Paul Gasol out Until Christmas?

ESPN’s Mark Jackson reported Wednesday that Phil Jackson was kidding when he said that Paul Gasol could be out until Christmas. Jackson also said that Pau is day-to-day, but won’t play Thursday. That’s all well and good, but the reports we’ve seen indicate that Gasol is not likely to play for the next two weeks.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Cleveland: Cleveland Cavaliers SF LeBron James says he will no longer discuss the summer of 2010 and his pending free agency. Apparently the “do you want to play with Dwyane Wade in Miami?” questions pushed him over the edge. “I think I owe it to my teammates, I owe it to myself,” he said. “It’s just getting old. I’m focusing on this season.”

Cleveland: Cavs G Delonte West will not play on Wednesday and is on the inactive list.
He apparently missed a team flight on Tuesday, which probably has a lot to do with his absence tonight. West is going to probably be more of a headache than he’s worth to fantasy owners this season.

Detroit: Detroit Pistons PF Charlie Villanueva scored a season-high 30 to go along with two 3-pointers, four rebounds, two steals and a block. Villanueva hit 13-of-17 shots and outscored the Bobcats 18-12 in the second quarter. He’s averaging 19 ppg over his last six and is starting to get comfortable with his new team.

Portland: A healthy Blazers C Greg Oden had 18 points, 11 rebounds, a steal and a block on 8-of-10 shooting in a dominant win over the Timberwolves. Oden played just three quarters and dominated Al Jefferson, who is obviously far from full strength after knee surgery. Jefferson had just 14 points and six rebounds against Oden, and is averaging just six boards per game.

New Jersey: Nets C Brook Lopez had 23 points, 14 boards, a steal and a block in another loss on Wednesday. The New Jersey Nets have yet to win a game, but Lopez is an early season bright spot on what appears to be a bad team.

San Antonio: As expected, Spurs PF Tim Duncan and PG Tony Parker are not playing for the Spurs on Wednesday due to ankle injuries. DeJuan Blair and George Hill are starting in their place. Both Duncan and Parker did come out and loosen up before the game and are possibilities to play on Saturday. We’re guessing both could have played tonight, but Gregg Popovich is going to save them as much as he can for the playoffs.

Los Angelas: Los Angelas Lakers C Andrew Bynum will play Thursday and will not be on a minutes count.
He could play as many as 35 against the Suns, and the Lakers have to hope he stays healthy now that Pau Gasol is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury.