NBA News/NBA Player News 1/26/07

[Hache Man]

Once again, much of this is Fantasy Basketball News

However, it is great info/capping material which keeps you in the know......





LeBron won't play on Friday

LeBron James is out Friday due to a toe injury and Eddy Curry is not likely to play against the Heat, but Stephon Marbury sounds like he's going to be in the starting five tonight. Friday offers a full slate of games, so this should be a fantasy bonanza for most of us. www.therx.infowww.therx.ws
www.fantasysportspicks.comwww.eogcontests.com

The starters for the All-Star Game were announced on Thursday night, and last year's All-Star MVP LeBron James led all players with 2,516,049 million votes, second only to Yao Ming's all-time record 2,558,278 votes in 2005. Here are the starters for the East and West.

East All-Star Starters: Gilbert Arenas, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Shaquille O'Neal.

West All-Star Starters: Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Yao Ming.

Yao will not play due to his leg injury, so coach Mike D'Antoni will have a tough decision to make between on whether to start Dirk Nowitzki or Amare Stoudemire at center.

Notables who are missing from the starting five in the East are Dwight Howard, Chauncey Billups, Jermaine O'Neal, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Emeka Okafor, Joe Johnson, Andre Iguodala, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.

West potential bench players include Steve Nash, Marcus Camby, Carmelo Anthony, Josh Howard, Baron Davis, Andris Biedrins, Elton Brand, Pau Gasol, Shawn Marion, Stoudemire, Zach Randolph, Kevin Martin, Ray Allen, Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and red-hot Mehmet Okur.

Atlanta Hawks

Tyronn Lue suffered a bruised knee in his last game, but is expected to start at point guard for the Hawks tonight when they visit the Magic.

Boston Celtics

Wally Szczerbiak (ankles) is not with the team in Toronto, but the good news is that Al Jefferson's ankle sprain has been classified as mild, and it sounds like he will play tonight. Brian Scalabrine is also expected back from his knee injury and Paul Pierce, who has been working out with the team, traveled to Toronto for the game. Pierce is still weeks away, but appears to be getting antsy to play again.

Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats visit the Lakers tonight, and are getting healthy again. Sean May and Raymond Felton appear to be healthy, but the Cats are sill awaiting the return of Brevin Knight and Primoz Brezec. Keep your eye on Matt Carroll tonight. If he struggles again, his run could be over.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls got 17 rebounds and four blocks out of Ben Wallace last night as the beat the Mavericks soundly in Chicago. P.J. Brown surprisingly had 12 points and nine boards, while Ben Gordon scored 30 points to go along with six boards, five assists and two steals. He didn't hit a 3-pointer on the night, but his owners will forgive him. The Bulls appear to be the early favorites in the Pau Gasol sweepstakes, but it will likely take Ben Gordon or Luol Deng, along with Tyrus Thomas or Thabo Sefolosha and a future first-round pick to land him. As for Brown, he appears to have a little value right now, but I think he's only a possibility in the deepest of leagues. If he posts a double-double Saturday against the Heat, I might change my mind on that one.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs visit Philly with revenge on their minds tonight, after losing at home in double-OT to the Sixers on Wednesday. LeBron should be feeling especially confident after his announced deal with Microsoft and the fact he received the second highest vote total in All-Star history. However, he's dealing with a toe injury severe enough it required X-rays, so owners should keep their fingers crossed that it doesn't become more serious.
Update: LeBron James is now out for tonight's game with the toe injury. Owners have to be concerned about the superstar going forward, and you can look for big lines from Donyell Marshall, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes tonight in his absence.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks couldn't shoot the ball last night, resulting in a loss to the Bulls. The shooting numbers were horrible: Dirk Nowitzki was 7-of-22, Josh Howard was 4-of-20, Jason Terry was 4-of-14 and Jerry Stackhouse was 5-of-13. Assistant Del Harris had the quote of the night, saying, "In my years of experience, I've learned that when none of your players play well, you usually don't win." Good stuff.

Ironically, the three leading candidates for MVP are not making a very strong showing in All-Star balloting. Nash and Dirk are not starting, while Gilbert Arenas made up a 200,000 votes in the last 10 days to edge out Vince Carter. Dirk may end up starting in place of injured Yao Ming, but the decision is up to Mike D'Antoni, who may be inclined to award the job to one of his own players, Amare Stoudemire. That makes sense to me, as he'll only have to deal with Dirk's anger for a day or two, while Stoudemire and D'Antoni will have to deal with each other every day.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets visit the Jazz tonight and I'm anxious to see if Steve Blake continues to play well enough to keep his fantasy value. His numbers have been much better in Denver than they were in Milwaukee, as he's averaging 11.2 points, 5.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game with his new club. He's also hitting 3-pointers at a 53% rate, while his percentage from beyond the arc was just 35% in Milwaukee. If you need assists and threes, Blake could help your team in the next month or so, but is likely to be inconsistent with J.R. Smith and Allen Iverson around.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons host the Wizards tonight in a possible preview of a playoff showdown between two of the East's best teams. Gilbert Arenas doesn't have a personal vendetta against Flip Saunders, but may be playing on an adrenaline rush after being voted a starter in the All-Star Game. The Pistons have won three straight and will be looking to get back-to-back strong performances out of Rasheed Wallace tonight. Unfortunately, those have been very rare for the big man, but he did manage to hit 7-of-9 shots for 20 points against the Bobcats on Wednesday to go along with five boards, four blocks and two 3-pointers.

Golden St. Warriors

According to a Detroit judge, Stephen Jackson violated his probation when he fired a gun outside of an Indy night club last October. He could face 30 days of jail time because of the infraction, but it sounds like the judge will wait until after his Indiana trial before determining his fate. Jackson will be in court in Indianapolis sometime in February, facing a felony charge of criminal recklessness, and misdemeanor charges of battery and disorderly conduct. The Warriors are off tonight, but host the Bobcats on Saturday. As far as I know, Jackson will play in that game, but it's possible the NBA could decide to punish him for violating his probation. Stay tuned.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets host the Blazers on Friday as Tracy McGrady will try to stay hot. Shane Battier has quieted down recently, and had just six points, five boards and a three in Wednesday's win over the Spurs. Dikembe Mutombo may be running out of steam, finishing with two points, eight boards and a block in that game. After 11 straight games of double-digit rebounding numbers, he's grabbed eight boards in two of his last three games. With Yao Ming out indefinitely, Mutombo still has some value, but expect the grind of the season to start catching up with the elder statesman.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are off tonight, and hopefully they're using the time to get Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy acclimated with the new offense. If Dunleavy doesn't figure it out quickly, he could find himself coming off the bench behind Jeff Foster or Marquis Daniels. Jamaal Tinsley only missed one game with his back injury, so it's hopefully behind him.

L.A. Clippers

Donald Sterling had a meeting with Corey Maggette, coach Mike Dunleavy and GM Elgin Baylor last Saturday and says he doesn't want Maggette to be traded. It could still happen, but doesn't seem as likely as it once did. The Clippers pulled off a one-point win over the Nets last night behind Sam Cassell's 15 points and 10 assists, Elton Brand's 18 points, eight boards and three blocks, and Maggette's 18 points, six boards and five assists. It's easy to see why Sterling wants Maggette's help off the bench. Cuttino Mobley hit a three just before the buzzer to get the Clippers the win and had 17 points. He has marginal fantasy value right now, as he's been fairly inconsistent this season.

L.A. Lakers

Kwame Brown's return from a sprained ankle is still up in the air, but it could be another week before we see him back in action. Lamar Odom looks like he's good to go tonight, but there's no telling how effective he'll be. I got an email asking me if Odom should be played over Andre Iguodala or David Lee tonight, and my answer was "no." The Lakers host the Bobcats in a late game tonight.

Memphis Grizzlies

I get the feeling Pau Gasol is going to the Bulls for a combination of Ben Gordon/Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas/Thabo Sefolosha and a first-round pick, but nothing is imminent. The Grizzlies visit San Antonio tonight, where Chucky Atkins will try to stay hot after going for 29 points and 15 dimes off the bench in his last game.

