Re: NBA News/NBA Player News 4/7/7
Disappearing Dynamic Duos
Bad things are supposed to happen in threes, but for NBA teams, it's all been about pairings lately.
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Several teams are dealing with injuries to their top two players right now. I suppose it's only fitting that in this Year of the Injury, there's more uncertainty than ever as the season grinds to a close.
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The list of teams that are currently without their dynamic duos is staggering.
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You've got T-Mac and Yao dealing with their backs in Houston;
Deron Williams and
Andrei Kirilenko each going down last night for Utah (okay, yes?we know that
Carlos Boozer is more important than AK-47, but cut me some slack on this one);
Paul Pierce and
Al Jefferson huge question marks for the Celtics; the status of Milwaukee's
Mo Williams and
Michael Redd a mystery;
Chris Paul and
Tyson Chandler possibly done for year for the Hornets; and
Caron Butler and
Gilbert Arenas already toast in Washington.
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Yeah, we all know that injuries are part of the game, but this is just silly. I'm surprised we haven't had to file any reports on injuries to
mascots yet. Oh wait?this just in: Benny the Bull suffered a horn contusion Friday when he tried to crash through the opponents' bus. He was able to tape up the injury and play last night, but is listed as a game-time decision for Sunday.
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You can bet it sure is keeping us hopping trying to bring you the latest health reports from around the league. Personally, I'm thinking of shutting it down for the season as my fingers are sore from all this typing. Off-season surgery remains a possibility.
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In today's Dose, besides the studs listed above, we also file status updates on Zaza Puchulia,
Delonte West,
Adam Morrison,
Josh Howard,
Rasheed Wallace,
Allen Iverson,
Andris Biedrins,
Jamaal Tinsley,
Rudy Gay,
Desmond Mason,
Stephon Marbury,
LaMarcus Aldridge and
Luke Ridnour.
Atlanta Hawks
Zaza Pachulia (ankle) was out of action last night as expected and he remains doubtful for Saturday.
Lorenzen Wright started for Zaza Friday.
Tyronn Lue started over
Anthony Johnson last night, but they both saw plenty of court time on a depleted Hawks team. Lue particularly looked strong, with 16 points, nine assists, six rebounds and a three-pointer. Coach Woodson said that
Joe Johnson is likely done for the year. Didn't we already know this?
Josh Smith will continue to be the offensive focus for the Hawks for the rest of the season. If you recall, Smith had a wonky back earlier this week that forced him to skip practice. Uh, I think it's okay now. Last night he had 28 points, five assists, three steals and two blocks. Oh, right?and 18 rebounds, for a new career best. Smoov sailing, baby.
Salim Stoudamire is lighting it up from outside, but if his shot isn't dropping, he has no value. Also, he's dealing with a sore wrist and leg.
Shelden Williams is getting extra burn and helping on the glass.
Boston Celtics
Coach Rivers had been confident
Delonte West would be able to play Friday, but he was wrong. The ankle sprain kept him out another game, allowing
Allan Ray to start in his place. Ray didn't enjoy a good shooting night, but he nailed three 3-pointers and could be of use with Boston decimated by injuries. West won't play Saturday, but is expected to be back Tuesday, so use him at your own risk.
Al Jefferson, meanwhile, has been ruled out for the next two games because of his knee and foot woes. An MRI on his foot has come back negative, but he's not sounding optimistic about getting back on the court this season. Boston plays four next week, but with him definitely missing one already and perhaps more, Big Al will make a risky play. I suggest looking elsewhere.
Paul Pierce is traveling with the team for tonight's game in Indy, but he's been ruled out from playing in the game. An MRI on his elbow has come back clean, yet the possibility of more surgery this offseason has come up. Despite this, he may be ready to return for Tuesday's game in Atlanta. And yes, I'm a Pierce owner as well, grappling with whether I should have him active next week. I'm going to defer this decision until the last minute, hoping the team releases more information before Monday's deadline to freeze rosters. Has anyone noticed that
Ryan Gomes is suddenly canning 3-pointers? Where did that come from?
