[h3]Pistons banged up[/h3]
12:25PM ET
[h5]Detroit Pistons[/h5]
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The Detroit Free-Press reported Saturday that the Detroit Piston will be without
Richard Hamilton and
Tayshaun Prince Sunday versus the
Los Angeles Lakers, and they could be without
Ben Gordon too.
The good news is, forward
Charlie Villanueva will play despite a sore heel, and Gordon hasn't been ruled out.
Without Hamilton and Prince, head coach John Kuester is likely to lean on
Rodney Stuckey to do more of the scoring, but to compete with the Lakers Sunday,
Will Bynum could be a key player in heavier minutes. Jason Maxiel and
Jonas Jerebko may get increased time versus a bigger Lakers lineup, and
Chris Wilcox could be asked to match up with LaMar Odom with Prince out.
http:// [h3]Cavs looking to match up[/h3]
12:16PM ET
[h5]Cleveland Cavaliers[/h5]
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The
Cleveland Cavaliers know they have an advantage at the small forward spot where
LeBron James is dominant, and consistently turns out top-drawer performances. But the team has apparently look at their main competitors and noticed one disadvantage: The power forward position, and particularly when it comes to scoring.
Brian Windhorst reports that the Cavs see the likes Boston's
Kevin Garnett and
Rasheed Wallace, and Orlando's
Rashard Lewis as big obstacles in a playoff series and are looking to get better at the four spot before February's trade deadline.
After failing to sign
Channing Frye or
Linas Kleiza over the summer, Windhorst lists Warriors forward
Anthony Randolph as a trade target, as well as well as
Troy Murphy of the
Indiana Pacers and
Washington Wizards veteran
Antawn Jamison.
http:// [h3]Update: Barbosa on schedule[/h3]
12:04PM ET
[h5]Leandro Barbosa |
Suns[/h5]
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Leandro Barbosa is still on schedule to return Friday versus the Los Angeles Clipper,
Coro wrote Saturday night. Barbosa has been out since November 15 with a sprained ankle.
Phoenix already leads the league in scoring at 108.9 points per game, and Barbosa was averaging 11.6 points per game and shooting over 40 percent from three-point range before the injury, suggesting that the Suns offense could get even better upon his return.
The team absorbed Barbosa's absence by spreading out more minutes for
Steve Nash,
Grant Hill and
Jason Richardson, and getting
Goran Dragic more involved. It remains to be seen if head coach Alvin Gentry will simply use Barbosa to get Nash more rest or whether the two play more together and the aforementioned Dragic loses minutes.
http:// [h3]Who's stepping up in Miami?[/h3]
11:56AM ET
[h5]Dwyane Wade |
Heat[/h5]
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With
Dwyane Wade's being
subdued a little bit by an ailing back, at least theoretically, the team may need to get more scoring from someone else.
The prime candidates are
Michael Beasley,
Jermaine O'Neal and
Quentin Richardson. Richardson may see a few more minutes per game until Wade is back to 100 percent, and he may be the key figure for Miami.
Wade is expected to play Sunday versus Portland, but the team's overall effort on defense and a little extra offensive help would make things a little easier on Wade's back. After all, he has been carrying an entire franchise on it for some time now.
http:// [h3]Bulls to run more with Thomas?[/h3]
11:43AM ET
[h5]Tyrus Thomas |
Bulls[/h5]
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The
Chicago Bulls push the ball now, behind point guard
Derrick Rose, but forward
Tyrus Thomas is
due back within the next week or so and his strength is his athleticism, and he loves to run the floor and get out on the fast break.
Ahh, a new target for Rose.
Thomas' return to the lineup could ultimately cut into the minutes being played by
Taj Gibson and
James Johnson, and could allow head coach
Vinny Del Negro to go small with Thomas at the four or five and even with a big lineup using Thomas at the three.
http:// [h3]Magic guard back soon?[/h3]
11:35AM ET
[h5]Jameer Nelson |
Magic[/h5]
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Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports that
Orlando Magic point guard
Jameer Nelson will practice Sunday and could play Wednesday against the
Houston Rockets.
Nelson joined his team for shootaround Saturday and his knee felt "wonderful" afterward.
In his absence,
Jason Williams and
Anthony Johnson have handled the point guard duties, combining for almost 13 points and more than seven assists per night. But one of them is going to be relegated to spot duty once Nelson returns, and a trade is not out of the question, either.
http:// [h3]Kiki: Let's go back to basics[/h3]
11:25AM ET
[h5]New Jersey Nets[/h5]
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New Jersey Nets head coach Kiki Vandeweigh is
going back to basics when it comes to his team's defensive efforts.
"Obviously there are offensive-minded players and defensive-minded players," Vandeweghe said. "But rather than focus on more rotations and things like that, we'll focus on guarding your own man."
Guarding your own man? As opposed to, what? Well, the Nets haven't been guarding anyone this year, allowing 101 points per game, No. 18 in the league, including an opponents field goal percentage of .482, third worst in the NBA.
Vandeweigh has his work cut out for him.
http:// [h3]Nets forward back soon?[/h3]
11:16AM ET
[h5]Yi Jianlian |
Nets[/h5]
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Yi Jianlian, recovering from a knee injury and an elbow plant to the face, is due back soon,
writes the Newark Star-Ledger.
Jianlian's return would give the Nets more depth, whether the 7-footer jumps into the starting lineup or is used off the bench. If he starts,
Josh Boone heads back to the bench and Jainlian joins
Brook Lopez and
Chris Douglas-Roberts on a pretty solid front line.
http:// [h3]When will Iverson return?[/h3]
11:03AM ET
[h5]Allen Iverson |
76ers[/h5]
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Allen Iverson's arthritic left knee could keep him out for more time than originally thought. 76ers head coach Eddie Jordan said yesterday that Iverson would be back for tonight's game against the Clippers. Later Jordan said Iverson could be out until the team plays in Utah next Saturday.
A 76ers official clarified Iverson's status with the
Philadelphia Daily News:
"There is certainly a possibility that he could be out until Utah. It depends on what Dr. Jack [McPhilemy] says and how he [Iverson] feels [today]. Is there a possibility he could play [tonight]? Yes, depending on how he feels. However, if he's not responding well, there is the thought process that maybe we hold him out [tonight] and Tuesday [in Washington] and let him get an extra week of rest, then bring him back for Utah."
