Josh Smith putback a Joe Johnson miss at the buzzer with an incredible dunk on Wednesday, just beating the buzzer for another thrilling finish for the Hawks. Smith had a modest line of 15 points, seven boards, three assists, a steal and four blocks on the night, but his game-ender will be the talk of the sports world for the next 24 hours.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Washington: Despite a tiff with coach Flip Saunders on Tuesday, Andray Blatche had 21 points and six rebounds in 39 minutes of work in Wednesday’s loss to the Pacers. Saunders has apparently put the altercation behind him, but it’s worth noting that Blatche had this to say at the shootaround: “I don’t appreciate what was said about me to the press and in the papers, because I never said those kind of words. Over time things will heal.” Still, we don’t see any ramifications going forward in terms of Blatche’s minutes.

Washington: James Singleton came off the bench for 19 points, 21 rebounds and a block in 35 minutes of work on Wednesday night. Singleton has now played 35+ minutes in three of his last four games and it should be noted that JaVale McGee saw just 12 minutes of work tonight. Still, Singleton has just one block in those four games and was going up against Josh McRoberts tonight with Roy Hibbert out.

Orlando: Dwight Howard had 19 points, 24 rebounds, two steals and four blocks, and even hit 11-of-16 free throws on Wednesday, but couldn’t it wasn’t enough as the Hawks beat the Orlando Magic.

Utah: C.J. Miles had 12 points, five rebounds, two treys and a block in Wednesday’s win over the Raptors. Miles picked up another start with Andrei Kirilenko (calf) still sidelined.

Charlotte: Stephen Jackson, who is playing through a painful left hand injury, got hot early and stayed hot, finishing with 37 points in Wednesday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jackson hit 15-of-24 shots to break out of a 10-for-40 shooting slump, including four 3-pointers, and added five boards, three assists and two steals.

Portland: Brandon Roy is recovering from a left knee bruise, but he’s fully expected to play against the Mavs on Thursday. Roy apparently banged the knee in a recent game, but it’s nothing serious. Roy has salvaged his season after that nasty hamstring pull and is averaging 22.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 treys in nine March games.

Dwyane Wade scored 36 points on 12-of-26 shooting (including three 3-pointers) with 10 rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block in the Heat’s 108-102 overtime loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday. He is playing like a man possessed lately, averaging 32.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 2.2 steals per game in the month of March.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: Dwight Howard got his 15th technical foul of the season, and played just 31 foul-plagued minutes on his way to 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting with 11 rebounds, one assist, and four blocks in Thursday’s win over the Miami Heat. One more technical foul for him and he will be suspended for a regular season game, which only serves to put owners on edge for the rest of the season, since it’s unlikely he’ll be on their benches unless his free throw woes and/or turnovers are proving to be too meddlesome.

Orlando: Matt Barnes logged 40 minutes against the Heat on Thursday despite his sprained toe, and finished with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting (including a three) with nine rebounds and three assists. Surely the Magic didn’t want him to have to play this much, but with Mickael Pietrus (ankle) out for at least a week they don’t really have a choice. Barnes defended Dwyane Wade for much of the game, illustrating how much Orlando needs him, and luckily for him his next game isn’t until Monday.

Charlotte: Peja Stojakovic (groin) said Thursday that he still doesn’t have a timetable for his return as he has hit the halfway point of his original two-week projection. “It has improved,” said Stojakovic. “But I wouldn’t say a great deal. I’d say it’s better this last week, since we started the road trip. It’s getting better.” These are not words that fantasy owners should be counting on, as it’s looking like he’ll be back for just a handful of games.

Oakland: Kelenna Azubuike said Thursday that he is leaning towards taking a $3.3 million player option available to him for the 2010-11 season, which is the last year of his contract. “I’m leaning toward a certain way – coming back,” said Azubuike, which is a welcoming piece of news for the Warriors.

Washington: Andray Blatche (sprained left ankle) said that he will play Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers, but coach Flip Saunders has been a bit less optimistic saying he is 50-50 to play. “It’s a little tender. I’m going to try to play – no, I’m not going to try, I’m going to play,” Blatche said. “I’m just going to work through it.” He also added, that “the pain, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being worst, it’s probably a five.” This will be a case of a player’s heart versus a coach’s mind, and owners would be wise to heed Saunders’ assessment of “50-50.”

