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| Daniel Gibson won the Soph/Rook MVP award by making a record 11 3-pointers and scoring 33 points to lead the NBA sophomore stars to a 136-109 victory over the top rookies on Friday night. Gibson will also take part in the 3-point challenge. |
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| Kevin Garnett skipped the All Star media session he was required to attend, according to league policy. If a player is voted in as a starter by his peers and the fans, the player is required to attend specific functions, Garnett miss one of those mandatory sessions. According to the Boston Globe, he is not playing in Sunday's game because of his abdominal muscle strain, but is currently in New Orleans taking part in the festivities. |
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| Jason Kidd, G, Dallas Mavericks | Friday 2/15, 6:21 PM CT |
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| ESPN.com reports, the trade that was expected to return Jason Kidd back to Dallas is still in the works. However, with no indication that Mavericks forward Devean George is planning to reverse his posture, the sides have been forced to get creative.
Nets president Rod Thorn told ESPN that the two sides are working to find "a trade combination" that can overcome the unexpected obstacles created by George. At least two sources close to the process expressed optimism Thursday that the deal will be completed. |
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| Kobe Bryant, G, Los Angeles Lakers | Friday 2/15, 4:02 PM CT |
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| Kobe Bryant will have to play in the All-Star game or face a one-game suspension from the league, despite the fact that Bryant has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right pinkie, according to the LA Times. It is NBA policy that any selectee who plays in his team's last game has to play in the All-Star game or sit out his team's next game. Bryant, who was chosen as a starter for the Western Conference, will play in the game but probably be taken out shortly after the opening whistle. |
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| Kirk Snyder, G, Minnesota Timberwolves | Friday 2/15, 1:14 PM CT |
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| The Houston Chronicle reports that Kirk Snyder, who's played in only nine games this year, is reportedly welcome to being trade bait before the Feb. 21 deadline. "It's been a really difficult situation," said Snyder, who is in the last season of his contract. "Obviously I'm not playing so I can't really show other teams what I'm about, what I truly have. It's going to take a team to take kind of a gamble. From a business perspective, I understand that." Snyder's agent, Chris Emens, told the Houston Chronicle that "several teams'' have expressed interest in Snyder, but nothing is definitive concerning his client. |
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| Shaun Livingston is still hopeful to return to the court this season, according to the LA Times.
Livingston's left knee that suffered torn ligaments on Feb. 26, 2007 -- still isn't quite ready to take the wear and tear of the hardcourt. "I'm doing a lot of strength and power," Livingston said. "Just the same -- running suicides and conditioning -- and endurance is the last step. That's where I'm at, trying to get my endurance back." Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy said he wouldn't talk about a possible return date for Livingston until doctors cleared him for practice. |
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| Deron Williams, according to the Deseret Morning News, is the leading candidate to replace Kobe Bryant in Sunday's NBA All-Star game.
Bryant dislocated his right pinkie in a Feb. 5 game against the Nets and according to the report, aggravated it on Wednesday.
The powers to be in the NBA replaced Bryant with reigning NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki in the exciting 3-point shooting contest -- and could assign Williams to be Bryant's proxy for Sunday's Main Event. |
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| Kyle Korver, who was acquired in a trade from the 76ers at the end of December for Gordan Giricek and a first-round draft pick, has began cutting into Ronnie Brewer's playing time. When Brewer was inactive with a sore tailbone, Korver took advantage of his court time and excelled. While Brewer returned to his starting role on Wednesday, look for Korver to challenge coach Sloan for more minutes moving forward. |
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| Kyle Korver, who was acquired in a trade from the 76ers at the end of December, has began cutting into Ronnie Brewer's playing time. When Brewer went down with a sore tailbone recently it looked like Korver might get a chance to take over the starting job. While that still may eventually happen, it looks like Brewer's starter status is safe for now. Wednesday he returned from a two-game absence and was again in the starting lineup, playing 25 minutes against the SuperSonics. |
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| NBA league officials are not happy with comments made by Jerry Stackhouse, one of the players that would go to New Jersey in the proposed Jason Kidd deal. It's been reported that the Nets would immediately buy him out of his contract, which would allow him to re-sign with Dallas, according to ESPN.com. By rule, Stackhouse can't sign with the Mavs for 30 days. "I get 30 days to rest, then I'll be right back," Stackhouse told the AP Wednesday. "I ain't going nowhere." Because of his comments, may have no choice but to eliminate him from the deal or prevent Dallas from re-signing him. "If Stackhouse had kept quiet, the league wouldn't have been able to prove anything," one Western Conference executive said. "Now, it's obvious that he talked to Mark Cuban about coming back to the Mavericks." One executive said the league is looking into the matter and could very well block Stackhouse from being involved in the swap. The trade would have gone down already had Devean George not exercised his right to veto it. |
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| Glen Davis, F, Boston Celtics | Friday 2/15, 10:18 AM CT |
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| An MRI taken of Glen Davis' left knee Thursday revealed a bone bruise, according to the Boston Globe. Davis will rehab the knee over the weekend before having it re-examined on Monday by a team physician. |
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| Chicago enters the All Star break at 21-31, but the team is getting healthy again and the younger players are stepping up. Thursday was a fine example of that, as they were led to victory by two second-year players: Thabo Sefolosha and Tyrus Thomas.
Sefolosha continued his strong play of late with a 17-point, 12-rebound, four-steal effort against the Heat. |
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| The Knicks and Nuggets are discussing a possible deal that would send Zach Randolph to Denver, according to the NY Post. It is believed names discussed in a potential trade include Linas Kleiza, Eduardo Najera, Steven Hunter and J.R. Smith for Randolph and another Knicks player. The Knicks appear most interested in Kleiza, who is having a mini-breakout this year with the Nuggets. The Post indicates that it's still a longshot that Randolph will get dealt. |
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| Tyrus Thomas got the start at center in place of Ben Wallace (who received an excused absence to attend family matters) and responded with 10 points, 12 boards, and four blocks in Chicago's 99-92 win. It was Thomas' first double-double since Jan. 27 and only his fourth in 47 games played this year. |
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| Dirk Nowitzki scored a season high 37 points on Wednesday as the Mavs defeated the Trailblazers, and followed that effort with 36 points on Thursday in Phoenix. Nowitzki also pulled down 12 rebounds to record his second straight double-double. |
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| The "Devean George Watch" will continue until something is settled concerning the Nets Jason Kidd and a trade-deadline personnel-upgrade for the damaged Mavs. George, who blocked a trade that would have sent Jason Kidd to Dallas for a handful of players, including George, was for the second straight night -- pitiful on the court. In 43 minutes Thursday night at Phoenix, George scored but seven points on 3-of-7 shooting and failed to make it to the charity stripe. The Dallas forward also averaged a sub par one-rebound for every seven-minutes of action. |
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| Brian Skinner missed the Thursday night win over Dallas because of the flu. |
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| Amare Stoudemire scored 26 points in the Suns 109-97 win over the Mavs on Thursday night. Stoudemire, who had averaged nearly 14 rebounds per game over the teams last five contests, had a lowly three boards Thursday night. |
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| Steve Nash, G, Phoenix Suns | Friday 2/15, 1:29 AM CT |
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| Steve Nash recorded a double-double Thursday night scoring 24 points and dishing out 13 assists as the Phoenix Suns beat the short-handed Dallas Mavericks 109-97. The Suns point guard is once again considered one of the favorites to win the MVP. |
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| Joe Smith, F, Cleveland Cavaliers | Friday 2/15, 12:11 AM CT |
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| Joe Smith scored 19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead the Bulls in a 99-92 victory over Miami on Thursday night. Smith's double-double was only his fourth since Christmas. |
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| Mark Blount threw in a clunker of a performance on Thursday night as the Bulls staked the Heat to their 24th loss in the last 25 games. The Miami center was 1-of-6 from the floor, scoring but six points and pulling down seven rebounds. The arrival of Shawn Marion from Phoenix will hurt Blount's scoring opportunities moving forward. |
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