Leon Powe came through with a double-double Friday and he could also be worth a look with Boston as beat up as it is.
Charlotte Bobcats
Adam Morrison had to leave early Friday with a strained tendon in his left knee. He's expected to return on Sunday, however.
Chicago Bulls
This sinus issue must be very serious for
Ben Wallace to miss a second straight game. He's played through so many ailments this year that we just expect him to be able to shake off anything. Without Big Ben, the Bulls went small again with
P.J. Brown at center,
Luol Deng at PF and
Thabo Sefolosha getting another start at SF. Wallace's status for Sunday against the Raptors is uncertain, so we may see more of his lineup. Thabo played well, just missing a double-double, but once Wallace returns, his value will drop again.
Tyrus Thomas (flu) skipped the game, which is a shame as he would have seen extra PT with Wallace out. The rookie is expected back for Sunday's game.
Ben Gordon scored 27 points Friday but then said he was playing with a wrist problem. He'll be examined today, so stay tuned.
Andres Nocioni dressed last night, but didn't play. He is, however, expected to get on the court Sunday. Don't expect much at first.
Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki returned to action last night, but it wasn't
Devean George who went to the bench. George stuck in the starting five while
Devin Harris was sent to the bench. Neither of these two seems to have much value right now.
Josh Howard sprained his ankle again Friday, coming out in the first quarter. He says he's fine and said he won't miss any time, but he's listed as questionable for Saturday. It's shocking how many times Howard has turned an ankle this season. Let's hope this isn't a serious issue.
Denver Nuggets
J.R. Smith, who has been dropping his shot from outside, took a goose egg Friday.
Allen Iverson hurt his hip last night, but stuck around. However, he says he's not sure he'll be able to play Saturday. With his elbow still an issue, A.I. is pretty beat up right now and could use a night off.
Detroit Pistons
Rasheed Wallace is listed as probable to play Sunday despite his finger injury. He received plenty of treatment on the injury yesterday, so should be good to go.
Antonio McDyess (ankle) also spent yesterday getting treatment, but he is expected to play Sunday.
Jason Maxiell's status for Sunday is unknown. He was excused from practice Friday for personal reasons.
Golden St. Warriors
Baron Davis was able to log 42 minutes Friday and his knee is clearly not a factor as B. Diddy came close to a triple-double with 31 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Yes, he coughed it up eight times, but with four 3-pointers, four steals and a block thrown in, owners were willing to let the TOs slide on this night. Davis fell hard last night, but this doesn't appear to be an issue.
Andris Biedrins, still coming off the bench, hurt his ankle, but was able to get back in the game. However, he's questionable to play Saturday because the pain returned in the later part of the game.
Houston Rockets
Are T-Mac's back problems contagious? Now Yao's back is acting up, so both Rocket stars were on the sidelines Friday. McGrady is expected to be a game-time decision Sunday, but has no plans to hurry back, so take a look at
Luther Head, starting in his place. Yao is not sure where this pain originated, but he thinks it was a hit he took on Wednesday. Ming is worried he'll also have to miss Sunday (both he and McGrady will be game-time decisions), so suddenly
Dikembe Mutombo is starting again. What a valuable backup he's been this year for the Rockets, although right now, he's still limited by his own injury woes. If Yao's out for a while, it could hurt
Chuck Hayes as well, because Coach Van Gundy believes Hayes works well with the big man. So with Yao out, Hayes was sent back to bench in favor of
Juwan Howard. Hayes still enjoyed a strong rebounding effort off the bench, so he may retain value even if he's not starting. Howard, meanwhile, came through with 14 points and 11 boards, so he may be worth a look. We had a
Bonzi Wells sighting last night. Can Bigfoot be far behind?
Indiana Pacers
Jamaal Tinsley had to sit out Friday because of his elbow injury, allowing
Keith McLeod to get some rare PT in the form of a start. The fact that Tinsley had received two full days off yet still wasn't able to play last night makes me think he will likely also miss Saturday's game.
Troy Murphy started for the injured
Jeff Foster (back) as expected. Jermaine O'Neal struggled badly with his shot, but
Danny Granger was on fire, racking up a career high of 32 points. If O'Neal is finally shut down, Granger will likely take over as the main weapon on the Pacers for the final stretch.
L.A. Clippers
The Clips have waived
Zeljko Rebraca, who had back surgery in January, and in his place have re-signed
Will Conroy, a player they waived just last month to make room for
Jason Hart.
L.A. Lakers
Shoot, Kobe, shoot! That's 92 shots in the past three games for Bryant. And who cares from a fantasy standpoint, if he's scoring 46 points like he did on Friday? He still managed to get six assists and five boards, giving him the fantasy line of the night. So much for
Andrew Bynum taking advantage of
Kwame Brown's injury. Foul trouble held him to 12 minutes last night and he was scoreless with just a pair of boards.
Memphis Grizzlies
Tarance Kinsey continues to thrive for Memphis, scoring 28 Friday for his sixth game of 20 or more points in the last eight. He's making a major statement to have a key role on the Grizzlies next season.
Rudy Gay suffered a sprained ankle late in Friday's game, so he'll be forced to skip Saturday's tilt in the Magic Kingdom.
Lawrence Roberts, dealing with knee issues, will be a game-time decision.
Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade, who worked out again yesterday, is expected to return to action Wednesday. He's going to play very limited minutes off the bench, so he may be too big a risk to use in a weekly league. Daily league owners will want to wait and see how he does before considering activating Flash.
Milwaukee Bucks
We finally have a
Michael Redd/
Mo Williams update: neither of them traveled with the team to Atlanta last night. There's still no update on how severe either player's knee injury is, so a safe guess would have them missing tonight's game as well.
Earl Boykins got to the start for Williams and came through like the man, putting up a season-high 36 points while dropping nine dimes and nailing a quartet of treys. With Mo sidelined the past two, that's 34 PPG for little Earl.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Randy Foye came through big time Friday, but he still lacks the consistency to play on a weekly basis.
New Jersey Nets
Antoine Wright got a start for the Nets last night, and while he managed nine points and six boards, the soph coughed it up five times.
NOK Hornets
As has been speculated,
Desmond Mason is done for the year as he'll need surgery to repair his broken nose. Go ahead and cut him free and pick up someone who can help you. Also,
Chris Paul and
Tyson Chandler, both out Friday, remain doubtful to play tonight. These two stars could wind up missing the whole road trip.
Jannero Pargo is starting for Paul, so give him a look. Remember how well he did earlier this season when Paul was out.
Hilton Armstrong returned to action last night, and while he's playing behind
Marc Jackson, the Hornets would be wise to give the rook a long look before the season ends.
Cedric Simmons remained out Friday because of his ankle and we're still not sure if he'll be back today.
New York Knicks
Stephon Marbury was only able to play a dozen minutes Friday as he suffered a turf toe injury. For some reason, he came back and played the final minute of the game. At any rate, it sounds doubtful he'll play Saturday.
Nate Robinson will become much more valuable should Marbury be out for a while. How about a Knick backcourt of Robinson and
Mardy Collins? Exactly how Isiah Thomas drew it up, right? We had a surprise
David Lee sighting last night, and he played very well in 20 minutes of action. Great. I finally gave up on him a couple of days ago and set him adrift. He's out there on the waivers, so if you need some help, you may want to see if he plays again today and how he does before making a call on Lee. For what it's worth, Lee says he will play for the rest of the season, but the injury is obviously still hampering him.
Philadelphia 76ers
Joe Smith was back from whatever personal issues had him away from the club recently, but I barely noticed him in his 14 minutes of play. I might not have seen him at all if the announcers hadn't taken the opportunity to harp on the fact that he was a former No. 1 overall pick, as in 'can you believe this dude went first overall?' If Smith gets significant minutes down the stretch, he will be a good source of rebounds, but does Philly really need to see more of him to decide whether it wants him back or not?
Phoenix Suns
Boris Diaw was back in the starting five Friday, but remained tremendously ineffective, going just 1-for-6 for two points in 34 minutes. And it's not as if he was pitching in elsewhere, recording just five boards, two assists and no steals or blocks. Diaw was coming around for a while there, but really has not been the same player since hurting his back. In fact, it's been a disappointing fantasy season overall for Diaw owners, given his breakout in 2005-06. Speaking of disappointing, how about
Raja Bell's 0-for-10 performance from beyond the arc last night? Uh, better adjust those sights, Raja.
Amare Stoudemire had some serious fumble-itis Friday and that, combined with a bit of foul trouble, is why he saw just 21 minutes of court time.
Portland Trailblazers
Jarrett Jack seems to have regained control of the PG situation in Portland with another big game last night. I still like
Sergio Rodriguez, but for now, Jack is the man.
LaMarcus Aldridge will be re-examined Monday before the team decides on his status for next week. Great. Don't they know we need to set our lineups before that? Repeat after me, NBA teams: examinations should be done on Sundays, with the news released Monday mornings.
Hello? It's not rocket science.
Sacramento Kings
Brad Miller only played five minutes last night as his plantar fascitiis acted up again. That's too bad, because he was starting to look slightly useful again. He's day-to-day, so look for
Justin Williams to get a longer look.
Mike Bibby also barely played Friday, but in a rare plot twist, he
wasn't hurt. Bibby was just getting extended pine time because
Ronnie Price was playing fantastic D. Bibby played just four minutes after the half, and is suddenly in danger of losing PT to Price. Let's keep an eye on this situation.
San Antonio Spurs
Manu Ginobili got hit hard on Thursday and says both his back and shoulders are hurting. He received treatment Friday, but said it's no big deal and expects to play Saturday.
Seattle Sonics
Luke, look out for Luke! Ridnour landed on Walton's foot last night, and the Seattle PG had to be carried to the locker room at the end of the first quarter with a sprained left ankle. X-rays were negative, but Ridnour won't travel with the team to play Utah Saturday.
Earl Watson will take over as the starter and gets a nice bump in value should Ridnour be out for a while.
Chris Wilcox was knocked out Wednesday with his own ankle sprain, yet bounced back last night for 32 points and 18 boards. Apparently, the ankle was still tender enough that he's considered questionable for Saturday's game. He's as inconsistent as they come, but what a stud Wilcox is when he's on his game.
Damien Wilkins might be worth looking into again after a 25-point showing last night.
Toronto Raptors
T.J. Ford came out of last night's game briefly because of a split lip, but he was able to get back on the court. He and
Jose Calderon again combined to provide the Raptors, who clinched their first ever division title last night, with fantastic guard play.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz suffered a potentially crucial blow last night when injuries to both
Deron Williams (groin) and
Andrei Kirilenko (thumb) knocked them out of the second half. Williams is listed as questionable while AK-47 is uncertain for Saturday, but I'm way more worried about Williams' injury. Test on Kirilenko's thumb were inconclusive, so he's off to see a specialist today.
Washington Wizards
Antonio Daniels is coming through big with
Gilbert Arenas out. He recorded another double-double Friday, but surprisingly had seven turnovers. Daniels is a fixture at or near the league lead for assist-to-turnover ratio, so consider this is a blip. He's going to be a stud from here on out for the Wiz.
Calvin Booth was out of action last night because of his knee.
Andray Blatche will skip another game today because of his knee, but he says he'll be ready to play Tuesday. I had been hopeful he'd enter the picture as a candidate to replace
Caron Butler, but it may be too late for that now.
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Pierce may need surgery, could play Tuesday </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Paul Pierce - G/F - BOS - Apr. 7 - 10:27 a.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Paul Pierce may need more surgery on his ailing left elbow, but also may return to action for Tuesday's game against the Hawks.