Utah: Deron Williams aggravated his shoulder during Sunday’s loss to the Thunder, and briefly left the game, but returned and finished with 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting (including a three) with two rebounds, 14 assists, and a steal.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Miami: Dwyane Wade scored 38 points on 14-of-25 shooting (including a three) with five rebounds, two assists, five steals, and a block in the Miami Heat’s 104-91 win over the Sixers on Sunday.

Miami: Jermaine O’Neal was ejected during the second half of Sunday’s game against the Sixers after grabbing Samuel Dalembert’s face in retaliation for an accidental poke in the eye by Dalembert. He finished with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting with eight rebounds and a block. He could be facing a suspension from the league

Utah: Wesley Matthews scored a career-high 29 points with the Jazz missing Andrei Kirilenko (calf) and Mehmet Okur (back) on Sunday, hitting 9-of-11 shots from the field including six 3-pointers, three rebounds, and no assists in 35 minutes. He has been starting and playing a very consistent 25 mpg over the past few weeks, but with the Utah Jazz ailing they needed him to step up — and he did.

Orlando: Matt Barnes told reporters that he expects to play Wednesday against the Spurs despite a sprained big toe in his left foot that caused him to miss Sunday’s game. Coach Stan Van Gundy was reportedly optimistic about his chances even if his words were measured, saying “I would hope with us not playing again until Wednesday that this would be the only one he’d miss, but you never know.” With the Orlando Magic playing just two games this week, we’re not sure if it matters.

Orlando: Mickael Pietrus started for injured Matt Barnes (sprained toe) on Sunday, and scored 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting (5-of-7 from downtown) with five rebounds and no assists in 42 minutes of action.

Charlotte: Stephen Jackson scored 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting (including three 3-pointers) with six rebounds, six assists, and a steal as the Charlotte Bobcats went into Orlando and beat the Magic by a score of 96-89. The win ties a franchise record for consecutive wins with six, and for Jackson we may be seeing the beginning of a hot streak, as he has scored at least 24 points in three straight games.

Cleveland: Antawn Jamison returned from a one-game absence due to a sore knee on Sunday, and double-doubled with 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting, 12 rebounds, no assists, and two blocks in 30 minutes.

Derrick Rose will have an MRI on Friday to evaluate his left wrist that he sprained in Thursday’s game against the Orlando Magic. “Derrick has a sprained wrist,” coach Vinny Del Negro said. “I have no idea how bad it is. He’s going to get an MRI [Friday] to see how bad the damage is and see how he feels.” It’s unclear who will run the point if he’s out, whether that be Kirk Hinrich or Jannero Pargo, or if Flip Murray joins the starting lineup instead.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Portland: Brandon Roy scored 41 points on 14-of-22 shooting (with no threes) to go with eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block against the defenseless Warriors on Thursday. Granted, this came against the Warriors, but it’s Roy’s first “statement” game since injuring his hamstring.

Atlanta: Jamal Crawford tied a season-high with 29 points on 8-of-16 shooting (4-of-7 from downtown, 9-of-11 from the foul line) with no rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes off the bench on Thursday. With all of his huge fourth quarter performances this year, this one may fly a bit under the radar, especially with the game not being on the TNT schedule. He is showing no effects from his past shoulder and thumb injuries,

Orlando: Vince Carter scored 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting (including two 3-pointers) with four rebounds, no assists, and a block in 26 minutes of action on Thursday.

Washington: JaVale McGee scored a career-high 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting with nine rebounds and an assist against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, and also tied Dwight Howard for dunks in a game this year with eight.

Miami: Michael Beasley (bruised left thigh) is listed as a game-time decision for Friday’s game against the Bulls. It’s a huge game for the Heat, who lead the Bulls by one game for the final playoff spot in the East. That will give Beasley every incentive to be out there and we’d expect him to play through mere soreness.

Chris Bosh (ankle) will not play on Monday and remains questionable for Friday’s game vs. the New York Knicks. The good news is that he’ll get another four days off before Toronto plays New York, though that leaves him with a maximum of two games this week.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: The Orlando Magic rode Jameer Nelson’s 22 points and 10 assists to a victory on Monday — he made 8-of-11 shots, including 2-of-4 from downtown. This was just the third time all season Nelson has scored 20+ points, but he has scored double-digits in nine straight and is dishing out a season-high 6.7 assists per game in February.

Minnesota: Due to the two-game suspension of Al Jefferson, Darko Milicic is likely to start in his place for the next couple games. Obviously Kurt Rambis doesn’t want to break up the delicate bench rotation by starting Kevin Love for the 14-win T-Wolves. So it will be Darko, who is all set to go to Europe forever once the season is over, who will get the call tonight. If you want to use him for the Wolves’ two-game week, he should put up some numbers.

Oakland: Monta Ellis, who missed Saturday’s game with a sore back, is not with the team for the start of their five game road trip and is awaiting test results before determining his availability for the rest of the week.

Oakland: Andris Biedrins did not accompany the Warriors for the start of their five-game road trip and is out indefinitely with his groin injury. He’ll see a specialist soon in order to determine a plan for recovery.

Toronto: Jose Calderon will miss Monday’s game with a lacerated elbow he suffered on Sunday in Oklahoma City Thunder.

Houston: Trevor Ariza will not play on Monday because of his lingering hip injury. He was questionable coming in and should be considered day-to-day

A

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.

Kobe Bryant won’t play in Sunday’s All-Star game because of his sprained left ankle. Bryant hasn’t played since Feb. 5 and by taking this weekend off, he’ll end up with a full 10 days of rest before the Los Angeles Lakers play again. We’re fully expecting Kobe to suit up when the Lakers take on the Warriors on Tuesday.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Cleveland: Shaquille O’Neal played just 19 minutes due to foul trouble, but his contributions on the court outweighed the 10-point, six-rebound effort he gave against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in the Cavs win on Thursday. He drew double teams that opened the door for J.J. Hickson’s 20-point night, and then held Howard scoreless in the last 7:48 of the fourth quarter. After the game the quotable one said, “I don’t really consider it manning up until you play me straight up,” and in reference to Howard, “Superman my ass.” Game on.

Cleveland: Lebron James nearly triple-doubled in the Cavs’ 115-106 win over the Magic on Thursday, finishing with 32 points on 10-of-21 shooting (including two threes) with eight rebounds, 13 assists, and two steals. It goes without saying that when we’re hesitant to blurb a line like this because it doesn’t really surprise anyone, the player in question is good.

Philadelphia: Allen Iverson (personal reasons) will not play in Sunday’s All-Star game. Iverson is tending to his ill daughter and has missed the Sixers’ last four games. We’re still tentatively expecting him to rejoin the team after this weekend, but that’s far from certain. David Lee gets the nod to replace AI.

Los Angeles: Coach Phil Jackson acknowledged that he’s contemplating starting Lamar Odom over Andrew Bynum when the Lakers come out of the All-Star break. It would be a bold move for Jackson to change his lineup while sporting a 41-13 record, but the bottom line is that the Lakers play even better when Odom is on the floor.

New York: New York Knicks beat writer Marc Berman spotted Nate Robinson and coach Mike D’Antoni shouting at each other during a timeout on Tuesday night. Here we go again? According to Berman, D’Antoni barked at Robinson for botching a play, Nate shouted back at his coach and then turned his head and “uttered an F-bomb.” No word yet on if this lands Robinson back in the doghouse, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it did.

Lakers G Kobe Bryant missed Wednesday’s game against the Utah Jazz with a sprained left ankle. After playing through a multitude of injuries, Kobe has finally succumbed to them. If he skips the All-Star game he’ll have 10 days of rest under his belt and should be able to start the second half of the season strong, pushing for home court advantage in the playoffs. Of course, this logically means that he will suit up for the All-Start game and probably log big minutes.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

New Jersey: Devin Harris returned from a shoulder injury Wednesday and had 27 points, nine assists and a 3-pointer in another loss.

Philadelphia: Sam Dalembert tweaked his back at the end of the first half on Wednesday night and ended up sitting out the majority of the second half. Dalembert tried to go in the second half, but came out of the game quickly and never went back in. The good news is that he didn’t go to the locker room and didn’t seem to be in pain. He simply watched the second half from the bench. We’d expect that he’ll be fine after the All-Star break.

Chicago: Derrick Rose left Wednesday’s game in the first quarter with a right hip injury and will not return.
X-rays were negative, but this will leave his status for the All-Star Game in doubt. He finished with just three points in two minutes, and Kirk Hinrich will take over at point guard, while John Salmons should also see the ball a lot tonight.

Atlanta: Jamal Crawford was a late scratch for Wednesday’s game due to a sore shoulder. Expect Crawford to be back at 100 percent after the All-Star break.

Oakland: Monta Ellis (knee) will not play Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers. An MRI on Tuesday revealed that Ellis’ knee injury is only a mild sprain.

Utah: Jazz PF Carlos Boozer poured in 34 points (13-of-17 FGs, 8-of-9 FTs), 14 rebounds, four assists and four steals in Tuesday’s win over the Clippers, Utah’s ninth consecutive victory. The Jazz are red-hot going into the All-Star break, and Boozer hasn’t missed a beat since returning from his calf injury. His name is no longer appearing in many trade rumors and it seems like Utah hopes to keep this chemistry going into the postseason.

Orlando: Vince Carter came back to earth on Wednesday with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists.
The Magic were up 41-17 after one quarter, so Carter and the rest of the Orlando Magic starters played limited minutes. Still, this type of game is more in line with what we’d expect from Carter going forward.

Charlotte: Peja Stojakovic hit 7-of-16 shots and four more 3-pointers on his way to 20 points, four boards, an assist, two steals and a block in Wednesday’s win over the Celtics.

Cavilers F LeBron James scored 31 points in 16 minutes during the first half of Saturday’s game vs. New York, then cruised to a huge night — 47 points (17-of-31 FGs, 7-of-7 FTs), six 3-pointers, eight rebounds, eight assists and five steals. LeBron scored 24 consecutive points for Cleveland at one point, a streak during which he made 10-of-11 shots, including four 3-pointers. The Kings keeps one-upping himself, and we expect the heroics to continue as long as Mo Williams is out

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Portland: Although Brandon Roy (hamstring) is targeting a return on Feb. 16, there’s no official timetable for his return. The Portland Trail Blazers are already very shorthanded and fighting for playoff position, but prudence won out “In the end, we had to do what was best for Brandon,” said GM Kevin Pritchard. Roy intends to rest throughout the All-Star break and we should have a few updates before Feb. 16.

Houston: Houston Rockets guard Kyle Lowry sprained his ankle on Saturday and will not return. He is also expected to sit out Tuesday vs. the Heat. We’re surprised he’s been ruled out of Tuesday’s game so quickly, which could be due to the severity of the injury or nothing more than the proximity of the All-Star break (or maybe both).

Detroit: Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko made all nine of his FG attempts on Saturday, including two 3-pointers, to finish with 20 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Jerebko’s line was even more efficient than it seems, as he did his damage in a mere 24 minutes. It’s safe to say he’s secured a starting gig whether the Detroit Pistons shake things up before the trade dealine or not.

Charlotte: Darren Collison had another excellent game on Saturday, leading the Hornets to a road win in Charlotte, he had 24 points (9-of-17 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), five rebounds, four assists and one steal.

Los Angelas: Kobe Bryant will not play on Saturday because of his ailing ankle. This is the first game Kobe has missed because of an injury since Dec. 8, 2006. Consider him day-to-day, and expect all the usual suspects (Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom) to carry the scoring burden in his absence.

Chicago: The Bulls have suspended forward Tyrus Thomas one game for conduct detrimental to the team. He will not play vs. the Heat on Saturday. Thomas and coach Vinny Del Negro have had their share of conflict, and this will only fuel the recent trade rumors swirling around the promising PF. With Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis) already sidelined, expect to see plenty of Brad Miller and Taj Gibson.

Boston: Paul Pierce (mid-foot sprain) plans to play against the Orlando Magic on Sunday, but coach Doc Rivers said he will be a game-time decision. “I feel pretty good, light practice, I’m good to go tomorrow,” Pierce said. Doc Rivers, on the other hand, said Pierce looked “a little hesitant … And if he’s hesitant, then I will probably sit him.

Josh Smith hit 7-of-14 shots to record his second career triple-double with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and added two steals and a block in Friday’s tough win over the Bulls. Smoove is feeling it again and should be primed for a big second half now that he has officially abandoned the 3-point shot.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Minnesota: Jonny Flynn hit 6-of-16 shots and three 3-pointers on his way to 19 points and seven assists as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Mavericks to snap a 13-game losing streak against Dallas. They’ve also won three straight for the first time all season. All five Wolves starters hit double figures in scoring, while Kevin Love double-doubled off the bench. Flynn surprisingly only had one turnover tonight, and was basically dominated by Jason Kidd and Rodrigue Beaubois, but still got it done for the Wolves.

Charlotte: Peja Stojakovic hit 8-of-14 shots and four 3-pointers for 23 points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in Friday’s loss. He’s averaging 16 points in his last five games and has hit either three or four 3-pointers in four of those.

Philadelphia: Samuel Dalembert, playing through a back injury, had seven points, 16 rebounds and three blocks in Friday’s win over the New Orleans Hornets. Don’t look now, but the Sixers have won three straight games. Rodney Carney, Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young all hit double digits in scoring off the bench, while Andre Iguodala filled the stat sheet in the win. Dalembert isn’t a reliable scorer, but doesn’t miss games and is playing for a contract.

New York: Nate Robinson started at point guard Friday and hit just 3-of-12 shots (zero 3-pointers) for 13 points, four boards, seven assists and a steal in Friday’s loss to the Bucks. Larry Hughes had two points in 20 minutes, while Chris Duhon had six points and three assists in 15 minutes tonight. Robinson will get more chances to start at point guard, so don’t give up on him after tonight’s struggles.

Washington: Caron Butler returned from a knee injury and exploded for a season-high 31 points, including the game-winning 19-footer with 0.5 seconds left on the clock in Friday’s win over the Orlando Magic.

Oakland: Anthony Randolph will remain in a walking boot for another month, according to the Warriors, which means he’s not likely to play again this season. With three torn ligaments in his ankle, Randolph was always a longshot to have an impact again this season. Now it sounds like he’s had a setback and/or the ankle is not healing was originally expected. Once he gets out of the boot, he’ll have a long way to go in terms of rehab and getting back in shape, and we’d be surprised to see him play again this year.

Andrea Bargnani went off for a season-high 34 points vs. the Pacers on Tuesday, making 14-of-21 FGs, including 4-of-6 from downtown. To say Roy Hibbert struggled to defend the quicker Bargnani would be a massive understatement, though at 7’0″ it’s not easy to slow him down when his jumpshot is clicking. He was averaging just 9.5 points over the past two games but rewarded those who kept the faith.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: Vince Carter finally returned to form in Tuesday’s victory, finishing with 17 points, two 3-pointers, 10 rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block in 40 minutes. VC was aggressive driving to the hoop and finding his teammates, another great sign. His shoulder has been hampering his shot lately but hopefully this is the start of an upward trend.

Toronto: Toronto lost in Indiana on Tuesday despite a game-high 35 points from Chris Bosh. He was 13-of-22 from the field and 9-of-12 from the FT line, with 15 rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks. The Toronto Raptors simply couldn’t put together many defensive stops — the Pacers had seven players in double figures and collectively made 52.4% of their field goals and 94.3% of their free throws.

Toronto: Marco Belinelli started at SF for Hedo Turkoglu (eye) on Tuesday, scoring 21 points on 7-of-13 FGs, 3-of-4 threes and 4-of-5 FTs. He added five rebounds, two assists, one block and just one turnover in 33 minutes. Belinelli, naturally more of a SG, is an intriguing source of offense and steals when he’s getting enough minutes.

New Jersey: Yi Jianlian returned after taking a brief rest with a shoulder injury, but may have been better off staying on the bench with a 1-for-12 shooting mark that led to three points, five rebounds, no assists, and a block. He finished with 31 minutes under his belt, so it’s hard to say how much of an effect the shoulder had on him. Brook Lopez scored 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting with seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks on Tuesday. Also, Devin Harris (wrist) returned to action on Tuesday, and scored 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting (no threes, 10-of-11 from the foul line) with five rebounds, 14 assists, and a block.

Detroit: Charlie Villanueva, who was a game-time decision with a back injury on Tuesday, ended up playing just eight minutes and had no points, one rebound, no assists, and one steal.

Milwaukee: Brandon Jennings, the reigning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, was held to just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in Tuesday’s ugly loss to the Orlando Magic. Jennings had four assists and zero turnovers, but his struggles typified the Bucks offense tonight .

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.

Kings SG Kevin Martin (wrist) has been cleared to play by the doctor that performed his Nov. 9 surgery. Martin will practice the next couple days to see if he’s ready to go by Friday’s game at Philadelphia.

Martin has been working out for the last three weeks, so getting back into shape shouldn’t be too much of an issue. It will be interesting to see how the chemistry of the young Kings team changes with Martin entering the starting lineup. The new leader and future superstar, Evans, has come accustom to leading the team and taking the majority of the shots.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: Orlando  Magic SG Vince Carter (shoulder) will not play against the Kings on Tuesday night. J.J. Redick draws another start while Carter’s status for Wednesday and Friday remains up in the air. “I would hope by the end of the trip,” coach Stan Van Gundy said after Tuesday’s shootaround. “There has been some improvement. He said he can raise his (left) arm up but not across his body.” Look for Carter to start against the Lakers on Monday.

Portland: Rudy Fernandez (back) has been upgraded to “questionable” for Wednesday’s game against the Bucks. This is certainly good news for the injury plagued Portland Trail blazers, who where originally expecting Fernandez back on Friday.

Chicago: Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro revealed that Taj Gibson has been playing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot and he is scheduled for a doctor’s visit Tuesday. Gibson aggravated the problem in Saturday’s win over the Wolves but still played 21 minutes on Monday.

Utah: Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said after Monday’s game that he may “settle down” the team’s rotation of wing players. Sloan is eager to give more minutes to Andrei Kirilenko because, ” he’s a guy that can make plays.”

Indiana: Pacers coach Jim O’Brien says that Dahntay Jones has fallen out of the rotation because “I’m trying to put guys on the court that can space the court. We need to make threes.”
O’Brien, a coach that always has been infatuated with the 3-pointer, thinks that Jones inability to shoot clogs up the middle too much.

Milwaukee: The Bucks confirmed that Michael Redd has torn both the ACL and MCL in his left knee.
Redd’s career is in serious jeopardy. He says he fully expects to come back from this devastating injury, but we have to have our doubts. He’ll be 31 next season and this is the same knee he tore up last season.

Flip Saunders met with the grand jury regarding the Gilbert Arenas gun situation and has also banned gambling from the team plane. Flip met with them on Thursday, while several Wizards’ players were scheduled to meet with them on Friday.

The New Jersey Nets have also banned gambling on the plane and our guess is the NBA will come out and officially do the same for all teams at some point. A day after Arenas’ indefinite suspension, anything pertaining to Arenas has been removed from the Verizon Center in Washington. It appears that Arenas will never play for the Wizards again, and he will have to re-build his image with another team.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: Orlando Magic G Vince Carter left Friday’s game after spraining his left shoulder while fighting through a screen against the Wizards. He was in tremendous pain on the floor and went directly to the locker room, although he did not require a wheel chair for his shoulder injury. J.J. Redick and Mickael Pietrus should absorb most of his minutes while Carter is recovering.

Philadelphia: Allen Iverson hit 7-of-13 shots for a season-high 22 points to go along with two rebounds, four assists, a steal and a 3-pointer in Friday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors, but the good news ends there. Iverson was hit in the left knee tonight, aggravating a previous injury, and is not traveling with the team to Detroit for Saturday’s game.

Washington: Randy Foye started at point guard for the Wizards on Friday, finishing with 20 points, four rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two 3-pointers in a win over the Magic. He hit just 5-of-17 shots and left the game to get stitches in his mouth, but looks like the starting point guard for the Wizards for the foreseeable future.

Washington: Mike Miller returned from a 21-game absence with a calf injury Friday and started, scoring six points in 39 minutes. He also had six rebounds, six assists and a 3-pointer, which is a pretty encouraging line for his first game since November.

Oklahoma City: Kevin Durant missed Friday’s practice because of his right ankle, which he evidently sprained Monday against the Bulls.

Detroit: Rodney Stuckey (knee) will be in the Pistons’ lineup when they face the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday. Stuckey left Wednesday’s game after landing awkwardly on his knee, but he practiced Friday and coach John Kuester said he liked what he saw from his durable guard.

A grand jury could soon decide whether the gun case involving Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton merits weapons and assault charges. Arenas met with police on Monday and released his official statement: “I took the unloaded guns out in a misguided effort to play a joke on a teammate,” said Arenas. “I never threatened or assaulted anyone…I now recognize that what I did was a mistake.

I should not have brought the guns to DC in the first place.” The question now seems to be not whether Arenas will be punished, but how severely. If Arenas is not prosecuted, he will be punished by the NBA. The league has a strict policy of not bringing any weapons to an NBA facility.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Denver: Carmelo Anthony (knee) and Chauncey Billups (groin) don’t sound likely to play on Tuesday, according to the Colorado Sports Desk. The report says “it is likely they will both get rest again before the high-key match up this Friday against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.”

Los Angelas: Lakers PF Pau Gasol has a mild-to-moderate hamstring strain and is doubtful to play vs. Houston on Tuesday. The Los Angelas Lakers are smart to rest their injuryed players to ensure they’re healthy come playoff time.

Sacramento: Kins G/F Francisco Garcia practiced for a short while on Monday, his first action since breaking his wrist on October 9th. Garcia left to a round of applause from his teammates, but his return will likely drag on for quite some time.

Boston: Paul Pierce’s (knee) status for Wednesday’s game will likely be determined after Tuesday’s practice. He shot around on Monday but did not participate in any drills, and ESPNBoston reports that the Boston Celtics prepared as if he wouldn’t be available.

Orlando: As expected, Vince Carter practiced on Monday and expects to start Tuesday’s game vs. the Pacers. Orlando Magic practiced for 2 1/2 hours and both Carter and coach Stan Vandy reported that he was fine.

Washington: Mike Miller will definitely play vs. the Magic on Friday, according to coach Flip Saunders, and he could return even sooner.

Indiana: Stacy Paetz reported on the Pacers’ broadcast Sunday that Danny Granger’s workout prior to the game went well and he appears to be nearing a return. He reportedly went through extensive shooting and movement drills, and while no return date has been set, it sounds like he could play in the next 10 days or so.

Oakland: The Warriors have waived veteran C Mikki Moore, in order to clear a roster spot for rookie big man Chris Hunter. The league had granted Golden State a special roster exemption because of all their injuries, but Hunter’s contract would have been ineligible once it becomes guaranteed on Wednesday

Fox Sports’ Stephen A. Smith is reporting that the Sixers appear to be on the verge of signing Allen Iverson, possibly as early as in the upcoming week. With rookie Jrue Holiday set to fill in for Lou Williams over the next two months, the Sixers could use the help. In addition, the number of tickets that Iverson would sell has to interest Philly. “We simply can’t just ignore the upside he’d bring,” a team source said. “Not with our situation.” Iverson appears to be buncing around the league like a pin-ball this season.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: The Orlando Magic narrowly defeated the Bucks on Saturday, 100-98, led by Dwight Howard’s 25 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks. In the past two games, Howard is averaging 3.5 points, 18.5 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks. Even though he went 5-of-10 from the free-throw line, Howard is emerging as the leagues most dominate center.

Milwakee: Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova scored 20 points and pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds vs. the Magic on Saturday. Ilyasova shed his protective facemask before the game, but he wasn’t tentative whatsoever. He connected on 8-of-18 FGs, including two 3-pointers, and looks like a waiver wire steal.

Utah: Jazz PF Carlos Boozer’s continued his stellar play on Saturday, as he led the Utah Jazz with 26 points (11-of-16 FGs), 12 rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block. Boozer has been on fire as of late, scoring 20+ points in seven of the last eight games. He is also averaging 5.0 assists over the past five games, a trend we hope (but are skeptical) he can sustain.

Utah: Jazz F Andrei Kirilenko strained his back during Saturday’s game and will not return in the second half. Kirilenko has been playing well recently and hopes to make it back on the court soon.

Cleveland: Cavs PG Mo Williams made 7-of-7 three-pointers on Saturday, scoring 25 points in a win over the Mavericks. He had one assist, zero steals and four turnovers (atrocious numbers for any PG), but we’re still seeing sevens. And if you had lingering questions about his sore right middle finger, consider this the answer.

Cleveland: Delonte West racked up 10 points and 10 assists for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, playing 28 inspired minutes off the bench.

Charlotte: Gerald Wallace posted 14 points and 14 rebounds on Saturday, leading the Bobcats to their fourth straight victory. Wallace has six consecutive double-doubles, and he’s starting to make his three-pointers. He has made 5-of-10 threes in the past two games after shooting 3-of-21 (14%) in the first 14 games

Warriors coach Don Nelson flatly denied a report that he would be stepping down as the Golden State Warriors head coach or that the club is shopping guard Monta Ellis. The Warriors have quickly become one of the worst teams in the league and are even comical at times. Even if Nelson doesn’t step down during the season, he will likely be fired in the offseason.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Dallas: Mavericks C Erick Dampier is showing “marked improvement” since being transported to a Detroit-area hospital, after feeling light-headed during pregame warmups on Sunday. Although H1N1 has been ruled out, Dampier has been taken to the hospital because the arean lacked proper testing equipment. He is being kept overnight for observations and will miss Monday’s game against the Bucks.

