to-Day)


San Antonio Spurs - 1 Injured Player
Date: Player: Injury:
10/22/2008 Salim Stoudamire (G) Groin (Day-to-Day)


Toronto Raptors - 2 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
01/21/2009 Kris Humphries (F) Lower Leg (Out Indefinitely)
10/12/2008 Jamal Sampson (C) Wrist (Day-to-Day)


Utah Jazz - 4 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Deron Williams (G) Thigh (Day-to-Day)
02/03/2009 CJ Miles (G) Shoulder (Day-to-Day)
01/30/2009 Andrei Kirilenko (F) Ankle (Early March)
01/20/2009 Carlos Boozer (F) Knee (Mid-February)


Washington Wizards - 6 Injured Players
Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 DeShawn Stevenson (G) Back (Day-to-Day)
02/03/2009 Juan Dixon (G) Arm (Day-to-Day)
02/01/2009 Brendan Haywood (C) Wrist (Mid-March)
01/27/2009 Etan Thomas (C) Knee (Out Indefinitely)
01/27/2009 Andray Blatche (F) Knee (Three Weeks)
01/12/2009 Gilbert Arenas (G) Knee (Mid-March)

[ballwonder]

Player notes

Position Center Forward Guard All All Teams Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics Charlotte Bobcats Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers Dallas Mavericks Denver Nuggets Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Indiana Pacers Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Memphis Grizzlies Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota Timberwolves New Jersey Nets New Orleans Hornets New York Knicks Oklahoma City Thunder Orlando Magic Philadelphia 76ers Phoenix Suns Portland Trail Blazers Sacramento Kings San Antonio Spurs Toronto Raptors Utah Jazz Washington Wizards

Chauncey Billups - G - Nuggets

Chauncey Billups, who missed Wednesday's game against the Thunder after spraining his ankle Tuesday, said he plans to play Friday against the Wizards.

"It's a little sore," Billups said. "I tried it a little bit (Wednesday) and I couldn't really cut like I wanted. "I'm going to be smart with it. ... I'll be out there Friday." As long as he's playing, have him active. Feb. 5 - 9:21 a.m. ET

Source: Rocky Mountain News

Kenyon Martin - F - Nuggets

Nuggets coach George Karl sounded optimistic Kenyon Martin would suit up Friday after missing the past two games with strep throat.

"I think he'll play," said Karl, who called Martin "much better" than Tuesday. Keep monitoring the situation, but if he's in the lineup he should be a good play at Washington. Feb. 5 - 9:17 a.m. ET

Source: Rocky Mountain News

Chucky Atkins - G - Thunder

Thunder guard Chucky Atkins is intrigued by the possibility of a trade to Orlando, who will be looking for point guard help with the injury to Jameer Nelson.

"I'm a veteran guy. If I had an opportunity to win a championship, that's what every guy at this level wants to do," said Atkins, who lives in Orlando. " ... But I'm not sitting here and saying I want to be moved ... If it happens, it happens." Feb. 5 - 9:13 a.m. ET

Source: Rocky Mountain News

Ben Gordon - G - Bulls

The Bulls Ben Gordon was not named one of the participants in the three-point shootout on All-Star weekend.

This wasn't altogether surprising, since his 40.9 percent from beyond the arc bests only one player named, Danny Granger of the Pacers. However, his 108 made three-pointers this season trail only Granger, Rashard Lewis and Mike Bibby. Feb. 5 - 8:54 a.m. ET

Source: Chicago Tribune

Amare Stoudemire - F/C - Suns

Amare Stoudemire had 13 points and eight rebounds in Wednesday's loss to the Warriors.

Not the line his owners were looking for against On Nelson's (no "D") Warriors, and Stoudemire left briefly with a sprained right ankle. He returned to play through it, but owners will want to check back for updates on his status heading into the weekend. Feb. 5 - 1:58 a.m. ET

Jason Richardson - G/F - Suns

Jason Richardson hit 9-of-22 shots and three 3-pointers on his way to 24 points, five boards, three assists and three steals in Wednesday's loss to the Warriors, his former team.

He's played very well over his last couple games and may finally be ready to turn it around. Then again, we don't really trust him playing for Terry Porter and would recommend this as an opportunity to sell high on the talented swingman. Feb. 5 - 1:56 a.m. ET

Ronny Turiaf - F/C - Warriors

Ronny Turiaf had nine points, four rebounds, three assists and four more blocks in a win over the Suns.

He's playing pretty well right now, but the only thing he can be relied upon for is the blocks. Feb. 5 - 1:53 a.m. ET

Kelenna Azubuike - G/F - Warriors

Kelenna Azubuike had 25 points and four 3-pointers on 9-of-12 shooting in Wednesday's easy win over the Suns.

He came out on fire, scoring 19 first-quarter points and sitting on 23 at halftime as the Warriors scored a season-high 43 in the first quarter. He scored just two more points after the break and has become a fantasy crapshoot. He's dealing with a sore knee, but it obviously didn't affect him tonight. Feb. 5 - 1:51 a.m. ET

Jamal Crawford - G - Warriors

Jamal Crawford hit 10-of-18 shots and three 3-pointers on his way to 27 points, five rebounds and six assists in Wednesday's win.

He's been inconsistent since joining the Warriors but should be in all starting lineups since the potential for this type of line is there every night. Feb. 5 - 1:47 a.m. ET

Stephen Jackson - G/F - Warriors

Stephen Jackson recorded his first career triple-double Wednesday by hitting 12-of-22 shots and four 3-pointers on his way to 30 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and a block in an easy win over the Suns.

The Warriors never trailed in this one and Jackson was coming off a season-high 33 in his previous game. Not surprisingly, he's shot it very well over the last two and is averaging 31.5 points. 10.5 assists and eight rebounds during that stretch. Feb. 5 - 1:45 a.m. ET

Joe Smith - F/C - Thunder

Joe Smith returned from a knee injury on Wednesday and had five points and six rebounds.

Smith currently has no fantasy value but could if one of the Thunder's many big men were to suffer an injury. Feb. 5 - 1:39 a.m. ET

Monta Ellis - G - Warriors

Monta Ellis returned from a mild ankle sprain Wednesday but missed all seven of his shots to finish with two points, one rebound and five assists.

He is back and looks good on the court, but hasn't offered as much help as his owners were looking for initially. There's a long way to go this season and if he can stay healthy, that should change. Feb. 5 - 1:39 a.m. ET

Brandon Bass - F - Mavericks

Brandon Bass had a season-high 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting to go along with four rebounds, two steals and two blocks in Wednesday's win.

Bass double-doubled three games ago and has shown flashes of potential, but his mintues are too inconsistent for him to be relied upon by fantasy owners. Feb. 5 - 1:32 a.m. ET

Josh Howard - G/F - Mavericks

Josh Howard tweaked his wrist injury on Wednesday but played through it, scoring 23 points on 11-of-17 shooting.

He said after the game that his wrist is fine, so keep him in your lineup. Feb. 5 - 1:29 a.m. ET

Jason Kidd - G - Mavericks

Jason Kidd had seven points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, a steal, two blocks and a 3-pointer as he passed Oscar Robertson to take over the No. 4 spot on the all-time assists leaders in the NBA.

Kidd is at 9,895 dimes and could catch Magic Johnson (10,141) by the end of the season. Kidd took over the play calling from coach Rick Carlisle four games ago, and the Mavericks look like a new team, going 4-0. We're not sure whether Carlisle should be praised or made fun of for taking so long to figure this one out, but better late than never. Feb. 5 - 1:27 a.m. ET

[ballwonder]

Injuries

Atlanta Hawks	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Joe Johnson	G	Out	Feb 3	flu	Day-to-day	Joe Johnson is expected to miss Wednesday's game due to what coach Mike Woodson calls "some sort of viral infection." Johnson is being called day-to-day with the illness, and there's no word yet on his status for Friday's game against Charlotte. Maurice Evans is expected to start in his place on Wednesday, but has averaged just 6.4 ppg in seven games as a starter this year. 2/3/2009
Speedy Claxton	G	Out	Oct 15	hamstring	Questionable to start season	Speedy Claxton suffered a serious hamstring injury Saturday leaving his future with the Hawks in doubt. He will likely be sidelined for all of the team's preseason games, but the good news is it's not a knee injury. Claxton has been sucking up a valuable roster spot for three years now and the Hawks might be on the verge of cutting him loose. 10/15/2007
Boston Celtics	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Kevin Garnett	F	Out	Feb 1	flu	Day-to-day	Kevin Garnett will not travel with the Celtics to Philadelphia for Tuesday's game as he continues to recover from the flu. "He’s feeling better," Doc Rivers said, "but he’s not feeling great and we really want to try to keep him away from the rest of the guys." Tony Allen is also not feeling well and probably won't play either. 2/1/2009
Brian Scalabrine	F	Out	Jan 27	concussion	Out indefinitely	Brian Scalabrine is "still having symptoms" from last week's concussion, according to an Associated Press report on Sunday. Scalabrine is out indefinitely, which gives Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis more time, especially with Kevin Garnett potentially out on Tuesday with the flu. 1/27/2009
Charlotte Bobcats	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Gerald Wallace	F	Out	Jan 27	ribs	Out indefinitely	Gerald Wallace is not expected to play for Charlotte again until after the All-Star break. This should come as no surprise, although the Associated Press report doesn't suggest exactly when he'll return from lung and rib injuries and there's a chance he could be out for quite a while. 1/27/2009
D.J. Augustin	G	Out	Jan 10	abdomen	Targeting Friday vs. Hawks	D.J. Augustin practiced on Wednesday for the first time since Jan. 10 and hopes to play against Atlanta on Friday. He's been out with an abdominal strain and would certainly be worth owning if Raymond Felton were to be traded. However, the fact Gerald Wallace remains out indefinitely could also get Augustin enough minutes to make him worth a flier. 1/10/2009
Sean May	F	Out	Dec 16	knee	Out indefinitely	Sean May has experienced some new swelling on his surgically-repaired right knee. He had an MRI that showed no new damage, but you wonder if his NBA career could be on it's way to a quick ending. 12/16/2008
Chicago Bulls	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Drew Gooden	F/C	Out	Jan 20	groin	Doubtful for Tue & Wed	Drew Gooden went through most of the Bulls practice on Monday but is not expected to play on Tuesday or Wednesday. Gooden has missed the last seven games because of an abdomen/groin injury, and the Bulls will take their time bringing him back. Hopefully he'll play on Saturday, giving us some confidence for Week 16. 1/20/2009
Cleveland Cavaliers	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Sasha Pavlovic	G/F	Out	Feb 3	flu	Day-to-day	The Cavs will be without Sasha Pavlovic and Lorenzen Wright again on Wednesday. Both players have the flu and did not travel with the team to New York. Wally Szczerbiak will get another start in place of Pavlovic, but even as a short-term pickup his appeal is very limited. 2/3/2009
Lorenzen Wright	C	Out	Feb 3	flu	Day-to-day	Lorenzen Wright missed Tuesday's game with the flu. The veteran center hasn't appeared in a game since January 19th and shouldn't be a consideration even in the deepest of fantasy leagues. 2/3/2009
Tarence Kinsey	G/F	Out	Jan 29	ankle	Targeting early-March return	Cavs reserve guard tarence Kinsey is expected to miss three-to-five weeks with a severely sprained ankle sustained Thursday. He had no fantasy value, but it could mean a few more minutes for Wally Szczerbiak and Sasha Pavlovic. 1/29/2009
Delonte West	G	Out	Jan 15	wrist	Targeting mid-February	Cavaliers guard Delonte West hopes to get the cast taken off his right wrist this week, and is targeting a return prior to the All-Star break. West is well ahead of his projected return date, but fantasy owners, considering the shortened All-Star week schedule, should probably keep him benched all the same. His return will move Sasha Pavlovic back to a smaller role off the bench. 1/15/2009
Dallas Mavericks	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Shawne Williams	F	Out	Jan 23	personal	Day-to-day	Shawne Williams left the Mavericks for personal reasons and is day-to-day. He's not expected back before they play the Celtics on Sunday, but he plays so little, you probably won't notice that he's gone. 1/23/2009
Jerry Stackhouse	G/F	Inactive List	Nov 16	heel	Out indefinitely	The Mavericks continue to receive inquiries about swingman Jerry Stackhouse. He's pretty much fallen off the radar in Dallas but could return to some limited fantasy value if he should land in the right situation, although nothing appears imminent. 11/16/2008
Denver Nuggets	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Chauncey Billups	G	Out	Feb 3	ankle	Day-to-day	Chauncey Billups, who missed Wednesday's game against the Thunder after spraining his ankle Tuesday, said he plans to play Friday against the Wizards. "It's a little sore," Billups said. "I tried it a little bit (Wednesday) and I couldn't really cut like I wanted. "I'm going to be smart with it. ... I'll be out there Friday." As long as he's playing, have him active. 2/3/2009
Kenyon Martin	F	Out	Feb 3	flu	Day-to-day	Nuggets coach George Karl sounded optimistic Kenyon Martin would suit up Friday after missing the past two games with strep throat. "I think he'll play," said Karl, who called Martin "much better" than Tuesday. Keep monitoring the situation, but if he's in the lineup he should be a good play at Washington. 2/3/2009
Steven Hunter	F/C	Out	Oct 15	knee surgery	Doubtful for 08-09 season	Nuggets center Steve Hunter (knee surgery) began running in a pool on Monday and expects to return no later than early March. Hunter could be back shortly after the All-Star break, bolstering Denver's thin frontcourt. Just don't expect him to have any fantasy value while Kenyon Martin and Nene are healthy. 10/15/2008
Detroit Pistons	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Walter Herrmann	F	Out	Feb 4	wife having baby	Day-to-day	Walter Herrmann will not be on the active roster for Wednesday's game after his wife gave birth Wednesday. Herrmann, who has not played since January 23, will be replaced on the active roster by the equally inconsequential Walter Sharpe. 2/4/2009
Golden State Warriors	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Marco Belinelli	G	Out	Jan 11	ankle	Out indefinitely	Guard Marco Belinelli said Saturday his sprained right ankle hasn't improved much and there is no target date for his return. He can barely run on it still and should be consider out indefinitely. Belinelli, who was hot for a few games earlier this season, hasn't played since suffering the injury on Jan. 11, when he scored 17 points before leaving. 1/11/2009
Brandan Wright	F	Out	Jan 7	shoulder	Day-to-day	Warriors forward Brandan Wright (shoulder) will not return before the All-Star break. Wright's dislocated shoulder is still tender and painful, and on Friday the Warriors placed a two-to-four week timetable on his return. 1/7/2009
Houston Rockets	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Aaron Brooks	G	Out	Feb 4	flu	Day-to-day	Aaron Brooks missed Wednesday's loss with the flu. Maybe it was the absence of Brooks that allowed Rafer Alston (16 points, three 3-pointers, six assists) to play so well. Brooks is day-to-day. 2/4/2009
Luther Head	G	Out	Jan 13	foot	Out until at least Jan. 23	Rockets guard Luther Head (sore foot) is no longer wearing a protective boot and hopes to be cleared to play next week. Head hasn't played since January 10th, and won't have a big role as long as the Rockets stay healthy. 1/13/2009
Indiana Pacers	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Jeff Foster	F/C	Out	Feb 3	ankle	Day-to-day	Jeff Foster appeared to injure his ankle in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's game versus Minnesota. The veteran center stayed in the game to shoot free throws after the injury, but departed shortly thereafter. The injury didn't appear to be serious, but it's possible Foster could miss some time. He had nine points, five rebounds, five assists and a block when he departed. 2/3/2009
Jamaal Tinsley	G	Out	Feb 9	knee	Healthy/Out indefinitely	The NBA Players Association is expect to file a grievance against the Indiana Pacers this week on behalf of exiled point guard Jamaal Tinsley. Pacers president Larry Bird was adamant that Tinsley will not rejoin the team. "We're doing everything we can to move him," Bird said. The difficulty is that Tinsley, who will soon turn 31, has two years and $14.7 million left on his contract. Potential outcomes of a grievance could include an arbitrator forcing the Pacers to buy Tinsley out of his contract or waive him. 2/9/2008
Los Angeles Clippers	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Mardy Collins	G	Out	Jan 23	calf	Targeting early-February	A left calf strain will keep Mardy Collins sidelined for another week or two, according to coach Mike Dunleavy. That means Fred Jones, who had 19 points, four boards, seven assists and three 3-pointers Monday should probably be given a look if you need a short-term fix in your league. Just keep in mind that Baron Davis is due back soon, which will obviously limit Jones' value as a point guard. 1/23/2009
Mike Taylor	G	Out	Dec 19	thumb	Return late January	Clippers rookie Mike Taylor had surgery on his fractured right thumb on Tuesday. He is expected to miss up to eight weeks. Taylor didn't have fantasy value anyway, but his absence leaves the Clippers thin behind starting PG Baron Davis. 12/19/2008
Chris Kaman	C	Out	Nov 26	foot	Targeting mid-January return	Clippers center Chris Kaman (strained arch) is unlikely to play before the All-Star break in mid-February, according to coach Mike Dunleavy. "The healing process is there, but not totally complete," Dunleavy said. "And the fact that he is seven-feet tall and has all that weight on it." The bad news just keeps pouring in for Kaman, who is already popping up on some waiver wires, while Marcus Camby's owners should be jubilant. 11/26/2008
Los Angeles Lakers	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Andrew Bynum	C	Out	Jan 31	knee	Out indefinitely	Phil Jackson said Wednesday that Andrew Bynum (right knee) will concentrate on icing and resting his knee for the next two weeks, then spend another two weeks on conditioning drills. At that point, barring any setbacks, it's possible that Bynum could resume basketball activities and possibly return in five weeks or so. We're still not sure why the Lakers said he'd miss 8-12 weeks, as several doctors have told Rotoworld that the typical recovery time for a moderate MCL tear is 4-6 weeks. We doubt Bynum will return to form before the end of the season, so don't feel too bad if you already dropped him. 1/31/2009
Memphis Grizzlies	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Kyle Lowry	G	Out	Feb 2	ankle	Day-to-day	Grizzlies point guard Kyle Lowry will not play on Wednesday due to a grade-2 right ankle sprain. There is no timetable for Lowry's return, giving Mike Conley unlimited minutes for the foreseeable future. If you still own Lowry, for whatever reason, make sure he's on your bench. 2/2/2009
Shaun Livingston	G	Out	Jan 6	-		The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Shaun Livingston won't have to report to the Grizzlies after all, and may stay in Miami to rehab his knee. This situation has become somewhat convoluted, but the end result is that Livingston is unattached to a team right now and appears unlikely to have fantasy value any time in the near future. 1/6/2009
Miami Heat	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Daequan Cook	G	Out	Jan 31	thigh	Day-to-day	Heat guard Daequan Cook said Monday he will not travel with the Heat for a two-game road trip to Detroit and Philadelphia due to a bruised left thigh. Cook said he is very sore and isn't able to do any shooting right now, and likely won't return to action until he practices with the team again. And that's not likely to happen this week. Get him on your bench or cut him for a healthy body. James Jones could have a nice week with Cook likely out for all three games. 1/31/2009
Dorell Wright	G/F	Out	Nov 24	knee surgery	Out indefinitely	Heat forwards Dorell Wright (knee) and James Jones (wrist) continue to progress in their rehabilitation from respective surgeries, but neither has been cleared for contact. Jones was aiming to return to the lineup near the end of December, and coach Eric Spoelstra will meet with medical staff to discuss his status in the next few days. Neither player is likely to offer much fantasy value, though Jones' three-point shooting always makes him an intriguing specialist. 11/24/2008
Minnesota Timberwolves	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Craig Smith	F/C	Out	Feb 4	ribs	Day-to-day	Craig Smith is out for Wednesday's game against the Hawks with a rib injury. Kevin Love will start in his place, and Love's owners have to be hoping the move could end up being permanent. 2/4/2009
Kevin Ollie	G	Out	Jan 3	elbow	Targeting early February	Wolves guard Kevin Ollie, who hasn't played since dislocating his left elbow on January 3rd, isn't sure when he'll return to action. "I had a fracture in there, too, and they say that's healing," Ollie said. "I started shooting this past week...I just can't dribble with my left hand." It sounds like Ollie won't be back until after the All-Star break, so keep him benched an expect Sebastian Telfair to continue playing unchallenged minutes at PG. 1/3/2009
Corey Brewer	G/F	Out	Dec 1	knee surgery	Out for regular season	Wolves forward Corey Brewer underwent surgery Wednesday to repair the ACL he tore Nov. 29 against Denver. The team called the surgery successful, but Brewer is still expected to miss the rest of the season. 12/1/2008
Milwaukee Bucks	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Andrew Bogut	F/C	Out	Feb 2	back	Out indefinitely	Andrew Bogut is expected to miss at least eight weeks with an "incomplete lower back fracture." There's a chance Bogut will return for a handful of games late in the season, but at this point that alone isn't enough to make him worth a roster spot in most leagues. Feel free to cut him loose if you haven't done so already. 2/2/2009
Michael Redd	G/F	Out	Jan 24	knee	Out for 2009-09 season	Bucks' shooting guard Michael Redd is out for the rest of the NBA season with tears in the ACL and MCL of his left knee. Redd suffered the injury in the third quarter of Saturday night's game against the Kings and the tears were revealed in Sunday's MRI. Charlie Bell is the early favorite to win the starting job, but Ramon Sessions and Tyronn Lue will also get some extra minutes with the loss of Redd. In addition, Charlie Villanueva's stock should remain fairly high for the rest of the year. 1/24/2009
New Jersey Nets	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Eduardo Najera	F	Out	Feb 2	abdomen	Day-to-day	Nets forward Eduardo Najera (lower abdominal strain) is expected to be out through the All-Star break. "They think it's something that maybe with a few a days rest could go away," said Najera, who has all symptoms of a hernia. He hasn't been a fantasy factor since signing with the Nets this past summer. 2/2/2009
Bobby Simmons	G/F	Out	Jan 31	abdomen	Day-to-day	The Nets are expected to play without Bobby Simmons (strained abdomen) and Eduardo Najera (abdomen) on Tuesday. Coach Lawrence Frank said that Trenton Hassell will start in place of Simmons. Jarvis Hayes, Sean Williams and Josh Boone could potentially get more minutes, but none of these players are worth picking up. 1/31/2009
Yi Jianlian	F/C	Out	Jan 9	finger	Targeting late-Feb. return	Yi Jianlian had the cast off his broken pinkie and was seen shooting for the first time on Tuesday. However, this doesn't mean that Yi's return is imminent. Coach Lawrence Frank says that the forward "is making normal progression," which indicates based on previous timetables that Yi could still be out for a few more weeks. 1/9/2009
Stromile Swift	F/C	Out	Dec 10	personal	Day-to-day	Nets forward Stromile Swift returned to practice on Tuesday after missing significant time for personal reasons. Swift has appeared in just six games this season, never playing more than 17 minutes, and he hasn't played since December 12th. He's barely worth watching in deep leagues even while Yi Jianlian (finger) is sidelined. 12/10/2008
New Orleans Hornets	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Bonzi Wells	G	PUP	Feb 3	-		Former NBA guard Bonzi Wells has agreed to terminate his contract with the Chinese team Shanxi Zhongyu. The team wasn't happy that Wells delayed his return after traveling to the U.S. during the Chinese New Year. It's been a rough year for former NBA players overseas -- Wells joins Earl Boykins and Nenad Krstic in the "terminated contract" camp, while Josh Childress' season was cut short by a sports hernia. 2/3/2009
Chris Paul	G	Out	Feb 2	groin	Day-to-day	Chris Paul (strained groin) was hoping to play on Wednesday, but coach Byron Scott already ruled him out. "We just want to take a couple of days and see if he's a fast healer," Scott said. The Hornets are going to be very cautious with their team MVP, but it sounds like there's a chance we will see Paul on Friday. Antonio Daniels will start at point guard on Wednesday, backed up by Devin Brown. 2/2/2009
Morris Peterson	G/F	Out	Jan 28	foot	Targeting mid-February	Hornets shooting guard Morris Peterson could be sidelined for up two weeks with a sprained ligament in his left foot. Peterson's injury means less competition for Rasual Butler and James Posey, though Devin Brown might be the guy who absorbs his minutes. Brown hasn't done much for fantasy owners this season, but the streaky shooter is still worth watching. 1/28/2009
Tyson Chandler	C	Out	Jan 19	ankle	Out indefinitely	Tyson Chandler (sprained ankle) is expected to miss another game on Wednesday. Chandler appears to be getting closer, but his return is on hold for at least one more night. Hilton Armstrong will get the start in his place. 1/19/2009
New York Knicks	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Jerome James	C	Out	Jan 19	achilles	Out for regular season	Jerome James, who has been injured for most of the past three years, is out for the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles' tendon. Given James' history and age (32) our guess is that his career is over. 1/19/2009
Eddy Curry	C	Out	Jan 12	knee	Day-to-day	The Knicks expect Eddy Curry to return to practice this week. Curry has had unimaginable hardship during the past month, and we're not expecting much from him this season. In addition to his sore knee, Curry's conditioning is still poor. 1/12/2009
Stephon Marbury	G	Inactive List	Nov 11	personal	Out indefinitely	Dwyane Wade said Saturday that he thought Stephon Marbury could help a team like the Celtics or the Heat. "He's a guy who still has it and can especially help a team like Boston, especially a team like us as well," he said. Marbury isn't expected to be bought out by the Knicks until after the Feb. 19 trade deadline has passed, if at all. If he does land with the Heat, he could get enough minutes to be worth owning in some leagues, but we're not rushing to pick him up. 11/11/2008
Oklahoma City Thunder	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Desmond Mason	G/F	Out	Jan 29	knee	Out for remainder of season	Desmond Mason will miss the remainder of the season due to a hyperextended right knee that will require surgery to remove debris from the injured area. Mason wasn't much of a fantasy factor, but he was starting and playing 27 minutes a game for Oklahoma City. It hasn't been determined how coach Scott Brooks will alter the lineup, but the potential options include Damien Wilkins, Nenad Krstic, Chris Wilcox or Earl Watson joining the starting five. Watch this situation closely, as added playing time would give any of these players' value a much-needed boost. 1/29/2009
D.J. White	F	Out	Oct 9	mouth	Out indefinitely	Thunder forward D.J. White will miss at least 12 weeks after having a second surgery to remove a benign growth from his jaw. The rookie has yet to appear in a game for Oklahoma City, and it appears that his entire season is now in jeopardy. 10/9/2008
Orlando Magic	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Jameer Nelson	G	Out	Feb 2	shoulder	Day-to-day	Jameer Nelson will eventually need surgery to repair his shoulder, but the Magic are evaluating whether he can delay it until the offseason. It's possible Nelson could rehabilitate the injury and return in "two to six weeks", so his owners should probably hang onto him until a final decision is made. The recovery time from surgery is approximately four months, and if he doesn't have it the injury could recur. "What's the long-term implications if this thing pops out again?" asked GM Otis Smith. For now, Anthony Johnson will start at point guard with Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee as his primary backups. 2/2/2009
Mike Wilks	G	Out	Oct 16	knee	Out for regular season	Magic point guard Mike Wilks will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn ACL he sustained during the preseason. His recovery is expected to take six months or longer, and the six-year veteran does plan to continue his career. His injury is one reason the Magic are so thin at point guard this season. 10/16/2008
Philadelphia 76ers	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Jason Smith	F/C	Out	Aug 20	knee surgery	Doubtful for 2008-09	The 76ers have exercised their third-year option on the contract of forward/center Jason Smith. Smith tore his ACL this summer and will likely miss the entire season, but Philadelphia obviously likes his potential. Hopefully he'll have better luck next year. 8/20/2008
Portland Trail Blazers	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Steve Blake	G	Out	Jan 26	shoulder	Day-to-day	Steve Blake, who was questionable for Monday's game with a shoulder injury, did not travel with the Blazers for their three-game trip against the Hornets, Dallas and Oklahoma City. There was no mention that he might join the team later, so we're guessing his week is over. Make sure he's on your bench. 1/26/2009
Martell Webster	G/F	Out	Dec 9	foot	Out indefinitely	Martell Webster (foot) was fitted for a new walking boot on Wednesday, which he will need to wear for the next two weeks according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian. This timetable puts him out of his boot around Feb. 4th, and Quick believes he will start practicing the week before the All Star game. Quick also predicts that Webster will return to the Blazers' rotation on February 18th, their first game after the break. 12/9/2008
Raef LaFrentz	F/C	Out	Sep 12	shoulder	Out indefinitely	The Trail Blazers announced Friday that center Raef LaFrentz underwent successful surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He is expected to miss six to eight months and his absence could provide a boost to guys like Channing Frye and Ike Diogu. 9/12/2008
San Antonio Spurs	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Manu Ginobili	G	Out	Feb 3	hip	Day-to-day	Manu Ginobili (hip contusion) expects to play in the Spurs game against the Celtics on Sunday. Manu scored a season-high 32 points on Monday -- we don't expect him to duplicate that against the Celts, but it sounds safe to keep him active. Tim Duncan, Michael Finley and Tony Parker should also be active after getting the night off on Tuesday. 2/3/2009
Michael Finley	G/F	Out	Feb 3	wrist	Day-to-day	Michael Finley sat out Tuesday's game against the Nuggets. We're guessing that on a night that Gregg Popovich opted to sit Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, the Spurs coach opted to sit his veteran starting small forward as well. If you've been using Finley (which is only advised in very deep leagues), we're expecting him to be back in the lineup on Sunday. 2/3/2009
Robert Horry	F	PUP	Jun 28	-		Robert Horry announced on Friday that he will delay his retirement for at least one year. He hopes to sign a contract with either the Spurs or the Rockets. "My last game I want to walk off the court sweating," Horry said. "My last game so far, I walked off the court with a DNP." Horry is 37 years old and averaged a career-low 2.5 points last season, but he only wants the minimum salary and we'll be surprised if the Spurs pass on him. 6/28/2008
Sacramento Kings	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Bobby Jackson	G	Out	Feb 2	personal	Day-to-day	Kings guard Bobby Jackson did not play on Monday for personal reasons. We don't know anything more than that...fortunately for Sacramento, Beno Udrih was able to play through his recent calf injury. The Kings don't play again until Friday. 2/2/2009
Brad Miller	C	Out	Jan 31	abdomen	Questionable for Friday	Kings center Brad Miller will likely miss at least two games with an abdominal strain, it was announced on Saturday. That rules him out for back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday, but at least the Kings don't play again until Friday. With just three games on the schedule, owners in weekly leagues have little choice but to bench him. Spencer Hawes will get the start, a perfect opportunity to recapture his rhythm and, hopefully, more minutes. 1/31/2009
Toronto Raptors	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Chris Bosh	F/C	Out	Feb 4	knee	Day-to-day	Chris Bosh left Wednesday's game in the fourth quarter with a sprained right knee and did not return. Uh oh. He had 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists, but we probably won't have details about his injury until Thursday. Owners have to keep their fingers crossed on this one, given all the other injuries that have taken place recently. 2/4/2009
Jose Calderon	G	Out	Feb 4	hamstring	Day-to-day	Doug Smith reports that Jose Calderon was not on the floor for the National Anthem Wednesday and that a last-minute decision was made for him to sit out against the Lakers. Calderon didn't look like himself on Monday when he hit just 1-of-9 shots and our guess is his hamstring is still bothering him. We're also guessing that Anthony Parker starts at point guard again. 2/4/2009
Kris Humphries	F	Out	Jan 19	leg	Out indefinitely	Kris Humphries (broken right fibula) told the Toronto Star that he's still not sure of his treatment program, and that he'll see team doctors on Friday in Toronto. As beat writer Doug Smith put it "he's many, many weeks away", and wing players for the Raptors like Joey Graham, Jamario Moon, and Jason Kapono will benefit from the addition-by-subtraction principle. 1/19/2009
Utah Jazz	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
C.J. Miles	G/F	Out	Feb 3	shoulder	Day-to-day	Jazz swingman C.J. Miles suffered a left shoulder injury during Monday's game. Miles thinks the injury is minor but said he wouldn't know for sure until Tuesday. He has been playing well but was just 1-of-6 from the field on Monday -- keep him benched until we get an update on his status. 2/3/2009
Deron Williams	G	Out	Feb 2	thigh	Day-to-day	Deron Williams (swollen knee) practiced on Wednesday and will be a game-time decision for Thursday's game against the Mavs. "I definitely want to play tomorrow, so I'm shooting for that," Williams said Thursday. Hopefully a more concrete update will come prior to Thursday's tipoff, but there appears to be a good chance he'll be in uniform. 2/2/2009
Andrei Kirilenko	F	Out	Jan 20	ankle	Out indefinitely	Andrei Kirilenko (ankle surgery) had a checkup with doctors on Monday -- he is progressing on schedule, but there is still no anticipated date for his return. "It's hopefully not season-ending," Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor said. "He has not done any rehab yet...It's gonna depend on how he reacts to the swelling." The initial timetable was 3-to-4 weeks, but O'Connor's quote seems way more pessimistic. Kirilenko is due to be reevaluated on February 11th, so stay patient and hopefully we'll get some good news after the All-Star break. 1/20/2009
Carlos Boozer	F/C	Out	Nov 19	knee surgery	Targeting mid-Feb. return	Carlos Boozer began what was originally called a four-week rehab program shortly after his knee surgery on January 9th, but the Jazz still have not fixed a return date. "He's not been on the court to run yet, so I'm not presupposing when he can play or when he can't play," said GM Kevin O'Connor. "I'm just (saying) normal rehab would be to have him on the court for a while, and he has not done that." A mid-February return is starting to sound like wishful thinking, but you just never know. 11/19/2008
Washington Wizards	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Juan Dixon	G	Out	Feb 3	arm	Day-to-day	Juan Dixon will not play on Tuesday due to an arm injury he sustained in Monday night's game against Memphis. The veteran guard hasn't been a part of the Wizards' rotation for well over a month, so his absence shouldn't cause a ripple in fantasy leagues. 2/3/2009
DeShawn Stevenson	G	Out	Feb 2	back	Day-to-day	DeShawn Stevenson (back) is not likely to play in the Wizards game on Tuesday. He's played a grand total of 35 minutes over the past month due to his back troubles and appears to be nowhere close to having fantasy value at this point. 2/2/2009
Andray Blatche	F/C	Out	Jan 26	knee	Day-to-day	Andray Blatche will miss two to four weeks after sustaining a strained left knee in a collision with Shaquille O'Neal on Monday. Either Darius Songaila or JaVale McGee will start in Blatche's place on Wednesday, and of the two, McGee has significantly more upside and is the more promising waiver wire add. Just keep in mind that the rookie is likely to be inconsistent. 1/26/2009
Etan Thomas	F/C	Out	Jan 12	knee	Out indefinitely	Etan Thomas (torn MCL) will not be able to run for two to four weeks, and won't be able to practice until two weeks after he starts running. Thomas is trying to avoid surgery on his knee, but fantasy owners shouldn't be holding their breath. He's averaging just 3.1 ppg this year and was not playing significant minutes prior to his injury. 1/12/2009
Brendan Haywood	C	Out	Oct 7	wrist	Questionable to play in 08-09	Wizards center Brendan Haywood recently had pins removed from his wrist, but hasn't been cleared to practice. It's unclear if Haywood will play this season, but Washington has zero incentive to hasten his return since they're indisputably lottery-bound. 10/7/2008
Gilbert Arenas	G	Out	Apr 30	knee surgery	Targeting January return	Gilbert Arenas told the Washington Times this weekend that he's "not even close" to returning from his knee injury. He also expressed some doubt as to whether it's worth returning to a losing team, saying, "I don't know. I mean, seven wins? Would you?" This isn't particularly shocking, but it does serve as an important reminder that absolutely nothing is guaranteed with Arenas this season, and relying on him to to come back and ignite the Wizards and fantasy teams is not a good idea. 4/30/2008

[ballwonder]

Atlanta Hawks - 1 Injured Player

Date: Player: Injury:
02/05/2009 Joe Johnson (G) Illness (Day-to-Day)



Boston Celtics - 4 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/06/2009 Kevin Garnett (F) Illness (Day-to-Day)
01/28/2009 Brian Scalabrine (F) Concussion (By All-Star Break)
03/13/2008 Scot Pollard (C) Ankle (Out for the Season)
12/18/2007 Brandon Wallace (F) Wrist (Two Weeks)



Charlotte Bobcats - 2 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/06/2009 Juwan Howard (F) Toe (Day-to-Day)
02/04/2009 Gerald Wallace (F) Ribs (Two Weeks)



Chicago Bulls - 1 Injured Player

Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Drew Gooden (F) Groin (Day-to-Day)



Cleveland Cavaliers - 5 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/04/2009 Michaela Pavlickova (C) Illness (Day-to-Day)
02/03/2009 Lorenzen Wright (C) Illness (Day-to-Day)
02/03/2009 Delonte West (G) Wrist (Two Weeks)
01/30/2009 Tarence Kinsey (G) Ankle (Late February)
10/12/2008 Eric Snow (G) Knee (Out Indefinitely)



Dallas Mavericks - 1 Injured Player

Date: Player: Injury:
12/02/2008 Jerry Stackhouse (G) Heel (Out Indefinitely)



Denver Nuggets - 3 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/06/2009 Kenyon Martin (F) Illness (Day-to-Day)
02/06/2009 Chauncey Billups (G) Ankle (Day-to-Day)
11/14/2008 Steven Hunter (C) Knee (Mid-February)



Detroit Pistons - 1 Injured Player

Date: Player: Injury:
02/02/2009 Richard Hamilton (G) Groin (Day-to-Day)



Golden State Warriors - 6 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/06/2009 Corey Maggette (G) Back (Day-to-Day)
02/05/2009 Monta Ellis (G) Ankle (Day-to-Day)
02/01/2009 Marco Belinelli (G) Ankle (Out Indefinitely)
01/25/2009 Brandan Wright (F) Shoulder (By All-Star Break)
03/25/2008 Chris Webber (F) Knee (Day-to-Day)
01/11/2008 Troy Hudson (G) Hip (Late April)



Houston Rockets - 2 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/05/2009 Aaron Brooks (G) Illness (Day-to-Day)
02/24/2008 Adam Haluska (G) Ankle (Two Months)



Indiana Pacers - 1 Injured Player

Date: Player: Injury:
02/06/2009 Danny Granger (F) Knee (Day-to-Day)



Los Angeles Lakers - 1 Injured Player

Date: Player: Injury:
02/02/2009 Andrew Bynum (C) Knee (Two Months)



Los Angeles Clippers - 2 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/01/2009 Chris Kaman (C) Foot (After All-Star Break)
01/27/2009 Mardy Collins (G) Calf (By All-Star Break)



Memphis Grizzlies - 2 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/04/2009 Kyle Lowry (G) Ankle (Day-to-Day)
01/17/2009 Steve Francis (G) Quadriceps (Day-to-Day)



Miami Heat - 2 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/06/2009 Dorell Wright (F) Knee (Day-to-Day)
02/02/2009 Daequan Cook (G) Thigh (Week to 10 Days)



Milwaukee Bucks - 3 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/06/2009 Luke Ridnour (G) Thumb (Day-to-Day)
02/04/2009 Andrew Bogut (C) Back (Two Months)
01/25/2009 Michael Redd (G) Knee (Out for the Season)



Minnesota Timberwolves - 3 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/04/2009 Craig Smith (F) Ribs (Day-to-Day)
02/02/2009 Kevin Ollie (G) Elbow (Early March)
12/01/2008 Corey Brewer (F) Knee (Out for the Season)



New Jersey Nets - 3 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/04/2009 Eduardo Najera (F) Abdomen (Day-to-Day)
02/03/2009 Jianlian Yi (F) Finger (Late February)
02/03/2009 Bobby Simmons (F) Abdomen (Day-to-Day)



New York Knicks - 4 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/05/2009 Eddy Curry (C) Knee (Day-to-Day)
01/19/2009 Jerome James (C) Achilles (Out for the Season)
12/10/2008 Cuttino Mobley (G) Chest (Day-to-Day)
10/14/2008 Allan Houston (G) Quadriceps (Out Indefinitely)



Orlando Magic - 2 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Jameer Nelson (G) Shoulder (Out Indefinitely)
11/20/2008 Mike Wilks (G) Knee (Out for the Season)



Philadelphia 76ers - 2 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/05/2009 Elton Brand (F) Shoulder (Out for the Season)
11/28/2008 Jason Smith (F) Knee (Out for the Season)



Portland Trail Blazers - 3 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/03/2009 Steve Blake (G) Shoulder (Day-to-Day)
01/28/2009 Raef LaFrentz (C) Shoulder (Late March)
01/24/2009 Martell Webster (G) Foot (Mid-March)



Sacramento Kings - 2 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/06/2009 Brad Miller (C) Abdomen (Day-to-Day)
02/03/2009 Bobby Jackson (G) Personal (Day-to-Day)



San Antonio Spurs - 2 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/04/2009 Manu Ginobili (G) Hip (Day-to-Day)
10/22/2008 Salim Stoudamire (G) Groin (Day-to-Day)



Toronto Raptors - 3 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/06/2009 Chris Bosh (F) Knee (Day-to-Day)
02/05/2009 Jose Calderon (G) Hamstring (Day-to-Day)
01/21/2009 Kris Humphries (F) Lower Leg (Out Indefinitely)



Utah Jazz - 4 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/06/2009 Carlos Boozer (F) Knee (Mid-February)
02/05/2009 Brevin Knight (G) Thumb (Day-to-Day)
02/05/2009 CJ Miles (G) Shoulder (Day-to-Day)
02/05/2009 Andrei Kirilenko (F) Ankle (Early March)



Washington Wizards - 7 Injured Players

Date: Player: Injury:
02/06/2009 DeShawn Stevenson (G) Back (Day-to-Day)
02/06/2009 Juan Dixon (G) Elbow (Day-to-Day)
02/06/2009 Caron Butler (F) Illness (Day-to-Day)
02/05/2009 Gilbert Arenas (G) Knee (Mid-March)
02/01/2009 Brendan Haywood (C) Wrist (Mid-March)
01/27/2009 Etan Thomas (C) Knee (Out Indefinitely)
01/27/2009 Andray Blatche (F) Knee (Three Weeks

[ballwonder]

Update: Smith will miss at least two weeks after X-rays revealed a small break in his injured ribs, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Analysis: Kevin Love should see increased minutes as a result as he'll start at power forward in his place.




Marquis Daniels: Sore Back
Update: Daniels sat out Thursday's loss to the Sixers with a sore back, the Indianapolis Star reports.
Analysis: Daniels hopes to be able to play on Friday night against the Magic.





Jeff Foster: Limited By Sore Ankle
Update: Foster was limited to nine minutes in the first half of Thursday's loss to the Sixers due to a sore ankle, the Indianapolis Star reports.
Analysis: Foster is hopeful that another 24 hours will allow him to be more mobile for Friday's game against the Magic.





Luke Ridnour: (Thumb) Out Four Weeks
Update: Ridnour will miss four weeks due to a broken right thumb suffered at practice Thursday, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Look for Ramon Sessions to fill in at point guard while Ridnour is out.





Juwan Howard: Out For Friday
Update: Howard (toe) is being ruled out of Friday night's game, the Charlotte Observer reports.
Analysis: Sean May could be activated due to the shortage at power forward for the Bobcats.





Sean May: Chance He May Become Active
Update: With Juwan Howard (toe) out Friday, there is a chance May will be activated for Friday's game against the Hawks, the Charlotte Observer reports.
Analysis: If he is activated, he will be about six pounds above the weight coach Larry Brown had previously required him to be at to return. He has missed the last 26 games.





Carlos Boozer: Aims for Feb. 17 Return
Update: Boozer (left knee) is targeting Feb. 17 for his return to the Jazz lineup, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Analysis: That's the team's first game after the All-Star break, which is consistent with what the most recently estimates regarding his return would be. We'll let you know if that timetable is altered in the coming days.





Chris Bosh: Won't Play Friday
Update: Bosh will travel with the Raptors to New Orleans for Friday's game, but will not be in the lineup, the Toronto Star reports.
Analysis: Tests on Bosh's knee didn't reveal any structural damage, but his status beyond Friday remains day-to-day.





Danny Granger: Should He Take Time Off?
Update: Granger explored the idea of maybe taking games off to rest his sore right knee after the game Thursday night, the Indianapolis Star reports.
Analysis: He admitted that the pain was so bad in the second half that he "really couldn't do anything." He's expected to play Friday, but his status and amount of playing time will have to be questioned at this point. He wants to continue to play as the Pacers are not playing too well.





Ramon Sessions: Could See More Minutes
Update: If the rumors that Luke Ridnour broke his thumb are true then Sessions would become Milwaukee's starting point guard.
Analysis: Sessions will see more consistent playing time if Ridnour is out for four weeks as is rumored. He might not be a bad guy to pick up if you are in need of help at the guard position.





DeShawn Stevenson: Likely Out Friday
Update: Stevenson (back) missed practice Thursday and will probably miss Friday's game, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: No word yet on when Stevenson will return.





Juan Dixon: Likely Out Friday
Update: Dixon (elbow) missed practice Thursday and will likely miss Friday's game with the Nuggets, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: No word yet on when Dixon will return.





Caron Butler: Status Uncertain For Friday
Update: Butler, who missed Wednesday's game with the flu, did not practice Thursday and will be reevaluated Friday, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Butler will probably give it a go Friday but check back before tip-off to confirm either way. If Butler can't go, expect Nick Young to get another start at shooting guard.





Dirk Nowitzki: Poor Night Shooting in Utah
Update: Nowitzki had an off night Thursday, finishing with just 14 points (6-for-20 from the field) and six rebounds in the blowout loss to Utah.
Analysis: Nowitzki has historically struggled when Dallas visits Utah but this makes back-to-back sub-par performances for the power forward. Expect him to come out motivated in Dallas' next game when they take on Chicago.





Jason Kidd: Jams Thumb Prior to Utah Loss
Update: Kidd jammed his thumb prior to the start of Dallas' blowout loss to Utah, the Dallas Morning News reports. The veteran point guard still played, but finished with just seven points and eight assists.
Analysis: Kidd awkwardly caught a pass in the layup line and bruised the thumb on his left hand. It doesn't appear he will miss any time.





Kenyon Martin: Remains Questionable for Friday
Update: Martin (strep throat) remains questionable for Denver's game at Washington on Friday night, the Denver Post reports.
Analysis: Martin is more likely to play than Chauncey Billups as head coach George Karl reported that he was much better on Wednesday. If Martin doesn't play then Renaldo Balkman will most likely get the start in his place, but reserve Chris Andersen might be a better target. Andersen is more productive and could help boost a fantasy club's block and rebound numbers.





Chauncey Billups: Remains Questionable for Friday
Update: Billups (ankle) remains questionable for Friday night's game at Washington, the Denver Post reports.
Analysis: If Billups can't go then Anthony Carter will get the start again and could give any number of fantasy teams a boost in points, assists, and steals.





Dorell Wright: (Knee) With Team on Road
Update: Wright (knee) travelled with the Heat on its two-game road trip and is expected to practice with the team on Friday, the Miami Herald reports.
Analysis: Wright had complications following surgery on his left knee. He is getting closer to returning to game action.





Luke Ridnour: Breaks Thumb?
Update: According to a source, Ridnour broke his thumb during Thursday's practice, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Analysis: The Bucks have not commented on the report and we'll continue to follow up. The Bucks' next game is Saturday at home against Detroit.





Jamal Crawford: Needs To Be More Aggressive
Update: Crawford recorded his first 20+ point game on Wednesday since the return of Monta Ellis and will continue to be more aggressive on offense, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Analysis: Crawford scored 27 points in Wednesday's win over Phoenix and the Warriors coaching staff has asked him to continue to be more assertive. "I don't know if it was his lack of aggressiveness or his knee was bothering him, but I asked him to be more aggressive," Warriors coach Don Nelson said after practice Thursday. Crawford had admittedly been deferring to Monta Ellis while also trying to play point guard and get everyone invovled. "I don't want him to be the only distributor, Nelson said. "I want him to do what he does, which is he's a great scorer, a great shooter. And he needs to do that when he's open." Look for Crawford to continue to look for his shot more, especially with Monta Ellis struggling.





Corey Maggette: Misses Practice With Sore Back
Update: Maggette missed practice on Thursday to go to Los Angeles to receive treatment on his sore back, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Analysis: This is the second time this week that Maggette has missed practice to see his doctor in Los Angeles. "He has a tender back," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "I'm not sure that we want him diving on the floor with that bad back right now." Maggette played 31 minutes in the Warriors' last game is expected to play on Friday against Phoenix.





Brad Miller: (Abdomen) Out Friday
Update: Miller remains out because of an abdominal strain and will not play Friday night against Utah, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Analysis: Spencer Hawes will start in place of Miller, who is listed as day-to-day and could return Sunday against Oklahoma City.





Spencer Hawes: Will Start Friday
Update: Hawes is expected to start Friday in place of Brad Miller, who continues to rehab a strained abdomen, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Analysis: Miller has missed the last two games because of the injury. He's considered day-to-day and could return to action Sunday against the Thunder.





Paul Pierce: Poor Shooting Against Lakers
Update: Pierce had 21 points on 5-13 shooting from the field in the Celtics' loss to the Lakers on Thursday. Pierce also had eight rebounds and five assists in the loss, and made 10 of his 13 free-throws.
Analysis: Despite his shooting struggles on Thursday, Pierce is still averaging 28.7 points per game over his last three, and should have an excellent night against the defensively-poor Knicks on Friday.





Kobe Bryant: Struggles From Field Against Celtics
Update: Bryant had 26 points on 10-29 shooting in the Lakers' win over the Celtics on Thursday. He also had 10 rebounds and five assists in the win.
Analysis: Bryant hasn't taken less than 28 shots in any of his last three games, and his scoring should greatly increase with the absence of Andrew Bynum.





Pau Gasol: 24 and 14 Against Celtics
Update: Gasol had 24 points and 14 rebounds in the Lakers' overtime win over the Celtics.
Analysis: Gasol made 10 of his 14 shots, and has shot 67% from the field over his last five games.





Eddie House: Another Big Day from Behind the Arc
Update: House scored 16 points (6-for-10 FG) with four treys, three boards, a steal and an assist in 20 minutes of action off the bench Thursday night.
Analysis: House is a streaky shooter that is just as likely to give you three points as he is to give you 15. But he has been especially warm of late, with four games of at least four 3-ptrs in his last eight outings.





Rajon Rondo: Flirted with Triple-Double
Update: Rondo scored 16 points (7-for-16 FG, 2-for-2 FT) with 12 assists, eight boards and a steal on Thursday night against the Lakers.
Analysis: Rondo continues to do his Jason Kidd imitation this season, with consistently strong assists/rebounds/steals supplemented every so often by good scoring efforts as well.