Miami Heat

The Heat face the Knicks tonight, and Shaq won't have to face Eddy Curry, who is likely out with a calf strain. Shaq should be considered day-to-day for the next week or so, but didn't experience any swelling in his surgically repaired knee.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks host the Suns tonight, as Charlie Bell will try to stay hot. Bell is averaging nearly 22 points and more than a steal over his last three games, breaking out of a recent slump. Earl Boykins is hot after scoring 36 points and hitting five threes in Wednesday's loss to the Kings, while Ruben Patterson had a double-double on that night. We should know more about the return of Michael Redd (knee) and Mo Williams (shoulder) in the next few days, but it sounds like Charlie Villanueva could play tonight through his shoulder injury. After being dead wrong about David West's return from his elbow surgery, I'm reluctant to predict bad things for CV. But he wasn't playing well before he shut it down, and I'm not sure he's 100% healthy. Start him at your own risk, and beware he may not play tonight.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves will face the Sonics in Seattle tonight, as new coach Randy Wittman continues to figure out his rotation. Ricky Davis had a big night on Wednesday, and Mike James is starting to play a little better. Randy Foye was disappointing in his last outing, so I'm anxious to see what he does tonight.

NOK Hornets

The Hornets host the Kings tonight, so look for surprising starter Devin Brown to continue his strong play in place of Chris Paul. David West struggled through a sprained ankle after getting injured in the first quart of Wednesday's loss. He says he's playing tonight, but I don't expect him to be at 100%.

New Jersey Nets

Marcus Williams (16 points, five boards, four assists) and Boki Nachbar (17 points, seven boards, four threes) played great in the absence of Richard Jefferson last night, while Mikki Moore had just four points and five boards. I'm tempted to dump Moore for either of the aforementioned players, but want to see what they do against the Nuggets in Denver on Saturday before making a move.

New York Knicks

Good news: Stephon Marbury says he's playing through his knee injury tonight as the Knicks host the Heat.

Bad news: Eddy Curry is being called doubtful due to a calf strain. If he can't go, look for Jerome James to get the start. Yes, he's still in the NBA and apparently survived New Year's Eve without incident.

Isiah Thomas says Jared Jeffries will get another start after failing to score in his last three games. In fact, Jeffries has scored just 29 points in the month of January despite starting every game. David Lee is playing well, and if Jeffries is useless again tonight, look for Isiah to finally make the move to Lee, which most of the free world has been asking for since December.

Orlando Magic

Keyon Dooling is expected to miss at least a week with strained tendons in his thumb, so we may see more J.J. Redick over the next 10 days. The Magic host the Hawks tonight, so look for Dwight Howard to have a big night against his hometown team.

Philadelphia 76ers

Willie Green is going to try to play through a knee injury tonight. If he can't go, rookie Rodney Carney is probably in line for another start. The Sixers look to make it two straight over the Cavs tonight after beating them in double-OT in Cleveland on Wednesday. If Andre Iguodala has any hope of making the All-Star team, he needs to post some monster numbers over the next week. He had 34 in Wednesday's win, but Caron Butler is going to make it tough for AI to make the team.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns have won 15 straight games and look unbeatable over the past month. They're in Milwaukee tonight, so look for the usual suspects in orange to all have big nights against the injury depleted Bucks.

Portland Trailblazers

Brandon Roy scored 11 first-quarter points on Wednesday, but then scored just two more the rest of the way as he was dealing with back spasms. Let's hope it's not a lingering injury, but back spasms are usually just that. Keep your eye on Sergio Rodriguez, who blew up for 18 points in that game. And if someone can tell me why Joel Przybilla is still starting over LaMarcus Aldridge, I'm game. Yeah, I know Przybilla's D is solid, but from a fantasy standpoint, it would be much more fun to tune into a Blazers' telecast if LA was starting.

Sacramento Kings

Stop the presses – The Kings have won three of their last four games by beating East Coast teams over the last week. Ron Artest was big in their win over the Bucks on Wednesday, going for 36 points on 15-of-23 shooting, while they also got nice lines out of Kenny Thomas, Kevin Martin and Brad Miller. Mike Bibby, however, continues to struggle, going for just 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting, but did have eight assists. The Kings visit the Hornets tonight, so maybe Bibby will get it doing against Devin Brown. As for Artest, I'm not very happy that he waited until now to start hitting shots, as I'm facing him in a tough League Freak matchup.

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs host the Grizzlies tonight, looking for their fifth win in their last six games. They haven't scored over 100 points in five straight game, but that should change tonight against the run-and-gun Grizzlies.

Seattle Sonics

Earl Watson's shoulder injury doesn't appear to be serious and he's going to try to play against the Timberwolves tonight. Watson's a tough play right now because he's really banged up and is splitting time with Luke Ridnour. The Sonics have recalled Mouhamed Sene from the D-League and he should play tonight. Seattle should be well rested since they haven't played since Tuesday, when Ray Allen dropped 44 on the Nuggets, and Nick Collison and Chris Wilcox had huge nights.

Toronto Raptors

T.J. Ford isn't likely to play again tonight against the Celtics, meaning Jose Calderon should get another start. All-Star starter Chris Bosh is looking to go big again against the small Celtics after scoring 34 points on Wednesday, while Andrea Bargnani is questionable after missing his last game with the flu.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz host the Nuggets tonight in what should be a high-scoring affair. Mehmet Okur is averaging a ridiculous 27 points, 7.5 boards, one block and three 3-pointers over his last six games. That's right – Your starting center has drained 18 threes over his last six games. Carlos Boozer is coming off a career-high 39 points (to go along with 15 boards), while Andrei Kirilenko had his first double-double since December. And Deron Williams had 21 assists on an off-shooting night. He scored just seven points and didn't have a steal, but who cares? Matt Harpring is dealing with a cold, but should play. The Jazz big guns could be in for another huge night against the running Nuggets.

Washington Wizards

Gilbert Arenas gained some 200,000 votes on Vince Carter over the final stretch of All-Star balloting and will start for the East. He'll be looking for a big night as the Pistons host the Wizards. Luckily for Detroit, Arenas doesn't have a bone to pick with Flip Saunders, but that doesn't me he won't score 40 tonight.

[Hache Man]

Bynum's run isn't over yet

Shaq is back, Melo and the Answer have finally united, and Odom and Villanueva are on the verge of returning after long layoffs as well. Week 14 features heavyweight matchups between Kobe and Arenas, Flash and LeBron and K.G. and Nowitzki. In this edition of The Week Ahead, we'll preview these contests, get you caught up to date on the injury report and break down week 14's entire schedule.

Keep An Eye On:
statistics exclusively from Jan. 11 – Jan. 24
With reigning R.O.Y. Chris Paul sidelined indefinitely, the Hornets have been getting some decent production from recently acquired Devin Brown over the past couple weeks. The vagabond guard is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 3.7 APG over his past six starts and will continue to be a decent No. 3 guard option until Paul is able to suit up again.
Steve Blake has made a very smooth transition to the Nuggets over the past week and is thriving in his new role as distributor for the offensive powerhouse. The pure point guard is averaging 11.2 PPG and 5.5 APG over the past couple weeks, including a dozen-assist performance in Carmelo's return on Monday. Look for his numbers to be sporadic, but he should be a quality source for assists the rest of the way within Rotisserie leagues.
Despite the presence of two 30 PPG-caliber scorers, J.R. Smith looks like he'll continue to be a focal point in the Nuggets offense. He's scoring 19.5 PPG in the first two contests with A.I. and Melo, and is averaging a respectable 16.8 PPG with 22 3-pointers since returning from suspension six games ago. I'm personally convinced he's going to take a hit in value eventually, but he remains a nice fantasy option with four games on the schedule in week 14.
If you are looking for help in the field goal percentage category, look no further than New Jersey's Mikki Moore (69% FG), Seattle's Nick Collison (61% FG) or the Lakers' Andrew Bynum (60% FG). All have been recently added to the starting lineup and are flourishing in their larger roles. With Kwame Brown nearing a return for L.A., 19-year-old Bynum's fantasy value will likely be the most short-lived.

Game Totals in Week 14:
Five games: none
Four games: ATL, CHA, CLE, DEN, DET, GS, LAL, MIL, MIN, NO, NJ, ORL, POR
Three games: BOS, CHI, DAL, HOU, IND, LAC, MEM, MIA, NY, PHI, PHO, SAC, SEA, TOR, UTA, WAS
Two games SA

Interesting Matchups:
Wednesday, January 31 - San Antonio @ Utah:
Wednesday's showdown between the Spurs (30-13) and Jazz (28-14) features two of the top-four teams in the league, as well as explosive matchups at the point guard and power forward positions. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams' scoring is up exactly a dozen points from last season, while Tim Duncan and Tony Parker will be vying against them for All-Star positions.

Thursday, February 1 - Cleveland @ Miami:
TNT will spotlight Thursday's faceoff between Dwyane Wade and the Heat against LeBron James and the Cavs in South Florida. The two top-five selections of the 2003 draft represent the new faces of the NBA. Last season, season the two split 2-2 in the regular season, as Flash averaged 34.0 PPG and LeBron scored 41.0 PPG.

San Antonio @ Phoenix:
The other contest on Thursday features the top offensive team in the league going against the best defensive squad. The Spurs are surrendering just 90.5 PPG, while Phoenix is lighting it up for 111.9 PPG as we hit the midway point.

Saturday, February 3 - L.A. Lakers @ Washington:
The last time Washington faced the Lakers, Gilbert Arenas dropped a cool 60 points on L.A. – he canned five 3-pointers and went 21-for-27 from the charity stripe as the Wizards won 147-141. Kobe Bryant went off for 45 points with seven treys in a losing effort. Lamar Odom, who has been sidelined since Dec. 12 with a knee injury, should be back for this contest as well.

Minnesota @ Dallas:
Saturday's game in Texas is highlighted by a spectacular matchup between Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett. The Big Ticket leads the league with 35 double-doubles, while Dirk ranks fifth with 26. Dallas can basically coast to the postseason with their 35-8, while the TWolves are going to struggle to get to the second season with their 20-21 record and five-game losing-streak.

Team-by-Team Injuries:
Atlanta Hawks ORL, GS, TOR, @nj
Tyronn Lue (groin) – day-to-day
Speedy Claxton (knee) – might return Sat. Jan. 27

Boston Celtics @ind, LAL, LAC
Al Jefferson (ankle) – day-to-day
Paul Pierce (foot) – out indefinitely
Wally Szczerbiak (ankle) – day-to-day
Theo Ratliff (back) – out for the season
Brian Scalabrine (knee) – out indefinitely
Tony Allen (knee) – out for the season
Szczerbiak isn't rushing back from his ankle injury and will not accompany the team to Toronto for Friday's game - keep him reserved for week 14. However, Jefferson expects to be back in the lineup Friday. He's quietly averaging 18.8 PPG and 14.0 RPG over his past six contests in his breakout campaign.

Charlotte Bobcats @den, NY, @cle, GS
Sean May (ankle) – day-to-day
Primoz Brezec (back) – return early February
Brevin Knight (groin) – return late January

Chicago Bulls @lac, @sea, @por
Thabo Sefolosha has surpassed Chris Duhon in the Bulls backcourt depth chart recently. The lanky defensive specialist is averaging 22 minutes per game this week, while Duhon has DNP-coach's decisions in two of the past three contests. Neither are really worth any fantasy consideration though.

Cleveland Cavaliers GS, @mia, CHA, DET
Ira Newble (personal) – out indefinitely
X-rays on LeBron James' sore right big toe were negative, and the Cavs are hoping he doesn't have to miss any games. He did not take part in Cleveland's light workout before the team flew to Philadelphia for Friday night's game.

Dallas Mavericks SEA, @mem, MIN
Jerry Stackhouse (ankle) – day-to-day

Denver Nuggets CHA, @por, POR, @sac
Kenyon Martin (knee) – Out for the season
Eduardo Najera (quadriceps) – day-to-day

Detroit Pistons @was, @nj, MIL, @cle

Golden St. Warriors @cle, @atl, @phi, @cha
Jason Richardson (hand) – return after All-Star break

Houston Rockets PHI, SEA, NO
Yao Ming (knee) – out until mid-March
Bob Sura (knee surgery) – out indefinitely

Indiana Pacers BOS, LAL, @mem
David Harrison (shoulder) – return late January
Keith McLeod (groin) – day-to-day

L.A. Clippers CHI, @bos, @tor
Zeljko Rebraca (back) – out indefinitely

L.A. Lakers @ny, @bos, @ind, @was
Chris Mihm (ankle) – out for the season
Lamar Odom (knee) – day-to-day, hoping to return Friday
Kwame Brown (ankle) – day-to-day, might return this weekend
After going through another practice on Wednesday, Lamar Odom says he'll be back in the lineup Friday. Brown, however, will likely be sidelined for another week. Their returns will take away all value from Brian Cook and Andrew Bynum.

Memphis Grizzlies SAC, DAL, IND
Stromile Swift (personal) – day-to-day
Damon Stoudamire (back) – day-to-day
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Chucky Atkins was the first NBA player with at least 25 points and 15 assists in a game off the bench since Cleveland's Bobby Washington (26 points, 15 assists) did it against the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 9, 1971. The 32-year-old veteran continues to be a reserve while Mighty Mouse starts, but he's clearly been the more productive of the two floor generals.

Miami Heat MIL, CLE, @mil
Wayne Simien (salmonella) – out indefinitely
Shaquille O'Neal (knee) and Dwyane Wade (ankle) returned to action on Wednesday night in Indiana. Flash was able to shake off the cob webs right away, but Diesel is going to need some time to get back into game shape. He scored just four points on 2-for-6 shooting in his first game back, and will continue splitting time with Alonzo Mourning at center for the next few weeks. On Thursday, he said he was a "bit sore", but still planned on suiting up Friday. With three games, he's still a great option at the thin position.

Milwaukee Bucks @mia, @orl, @det, MIA
Bobby Simmons (heel) – out for the season
Charlie Villanueva (shoulder) – day-to-day
Michael Redd (knee) – return in early February?
Mo Williams (shoulder) – will not return before Fri 1/26
Villanueva, who has missed all of January due to right shoulder tendonitis, may return to action as soon as Friday night against the Suns.

Minnesota Timberwolves PHO, SAC, @no, @dal
Rashad McCants (knee surgery) – out indefinitely
Eddie Griffin (suspension) – likely to be released

NOK Hornets POR, PHI, MIN, @hou
David West (elbow) – Return in January to late February
Chris Paul (ankle) – expects to return sometime in February
Peja Stojakovic (back) – out indefinitely
After spraining his left ankle in Wednesday's game, West says he's going to play against the Kings on Friday night.

New Jersey Nets @uta, DET, @orl, ATL
Nenad Krstic (knee) – out for the season
Richard Jefferson (ankle) – out until late February
Stat of the week – Jason Kidd has eight triple-doubles this season. The rest of the league combined also has eight. … With Jefferson sidelined indefinitely, expect Eddie House to have a much larger offensive role of the Nets bench. He is a very streaky player so you can expect ups and downs, but he should be a cheap source for 3-pointers and scoring in deeper leagues.

New York Knicks LAL, @cha, @orl
Stephon Marbury (knee) – day-to-day
Steve Francis (knee) – out indefinitely
Eddy Curry (calf) – day-to-day
Marbury, who sat out his first game of the year with tendinitis in his knee on Wednesday, says he'll be back in action Friday. … Curry, who left Wednesday night's game with a strained calf, said he's going to try to play Friday against Miami, but he's questionable at best for that game.

Orlando Magic @atl, MIL, NJ, NY
Trevor Ariza (knee) – might return in late February

Philadelphia 76ers @hou, @no, GS
Shavlik Randolph (ankle) – out indefinitely
Willie Green (knee) – day-to-day

Phoenix Suns @min, SA, UTA
Kurt Thomas (elbow) – might return in mid-February

Portland Trailblazers @no, DEN, @den, CHI
Darius Miles (knee surgery) – out for the season
Travis Outlaw (ankle) – out indefinitely

Sacramento Kings @mem, @min, DEN

San Antonio Spurs @uta, @pho
Matt Bonner (knee) – out indefinitely
With just two games on the tilt, Spurs' players are not great options in weekly-lineup formats this week. The All-Star-caliber trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili will find themselves on the bench this week in many leagues because of the light week.

Seattle Sonics @dal, @hou, CHI
Rashard Lewis (hand) – out indefinitely
Robert Swift (knee) – out for the season
Earl Watson (shoulder) – day-to-day

Toronto Raptors WAS, @atl, LAC
T.J. Ford (ankle) – day-to-day
Andrea Bargnani (flu) – day-to-day

Utah Jazz NJ, SA, @pho

Washington Wizards DET, @tor, LAL
Darius Songaila (back) – out indefinitely

[Hache Man]

As Dirty already pointed out......

	LeBron out for Friday with toe injury
	LeBron James - F - CLE - Jan. 26 - 1:16 p.m. ET
	LeBron James, the leading vote getter for the All-Star game, will miss Friday's contest against the Sixers with his toe injury. X-rays were negative and he says he could go tonight if this were a playoff game, but owners still need to be concerned with this news. Donyell Marshall, Drew Gooden, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Larry Hughes should all be in for a big game without LeBron in the show. James is listed as day-to-day, but the Cavaliers are hoping he can play against the Suns in Cleveland.Jan. 26 - 1:16 p.m. ET

[Hache Man]

Matt Harpring - G/F - Jazz

Matt Harpring was suffering from a bad cold Thursday, but said it wouldn't keep him from practicing or playing Friday against the Nuggets.

Harpring could be useful in very deep leagues, but is inconsistent. Jan. 26 - 10:47 a.m. ET

Source: Salt Lake Tribune

[Hache Man]

T.J. Ford - G - Raptors

T.J. Ford doesn't sound likely to play on Friday as he continues to deal with a sprained ankle.

Jose Calderon is listed as the probable starter, so keep Ford benched until some better news comes along. Jan. 26 - 10:44 a.m. ET

Source: Toronto Star

[Hache Man]

Brandon Roy - G/F - Trail Blazers

Brandon Roy struggled through back spasms in his last game, scoring just two points the rest of the way after going for 11 in the first quarter.

He was having his back stretched out while on the bench, but should be able to play through the injury. Just beware that his back could be a problem going forward. Jan. 26 - 10:33 a.m. ET

Source: Oregonian

[Hache Man]

Keyon Dooling - G - Magic

Keyon Dooling will likely miss at least a week, and probably longer, with a strained thumb.

That means more action for Keith Bogans, Travis Diener and rookie J.J. Redick for the Magic. Jan. 26 - 10:26 a.m. ET

Source: Orlando Sentinal

[Hache Man]

Stephon Marbury - G - Knicks

Stephon Marbury is listed as probable for Friday's game, but he proclaimed himself ready to play despite missing Wednesday's loss with knee tendinitis and sitting out most of Thursday's practice.

"I worked out a little bit, and feel pretty good. I'm playing," said Marbury. The Knicks will likely be without Eddy Curry (calf), so Marbury likely has some extra incentive to play. It will be interesting to see how Marbury does without Curry, an easy assist target, in the lineup. Jan. 26 - 10:15 a.m. ET

Source: New York Post

[Hache Man]

David West - F - Hornets

After spraining his left ankle in Wednesday's game, David West says he's going to play against the Kings on Friday night.

"I'm not worried about it," West said. "I've got a day off (Thursday), so I'll be good to go." West is averaging a double-double since returning from elbow surgery, but was moving at a much slower pace after suffering the injury. It sounds like he's good to go tonight, but probably won't be a full speed for the Hornets. Jan. 26 - 9:44 a.m. ET

Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune