|
|
| Dwyane Wade is slated to return to action on Friday, according to the Miami Herald. He missed Wednesday's game due to the flu and had been listed as questionable for tonight's contest, but he took part in the morning shootaround and said he'd be ready to roll this evening. |
|
|
|
| Caron Butler only did some light shooting in this morning's shootaround, and his status for this evening's game remains uncertain, according to the Washington Post. Butler told the Post's Ivan Carter last night that his hip was better but still tight, though Carter felt Butler was concerned about the issue becoming a lingering problem if he pushed it too hard. On top of the hip that's already cost him two games, Butler had a stomach virus that required an IV a few days ago. Sounds like the odds aren't great for Butler Friday night, but he may still give it a try. |
|
| Brandon Roy, G, Portland Trailblazers | Friday 2/1, 3:39 PM CT |
|
| Brandon Roy had X-rays taken Thursday of the middle and index fingers of his left hand, according to the Oregonian. The results were negative, and he was diagnosed with a sprain. The All-Star expects to play Friday, despite the injury. |
|
|
|
| Darko Milicic busted out a 14-point, 16-rebound, five-block line in 40 minutes in his last game. Pau Gasol skipped that contest due to a sore back and has reportedly been traded to the Lakers on Friday. Put two and two together and clearly, it's now or never for Milicic to prove that he can be a legit NBA big-man and fantasy threat. He'll have to hold off fellow draft-day bust Kwame Brown, but Milicic holds much more promise. At the very least, Darko should be a great source of blocks, and ideally a genuine double-double threat. Go snatch him off waivers and see what the 22-year-old can do. |
|
|
|
| The Commercial Appeal reports that Stromile Swift is expected to be traded to the Nets for Jason Collins, though the deal won't be finalized until Monday. Neither of them had fantasy value to begin with, and that isn't likely to change following the trade. |
|
|
|
| Javaris Crittenton has been dealt to the Grizzlies as part of the Pau Gasol deal, according to the Commercial Appeal. The rookie might see more than the eight minutes of action he's averaged with the Lakers this season, so he's worth keep an eye on. Don't expect much from him, though. |
|
| Kwame Brown, C, Memphis Grizzlies | Friday 2/1, 2:16 PM CT |
|
| Kwame Brown has been traded to the Grizzlies as part of the Pau Gasol swap, according to the Commercial Appeal. With Darko Milicic already in Memphis, the Grizzlies will have one of the all-time great draft-day bust froncourts. Seriously, though, the two will compete for action, along with Hakeem Warrick, with Brown likely having the least upside. |
|
| Pau Gasol, F, Los Angeles Lakers | Friday 2/1, 2:09 PM CT |
|
| In a complete surprise, the Grizzlies have traded Pau Gasol to the Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The Grizzlies get some salary-cap relief, while the Lakers become immediate contenders in the West. Gasol has been dealing with a sore back, but he'll maintain most of his fantasy value in his new digs. Meanwhile, look for Darko Milicic and Hakeem Warrick to be the primary beneficiaries in the Memphis frontcourt. |
|
|
|
| Jamaal Tinsley should return to action on Friday, according to the Indianapolis Star. "I'm still not 100 percent, but the sharp pains aren't there anymore," Tinsley said. He's been out of the past three games due to a sore knee, but it appears it's safe to get him back into your lineups. |
|
| Tony Parker, G, San Antonio Spurs | Friday 2/1, 8:55 AM CT |
|
| An MRI on Tony Parker's sore left ankle revealed no structural damage, which means he won't require surgery right now, according to the San Antonio Express. However, the bone spur in the joint has created enough swelling that he will miss at least the next six games. The Spurs are thinking only about the playoffs, and with the addition of Damon Stoudamire to their backcourt, they will just rest Parker until he's healed up. At this point, it looks like we won't see him until after the All-Star break. |
|
|
|
| Wally Szczerbiak missed Thursday's game due to a sprained right ankle, according to the Seattle Times. It wasn't immediately clear when Szczerbiak will be able to return, though coach P.J. Carlesimo said his guess was that it would be "much sooner than later." |
|
|
|
| Robert Swift said he'll find out Friday if he can return to game action on Saturday, according to the Seattle Times. "There's no pain or swelling in the knee after I work out," he said. "I'm ready to go." Swift has been recovering from tendinitis in his surgically repaired knee. He'll be limited to about 12-15 minutes per game initially, but he's worth keeping an eye on if he manages to get up to full speed later in the season. |
|
| Chris Mihm, C, Los Angeles Lakers | Friday 2/1, 8:27 AM CT |
|
| Chris Mihm is traveling with the Lakers on their monster nine-game road trip, but he's not close to playing, according to the LA Times. "We're projecting post-All-Star [break]," coach Phil Jackson said. "He's along on this trip to do a lot of work." With Andrew Bynum out for a couple of months, Mihm should have some value in the Lakers' frontcourt once he's over his sore right Achilles tendon. |
|
| Luke Walton, F, Los Angeles Lakers | Friday 2/1, 8:23 AM CT |
|
| Luke Walton did not play against the Pistons Thursday night due to the hip pointer he sustained during Tuesday's tilt, according to the LA Times. "I thought I was going to be able to run it off, but every time I made a move, it got worse and worse," he said. "Even sneezing, laughing, those things hurt." If it's that bad, we may not see Walton in action for a while longer. Vladimir Radmanovic should continue to start if Walton remains out. |
|
|
|
| Corey Maggette did not travel with the Clippers to Minnesota on Thursday, as he continues to deal with a case of the flu, according to the LA Times. If he's feeling better Friday morning, he may try to catch up with the team for tonight's game against the T-Wolves. Clearly, he's iffy at best to play or perform well. |
|
| Chris Kaman, C, Los Angeles Clippers | Friday 2/1, 8:14 AM CT |
|
| Chris Kaman's bruised shin has healed, but the flu might keep him from playing on Friday, according to the LA Times. "My whole body is hurting," said Kaman. "I just had the flu and it tore me down. I was in my bed the last few days and haven't really done anything." Consider him to be questionable and hope he can tough it out. |
|
|
|
| After sitting out Wednesday's game with the flu, Rashad McCants skipped Thursday's practice to rest up, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. His status for Friday's game won't be known until the contest nears, though. |
|
|
|
| Jerry Stackhouse's strained right hamstring is improving. In fact, he was able to take part in Thursday's pre-game shootaround, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Coach Avery Johnson said he hoped Stackhouse would be able to practice on Saturday, in which case his return to game action shouldn't be far off. He could get a real boost in value if he ends up being traded to the right team; he's part of the rumored deal that would send Jason Kidd to Dallas and Stackhouse to New Jersey. |
|
|
|
| Carmelo Anthony is listed as questionable for Saturday's game due to his sprained ankle, according to the Denver Post. He tested the joint out with some on-court work Thursday, which is a positive sign. But his status for Saturday likely won't be determined until he tries it out during pre-game warmups. |
|
|
|
| Friday, the same day that Zach Randolph faces his hold team in Portland, Jason Richardson will take to the road to face his old team, the Warriors. With the run-and-gun style the Warriors still employ, look for J-Rich to attack the basket and post a big stat line tonight. |
|
|
|
| Antonio Daniels was held out of Thursday's practice to rest a sore left ankle, according to the Washington Post. The ailment is not expected to keep him from playing Friday night, though, so keep him in your lineups. |
|
|
|
| The availability of Caron Butler for Friday's game won't be determined until he's re-evaluated earlier in the day, according to the Washington Post. He's missed the past two games due to a strained hip flexor. On the upside, he was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for his stellar first-half performance. Now if he can just get back on the hardwood to work on the second half of the season. |
|
| Jason Smith, C, Philadelphia 76ers | Friday 2/1, 7:16 AM CT |
|
| Jason Smith sprained his left ankle during Wednesday's tilt and did not practice on Thursday as a result, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's a little bit sore, but I should be OK in a couple of days," Smith said. It sounds like there's a decent chance he'll skip Friday's run with the Magic Friday night, but he doesn't provide much of any fantasy value anyway. |
|
|
|
| Coach Stan Van Gundy said that Jameer Nelson will continue to come off the bench behind Carlos Arroyo because "the rotation is working well," according to the Orlando Sentinel. Van Gundy also pointed out that Nelson's not quite in "game form" after just returning from a sprained foot on Wednesday. Nelson should work his way back into the starting rotation once he's up to speed, but for now, he'll see his action limited. |
|
|
|
| Udonis Haslem will remain sidelined on Friday due to his sprained left ankle, according to the Miami Herald. He missed Wednesday's contest due to the malady, and it's not clear when he'll get back in action. |
|
|
|
| Dwyane Wade is considered to be questionable for Friday's game due to the flu, according to the Miami Herald. He's still battling the illness that kept him from taking part in Wednesday's run. He may end up a game-time call, depending on how much his condition improved overnight. |
|
|
|
| Donyell Marshall took part in his first game Thursday since Nov. 2. He scored two points in nine minutes of action off the bench. Marshall had been sidelined due to a badly sprained wrist. Even if LeBron James remains out for a while due to his sprained ankle, Marshall should have little or no fantasy value. |
|
|
|
| The status of LeBron James for Saturday's game is unclear after he missed Thursday's run due to a sprained right ankle, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He sustained the injury during Wednesday's game and managed to score 17 points, including the game-winner, after sustaining the injury, but the joint tightened up overnight. At this point, the Cavs haven't given any indication that it's anything but a minor sprain, but we should know more in the next 24 hours. |
|
|
|
| For the first time since being traded from the Trail Blazers to the Knicks, Zach Randolph will play a game in Portland on Friday. You can expect a hostile crowd and for Randolph to do his best to have a monster game. He's fully capable of doing just that, but there's a good chance he'll try a little too hard and post a poor FG%. |
|
|
|
| Nenad Krstic took part in a full practice on Thursday and could return to game action as soon as Saturday, according to the New York Daily News. Krstic has been out since late November due to knee surgery. It will be interesting seeing how Krstic, Josh Boone and Sean Williams affect each other's fantasy value once Krstic returns to the Nets' frontcourt. Most likely all three will take a negative hit. |
|
| Jason Kidd, G, Dallas Mavericks | Friday 2/1, 6:22 AM CT |
|
| A rumored trade possibility between the Nets, Mavs and Trail Blazers has cooled down, according to the New York Daily News. That deal would have sent Jason Kidd, Malik Allen and Jamaal Magloire to the Mavs, Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George, Travis Outlaw, Channing Frye and Jarrett Jack to the Nets, and Devin Harris to the Blazers. Apparently, the Nets want more, though the Blazers arguably would be giving up far too much as well. The main troubles are that Kidd is owed a lot of money over the next couple of seasons and that it's known that he wants out of New Jersey. There remains a good chance he'll be dealt before the deadline, but this may not be the deal that makes it happen. |
|
|
|
| Rajon Rondo collected 14 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in Thursday's win over Dallas. Half of his caroms came on the offensive end, unusual for a guard. |
|
|
|
| Richard Hamilton hurt his hip in the first half of Thursday's game, though he was able to return, the AP reports. This doesn't look like an issue going forward, but we'll see how he looks on the weekend. |
|
Baseball
| Football | Basketball
| Hockey | Golf
| Auto Racing
| Soccer