Kevin Garnett: Returns to the Court
Update: Garnett (flu) returned to the Celtics' starting lineup on Thursday after having missed the previous two games.
Analysis: Garnett produced a solid line of 16 points (7-for-12 FG, 2-for-2 FT) with six boards, three blocks, two assists and a steal before fouling out in 33 minutes of play. Get him back in your lineups.





Lamar Odom: First 20-Point Effort of Season
Update: Odom scored 20 points (6-for-10 FG, 7-for-11 FT) with six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a 3-ptr on Thursday night against the Celtics.
Analysis: This was Odom's first 20-point effort of the season. Odom is playing a larger role for the Lakers now with Andrew Bynum (knee) injured, and he should continue to improve upon his production now that he is back in the starting lineup.





Tracy McGrady: Working Back into Shape
Update: In his five games since coming back from his two weeks spent working on his conditioning, McGrady has averaged 19.2 points and 5.4 assists, the Houston Chronicle reports. He's made 41.6 percent of his shots, a percentage driven down by fourth-quarter struggles. "It's a process," McGrady said. "I feel better now than I did a couple weeks ago."
Analysis: McGrady, who's as healthy as he's been all year, will continue to work his way back into shape - at least until he gets hurt again.





Ron Artest: Felt "Tight" in Loss to Grizzlies
Update: Artest said he had trouble getting loose Wednesday, specifically citing the Rockets' rotation in which he did not get in the game until late in the first and third quarters, the Houston Chronicle reports. "I wasn't hurt," Artest said. "I felt good. I was just tight, really. It took me awhile to get loose. I didn't get in until there were three minutes left in the first quarter and three minutes left in the third, but I was never in a rhythm. It was hard. But I felt good."
Analysis: Artest, who made one of 10 shots, said he was not lobbying for a change. "It's not what I need," he said. "It has nothing to do with me. When I get in the game, I have to be ready. I have to do my work (stretching) on the bench so when I get in the game, I'll go 100 percent." We're not sure what to make of this except that Artest isn't likely to miss any time, and so long as he's playing we'd expect him to see more minutes.

[ballwonder]

Player notes Position Center Forward Guard All All Teams Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics Charlotte Bobcats Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers Dallas Mavericks Denver Nuggets Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Indiana Pacers Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Memphis Grizzlies Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota Timberwolves New Jersey Nets New Orleans Hornets New York Knicks Oklahoma City Thunder Orlando Magic Philadelphia 76ers Phoenix Suns Portland Trail Blazers Sacramento Kings San Antonio Spurs Toronto Raptors Utah Jazz Washington Wizards Steve Blake - G - Trail Blazers Steve Blake (shoulder), who will not play on Friday against the Thunder, is expected to be reevaluated this weekend. We should have a more concrete estimate as to when Blake will return sometime this weekend, so keep him on your bench right now and remain patient a little bit longer. Feb. 6 - 4:50 p.m. ET Source: The Oregonian Jerryd Bayless - G - Trail Blazers Despite his recent strong play, rookie Jerryd Bayless will continue to come off the bench behind Sergio Rodriguez. Bayless has a little bit of value with Steve Blake (shoulder) sidelined at the moment, but the rookie's run is likely to be short-lived, as Blake's return doesn't appear to be too far off. Feb. 6 - 4:48 p.m. ET Source: The Oregonian LeBron James - F - Cavaliers The NBA has ruled that one of LeBron James' rebounds from Wednesday night's 52-point, 10-rebound, 11-assist performance actually went to Ben Wallace. What would have been the first 50-point triple-double since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 is no more, but 52 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists still looks pretty good in the box score. Feb. 6 - 4:41 p.m. ET Bobby Simmons - G/F - Nets Bobby Simmons (strained abdomen) is likely to be out until after the All-Star break. Trenton Hassell has been starting in Simmons' absence, but the offensively challenged swingman isn't even a good start in a 30-team league at this point. Feb. 6 - 4:01 p.m. ET Source: New York Post Yi Jianlian - F/C - Nets Yi Jianlian (broken pinkie) says that doctors have told him he'll be ready to return to action after the All-Star break. It's probably worth looking to see if Yi's sitting out there on waivers if you're playing in a deeper league or have an open roster spot. Meanwhile, Ryan Anderson, who has been playing well lately, stands to take a significant hit in value when Yi does return. Feb. 6 - 3:57 p.m. ET Source: New York Post Craig Smith - F/C - Timberwolves Craig Smith is expected to miss at least two weeks after X-Rays showed a small break in his ribs. This clears the path for an extended audition in a starting role for Kevin Love, who had 16 points and 14 rebounds in his start on Wednesday. Feb. 6 - 3:50 p.m. ET Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press Luke Ridnour - G - Bucks Confirming a report from Thursday, Luke Ridnour will be out four weeks due to a broken thumb. Ramon Sessions is the only real point guard on the Bucks roster and is in position to put up big numbers with Ridnour out. If for some reason he's still a free agent in your league, make it a priority to get Sessions on your squad. Feb. 6 - 2:28 p.m. ET Kenyon Martin - F - Nuggets Kenyon Martin (strep throat) is being called questionable for Friday's game against the Wizards. On Thursday, George Karl expressed optimism that K-Mart would play, so we're expecting to see him on the court against the Wizards. Hopefully we'll get a more concrete update prior to tipoff. Feb. 6 - 1:29 p.m. ET Source: Denver Post Chauncey Billups - G - Nuggets Chauncey Billups (sprained ankle) is listed as questionable for Friday night's matchup with the Wizards. Billups said on Thursday that he was planning to play, so we'd be surprised to see him sit this one out. Then again, given that the opponent is the hapless Wizards, it's also possible that the Nuggets will opt to give Billups one more night of rest. Feb. 6 - 1:27 p.m. ET Source: Denver Post Joe Johnson - G - Hawks Joe Johnson will not play for the Hawks again on Friday due to the flu. His status for Saturday's game against the Clippers is also up in the air. Mo Evans will get another start tonight, and should start Saturday if Johnson is unable to go again. Feb. 6 - 11:46 a.m. ET Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Juwan Howard - F - Bobcats Juwan Howard is out for Friday's game against the Hawks with an inflamed toe. That means that Sean May will not only be active, but could actually play for Charlotte tonight. He hasn't made an appearance since Dec. 11 due to a knee injury and weight issues. Feb. 6 - 11:39 a.m. ET Source: Charlotte Observer Ryan Bowen - F - Hornets David West will start at center on Friday, allowing Ryan Bowen to start at power forward for the injured Hornets. Byron Scott is unhappy with the recent energy levels of Hilton Armstrong and Melvin Ely, prompting the move while Tyson Chandler remains out with a sprained ankle. "I think Ryan brings that (energy),'' Scott said. "It's no secret that I'm not real happy with the way Mel and Hilton has played and we might as well go in a different direction.'' Feb. 6 - 11:25 a.m. ET Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune Tyronn Lue - G - Magic Tyronn Lue won't join the Magic until Saturday, meaning he won't play on Friday against the Pacers. The Magic will start Anthony Johnson at the point with rookie Courtney Lee backing him up again tonight. Lue is expected to join the team for Sunday's shootaround and could play against the Nets. He shouldn't have any fantasy value unless Johnson goes down with an injury. Feb. 6 - 10:23 a.m. ET Source: Orlando Sentinel Mo Williams - G - Cavaliers The Cavs are not at all happy that Mo Williams is not on the All-Star team and owner Daniel Gilbert lost it when Ray Allen was picked as Jameer Nelson's injury replacement by Commissioner David Stern. "Ben Wallace was right when he called Mo originally being passed over for the All-Star Game a 'shamockery,'" Gilbert wrote in an e-mail on Thursday. "But not naming him as the natural and obvious replacement for the unfortunately injured Jameer Nelson is stupidiculous, idillogical and preposterageous." Nice. Given the rash of NBA injuries, Williams probably still has a shot at making the team - unless Stern decides to punish the Cavs after this tirade by picking David Lee instead. Feb. 6 - 9:55 a.m. ET Source: Orlando Sentinel Danny Granger - G/F - Pacers Danny Granger said after Thursday's game he was unsure if he would be able to play on Friday at Orlando due to the on going issues with his knee. "It’s hard to tell when I’m limping on it so much, and tonight it’s just so sore and we’ll have to see tomorrow because last time we had a double header I wasn’t able to go," he said. Back-to-backs have become an issue for Granger and we'll try to find out if he's in or out prior to game time. He also admitted he may be forced to take some games off because of the knee and this could become a real issue once the Pacers are eliminated from the playoffs. Feb. 6 - 9:30 a.m. ET Source: Pacers.com

[ballwonder]

Vince Carter - G/F - Nets

The Nets are listening to offers for Vince Carter and his remaining $33 million contract, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.

The Nets have reportedly talked to San Antonio, Cleveland, Chicago and Toronto. Everything is preliminary and speculative at this point, so don't get your hopes up. Feb. 7 - 11:13 a.m. ET

Source: Newark Star-Ledger

Drew Gooden - F/C - Bulls

Drew Gooden (abdominal/groin) is questionable to play in the Bulls game on Saturday.

Gooden has missed eight consecutive games. He will come off the bench when he first returns, but should bump starting center Joakim Noah to the bench before long. Feb. 7 - 10:38 a.m. ET

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Delonte West - G - Cavaliers

Delonte West had the cast removed from his right wrist on Friday, but there is still no timetable for his return.

West is hoping to return prior to the All-Star game, but isn't likely to help fantasy owners until after the break. His return will diminish the role of fill-in starter Sasha Pavlovic as well as backup Wally Szczerbiak. Feb. 7 - 10:26 a.m. ET

Source: Akron Beacon-Journal

Sasha Pavlovic - G/F - Cavaliers

Sasha Pavlovic (flu) will be back in the starting lineup against the Lakers on Sunday.

Pavlovic will start the game defending Kobe Bryant, and his defensive duties will probably detract from his already-limited offense. Feb. 7 - 10:23 a.m. ET

Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer

Jose Calderon - G - Raptors

Raptors coach Jay Triano said that Jose Calderon's hamstring injury is not a lingering issue, despite the fact that he didn't play on Wednesday.

"It was precautionary in a back-to-back situation," Triano said. "We just thought if we gave him a day now, he'll be able to go right through the all-star break." This is definitely good news for Calderon's owners...with Chris Bosh (knee) questionable to play before the All-Star break, Calderon will be leaned on heavily during Toronto's upcoming two-game week. Feb. 7 - 10:17 a.m. ET

Source: Toronto Sun

Andris Biedrins - F/C - Warriors

Andris Biedrins will have his sprained right ankle reexamined when the Warriors return home on Saturday.

Biedrins, who was wearing a compression sock and an ankle brace, said, "I thought it was a pretty bad sprain, but actually, now I don't feel like that." While that's certainly encouraging, we'd still be surprised if he plays before the All-Star break. Get him benched until we have an update. Feb. 7 - 9:40 a.m. ET

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Brad Miller - C - Kings

Brad Miller (left hip flexor strain) will miss at least the next three games and will be reevaluated in a week.

More bad news for Miller's owners. It sounds like he is out through the All-Star break, so keep him on your bench next week. Spencer Hawes will continue to start at center -- his three-point shooting has vanished, but he remains a solid source of blocks and rebounds. Feb. 7 - 9:32 a.m. ET

Source: Sacramento Bee

Tracy McGrady - G/F - Rockets

Ron Artest, diagnosing the Rockets problems on Friday, mentioned that Tracy McGrady is "very inconsistent on defense".

"I’m sure he’ll get better with his knee getting more healthy," Artest added. This isn't exactly a revelation, and we're not as confident in T-Mac's ability to elevate his effort on defense. Feb. 7 - 9:24 a.m. ET

Source: Houston Chronicle

Ron Artest - F - Rockets

Ron Artest is shooting a career-low 37.8% from the field this season -- in the Rockets losses, that number drops to 29.9%.

"He really forces it," coach Rick Adelman said. "He’s trying to turn something around, make something happen." The Rockets are focusing on getting Artest easier opportunities -- fantasy owners can only pray that they succeed. Feb. 7 - 9:19 a.m. ET

Source: Houston Chronicle

Yao Ming - C - Rockets

Yao Ming (upset stomach) didn't participate in Friday's practice but he is expected to play on Saturday.

Yao will be asked to slow down Al Jefferson, a tough assignment even in full health. Feb. 7 - 9:15 a.m. ET

Aaron Brooks - G - Rockets

Rockets guard Aaron Brooks returned to practice on Friday after missing Wednesday's game with the flu.

The second-year guard has had his moments this season, but as long as Rafer Alston is healthy he doesn't have much value in average leagues. Feb. 7 - 9:09 a.m. ET

Source: Houston Chronicle

Shaquille O'Neal - C - Suns

Shaquille O'Neal had 12 points and seven rebounds in Friday's win over the Warriors.

Shaq got into early foul trouble and didn't block a shot tonight, but did score his 27,000th point in the win. Only six other players have scored 27,000 points, and they were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone and Elvin Hayes. Feb. 7 - 2:07 a.m. ET

Amare Stoudemire - F/C - Suns

Amare Stoudemire had 19 points and 15 rebounds in Friday's win over the Warriors.

He threw Steve Nash under the bus prior to the game, but played well tonight. He was aided by the fact that Shaquille O'Neal picked up two fouls within the first minute, and remains a must-start for fantasy owners even if he's not getting along with his teammates. Amare is now a top candidate to be traded before the deadline. Feb. 7 - 2:05 a.m. ET

Leandro Barbosa - G - Suns

Leandro Barbosa hit just 2-of-5 shots for eight points, two rebounds and four assists in Friday's win.

He had scored in double figures in five of his last six games coming in, but has had trouble staying consistent this season. Grant Hill caught fire tonight, limiting Barbosa's minutes off the bench. Feb. 7 - 2:02 a.m. ET

Grant Hill - G/F - Suns

Grant Hill hit 12-of-17 shots for a season-high 27 points to go along with five boards, one assist, two steals and a block in Friday's win over the Warriors.

Hill has been hot lately, scoring 14 or more in four of his last five games. Pick him up if you need a swingman, as Matt Barnes has fallen out of favor in Terry Porter's rotation. Feb. 7 - 2:00 a.m. ET

[ballwonder]

League leaders Through Feb. 6, 2009 Games Rk Player Pos Tm G 1 Paul Pierce G/F BOS 52 2 Richard Jefferson F MLW 52 3 Andrea Bargnani F/C TOR 52 4 Rajon Rondo G BOS 52 5 Leon Powe F BOS 52 6 Luc Richard Mbah a Moute F/C MLW 52 7 Ray Allen G BOS 52 8 Eddie House G BOS 51 9 Chris Bosh F/C TOR 51 10 Jarrett Jack G IND 51 Points per game Rk Player Pos Tm PPG 1 Dwyane Wade G MIA 28.5 2 LeBron James F CLE 28.5 3 Kobe Bryant G LAK 27.5 4 Danny Granger G/F IND 25.5 5 Dirk Nowitzki F DAL 25.4 6 Kevin Durant G/F OKC 25.3 7 Kevin Martin G SAC 24.4 8 Al Jefferson F/C MIN 22.8 9 Chris Bosh F/C TOR 22.7 10 Brandon Roy G/F POR 22.5 Field Goals made Rk Player Pos Tm FGs 1 Dwyane Wade G MIA 494 2 Kobe Bryant G LAK 487 3 LeBron James F CLE 479 4 Al Jefferson F/C MIN 459 5 Dirk Nowitzki F DAL 446 6 Kevin Durant G/F OKC 441 7 Antawn Jamison F WAS 403 8 Chris Bosh F/C TOR 401 9 Danny Granger G/F IND 393 10 Tim Duncan F/C SA 378 3-Pointers made Rk Player Pos Tm 3FG 1 Rashard Lewis F ORL 142 2 Ray Allen G BOS 127 3 Danny Granger G/F IND 124 4 Mike Bibby G ATL 119 5 Ben Gordon G CHI 111 6 Peja Stojakovic G/F NO 109 7 Daequan Cook G MIA 105 8 Jason Terry G DAL 104 9 Roger Mason Jr. G SA 103 10 Al Harrington F/C NY 98 Free Throws made Rk Player Pos Tm FTs 1 Chris Bosh F/C TOR 349 2 LeBron James F CLE 345 3 Dwyane Wade G MIA 340 4 Devin Harris G NJ 324 5 Paul Pierce G/F BOS 307 6 Kobe Bryant G LAK 305 7 Kevin Durant G/F OKC 291 8 Dwight Howard C ORL 290 9 Danny Granger G/F IND 289 10 Amare Stoudemire F/C PHO 288 Assists per game Rk Player Pos Tm APG 1 Chris Paul G NO 10.9 2 Deron Williams G UTA 10.0 3 Steve Nash G PHO 9.5 4 Jose Calderon G TOR 8.5 5 Jason Kidd G DAL 8.3 6 Rajon Rondo G BOS 8.2 7 Chris Duhon G NY 7.9 8 Baron Davis G LAC 7.8 9 Dwyane Wade G MIA 7.2 10 LeBron James F CLE 7.0 Total rebounds Rk Player Pos Tm REB 1 Dwight Howard C ORL 659 2 Andris Biedrins F/C GS 588 3 David Lee F/C NY 579 4 Marcus Camby F/C LAC 530 5 Troy Murphy F/C IND 525 6 Emeka Okafor F/C CHA 522 7 Al Jefferson F/C MIN 512 8 Tim Duncan F/C SA 490 9 Chris Bosh F/C TOR 486 10 Antawn Jamison F WAS 456 Steals Rk Player Pos Tm ST 1 Chris Paul G NO 125 2 Rajon Rondo G BOS 107 3 Jason Kidd G DAL 106 4 Dwyane Wade G MIA 103 5 LeBron James F CLE 91 6 Mario Chalmers G MIA 91 7 Andre Iguodala G/F PHI 86 8 Gerald Wallace F CHA 79 9 Raymond Felton G CHA 78 10 Trevor Ariza F LAK 77 Blocks Rk Player Pos Tm BL 1 Dwight Howard C ORL 138 2 Ronny Turiaf F/C GS 109 3 Marcus Camby F/C LAC 100 4 Brook Lopez C NJ 95 5 Tim Duncan F/C SA 86 6 Samuel Dalembert C PHI 86 7 Emeka Okafor F/C CHA 86 8 Andrew Bynum C LAK 86 9 Tyrus Thomas F/C CHI 85 10 Chris Andersen F/C DEN 84 Rebounds per game Rk Player Pos Tm RPG 1 Dwight Howard C ORL 14.0 2 Marcus Camby F/C LAC 12.9 3 David Lee F/C NY 11.8 4 Andris Biedrins F/C GS 11.8 5 Carlos Boozer F/C UTA 11.7 6 Troy Murphy F/C IND 11.4 7 Al Jefferson F/C MIN 10.7 8 Emeka Okafor F/C CHA 10.7 9 Zach Randolph F/C LAC 10.6 10 Tim Duncan F/C SA 10.4 Steals per game Rk Player Pos Tm SPG 1 Chris Paul G NO 2.8 2 Jason Kidd G DAL 2.2 3 Dwyane Wade G MIA 2.1 4 Rajon Rondo G BOS 2.1 5 Gerald Wallace F CHA 1.9 6 LeBron James F CLE 1.9 7 Mario Chalmers G MIA 1.9 8 Andre Iguodala G/F PHI 1.8 9 Baron Davis G LAC 1.7 10 Ron Artest F HOU 1.7 Blocks per game Rk Player Pos Tm BPG 1 Dwight Howard C ORL 2.9 2 Marcus Camby F/C LAC 2.4 3 Ronny Turiaf F/C GS 2.2 4 Chris Andersen F/C DEN 2.1 5 D.J. Mbenga C LAK 2.0 6 Brook Lopez C NJ 1.9 7 Jermaine O'Neal F/C TOR 1.9 8 Andrew Bynum C LAK 1.9 9 Chris Kaman C LAC 1.9 10 Tim Duncan F/C SA 1.8

[ballwonder]

Player notes

Allen Iverson - G - Pistons

Allen Iverson missed Tuesday's shootaround with an illness, but is expected to be in the starting five against the Bulls.

Iverson could be slightly slowed by the illness, but he is coming off a 25-point, seven-assist game on Sunday and owners will no doubt want to keep him in the lineup against Chicago. Feb. 10 - 1:14 p.m. ET

Source: Detroit Free Press

Joe Johnson - G - Hawks

Joe Johnson will participate in the inaugural All-Star H-O-R-S-E competition, along with Kevin Durant and O.J. Mayo.

We're not too high on Johnson's chances to win the event, in part because he's been mired in a shooting slump, and in part because he may be thrown off by the unfamiliar sight of an uncontested shot, something that's a rarity in Mike Woodson's offense. Feb. 10 - 12:16 p.m. ET

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Marquis Daniels - G/F - Pacers

Marquis Daniels (back) is not expected to play in Tuesday night's game.

Daniels could see a small increase in value after the All-Star break if Mike Dunleavy is on a minutes limit due to his recent knee troubles, but Daniels won't have significant value as long as Dunleavy is active. Feb. 10 - 12:08 p.m. ET

Source: Pacers.com

Jeff Foster - F/C - Pacers

Jeff Foster (back) will not play until after the All-Star break, coach Jim O'Brien said on Tuesday.

Foster could return on February 17th, though that remains tentative. The Pacers have been favoring a small lineup with Troy Murphy at center, minimizing Foster's value even when healthy. Roy Hibbert and Rasho Nesterovic will continue to play extended minutes while he's out. Feb. 10 - 12:01 p.m. ET

Source: Pacers.com

Mike Dunleavy - G/F - Pacers

Pacers swingman Mike Dunleavy (knee) will not play until after the All-Star break, it was announced on Tuesday. When he returns his minutes will likely be restricted.

"Structurally he's fine, it was just more of a pain threshold," said O'Brien. "When he comes back after the All-Star break, we'll re-evaluate his minutes." This doesn't sound promising for Dunleavy's owners, as a minute-share with Marquis Daniels appears unavoidable. Feb. 10 - 11:56 a.m. ET

Source: Pacers.com

Paul Millsap - F/C - Jazz

Paul Millsap admitted on Monday that he is starting to wear down physically, specifically mentioning his less-than-100% right knee.

"The physicality of the game, a lot of dirty work that I do...I think it's all just taking a toll on me right now," Millsap said. The All-Star break can't get here soon enough, though with Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko each targeting late-February returns, Millsap's stock continues to slide. Feb. 10 - 11:33 a.m. ET

Source: Deseret News

Chris Duhon - G - Knicks

Chris Duhon is questionable to play on Tuesday because of a sprained left ankle.

The injury occurred during the third quarter of Sunday's game, and forced Duhon to sit out the Knicks practice on Monday. Mike D'Antoni expects him to play, however, so weekly owners might not be out of luck. Feb. 10 - 11:15 a.m. ET

Source: Newsday

Vince Carter - G/F - Nets

The Nets are listening to offers for Vince Carter, but it appears unlikely that they'll trade him before the February 19th deadline.

The Cavaliers have expressed interest in Carter, but their primary bargaining chip is Wally Szczerbiak's expiring contract. Other interested teams include the Spurs, Rockets and Mavericks. Feb. 10 - 10:53 a.m. ET

Source: Bergen Record

Darrell Arthur - F - Grizzlies

Grizzlies forward Darrell Arthur (personal reasons) will not return to action until following the All-Star break.

With Darko Milicic healthy, it's doubtful Arthur will play enough to have much fantasy value the rest of the season. Feb. 10 - 10:48 a.m. ET

Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal

Kobe Bryant - G - Lakers

Kobe Bryant skipped Monday's practice because of the flu, but he will play on Tuesday.

"(Monday) was just a recovery day for me, to get some rest," Bryant said. That's all his fantasy owners need to hear -- keep him active. Feb. 10 - 10:34 a.m. ET

Source: Los Angeles Daily News

Danny Granger - G/F - Pacers

Danny Granger is recovering from the bone bruise below his right knee and reported no added pain after Sunday's game.

Granger hasn't practiced in two weeks, and it sounds like the time off is doing the trick. According to coach Jim O'Brien, he no longer has to consider restricting Granger's minutes. Feb. 10 - 10:30 a.m. ET

Source: 1070thefan.com

Mike Dunleavy - G/F - Pacers

Mike Dunleavy (sore right knee) is doubtful to play on Tuesday.

No word on the severity of Dunleavy's injury, but the fact that he's not 100% ruled out seems promising. With Marquis Daniels (back) also doubtful to play, rookie swingman Brandon Rush could get significant minutes. Feb. 10 - 10:25 a.m. ET

Source: 1070thefan.com

Rafer Alston - G - Rockets

Following Monday's embarrassing loss to the Bucks, Rockets point guard Rafer Alston called out his teammates for playing lazy defense.

"We don’t try to play ‘D’," Alston said. "The mind-boggling thing is how do you race around on offense and walk around on defense. To me, that’s not even trying. It’s embarrassing." Based on these comments it's unclear whether Alston is trying to motivate the Rockets, or embarrass and demoralize them. Feb. 10 - 10:17 a.m. ET

Source: Houston Chronicle

Rodney Stuckey - G - Pistons

Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey has played 40 minutes in just one game since January 7th.

Stuckey has gone 5-of-18 from the field in the past two games, averaging just 28 minutes. The dip could be due to the play of super-sub Rip Hamilton, or because Stuckey is fatigued, or because of his lingering left hand injury. Either way, the All-Star break can't hurt. Feb. 10 - 10:08 a.m. ET

Source: Detroit Free Press

Corey Maggette - G/F - Warriors

Corey Maggette skipped Monday's practice to get treatment on his sore back in Los Angeles. He isn't expected to miss any time.

This is the third time in the past two weeks that Maggette has missed practice to have treatment on his back. Hopefully the All-Star break will provide enough rest that he can put this behind him. Feb. 10 - 10:00 a.m. ET

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

[ballwonder]

Injuries

Atlanta Hawks	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Mike Bibby	G	Out	Feb 7	foot	Day-to-day	Mike Bibby "might play" on Tuesday despite his sprained foot, according to Hawks coach Mike Woodson. The Hawks have back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday, so Bibby's owners will catch a break if he plays in both games. If he can't suit up, backup PG Acie Law is expected to get another start. 2/7/2009
Speedy Claxton	G	Out	Oct 15	hamstring	Questionable to start season	Speedy Claxton suffered a serious hamstring injury Saturday leaving his future with the Hawks in doubt. He will likely be sidelined for all of the team's preseason games, but the good news is it's not a knee injury. Claxton has been sucking up a valuable roster spot for three years now and the Hawks might be on the verge of cutting him loose. 10/15/2007
Boston Celtics	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Brian Scalabrine	F	Out	Jan 27	concussion	Targeting February 19th	Brian Scalabrine (concussion) told reporters from the Boston Globe that he is targeting February 19th to rejoin the team on its trip to Utah. Scalabrine's absence has very little impact on fantasy leagues, other than reducing the depth of the Celtics' somewhat injury-prone frontcourt. 1/27/2009
Charlotte Bobcats	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Juwan Howard	F	Out	Feb 10	toe	Day-to-day	Juwan Howard sat out again on Monday because of an inflamed big toe. As a result, DeSagana Diop started and Sean May was the first big man off the Bobcats bench. Howard is day-to-day. 2/10/2009
Raja Bell	G/F	Out	Feb 6	groin	Day-to-day	Bobcats guard Raja Bell will miss at least the next two games with a strained groin. Bell could return for Wednesday's game --giving him a one-game week-- but it seems reasonable that he won't return until after the All-Star break. Shannon Brown is expected to replace him in the starting lineup because coach Larry Brown feels D.J. Augustin is still tentative following his abdominal strain. 2/6/2009
Gerald Wallace	F	Out	Jan 27	ribs	Day-to-day	Gerald Wallace spoke with the media prior to Friday's game and said he is targeting Feb. 17 against Orlando for his return from a punctured lung and broken rib. His rib and lung healed very quickly and even if he doesn't play on the 17th, he should be ready to go sooner than later. If he was dropped in your league, hurry up and grab him. 1/27/2009
Chicago Bulls	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Michael Ruffin	F	Out	Feb 9	achilles	Day-to-day	Michael Ruffin, who hasn't played for the Bulls this season with ankle and Achilles' injuries, practiced on Monday. Ruffin has yet to play this season after first spraining an ankle and then suffering Achilles problems, and isn't expected to play on Tuesday. He shouldn't have any fantasy value when he finally makes his debut in the near future. 2/9/2009
Drew Gooden	F/C	Out	Jan 20	groin	Day-to-day	Drew Gooden practiced with the Bulls on Monday, but is still not expected to play on Tuesday due to his groin and abdominal injuries. We're guessing he's out until after the All-Star break, but we do know that Joakim Noah should make at least one more start at center this week. 1/20/2009
Cleveland Cavaliers	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Sasha Pavlovic	G/F	Out	Feb 3	ankle	Targeting mid-March	Sasha Pavlovic will miss four to six weeks after suffering a high sprain in his right ankle on Sunday. An MRI taken Monday revealed the extent of the injury and this is just another reason to pick up Delonte West, who should return soon from a broken wrist. 2/3/2009
Lorenzen Wright	C	Out	Feb 3	flu	Day-to-day	Lorenzen Wright missed Tuesday's game with the flu. The veteran center hasn't appeared in a game since January 19th and shouldn't be a consideration even in the deepest of fantasy leagues. 2/3/2009
Tarence Kinsey	G/F	Out	Jan 29	ankle	Targeting early-March return	Cavs reserve guard tarence Kinsey is expected to miss three-to-five weeks with a severely sprained ankle sustained Thursday. He had no fantasy value, but it could mean a few more minutes for Wally Szczerbiak and Sasha Pavlovic. 1/29/2009
Delonte West	G	Out	Jan 15	wrist	Targeting mid-February	Cavaliers guard Delonte West (fractured wrist) will likely be sidelined until a full week after the All-Star break. West was aiming to return prior to the All-Star break, but apparently that was wishful thinking. Considering how well he was playing, and the recent injury to Sasha Pavlovic (ankle), it's probably worth stashing him away. 1/15/2009
Dallas Mavericks	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Jerry Stackhouse	G/F	Out	Nov 16	heel	Day-to-day	Rick Carlisle is not planning on Jerry Stackhouse playing a big role in the absence of Jason Terry when he returns from his heel injury. "He's not ready to play yet," Carlisle said after Monday's practice. "I'm not sure what the timetable is. It's been a long road back for him, and we certainly don't want to set him back by rushing him back too soon. But he's certainly one of our options when he becomes healthy." Stackhouse might be worth an add in very deep leagues, but his minutes will likely be minimal in the beginning. 11/16/2009
Jason Terry	G	Out	Feb 8	finger	Targeting late February	Although no timetable has been set for Jason Terry's return after hand surgery, the Dallas Morning News reports that "injuries of this nature usually keep an athlete out for three to six weeks". "We will know more in the next week or so as his recovery progresses," said Mark Cuban, "but according to the doctors, he certainly will be back this season." If J.J. Barea is still available in your league, don't hesitate to grab him. 2/8/2009
Shawne Williams	F	Out	Jan 23	personal	Day-to-day	Shawne Williams left the Mavericks for personal reasons and is day-to-day. He's not expected back before they play the Celtics on Sunday, but he plays so little, you probably won't notice that he's gone. 1/23/2009
Denver Nuggets	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Steven Hunter	F/C	Out	Oct 15	knee surgery	Doubtful for 08-09 season	Nuggets center Steve Hunter (knee surgery) began running in a pool on Monday and expects to return no later than early March. Hunter could be back shortly after the All-Star break, bolstering Denver's thin frontcourt. Just don't expect him to have any fantasy value while Kenyon Martin and Nene are healthy. 10/15/2008
Golden State Warriors	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Andris Biedrins	F/C	Out	Feb 6	ankle	Day-to-day	Andris Biedrins (sprained ankle) will probably not return until the Warriors' first game after the All-Star break, at the earliest. The Warriors first game after the break is on February 18th against the Lakers -- just bench Biedrins and watch for updates. In the meantime, Ronny Turiaf will continue to start and deserves a look if you need some quick blocks. Rob Kurz is also expected to pick up extra minutes off the bench. 2/6/2009
Marco Belinelli	G	Out	Jan 11	ankle	Out indefinitely	The Warriors revealed in a release that guard Mario Belinelli (ankle) should resume basketball skill work prior to All-Star weekend and then return to full practice after the break. What kind of role he has when he returns remains to be seen, but he was playing well before suffering the injury on Jan. 11. 1/11/2009
Brandan Wright	F	Out	Jan 7	shoulder	Out until after All-Star break	The Warriors issued a press release Wednesday saying that Brandan Wright (shoulder) is "continuing his rehabilitation and is anticipated to return to advanced basketball skill work after the All-Star break." In other words, he's still at least a couple weeks away from returning, and with the Warriors' roster at full strength, there probably won't be consistent minutes available for Wright upon his return. 1/7/2009
Houston Rockets	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Luther Head	G	Out	Jan 13	foot	Out until at least Jan. 23	Rockets guard Luther Head (sore foot) is no longer wearing a protective boot and hopes to be cleared to play next week. Head hasn't played since January 10th, and won't have a big role as long as the Rockets stay healthy. 1/13/2009
Indiana Pacers	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Jeff Foster	F/C	Out	Feb 9	back	Day-to-day	Jeff Foster (back) will not play until after the All-Star break, coach Jim O'Brien said on Tuesday. Foster could return on February 17th, though that remains tentative. The Pacers have been favoring a small lineup with Troy Murphy at center, minimizing Foster's value even when healthy. Roy Hibbert and Rasho Nesterovic will continue to play extended minutes while he's out. 2/9/2009
Mike Dunleavy	G/F	Out	Feb 8	knee	Out indefinitely	Pacers swingman Mike Dunleavy (knee) will not play until after the All-Star break, it was announced on Tuesday. When he returns his minutes will likely be restricted. "Structurally he's fine, it was just more of a pain threshold," said O'Brien. "When he comes back after the All-Star break, we'll re-evaluate his minutes." This doesn't sound promising for Dunleavy's owners, as a minute-share with Marquis Daniels appears unavoidable. 2/8/2009
Marquis Daniels	G/F	Out	Feb 6	back	Day-to-day	Marquis Daniels (back) is not expected to play in Tuesday night's game. Daniels could see a small increase in value after the All-Star break if Mike Dunleavy is on a minutes limit due to his recent knee troubles, but Daniels won't have significant value as long as Dunleavy is active. 2/6/2009
Jamaal Tinsley	G	Out	Feb 9	knee	Healthy/Out indefinitely	The NBA Players Association is expect to file a grievance against the Indiana Pacers this week on behalf of exiled point guard Jamaal Tinsley. Pacers president Larry Bird was adamant that Tinsley will not rejoin the team. "We're doing everything we can to move him," Bird said. The difficulty is that Tinsley, who will soon turn 31, has two years and $14.7 million left on his contract. Potential outcomes of a grievance could include an arbitrator forcing the Pacers to buy Tinsley out of his contract or waive him. 2/9/2008
Los Angeles Clippers	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Mardy Collins	G	Out	Jan 23	calf	Targeting early-February	A left calf strain will keep Mardy Collins sidelined for another week or two, according to coach Mike Dunleavy. That means Fred Jones, who had 19 points, four boards, seven assists and three 3-pointers Monday should probably be given a look if you need a short-term fix in your league. Just keep in mind that Baron Davis is due back soon, which will obviously limit Jones' value as a point guard. 1/23/2009
Mike Taylor	G	Out	Dec 19	thumb	Return late January	Clippers rookie Mike Taylor had surgery on his fractured right thumb on Tuesday. He is expected to miss up to eight weeks. Taylor didn't have fantasy value anyway, but his absence leaves the Clippers thin behind starting PG Baron Davis. 12/19/2008
Chris Kaman	C	Out	Nov 26	foot	Targeting mid-February return	Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said on Monday that Chris Kaman (foot) is scheduled to return after the All-Star break. It remains to be seen how Kaman will be deployed when he does return, but owners of Marcus Camby and Zach Randolph probably shouldn't be too concerned at this point. Kaman hasn't played since late November, and it's probably going to take him some time before he's ready to play significant minutes. 11/26/2008
Los Angeles Lakers	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Andrew Bynum	C	Out	Jan 31	knee	Out indefinitely	Andrew Bynum (torn right MCL) is expected to begin the first phase of his rehab when he rides a stationary bike on Thursday. The Orange County Register lists Bynum as being out eight to 12 weeks, but as we've written before, there have been indications that Bynum could make it back sooner than that prognosis. Regardless, he remains a long way from playing, and there's still no guarantee he makes it back to peak form this season. 1/31/2009
Memphis Grizzlies	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Rudy Gay	G/F	Out	Feb 7	hip	Day-to-day	Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said after Monday's game that Rudy Gay (hip flexor) won't play until after the All-Star break and is out of the dunk contest. Hopefully owners were able to see this coming and get Gay benched for the shortened week. We don't have reason to think the injury is serious, so odds are he'll be back at full speed after the All-Star break is over. 2/7/2009
Darrell Arthur	F	Out	Feb 6	personal	Day-to-day	Grizzlies forward Darrell Arthur (personal reasons) will not return to action until following the All-Star break. With Darko Milicic healthy, it's doubtful Arthur will play enough to have much fantasy value the rest of the season. 2/6/2009
Kyle Lowry	G	Out	Feb 2	ankle	Day-to-day	Grizzlies point guard Kyle Lowry will not play on Wednesday due to a grade-2 right ankle sprain. There is no timetable for Lowry's return, giving Mike Conley unlimited minutes for the foreseeable future. If you still own Lowry, for whatever reason, make sure he's on your bench. 2/2/2009
Shaun Livingston	G	Out	Jan 6	-		The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Shaun Livingston won't have to report to the Grizzlies after all, and may stay in Miami to rehab his knee. This situation has become somewhat convoluted, but the end result is that Livingston is unattached to a team right now and appears unlikely to have fantasy value any time in the near future. 1/6/2009
Miami Heat	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Dorell Wright	G/F	Out	Nov 24	knee surgery	Out indefinitely	Injured forward Dorell Wright (knee) traveled with the Heat on Thursday, and will practice on Friday according to the Miami Herald. Coach Erik Spoelstra said vaguely that Wright is closer to returning to game action, which only serves to muddy up the waters in Miami's current rotation, which is in constant flux and contains 11 players. Wright is unlikely to offer much fantasy value, unless a major trade or injury occurs with the Heat. 11/24/2008
Minnesota Timberwolves	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Al Jefferson	F/C	Out	Feb 8	knee surgery	Likely out for the season	Al Jefferson is expected to miss the rest of the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee on Sunday and will have surgery in 6-10 days. He was coming off the best game of his career (36 points, 22 rebounds), but owners who saw him go down last night had to know this was probably coming. Hopefully he'll make a full recovery and be ready to go next year. Kevin Love, Ryan Gomes and Rodney Carney should all see a boost in value after this devastating news. 2/8/2009
Craig Smith	F/C	Out	Feb 4	ribs	Targeting late-Feb. return	Craig Smith is expected to miss at least two weeks after X-Rays showed a small break in his ribs. This clears the path for an extended audition in a starting role for Kevin Love, who had 16 points and 14 rebounds in his start on Wednesday. 2/4/2009
Kevin Ollie	G	Out	Jan 3	elbow	Targeting early February	Wolves guard Kevin Ollie, who hasn't played since dislocating his left elbow on January 3rd, isn't sure when he'll return to action. "I had a fracture in there, too, and they say that's healing," Ollie said. "I started shooting this past week...I just can't dribble with my left hand." It sounds like Ollie won't be back until after the All-Star break, so keep him benched an expect Sebastian Telfair to continue playing unchallenged minutes at PG. 1/3/2009
Corey Brewer	G/F	Out	Dec 1	knee surgery	Out for regular season	Wolves forward Corey Brewer underwent surgery Wednesday to repair the ACL he tore Nov. 29 against Denver. The team called the surgery successful, but Brewer is still expected to miss the rest of the season. 12/1/2008
Milwaukee Bucks	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Luke Ridnour	G	Out	Feb 5	thumb	Targeting early-March return	Confirming a report from Thursday, Luke Ridnour will be out four weeks due to a broken thumb. Ramon Sessions is the only real point guard on the Bucks roster and is in position to put up big numbers with Ridnour out. If for some reason he's still a free agent in your league, make it a priority to get Sessions on your squad. 2/5/2009
Andrew Bogut	F/C	Out	Feb 2	back	Out indefinitely	Andrew Bogut is expected to miss at least eight weeks with an "incomplete lower back fracture." There's a chance Bogut will return for a handful of games late in the season, but at this point that alone isn't enough to make him worth a roster spot in most leagues. Feel free to cut him loose if you haven't done so already. 2/2/2009
Michael Redd	G/F	Out	Jan 24	knee	Out for 2009-09 season	Bucks' shooting guard Michael Redd is out for the rest of the NBA season with tears in the ACL and MCL of his left knee. Redd suffered the injury in the third quarter of Saturday night's game against the Kings and the tears were revealed in Sunday's MRI. Charlie Bell is the early favorite to win the starting job, but Ramon Sessions and Tyronn Lue will also get some extra minutes with the loss of Redd. In addition, Charlie Villanueva's stock should remain fairly high for the rest of the year. 1/24/2009
New Jersey Nets	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Vince Carter	G/F	Out	Feb 8	elbow		The Nets are listening to offers for Vince Carter, but it appears unlikely that they'll trade him before the February 19th deadline. The Cavaliers have expressed interest in Carter, but their primary bargaining chip is Wally Szczerbiak's expiring contract. Other interested teams include the Spurs, Rockets and Mavericks. 2/8/2009
Eduardo Najera	F	Out	Feb 2	abdomen	Day-to-day	Nets forward Eduardo Najera (lower abdominal strain) is expected to be out through the All-Star break. "They think it's something that maybe with a few a days rest could go away," said Najera, who has all symptoms of a hernia. He hasn't been a fantasy factor since signing with the Nets this past summer. 2/2/2009
Bobby Simmons	G/F	Out	Jan 31	abdomen	Day-to-day	Bobby Simmons (strained abdomen) is likely to be out until after the All-Star break. Trenton Hassell has been starting in Simmons' absence, but the offensively challenged swingman isn't even a good start in a 30-team league at this point. 1/31/2009
Yi Jianlian	F/C	Out	Jan 9	finger	Targeting late-Feb. return	Yi Jianlian (broken pinkie) says that doctors have told him he'll be ready to return to action after the All-Star break. It's probably worth looking to see if Yi's sitting out there on waivers if you're playing in a deeper league or have an open roster spot. Meanwhile, Ryan Anderson, who has been playing well lately, stands to take a significant hit in value when Yi does return. 1/9/2009
Stromile Swift	F/C	Out	Dec 10	personal	Day-to-day	Nets forward Stromile Swift returned to practice on Tuesday after missing significant time for personal reasons. Swift has appeared in just six games this season, never playing more than 17 minutes, and he hasn't played since December 12th. He's barely worth watching in deep leagues even while Yi Jianlian (finger) is sidelined. 12/10/2008
New Orleans Hornets	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
David West	F	Suspended	Feb 9	-	Suspended for Monday	Hornets' forward David West was suspended for one game for Sunday's Flagrant 2 foul on Mike Miller and will not play on Monday night. This should not come as a surprise if you've been following our news blurbs since his ejection. Sean Marks and Ryan Bownen will likely get his minutes, while we expect a nice line from Rasual Butler. Chris Paul is also not likely for tonight, but West should be benched for the upcoming week now that he plays just one game. 2/9/2009
Bonzi Wells	G	PUP	Feb 3	-		Former NBA guard Bonzi Wells has agreed to terminate his contract with the Chinese team Shanxi Zhongyu. The team wasn't happy that Wells delayed his return after traveling to the U.S. during the Chinese New Year. It's been a rough year for former NBA players overseas -- Wells joins Earl Boykins and Nenad Krstic in the "terminated contract" camp, while Josh Childress' season was cut short by a sports hernia. 2/3/2009
Chris Paul	G	Out	Feb 2	groin	Day-to-day	Chris Paul (groin) missed his fourth straight game on Monday. Antonio Daniels got the start in Paul's place and had 11 points and four assists on 2-of-10 shooting Monday. CP3 hasn't yet been definitively ruled out for Wednesday, but at this point we're not counting on seeing him prior to the All-Star break. 2/2/2009
Morris Peterson	G/F	Out	Jan 28	foot	Targeting mid-February	Hornets shooting guard Morris Peterson could be sidelined for up two weeks with a sprained ligament in his left foot. Peterson's injury means less competition for Rasual Butler and James Posey, though Devin Brown might be the guy who absorbs his minutes. Brown hasn't done much for fantasy owners this season, but the streaky shooter is still worth watching. 1/28/2009
Tyson Chandler	C	Out	Jan 19	ankle	Out indefinitely	There are an increasing number of trade rumors involving Hornets center Tyson Chandler, including a Chandler-for-Shawn Marion deal with the Heat. One stumbling block is the Hornets lack of depth at center -- Hilton Armstrong, Melvin Ely and Sean Marks aren't exactly a fearsome trio. On the other hand, New Orleans has incentive because they may not be able to re-sign Chandler as a free agent in 2010. Also, his $11.8 million salary next season is inflating their projected luxury-tax. Stay tuned. 1/19/2009
New York Knicks	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Chris Duhon	G	Out	Feb 10	ankle	Day-to-day	Chris Duhon is questionable to play on Tuesday because of a sprained left ankle. The injury occurred during the third quarter of Sunday's game, and forced Duhon to sit out the Knicks practice on Monday. Mike D'Antoni expects him to play, however, so weekly owners might not be out of luck. 2/10/2009
Jerome James	C	Out	Jan 19	achilles	Out for regular season	Jerome James, who has been injured for most of the past three years, is out for the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles' tendon. Given James' history and age (32) our guess is that his career is over. 1/19/2009
Eddy Curry	C	Out	Jan 12	knee	Day-to-day	Eddy Curry was in attendance for the Knicks game against the Cavs Wednesday after a leave of absence following the murder of his ex-girlfriend and young daughter. Curry has yet to practice, and coach Mike D'Antoni sounded unsure as to when that might happen. "I think he's still experiencing some pain in his knees," D'Antoni said, "and he's not quite ready to go yet." 1/12/2009
Stephon Marbury	G	Inactive List	Nov 11	personal	Out indefinitely	Despite their much-publicized need for a point guard, the Magic don't appear to be likely suitor for exiled Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury. Between Marbury's huge contract and the fact that no one has seen him play in ages, it just isn't in the cards, although that could change with a buyout, but nothing appears imminent on that front either. 11/11/2008
Oklahoma City Thunder	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Desmond Mason	G/F	Out	Jan 29	knee	Out for remainder of season	Desmond Mason will miss the remainder of the season due to a hyperextended right knee that will require surgery to remove debris from the injured area. Mason wasn't much of a fantasy factor, but he was starting and playing 27 minutes a game for Oklahoma City. It hasn't been determined how coach Scott Brooks will alter the lineup, but the potential options include Damien Wilkins, Nenad Krstic, Chris Wilcox or Earl Watson joining the starting five. Watch this situation closely, as added playing time would give any of these players' value a much-needed boost. 1/29/2009
D.J. White	F	Out	Oct 9	mouth	Out indefinitely	Thunder forward D.J. White will miss at least 12 weeks after having a second surgery to remove a benign growth from his jaw. The rookie has yet to appear in a game for Oklahoma City, and it appears that his entire season is now in jeopardy. 10/9/2008
Orlando Magic	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Jameer Nelson	G	Out	Feb 2	shoulder	Out indefinitely	A doctor studying his MRI up in NYC will help Jameer Nelson make a decision on surgery some time in the next week, according to Dave D'Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger. Nelson seems to have the support of everyone in the organization should he choose to have surgery, as even owner Rich DeVos has given him the advice to take care of his body. The long-shot chance that he rehabs and plays this season stands only to frustrate owners who have to hold a roster spot while waiting for his decision. 2/2/2009
Mike Wilks	G	Out	Oct 16	knee	Out for regular season	Magic point guard Mike Wilks will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn ACL he sustained during the preseason. His recovery is expected to take six months or longer, and the six-year veteran does plan to continue his career. His injury is one reason the Magic are so thin at point guard this season. 10/16/2008
Philadelphia 76ers	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Elton Brand	F/C	Out	Feb 5	shoulder	Out for the season	Elton Brand underwent successful season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, the team announced Monday. That makes two straight lost seasons for Brand, but hopefully his Achilles' and shoulder will be 100 percent in time for the start of next season. 2/5/2009
Jason Smith	F/C	Out	Aug 20	knee surgery	Doubtful for 2008-09	The 76ers have exercised their third-year option on the contract of forward/center Jason Smith. Smith tore his ACL this summer and will likely miss the entire season, but Philadelphia obviously likes his potential. Hopefully he'll have better luck next year. 8/20/2008
Portland Trail Blazers	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Steve Blake	G	Out	Jan 26	shoulder	Day-to-day	Steve Blake (shoulder) is scheduled for an examination on Wednesday and is doubtful for the Blazers' game that evening. It's unlikely he'll play before the All-Star break, so don't consider using him during this shortened week. The last report we got was that his shoulder wasn't healing, so hopefully we'll have a more positive update on Thursday. 1/26/2009
Martell Webster	G/F	Out	Dec 9	foot	Out indefinitely	Martell Webster (foot) was fitted for a new walking boot on Wednesday, which he will need to wear for the next two weeks according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian. This timetable puts him out of his boot around Feb. 4th, and Quick believes he will start practicing the week before the All Star game. Quick also predicts that Webster will return to the Blazers' rotation on February 18th, their first game after the break. 12/9/2008
Raef LaFrentz	F/C	Out	Sep 12	shoulder	Out indefinitely	The Trail Blazers announced Friday that center Raef LaFrentz underwent successful surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He is expected to miss six to eight months and his absence could provide a boost to guys like Channing Frye and Ike Diogu. 9/12/2008
San Antonio Spurs	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Robert Horry	F	PUP	Jun 28	-		Robert Horry announced on Friday that he will delay his retirement for at least one year. He hopes to sign a contract with either the Spurs or the Rockets. "My last game I want to walk off the court sweating," Horry said. "My last game so far, I walked off the court with a DNP." Horry is 37 years old and averaged a career-low 2.5 points last season, but he only wants the minimum salary and we'll be surprised if the Spurs pass on him. 6/28/2008
Sacramento Kings	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Bobby Jackson	G	Out	Feb 8	wife having baby	Available for Tuesday	Bobby Jackson did not play on Sunday due to the birth of his baby girl on Saturday, but will be available for action on Tuesday. Jackson would be someone to watch if Beno Udrih continues to struggle, but Udrih scored 29 points tonight so it looks like he is ready to turn it around. Unless Jackson is able to earn at least a timeshare with Udrih, he won't have enough value for owners even in the deepest leagues. 2/8/2009
Brad Miller	C	Out	Jan 31	abdomen	Questionable for Sunday	Brad Miller (left hip flexor strain) will miss at least the next three games and will be reevaluated in a week. More bad news for Miller's owners. It sounds like he is out through the All-Star break, so keep him on your bench next week. Spencer Hawes will continue to start at center -- his three-point shooting has vanished, but he remains a solid source of blocks and rebounds. 1/31/2009
Toronto Raptors	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Chris Bosh	F/C	Out	Feb 4	knee	Day-to-day	Chris Bosh (knee) will not play on Tuesday and is doubtful for Wednesday. The Raptors get six days off following Wednesday's game, so the decision to rest Bosh seems like an easy one. Hopefully this injury won't linger beyond the All-Star break. 2/4/2009
Kris Humphries	F	Out	Jan 19	leg	Out indefinitely	Kris Humphries (broken right fibula) told the Toronto Star that he's still not sure of his treatment program, and that he'll see team doctors on Friday in Toronto. As beat writer Doug Smith put it "he's many, many weeks away", and wing players for the Raptors like Joey Graham, Jamario Moon, and Jason Kapono will benefit from the addition-by-subtraction principle. 1/19/2009
Utah Jazz	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Brevin Knight	G	Out	Feb 8	quadriceps	Day-to-day	Brevin Knight did not play on Sunday, due to a bruised left quadriceps he sustained on Friday against the Kings. Ronnie Price assumed Knight's backup point guard minutes, and later said he "tweaked" his lower back in the game's final seconds. If these injuries continue to be a problem on Wednesday, Deron Williams could see some big minutes against the Lakers. 2/8/2009
Kyrylo Fesenko	C	Out	Feb 8	flu	Day-to-day	Kyrylo Fesenko did not play on Sunday because of a stomach virus. Fesenko scores just two points per game, and does not have any fantasy value. 2/8/2009
Andrei Kirilenko	F	Out	Jan 20	ankle	Targeting mid-Feb. return	Andrei Kirilenko told Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune on Sunday that his ankle "feels great" and that he started cardiovascular training a few days ago. He did say that the incision point still hurts, and that he's not sure how that will respond, but this is obviously great news for owners. While a timetable hasn't been set, a return by AK-47 just after the All Star break sounds like it's not out of the question. 1/20/2009
Carlos Boozer	F/C	Out	Nov 19	knee surgery	Targeting mid-Feb. return	Carlos Boozer told the Salt Lake Tribune on Thursday that he is targeting February 17th for his return from knee surgery. This would be the first game back after the All Star break, but as we've seen this year his timetables have never been that accurate. He has been working out on an elliptical machine the past few days, calling it "a big step," and is hopeful to be on the practice court running either this weekend, or early next week. 11/19/2008
Washington Wizards	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
DeShawn Stevenson	G	Out	Feb 2	back	Day-to-day	DeShawn Stevenson (back) is not likely to play in the Wizards game on Tuesday. He's played a grand total of 35 minutes over the past month due to his back troubles and appears to be nowhere close to having fantasy value at this point. 2/2/2009
Andray Blatche	F/C	Out	Jan 26	knee	Day-to-day	Andray Blatche's left knee is not quite healed yet and he now says he won't play again until after the All-Star break. Blatche has missed the last seven games and participated in part of Monday's practice, but said he will not try to play in one of the Wizards' next two games. That makes JaVale McGee a decent option this week. 1/26/2009
Etan Thomas	F/C	Out	Jan 12	knee	Out indefinitely	Etan Thomas (torn MCL) will not be able to run for two to four weeks, and won't be able to practice until two weeks after he starts running. Thomas is trying to avoid surgery on his knee, but fantasy owners shouldn't be holding their breath. He's averaging just 3.1 ppg this year and was not playing significant minutes prior to his injury. 1/12/2009
Brendan Haywood	C	Out	Oct 7	wrist	Questionable to play in 08-09	Wizards center Brendan Haywood recently had pins removed from his wrist, but hasn't been cleared to practice. It's unclear if Haywood will play this season, but Washington has zero incentive to hasten his return since they're indisputably lottery-bound. 10/7/2008
Gilbert Arenas	G	Out	Apr 30	knee surgery	Targeting January return	Gilbert Arenas told the Washington Times this weekend that he's "not even close" to returning from his knee injury. He also expressed some doubt as to whether it's worth returning to a losing team, saying, "I don't know. I mean, seven wins? Would you?" This isn't particularly shocking, but it does serve as an important reminder that absolutely nothing is guaranteed with Arenas this season, and relying on him to to come back and ignite the Wizards and fantasy teams is not a good idea. 4/30/2008

[ballwonder]

Steve Nash is expected to play on Wednesday despite dealing with nagging injuries to his back, shoulder, hamstring and knee.

It's safe to say the Suns plan to 'rest' Nash has gone out the window, and the cumulative wear is taking its toll. He struggled shooting the ball on Monday, finishing 1-of-8 from the field, and we're hoping the All-Star break will rejuvenate him. Feb. 11 - 8:44 a.m. ET

Source: Arizona Republic

Yi Jianlian - F/C - Nets

Yi Jianlian (broken pinkie) is hoping to return to action next Tuesday, though Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe isn't so sure.

"He has to go to the doctor and get an X-ray and then we have to wait for the doctor's evaluation," Vandeweghe said. Either way, Yi will be back in action soon -- it's likely he and Ryan Anderson will limit each other's value. Feb. 11 - 8:30 a.m. ET

Source: New York Post

Tim Duncan - F/C - Spurs

Gregg Popovich now says that he benched Tim Duncan in Denver last week because Duncan had a sore knee.

"It's sore every day," Duncan said on Tuesday. He also flirted with a triple-double on Tuesday, so there's probably nothing to worry about. Just be thankful that he's a warrior. Feb. 11 - 4:47 a.m. ET

Source: San Antonio Express-News

Chris Paul - G - Hornets

Chris Paul (groin) and Tyson Chandler (ankle) will both be game-time decisions against the Celtics on Wednesday.

Both players will participate in the Hornets shootaround, so with any luck we'll have an update in the afternoon. If Paul plays on Wednesday he is required to participate in the All-Star game, which he said he would play in all along. Feb. 11 - 4:39 a.m. ET

Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune

Mike Taylor - G - Clippers

Clippers rookie Mike Taylor (broken thumb) is hoping to play soon after the All-Star break.

Taylor had his cast removed during the first week of February and did some drills after practice on Tuesday, albeit under limited circumstances. He won't have any value with Baron Davis around. Feb. 11 - 4:31 a.m. ET

Source: Los Angeles Times

Mardy Collins - G - Clippers

Clipers guard Mardy Collins (strained left calf) is expected to return after the All-Star break.

Now that Baron Davis is starting again, Collins is sure to have a much smaller role than he had in early January. Feb. 11 - 4:29 a.m. ET

Source: Los Angeles Times

Chris Kaman - C - Clippers

The Clippers had hoped Chris Kaman (strained arch) would return just after the All-Star break, but it now appears he'll be out through the February 19th trade deadline.

This isn't a big surprise -- Kaman's return date has been pushed back at least three or four times. He said in a recent interview that he essentially tore a tendon 60% of the way through, so plenty of rest is the only option. After months of inactivity, his conditioning is another concern. Feb. 11 - 4:27 a.m. ET

Source: Los Angeles Times

Mike Conley - G - Grizzlies

During an interview on Tuesday, Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley gave a blunt --and none too flattering-- assessment of ex-coach Marc Iavaroni.

"I was the facilitator -- get O.J. and Rudy open and that was it," Conley said. "If I was given a choice it was almost like a mixed signal because when I got out there and called something, (Iavaroni) would override it and do something else." Things have improved greatly under new coach Lionel Hollins, and Conley is finally a reliable fantasy PG. Feb. 11 - 4:26 a.m. ET

Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal

Mario Chalmers - G - Heat

Mario Chalmers limped off the court after banging knees with another player during the fourth quarter of Tuesday's game.

There is no word yet on Chalmers' status for Wednesday's game, so we're calling him questionable until we get an update. Feb. 11 - 4:25 a.m. ET

Source: Miami Herald

Craig Smith - F/C - Timberwolves

Kevin McHale said the Timberwolves starting lineup will fluctuate for the rest of the season, particularly when Craig Smith gets back from his rib injury.

Smith is due back in approximately two weeks, and it's possible he'll emerge as a starter. For now, just keep him on your radar. Feb. 11 - 4:24 a.m. ET

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Jason Collins - F/C - Timberwolves

Timberwolves center Jason Collins played nine minutes on Tuesday, going scoreless with three rebounds.

Collins hadn't played since Kevin McHale became coach two months ago, but Al Jefferson's injury has forced the reserves into action. Don't give him a second thought. Feb. 11 - 4:20 a.m. ET

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Kevin Ollie - G - Timberwolves

Timberwolves guard Kevin Ollie (dislocated elbow) still cannot straighten his left arm and isn't expected to return for two weeks.

Ollie is averaging over 16 minutes per game this season but might have fewer opportunities now that Sebastian Telfair is locked in as the starting PG. And it definitely doesn't help that he can't straighten his arm. Feb. 11 - 4:19 a.m. ET

Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press

Mike Miller - G/F - Timberwolves

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that on Tuesday Mike Miller "again turned that [right] ankle he hurt twice in December."

It only gets a brief mention, and Miller did play almost 44 minutes, so we're not too concerned. The Wolves play again on Wednesday. Feb. 11 - 4:18 a.m. ET

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Eddy Curry - C - Knicks

Eddy Curry hopes to get back on the court after the All-Star break, though it's unknown if he'll play again this season.

Everything indicates that Curry won't play -- Mike D'Antoni isn't sure Curry could fit into the rotation, Curry openly admitted that his conditioning is an issue, and he can't even run because of pain in his right knee. That's three strikes. Feb. 11 - 4:17 a.m. ET

Source: Newsday

Derrick Rose - G - Bulls

Derrick Rose had a sore neck after a collision late in Tuesday's game, but said afterward that he will be fine.

False alarm. Keep him active for the Bulls next game, which is Thursday Feb. 11 - 2:27 a.m. ET

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

[ballwonder]

Boston Celtics	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Tony Allen	G	Out	Feb 10	thumb	Out Indefinitely	Celtics guard Tony Allen actually tore ligaments in his thumb during practice on Tuesday, according to a team source. Allen will rejoin the team following the All-Star break, when he is scheduled to meet with the team doctor. There is no timetable for his return, but torn ligaments would likely sideline him for quite a while. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Eddie House will each be asked to do a bit more in his absence. 2/10/2009

[ballwonder]

Charlotte Bobcats	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Juwan Howard	F	Out	Feb 10	toe	Day-to-day	Juwan Howard (inflamed big toe) is not expected to play on Wednesday against the Wizards. With Gerald Wallace set to return from his rib and lung injuries after the All-Star break, Howard's already limited fantasy value is set to take another hit. 2/10/2009

[ballwonder]

Denver Nuggets	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Chris Andersen	F/C	Out	Feb 10	wrist	Day-to-day	Chris Andersen left the Nuggets game on Tuesday after spraining his left wrist and bruising his left hip. X-rays were negative. Andersen was flagrantly fouled by Shawn Marion while attempting a fastbreak basket. He made the subsequent free throw but did not play in the second half. We should have an update sometime on Wednesday. 2/10/2009

[ballwonder]

Miami Heat	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Mario Chalmers	G	Out	Feb 10	knee	Day-to-day	Mario Chalmers limped off the court after banging knees with another player during the fourth quarter of Tuesday's game. There is no word yet on Chalmers' status for Wednesday's game, so we're calling him questionable until we get an update. 2/10/2009

[ballwonder]

Minnesota Timberwolves	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Rashad McCants	G	Out	Feb 10	flu	Day-to-day	Timberwolves guard Rashad McCants missed Tuesday's game because of illness. McCants has been in and out of the rotation for weeks and shouldn't have been in many lineups anyway. He might get steadier playing time now that Al Jefferson is out, but is only worth watching in deep leagues. 2/10/2009

[ballwonder]

New York Knicks	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Tim Thomas	F	Out	Feb 10	groin	Day-to-day	Knicks forward Tim Thomas exited Tuesday's game late in the first half because of a sore left groin. Thomas' minutes have been limited so hopefully he wasn't in many fantasy lineups. We'll be surprised if he attempts to play on Wednesday. 2/10/2009
Chris Duhon	G	Out	Feb 10	ankle	Day-to-day	Chris Duhon left Tuesday's game after spraining his left ankle during the third quarter. He finished with 13 points and nine assists in 31 minutes. Duhon was questionable for this game with a sore left ankle, so it's probable that he aggravated an existing injury. He is questionable for the Knicks game on Wednesday. 2/10/2009
Quentin Richardson	G/F	Out	Feb 10	ribs	Day-to-day	Quentin Richardson sat out on Tuesday because of bruised ribs. Q-Rich is questionable for Wednesday's game, so he could still give you something if you started him this week. He was supposed to replace Wilson Chandler in the starting lineup, but those plans are obviously on hold. 2/10/2009

[ballwonder]

Toronto Raptors	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Jason Kapono	G/F	Out	Feb 10	ankle	Day-to-day	Jason Kapono scored 18 points off the Raptors bench on Tuesday, making 7-of-10 field goals and 3-of-5 three-pointers before leaving with a turned ankle. Kapono recently got the green-light to start taking more shots, but he's not going to be this accurate every game. Unless his minutes increase (he played 22 minutes on Tuesday) he will continue to be a risky fantasy option. 2/10/2009

[ballwonder]

Washington Wizards	Pos	Status	Date	Injury	Expected Return	Details
Darius Songaila	F	Out	Feb 10	arm	Day-to-day	Darius Songaila left Tuesday's game with numbness in his arm following a collision with teammate Juan Dixon. Dixon collided with Songaila, who was setting a screen for him, and the ball popped right into Mike Bibby's hands for an easy layup. Things can't get much worse for the Wizards, but this could be the opening JaVale McGee needs to finally get close to 30 minutes. Let's hope so, anyway. 2/10/2009

[ballwonder]

Larry Hughes - G - Bulls Rumors have been swirling about a potential trade of the Bulls Larry Hughes to the Wizards for Etan Thomas and Mike James, but a league source said the deal is unlikely to happen. The two teams were close to a deal earlier in the season before Hughes sustained a shoulder injury. Feb. 12 - 11:04 a.m. ET Source: Washington Post Shaquille O'Neal - C - Suns In addition to Amare Stoudemire, Suns center Shaquille O'Neal has also seen his name surface in trade chatter around the league. "Usually guys get brought up (in trade talks) if they're not playing well," O'Neal said. "Every businessman is going to do what's good for his business. I just know that I'm playing well. I've done everything that they've asked me to do." The All-Star would be tough to move with his $21 million salary, but the Suns appear prepared to shake things up. Feb. 12 - 10:44 a.m. ET Source: Arizona Republic Chris Duhon - G - Knicks Knicks point guard is scheduled for an MRI on his injured left ankle today in New York. Duhon will have the All-Star break to rest, so hopefully he's back to normal for the second half provided the MRI doesn't reveal anything too serious. Feb. 12 - 10:18 a.m. ET Source: New York Post Amare Stoudemire - F/C - Suns Sources say the Grizzlies rejected the Suns demands in a potential Amare Stoudemire trade, saying the asking price was too high. The Grizzlies did not confirm details, but Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick and Mike Conley Jr. are thought to have been involved. Memphis appears to be a long shot to acquire Stoudemire straight up, but could participate as a third team to facilitate a larger trade. Feb. 12 - 9:58 a.m. ET Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal Rasheed Wallace - F/C - Pistons Rasheed Wallace missed the final 16 minutes of the game Thursday against the Hawks. "He said he was fatigued and tendinitis in his knee was bothering him," coach Michael Curry said. Curry added that he asked Wallace if he wanted back in the game at several points but Wallace said he couldn't go. It doesn't sound too serious, but hopefully it doesn't turn into a problem. Feb. 12 - 9:23 a.m. ET Source: Detroit Free Press Andres Nocioni - G/F - Bulls Bulls forward Andres Nocioni is questionable for their Thursday game against the Heat after suffering a lower leg contusion Tuesday against the Pistons. Nocioni's performance has been up and down since the return of Luol Deng, so he's a risky play even without injury concerns. Feb. 12 - 9:02 a.m. ET Source: Chicago Tribune Derrick Rose - G - Bulls The Bulls are considering asking the league for a review of a screen set by Pistons forward Antonio McDyess that knocked Derrick Rose from the game in the fourth quarter against the Pistons Tuesday. "At the end of the game you get away with a little bit more," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He's a veteran guy. He was trying to free up his player. But we'll take a closer look at it." You can bet the Bulls will be vigilant about any teams they perceive as taking shots at Rose. Feb. 12 - 8:59 a.m. ET Source: Chicago Tribune Marvin Williams - G/F - Hawks Even with an off-night with just five points Tuesday, Marvin Williams has played some of the best ball of his career leading up to the All-Star break, averaging 17.6 points and 7.6 boards over the past 10 games. The good play began after Williams missed two games (Jan. 19-20) with a concussion. We'll see if Tuesday was just a blip. Feb. 12 - 8:43 a.m. ET Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Travis Outlaw - F - Trail Blazers Travis Outlaw had 21 points, two rebounds, four assists, two steals and three 3-pointers on 8-of-15 shooting in Wednesday's win over the Thunder. Outlaw has scored 20 or more in three straight and has hit double figures in six in a row. He had a great week and probably helped you win your game this week if you had the foresight to play him. Feb. 12 - 2:45 a.m. ET Baron Davis - G - Clippers NBA Hall of Famer and former Clippers executive Elgin Baylor alleges in a civil lawsuit filed Wednesday in L.A. that team owner Donald Sterling employs a "vision of a Southern plantation-type structure" for his NBA franchise, accusing him of racist behavior. "It's hard to believe that he would now make these ridiculous claims after the organization stood by him for 22 years and only three playoff appearances," said Robert H. Platt, who will represent the Clippers. "It would be hard to find any sports team that has demonstrated greater loyalty to its general manager. The team intends to vigorously defend itself against these false allegations and will prevail when all the facts are heard." Feb. 12 - 2:30 a.m. ET Source: Los Angeles Times Carlos Boozer - F/C - Jazz Carlos Boozer has not been cleared to resume running and was unclear about when he would be able to play again after recently setting a target date of Feb. 17 to return to actoin. Boozer has missed 41 games since injuring his left knee Nov. 19 and undergoing surgery Jan. 9. "We'll see," Boozer said. "I'm going to go home, I'm going to rehab in Miami, and continue my regimen and push it as hard as I can and we'll see what happens when I get back." We're still calling him out indefinitely, but it does sound like he should play again this season. And the Jazz need him with Paul Millsap also dealing with a sore knee. Feb. 12 - 2:25 a.m. ET Source: Salt Lake Tribune Jameer Nelson - G - Magic According to Magic GM Otis Smith, Jameer Nelson is likely to opt for season-ending surgery on his torn labrum in his right shoulder. The Magic are expected to announce next week that Nelson will undergo an arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder that will require six months of rehabilitation. "You can rehab it and still play, but that's usually when it's the off (nonshooting) shoulder," Smith said. "He goes down four or five times a game and that shoulder just wouldn't hold up...We can't let him play through this." It's probably safe to cut Nelson, but official word is still not expected until next week. Feb. 12 - 2:19 a.m. ET Source: Florida Today Tracy McGrady - G/F - Rockets The Rockets issued a news release that says Tracy McGrady's MRI revealed no change in his injured left knee. However, a report by Houston's Local 2 television station suggests that T-Mac needs season-ending microfracture surgery on the knee, and McGrady still says his knee injury is very serious in nature. "For everybody that thought I was just playing with some (imaginary) knee injury, my (injury) is real," he said. "It’s big. It’s not just some pain. I have a real significant problem with my knee." He's doing everything he can to be shut down for the rest of the season, but the Rockets are not playing along. In any case, plan on benching T-Mac until further notice. Feb. 12 - 2:06 a.m. ET Source: Houston Chronicle Steve Novak - F - Clippers Steve Novak, a 3-point specialist for the Clippers, hit 8-of-10 shots and 6-of-8 3-pointers to score a career-high 23 points and grab five rebounds in Wednesday's OT win against the Knicks. We still don't really trust Novak, but if you need threes, he's probably the best option you'll find on your waiver wire. Feb. 12 - 1:57 a.m. ET Chris Kaman - C - Clippers Clippers center Chris Kaman is scheduled to return to practice, and possibly game action, next week. He’s been out since late November with a strained left arch and the reports about his injury have been dismal, but coach Mike Dunleavy finally thinks he might be close to a return. "We should get him back for 25-plus games," Dunleavy said after Wednesday's game. While we're still not completely convinced he'll return to form this season, this news is a good reason to pick him up if you need a center and he's been dropped in your league. Feb. 12 - 1:55 a.m. ET

[ballwonder]

David Lee - F/C - Knicks

Newsday cites an NBA executive saying that David Lee is "off the market."

It sounds like fantasy owners can continue to enjoy Lee's breakout season without much concern of a change of scenery disrupting his flow. Lee is averaging career-bests in points (16.4), rebounds (11.8), assists (2.0) and steals (0.9). Feb. 18 - 5:32 p.m. ET

Source: Newsday

Dwyane Wade - G - Heat

The Associated Press is reporting that Dwyane Wade has filed a lawsuit against his estranged wife, Siohvaughn, and two of her attorneys over allegations that he contracted a sexually transmitted disease through an affair.

"It has been difficult to see false allegations, rumors and gossip repeatedly discussed in public about my personal life," Wade said. "I had no other choice but to file this action in order to clear my name." The turmoil off the court has not affected Wade's statistical performance -- he's averaging a career-best 28.3 ppg. Feb. 18 - 5:24 p.m. ET

Ike Diogu - F/C - Trail Blazers

In addition to dealing Brad Miller and John Salmons to Chicago, the Kings also traded Michael Ruffin -- received in the trade with the Bulls -- to the Blazers in exchange for Ike Diogu and approximately $1 million.

Diogu is still just 25 and has some fantasy potential, but he's unlikely to get much of an opportunity with the likes of Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson and Drew Gooden all in Sacramento. Ruffin's contract expires after this season and he shouldn't have any fantasy value in Portland. Feb. 18 - 5:15 p.m. ET

Source: Sacramento Bee

Brad Miller - C - Kings

TNT's David Aldridge is reporting that the Kings have agreed to send center Brad Miller and swingman John Salmons to the Bulls in exchange for forwards Drew Gooden and Andres Nocioni.

This will be Miller's second stint with the Bulls and he should start at center. Salmons will likely come off the bench in Chicago, Nocioni should come off the bench in Sacramento, while Gooden could start at power forward, or come off the bench behind Jason Thompson. Spencer Hawes now looks like the starting center for the Kings, as soon as this deal is finalized. Feb. 18 - 4:38 p.m. ET

Source: NBA.com

Zach Randolph - F/C - Clippers

Zach Randolph has been suspended for two games without pay for the punch he threw at Louis Amundson during Tuesday's embarrassing loss to the Suns.

He will miss Wednesday's game against the Suns as well as Sunday's contest at Portland. Brian Skinner could have a couple good games with Zach sidelined, but then again, he's a risky play. Randolph essentially posted a goose-egg for his owners this week, but should be ready to return for Monday's home game against the Warriors. Feb. 18 - 4:00 p.m. ET

Brad Miller - C - Kings

Sources have confirmed that the Kings and Bulls have talked about a trade that would send Drew Gooden and Andres Nocioni to the Kings for John Salmons and Brad Miller.

If anyone is going to be moved in the next 23 hours it's Miller. He would probably start at center for the Bulls, pushing Joakim Noah to the bench, while Gooden and Nocioni would just give the Kings more forwards they don't need. Spencer Hawes would start at center for the Kings, while John Salmons would likely be the sixth man for the Bulls - if this trade were to happen. Feb. 18 - 3:51 p.m. ET

Source: Chicago Tribune

Mehmet Okur - F/C - Jazz

Mehmet Okur returned to practice on Wednesday after missing Tuesday's game with the flu.

Okur was trying to explain that he didn't drink the water while he vacationed in Mexico over All-Star weekend, but the Jazz coaching staff is probably still not happy with him. He is expected to play Thursday against the Celtics. Feb. 18 - 3:39 p.m. ET

Source: Salt Lake Tribune

Andrei Kirilenko - F - Jazz

Andrei Kirilenko reported no soreness in his right ankle Wednesday after playing 18 minutes on Tuesday night.

It may take him a week or or so to get back close to full speed, but the fact he's even playing this soon after surgery is a big break for his owners. Feb. 18 - 3:35 p.m. ET

Source: Salt Lake Tribune

Carlos Boozer - F/C - Jazz

Carlos Boozer has been ruled out for Thursday's game as he continues to recover from knee surgery.

He is still hoping to practice this week and still hasn't suffered any setbacks, which is good news. But don't plan on being able to use him this week. Feb. 18 - 3:32 p.m. ET

Source: Salt Lake Tribune

Tracy McGrady - G/F - Rockets

Tracy McGrady has announced that his season is over on his personal website, writing that he will have season-ending microfracture surgery on his left knee.

It's interesting that the Rockets have not said anything about the news, which broke much earlier on Wednesday, courtesy of ESPN, but it's not surprising that T-Mac would choose alternative methods of sharing his news. In any case, it does sound like we've finally heard the last of McGrady this season, so you can go ahead and safely cut him. Feb. 18 - 3:11 p.m. ET

Andray Blatche - F/C - Wizards

Despite saying that his left knee was "a little sore," Andray Blatche made it through all of Wizards practice Wednesday.

Blatche looked good in his return to action on Tuesday, and should reclaim the starting center job soon. It should be safe to activate him for Friday night's game. Feb. 18 - 2:59 p.m. ET

Source: Washington Post

Caron Butler - G/F - Wizards

Caron Butler missed Wednesday's due to soreness in his right hip, but coach Ed Tapscott says Butler probably would have practiced if the Wizards were getting ready for a game Thursday.

This injury doesn't appear to be serious, and odds are that Butler will be back in uniform when the Wizards play on Friday night. Keep him active as usual. Feb. 18 - 2:58 p.m. ET

Source: Washington Post

Tony Allen - G - Celtics

Tony Allen is expected to miss eight weeks after undergoing thumb surgery on Wednesday.

Eight weeks would sideline him for the rest of the regular season, and even if he did return slightly ahead of schedule, he's not valuable enough of a fantasy contributor to make him worth keeping. Go ahead and cut Allen loose if you own him in a deep league. Feb. 18 - 2:56 p.m. ET

Jeff Foster - F/C - Pacers

Jeff Foster (back) is not expected to play on Wednesday against Charlotte.

Foster may return at some point this week, and in the meantime, Roy Hibbert and Rasho Nesterovic should continue to see additional minutes. None of the Pacers centers are particularly useful options in most leagues. Feb. 18 - 2:53 p.m. ET

Source: Pacers.com

Mike Dunleavy - G/F - Pacers

Mike Dunleavy is likely to miss his fourth straight game on Wednesday.

There's still no concrete word on how much time Dunleavy might miss, so for the time being the best course of action is to keep him benched and hope that this is just a short-term issue. Jarrett Jack should start in Dunleavy's place again on Wednesday. Feb. 18 - 2:42 p.m. ET

[ballwonder]

Player notes Vince Carter - G/F - Nets Vince Carter is still a Net with the trade deadline having passed. Considering that the alternative would have been a trade to a contender and a reduced role, staying in New Jersey is probably the best thing for his fantasy value. Carter is happy to stay in New Jersey, so assuming he stays healthy, he should remain motivated and productive for the rest of the season. Feb. 19 - 5:00 p.m. ET Source: New York Post Manu Ginobili - G - Spurs Manu Ginobili is expected to miss two to three weeks with a stress reaction in his right ankle. Assuming that the two to three week timetable is accurate, Ginobili should still come back to salvage some good value this season. In the meantime, Roger Mason looks like the main beneficiary of Ginobili's injury and is worth a look for owners in need of scoring and threes. Feb. 19 - 4:56 p.m. ET Source: ESPN.com Mikki Moore - F/C - Kings The Kings have waived Mikki Moore. The veteran could catch on with another team before the season's over, but he's not likely to end up with fantasy value no matter where he lands. Feb. 19 - 4:38 p.m. ET Source: Sacramento Bee Patrick O'Bryant - C - Raptors Patrick O'Bryant has landed with the Raptors as part of a three-team deal with the Kings and Celtics. The Celtics made the deal to O'Bryant's 2009-10 contract from their payroll, and the Raptors get a rather inexpensive look at a seven-foot former lottery pick. O'Bryant is still likely to fill a reserve role in Toronto, and should not have much in the way of fantasy value. Feb. 19 - 4:35 p.m. ET Source: Sacramento Bee Willie Solomon - G - Kings In a three-team deal, the Kings have reportedly acquired Will Solomon and cash from Toronto, while the Raptors get Patrick O'Bryant from the Celtics and Boston receives a conditional future second round pick from Sacramento. Solomon probably won't have much fantasy value in Sacramento backing up Beno Udrih and belongs on the waiver wire in most leagues. A more significant offshoot of this trade is that it's a vote of confidence for Roko Ukic as Jose Calderon's backup, and given Calderon's hamstring issues, Ukic is a name to file away in the event of another injury. Feb. 19 - 4:34 p.m. ET Source: Sacramento Bee Willie Solomon - G - Kings In a three-team deal, the Kings have reportedly acquired Will Solomon and cash from Toronto, while the Raptors get Patrick O'Bryant from the Celtics and Boston gets a conditional future second round pick from the Sacramento. Solomon probably won't have much fantasy value in Sacramento backing up Beno Udrih, and belongs on the waiver wire in most leagues. A more significant offshoot of this trade is that it's a vote of confidence for Roko Ukic as Jose Calderon's backup, and given Calderon's hamstring issues, Ukic is a name to file away in the event of another injury. Feb. 19 - 4:32 p.m. ET Source: Sacramento Bee Thabo Sefolosha - G/F - Thunder Thabo Sefolosha has reportedly been dealt from the Bulls to the Thunder in exchange for a first-round pick. Considering that Kyle Weaver has been starting at shooting guard in Oklahoma City, there's certainly a chance for Sefolosha to play significant minutes on his new team. He's probably not worth adding in a 10-team league right now, but owners in deeper leagues should certainly take a look. Feb. 19 - 4:26 p.m. ET Source: Chicago Tribune Malik Rose - F - Thunder Malik Rose was traded to the Thunder from the Knicks on Thursday in exchange for Chris Wilcox. Both players have expiring contracts, but Rose has far less value than Wilcox, regardless of where he's playing. Feb. 19 - 4:20 p.m. ET Mike Conley - G - Grizzlies With Kyle Lowry traded to the Rockets on Thursday, it's become pretty clear that the future belongs to Mike Conley as the point guard of the Grizzlies. Conley has played very well since Marc Iavaroni was fired and the Grizzlies have basically told Conley he (along with Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo) is the future by trading his primary back up and competition. If you still had doubts about Conley, this should close that book. Feb. 19 - 3:52 p.m. ET Jerry Stackhouse - G/F - Mavericks Jerry Stackhouse could be activated for Friday's game against the Rockets. At age 34, Stackhouse isn't durable enough to handle big minutes on a consistent basis, so leave him on the waiver wire unless you're playing in a very deep league. Feb. 19 - 3:51 p.m. ET Source: Dallas Morning News Kyle Lowry - G - Rockets Kyle Lowry was traded from the Grizzlies to the Rockets on Thursday and will likely back up point guard Aaron Brooks in Houston. Brooks has had some big games in Rafer Alston's absence this season and appears to be a bit more established than Lowry. Lowry still has skills and could emerge as a solid point guard down the line, but the player to own out of this trade is Brooks. Feb. 19 - 3:49 p.m. ET Source: Houston Chronicle Brian Cook - F - Rockets Brian Cook was traded to the Rockets as part of the Rafer Alston deal on Thursday's trade deadline. Cook will line up behind Luis Scola, Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes for minutes, so don't count on him seeing the light of day in Houston. Feb. 19 - 3:43 p.m. ET Source: Houston Chronicle Shaquille O'Neal - C - Suns Shaquille O'Neal, Amare Stoudemire and all the rest of the Suns are still with their team after Thursday's trade deadline. The Arizona Republic's Paul Coro reports that no deals will trickle through for the Suns as the night drags on, so owners of Suns don't have to worry about a change of scenery. Feb. 19 - 3:34 p.m. ET Source: Arizona Republic Aaron Brooks - G - Rockets Aaron Brooks should be in line to start the rest of the season at point guard for the Rockets, who sent Rafer Alston to the Magic in a three-team deal on Thursday. The Rockets got Kyle Lowry and Brian Cook back in the deal, but Brooks appears to be the clear favorite to start and get the heavy minutes. That could change at some point, but we recommend picking Brooks up if you can. Feb. 19 - 3:26 p.m. ET Source: Houston Chronicle Rafer Alston - G - Magic Rafer Alston has been traded to the Magic in part of a three-team deal. The Rockets will receive point guard Kyle Lowry and PF Brian Cook, while the Grizzlies get a first-round draft pick from Orlando in return. Alston, who should already be owned in most leagues, will take over the point guard duties in Orlando, but owners of Anthony Johnson should rush out immediately and pick up Aaron Brooks, who should now be the starting point guard for the Rockets. Feb. 19 - 3:16 p.m. ET Source: Houston Chronicle