The Wolves have suspended Al Jefferson for two games following his recent arrest on suspicion of DWI. Maybe with Big Al out Kurt Rambis will give Kevin Love a full set of minutes, but we’re not holding our breath. Darko Milicic also stands to benefit and could get as much run as he can handle, which isn’t saying much since he’s getting winded by just 22-24 mpg. Regardless, he’s worth watching to see how this plays out.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Miami: Dwyane Wade (calf) was a surprise participant in Sunday’s 96-80 loss to the Orlando Magic, and scored 21 points on 6-of-17 shooting with five rebounds, five assists, and one steal.

Milwaukee: John Salmons went off for season-high 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting (including two 3-pointers) with eight rebounds, four assists, and one steal.

New Jersey: Yi Jianlian scored 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting with a career-high 19 rebounds to go with two assists and a steal on Sunday.

Washington: Andray Blatche exploded for a career-high 36 points on 17-of-31 shooting with 15 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks, and hit two key jumpers with under 44 seconds left in the Wizards’ 89-85 win over the New Jersey Nets on Sunday. We can’t say enough about Blatche, who is the undisputed No. 1 option offensively for the Wizards. Tonight, they were force-feeding him the ball to the point that he was getting tired as a result of it.

Cleveland: Shaquille O’Neal will have surgery on this right thumb in Baltimore on Monday, and a timetable for his return will be announced after that. Surgery usually means a 6-8 week timetable for recovery, which means the appropriate question is whether or not he’ll be able to return for the NBA playoffs.

Cleveland: According to sources close to Phil Jackson, LeBron James has expressed interest in joining the Los Angeles Lakers. “LeBron wants to win. He’s a smart guy, and Phil loves LeBron, absolutely loves him,” according to the report. Obviously, there is way too much involved with a situation like this for one blurb, but if the report holds water then look for this to become a big storyline in the upcoming days.

Vince Carter distorted space and time on Monday, scoring a season-high 48 points on a variety of vintage moves, connecting on 19-of-27 FGs, 6-of-10 three-pointers, and 4-of-4 FTs. VC has scored 20+ points in three consecutive games and is obviously over the shoulder injury that hampered him throughout January. He was posting up, hitting 3-pointers and slashing to the lane, and the buy-low window has officially been slammed shut. It was his highest-scoring game since 2006.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Lakers will play without both Kobe Bryant (sprained left ankle) and Andrew Bynum (bruised right hip) vs. the Spurs on Monday.Consider both of them questionable for L.A.’s final game before the All-Star break, Wednesday at Utah. Lamar Odom will start at PF on Monday, moving Pau Gasol to center.

Toronto: Andrea Bargnani’s ankle was a bit tender on Monday and his participation in practice was limited. The Toronto Raptors don’t play until Wednesday, their final game before the break, and it appears Bargnani just got some precautionary rest.

Charlotte: David West scored 27 points in the Hornets’ losing effort on Monday, making 10-of-19 FGs and 7-of-7 FTs in his second-highest scoring total of the past 18 games.

West is still a reliable option, though his points (17.9), FG attempts (14.8) and rebounds (7.6) have all taken big dips this season, along with his playing time (35:36). Most of that was a lackluster November, however, and an ankle injury which has since healed.

Atlanta: Atlanta Hawks G Joe Johnson is probable for Tuesday’s game despite having the flu. He had been listed as questionable, so this is great news if you gambled on him in a shortened Week 16.

Portland: Brandon Roy did not end up having another injection of PRP on Monday. He’s hopeful rest and treatment will be enough to fix his hamstring, but it’s still too early to tell when he’ll play again. He also won’t be getting much rest over All-Star Weekend, as he’ll be required to be in Dallas for the weekend per the NBA.

Denver: Carmelo Anthony, who was quoted by the Nuggets’ official Twitter page as saying he was “probable” for Tuesday’s game against the Mavs, was non-committal about his availability when speaking with beat writer Benjamin Hochman. “Hopefully I can get back out there [Tuesday],” Anthony said after Monday’s practice. “It felt good out there today. It’s getting better each day. Pretty much I was doing a lot that I could do before I got hurt.”

New Jersey: Devin Harris is “50-50″ to play on Tuesday against the Cavaliers due to his shoulder injury.

J.R. Smith

The Nuggets decided to postpone a press release on what had previously been reported as an announcement of J.R. Smith being suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, and while a suspension is still very possible, it is not a certainty at this point.

Smith’s behavior has grown tiresome, and something he did on the bench in Saturday’s game was the tipping point, enough for coach George Karl to say, “some guys (Nuggets) had strong opinions last night.” The Denver Nuggets are slowing their assessment of Smith’s situation, but any way you slice it he looks headed for the doghouse.

Toronto: Hedo Turkoglu drove the lane and drew a foul with 1.5 seconds left and calmly nailed two free throws to give the Toronto Raptors a 106-105 win over the Lakers on Sunday. Aside from the heroics, he didn’t look good Sunday, scoring just nine points on 1-of-6 shooting (6-of-6 from the foul line) with two rebounds, five assists, a block, and a 3-pointer.

Toronto: Andrea Bargnani (back) returned to action Sunday and scored 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting (including a three) with eight rebounds, a steal, a block, and an assist. He played a full complement of minutes Sunday, and didn’t show any signs of his back hurting him.

Los Angeles: Kobe Bryant came one assist away from a triple-double on Sunday, scoring 27 points on 11-of-23 shooting (including a three) with career-high 16 rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and one block.

Los Angeles: Lamar Odom was non-existent in the Los Angeles Lakers loss to the Raptors on Sunday, playing just 16 minutes and scoring only four points to go with six rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

Denver: Carmelo Anthony will not play Monday against the Bobcats due to an ankle sprain, and is targeting Wednesday’s game for his return. “The best bet is to wait until Wednesday’s game to get it better. It didn’t swell up, so that’s a good sign. I’ve had ankle injuries before, but this one is not as bad as the others,” said Anthony, who is wearing a protective boot to keep him from limping.

Houston: Houston Rockets center Chuck Hayes had just two points and zero rebounds in 10 minutes on Saturday, the result of tendinitis in his right knee. He started the game but was in pain and needed to ride a stationary bicycle when he wan’t playing. “As I get going, sometimes it loosens up, sometimes it tightens on me,” Hayes said. “We’re going to try to keep it loose as much as possible.” Any games or minutes he loses should directly increase the opportunities for Luis Scola and Carl Landry.

1. Lakers (30-9): It’s amazing how the Los Angeles Lakers start to lose a few games when they have to play on the road.
2. Cavaliers (30-11): The Cavs should look to make a move before the trade deadline.
3. Spurs (21-12): Really starting to play better, watch out!
4. Celtics (27-11): Really hurt by injuries.
5. Hawks (25-13): Coming on of late, young players are developing.
6. Magic (26-13): Nobody has an answer for superman.
7. Mavericks (25-13): Could be a dark horse in the playoffs.
8. Suns (24-13): Nash is still the best PG in the NBA.
9. Nuggets (25-14): Lost to the Kings twice in a week.
10. Trail Blazers (24-16): Still a top-ten team after major injuries.
11. Rockets (22-17): They just play their harts out.
12. Thunder (21-17): How long before they’re one of the top three teams in the league?
13. Jazz (22-17): Year after year…they’re in the playoffs.
14. Heat (19-18): Will Wade be back?
15. Hornets (20-17): Starting to play better.
16. Grizzlies (19-18): One of the better “young” teams in the league.
17. Raptors (19-20): Bosh is as good as gone.
18. Bulls (17-20): Del Negro actually has this team playing better.
19. Bobcats (17-19): Always in the bottom third.
20. Clippers (17-20): They would be a playoff team if Blake did not get hurt.
21. Kings (15-22): Kevin Martin might play on Friday.
22. Knicks (16-22): Lee is inline for a huge contract this offseason.
23. Bucks (15-21): Jennings is tailing off a bit, but he is still a good young player.
24. Pistons (12-25): How the mighty have fallen.
25. Wizards (12-25): Arenas will never play for this team again.
26. Pacers (13-25): A few good young players.
27. 76ers (13-26): This team needs to be broken up.
28. Warriors (11-26): Has Nelson been fired yet?
29. Timberwolves (8-32): If Love can stay healthy, they have a few good big men.
30. Nets (3-35): Who will they select with the No. one overall pick?

Gilbert Arenas was charged Thursday with a single count of carrying a pistol without a license, a felony that carries a five-year sentence, but he has reportedly reached a plea agreement that should keep him out of jail, according to sources close to the case.

If Arenas is able to avoid jail time, it would be a major victory in his legal battles considering he has a previous gun charge. Whether he spends time behind bars or not, we don’t expect Arenas to play again this season, and it would also be surprising if he ever plays another game for the Wizards.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Los Angeles: Los Angeles  Lakers G Kobe Bryant said Thursday that his lower back is “a little tight [but] other than that, I’m fine,” and expects to play against the Clippers on Friday. Bryant says he had a “nice little device” to keep his back loose on the plane ride home from Dallas Wednesday and received more treatment on Thursday.

Los Angeles: Paul Gasol (hamstring) participated fully in Thursday’s practice and expects to play Friday against the Clippers. Though he is still officially listed as day-to-day, Gasol looks like a safe bet for Friday, as both he and Coach Phil Jackson were optimistic about his chances.

Los Angeles: Clippers C Chris Kaman (back) is hoping to play on Friday against the Lakers after a promising MRI report. This may be optimism speaking. We’d like to see a more concrete report before making a recommendation.

Chicago: Luol Deng hit 8-of-13 shots and 9-of-10 free throws for 25 points as the Bulls won their third straight game by beating the Celtics at Boston Celtics. Deng only had two rebounds, but also added four assists, two steals and two blocks. Yes he’s injury prone, and yes he’s playing with a banged up thumb, but he played 40 minutes tonight and doesn’t look like someone planning on shutting it down.

Portland: An MRI Thursday confirmed that Brandon Roy has a strained right hamstring. He remains questionable for Friday’s game against the Orlando Magic. The good news is that the MRI revealed no tears. But the bad news is it’s still a strained hamstring, which doesn’t heal without rest. Roy is still considered questionable for Friday, but he sounded very concerned about the injury Wednesday night, so don’t be surprised if he misses a game or two to let the hamstring heal.

Boston: Paul Pierce played through a sore knee and had 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two 3-pointers in Thursday’s loss to the Bulls. The Celtics have already lost six games at home, matching their total home losses for each of the last two seasons.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest suffered a concussion and injured his left elbow after falling at his Home on Friday night. Artest apparently tripped over a box and fell down a flight of stairs and did not travel with the team to Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
Artest was treated at UCLA Medical Center, undergoing a CT scan and receiving stitches in the back of his head and his elbow.

A neurologist examined him on Saturday and confirmed he had a concussion and would only be day to day. Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson seemed a bit annoyed with reporters after being asked to “interpret” the accident: “Let me see, my interpretation is that an accident happened, he fell down, he ended up in the hospital, and he came out with some stitches. Other than that, I can’t add anything to it.” Los Angeles began a stretch with four games in five days on Christmas, culminating in a home game against Golden State on Tuesday. “What I was telling the team is that he brings a certain physical presence to our game,” Jackson said. “And we’ll miss that part of his game.”

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Oakland: Warriors G/F Corey Maggette was on fire in Saturday’s thrilling 132-127 win over the Suns, scoring 33 points on 13-of-17 shooting. He made all seven of his FT attempts and had eight rebounds and one steal in 35 minutes. His move into the starting lineup proved to be the right decision, as he’s now topped 20 points in seven consecutive games.

Chicago: Chicago Bulls F Tyrus Thomas returned from his broken forearm on Saturday, posting a team-high 21 points on 10-of-17 shooting, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks.

New Orleans: New Orleans Hornets swingman Devin Brown hit 6-of-7 three-pointers against the Bulls, finishing with a team-high 22 points, four rebounds and two steals. All of his points came in the first half. So far this season, Brown’s field goal percentage is a measly 38.5%.

Atlanta: Hawks center Al Horford dominated the Pacers in Saturday’s victory, racking up 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting, 19 rebounds, two assists and five blocks. Horford averaging a career high 13.8 ppg, while shooting 58% to lead the surging Atlanta Hawks to a record of 21-8 thus far this season.

Phoenix: Steve Nash led the Suns in an old-fashioned shootout with the Warriors, scoring a season-high 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting, including 6-of-12 three-pointers.

Mo Williams scored 28 points to go along with six rebounds, seven assists and three 3-pointers, and LeBron James added 26 points and nine assists as the Cavaliers easily beat the Lakers in L.A. on Christmas Day. Kobe Bryant paced the Los Angeles Lakers with 35 points and a near triple-double, but took 32 shots to reach 35 points, as the Cavs controlled the pace and tempo of the game from the opening tip. Tempers flared on the court, as Lamar Odom was ejected with two technical fouls, while Williams, LeBron, Kobe and Derek Fisher all confronted each other, leading to angry fans littering the floor with foam fingers. This may now be the most contested rivalry in the NBA.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Los Angeles: Marcus Camby, who was iffy coming into Friday’s game with a hyperextended left knee, started, but then left the game after aggravating the injury and will not return. Camby’s injuries are always a major concern and his status for his next game is automatically in doubt.

Los Angeles: Kobe Bryant scored 35 points, but made just 11-of-32 shots in a loss to the Cavaliers on Christmas Day. The Cavs easily won today’s game, although Kobe’s fantasy line included a 3-pointers, 12-of-12 free throw shooting, nine boards, eight assists and two steals. He has been dealing with a sore knee and a broken finger coming in, but looked to be moving at full speed in this one.

Phoenix: Phoenix Suns G Leandro Barbosa returned from a sprained ankle on Christmas Day and had 12 points, four assists, a steal and a block on 4-of-8 shooting in 21 minutes off the bench.

Boston Celtics: Kevin Garnett, who clearly landed hard on his back and tailbone on Friday, also hit his head on the court during the fall. He didn’t return to the game, but says he’s fine. “I’m ok,” Garnett said. “I’ve had harder falls. I’m just glad we won to be honest. I’m sure I’ll feel it in the morning. But for now, I’m all right.” The key words are “for now,” but it sounds like KG is planning to play on Sunday at the Clippers.

Boston: Glen Davis returned from a broken thumb on Friday and failed to score in four minutes.
He’ll be worked into the mix slowly, but if Kevin Garnett is ever going to miss a string of game due to injuries, Davis should have some immediate value in deep leagues.

Orlando: Vince Carter hit 10-of-20 shots and a 3-pointer for a game-high 27 points to go along with five rebounds, two assists and four steals as the Magic fell to the Celtics on Christmas Day.

1. Celtics (16-4): They have done nothing to lose the top spot.
2. Lakers (15-3): Playing great, right there with the Celtics.
3. Suns (15-5): Really coming on now.
4. Nuggets (15-5): Is Melo the MVP?
5. Magic (16-4): Very good team and will improve.
6. Cavaliers (15-5): Can Shaq hold on for the entire year?
7. Cavaliers (15-5): Climbing up the board a bit.
8. Hawks (14-6): Bibby is keeping this young team jelled.
9. Trail Blazers (13-8): Losing Oden really set this team back.
10. Heat (10-9): Hanging on to a top 10 slot, barley.
11. Jazz (11-8): Starting to play better.
12. Thunder (10-9): Very young and they will be very good. Soon.
13. Rockets (11-9): Did anyone thing they would be above .500 with all the injuries.
14. Spurs (9-8): Please start playing better.
15. Kings (9-9): Like the Thunder: young, good and improving.
16. Bucks (9-10): They have had a few bad breaks this season.
17. Bobcats (8-11): Have they ever been exciting?
18. Bulls (7-11): Starting to fade, some had high hopes for this team.
19. Raptors (9-13): Will they trade their best player or watch him walk?
20. Clippers (9-11): They are, well the Clippers.
21. Hornets (8-11): At least they have a few pieces.
22. Grizzlies (8-12): Gasol is a bright spot.
23. Pacers (6-12): Should be better than this.
24. Warriors (6-13): Blow this team up…
25. Pistons (8-12): Free agent additions not paying off thus far.
26. Wizard (7-12): Very disappointing.
27. 76ers (5-15): Iverson makes this team worse, instantly.
28. Knicks (6-15): Does the great one really want to play here?
29. Timberwolves (3-17): The Nets are coming for you!!!
30. Nets (1-19): Win a few more and I can get you out of the cellar.

Courtney Lee moved into the starting lineup and hit 11-of-16 shots to score a career-high 27 points as the Nets broke an 18-game losing streak, logging their first win of the season by beating the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday. Lee added four boards, three steals and three 3-pointers in the win and appears to finally be healthy and playing well. Brook Lopez also added 31 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks on 12-of-22 shooting.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Los Angeles: Lakers G Kobe Bryant threw up a running 3-pointer at the buzzer of Friday’s game with Dwyane Wade draped all over him, banking in the shot for a one-point win over the Heat. The Los Angeles Lakers, who have won eight straight games, appeared to have lost this one at home to Dwyane Wade and company before Kobe hit the miracle shot. Kobe scored 17 in the fourth quarter and finished with 33 points, and could be on his way to another MVP trophy this year.

Boston: Celtics F Kevin Garnett hit 10-of-11 shots for 23 points and eight rebounds in Friday’s win over the Thunder, the seventh in a row for the Boston Celtics. Paul Pierce scored 21 first-half points and had seven players in double figures scoring, but KG was the star. He’s averaging 19 points, 7.4 boards and 3.6 assists over his last five, hitting connecting on 41-of-52 shots and 13-of-13 free throws.

Charlotte: Raymond Felton got hot on Friday, hitting 11-of-14 shots and all four of his 3-pointers for a season-high 28 points to go along with five boards, four assists and two steals. We’re not sure where this came from, as Felton had scored in single digits in six of his last nine games, although there are signs that he’s ready to turn it around. Outside of tonight’s huge line, he posted 12 and 14 points in his previous two games.

New Orleans: Chris Paul had 16 points, 15 assists and a season-high eight steals in Friday’s win over the Timberwolves after being out since Nov. 13 with a sprained ankle. Wow. Welcome back, CP3. Go ahead and get him into your lineup as soon as possible, obviously.

New York: Nate Robinson was a DNP-CD again on Friday, as he remains in coach Mike D’Antoni’s doghouse. Robinson will likely enter the fray again at some point, or will be traded, but if you want to drop him for a hot free agent like Courtney Lee, go for it.

New York: Chris Duhon finally got aggressive and took the ball to the rack on Friday, finishing with a season-high 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting as the Knicks beat the Hawks in Atlanta. Duhon also had 10 assists for a double-double, and hit four 3-pointers, easily posting his best line of the season. He’d scored just 13 total points in his last two and came in shooting 29 percent on the season. Don’t expect consistent play from him, but it’s possible that he’s ready to start producing

1. Celtics (8-3): Nobody has stepped up to knock them off the top yet.
2. Lakers (8-3): Came back down to earth a bit.
3. Suns (10-2): Playing better than expected.
4. Nuggets (8-3): Really dangerous team, both regular and post season.
5. Hawks (9-2): Young and playing good basketball.
6. Magic (8-3): The Magic are a very solid team.
7. Cavaliers (8-3): I though they would be top three in the beginning.
8. Mavericks (8-3): Can they hold up without injuries?
9. Portland Trail Blazers (8-4): They go as Odem goes.
10. Heat (7-3): Wade is carrying this team.
11. Bulls (6-4): Looking to take the next step.
12. Spurs (4-4): They will be there in the end, like usual.
13. Kings (5-5): Surprise of the young NBA season?
14. Bucks (5-3): Middle of the pack, as expected.
15. Pacers (5-3): A few good young players.
16. Thunder (6-5): Exciting to watch.
17. Rockets (6-5): They stay competitive with what they have.
18. Raptors (5-6): Nothing exciting here.
19. Pistons (5-6): Offseason moves not paying off yet.
20. Jazz (4-6): Surprisingly struggling.
21. 76ers (4-6): See Jazz statement above.
22. Clippers (4-8): Clippers will be the Clippers.
23. Hornets (4-8):
24. Bobcats (3-7): Time to start over (for the fifth time)?
25. Wizard (2-7): Finally healthy, look for them to climb a bit.
26. Warriors (3-7): Horrible.
27. Grizzlies (2-8): Can’t believe they were good recently.
28. Knicks (1-9): They don’t even have a first round pick on 2010.
29. Timberwolves (1-10): Terrible.
30. Nets (0-11): I’m taking bets on when the first win will come, 17 sounds good.