Oklahoma City: Thunder SF Kevin Durant scored a season-high 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting (2-of-4 from downtown, 10-of-11 from the foul line) with eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block in the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-93 loss to the Clippers on Sunday. Durant continues his great play and is developing into the nest NBA superstar.

Los Angelas: In LA-type fashion and an ongoing soap opera regarding Pau Gasol’s injured hamstring, it is being reported that he “may” practice this week. Coach Phil Jackson said that he has been without “pain” for five days and he has advanced to light court work.

Orlando: Magic PG Jameer Nelson (flu) is expected to play Monday against the Bobcats. The Orlando Magic Sentinel updated their earlier report, adding that coach Stan Van Gundy expects him to play. Use him as you would normally in the Magic’s four-game week.

Boston: Celtics SF Paul Pierce blamed his sore left knee for a weak defensive effort on Saturday. It was also mentioned in the Boston Herald that he might take a “few days” off in order to let the knee heal. “I was able to make it through the game, but I obviously hurt us tonight,” he said. “I was a step slow pretty much all night and it really hurt us. Dahntay Jones goes out and has one of his best nights, with me guarding him.” The Boston Celtics don’t play until Wednesday, so Pierce will get some much needed rest.

Phonix: Suns PF/C Channing Frye hit an amazing six 3-point buckets in a win over the Raptors on Sunday, racking up 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting with seven rebounds, one assist, and one block. Frye only took one two-point attempt tonight, and has become the poster boy for what a move to Arizona can do for a fantasy basketball player. It’s hard to say if his stock is still rising, or if he should be sold-high, but it’s clear owners got a bargain on draft day.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – New Jersey Nets

2008 Record: 34-48
Division Finish: 4th – Atlantic
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs.

Head Coach: Lawrence Frank
Season: Going into sixth season
Record At New Jersey: 191-177
Career Record: Same

Offseason Acquisitions:
Yi Jianlian, F, 8.6 ppg., 5.2, rpg. – Traded from Milwaukee Bucks
Bobby Simmons, F, 7.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg.- Traded from Milwaukee Bucks
Kenyon Dooling, G, 8.1 ppg, 1.8, apg. – Traded from the Orlando Magic
Jarvis Hayes, G, 6-8, 6.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg. – Signed from Detroit Pistons
Eduardo Najera, F, 5.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg – Signed from Denver Nuggets
Julius Hodge, G, – Signed from Australia
Eddie Gill, G, – Signed as free agent.

Offseason Losses:
Richard Jefferson, F, 22.2 ppg.,4.2 rpg.  – Traded to Milwaukee Bucks
Marcus Williams, G, 5.9 ppg., 2.6 apg. – Traded to Golden State Warriors
DeSagna Diop, C, 2.5 ppg., 4.5 rpg. – Signed with the Dallas Mavericks
Bostjan Nachbar, F, 9.8 ppg., 3.5 rpg. – Signed with Russian league
Nenad Krstic, F-C, 6.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg. – Signed with Russian league.

Offseason Transactions:
None

Rookies:
Brook Lopez, C, 7-0, 19.3 ppg., 8.2 rpg., Stanford
Ryan Anderson, F, 6-10, 21.1 ppg., 9.9 rpg., Cal
Chris Douglas-Roberts, F, 6-7, 18.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg., Memphis
Brian Hamilton, G, 10.8 ppg, 5.6, Signed from Developmental League

The Skinny:
If you fell asleep and missed the entire 2007-08 NBA season you would probably have no idea who the New Jersey Nets are this year. Frankly even the most die-hard Nets fan may have a problem recognizing their own team.

For years guard Jason Kidd and forward Richard Jefferson were the faces of the franchise. But for the first time in seven seasons both of those players have a new address. Kidd was traded to the Dallas Mavericks about halfway through the season and Jefferson was moved to the Milwaukee Bucks during the offseason.

During the last couple season when the NBA trade deadline came around Kidd was always one of the players you heard mentioned. With the tread on the tires wearing thin and his scoring production starting to slip – not to mention all the off the court problems he brings – Kidd was shipped to Dallas, the team that originally drafted him.

Jefferson being sent to the Bucks was more of a surprising move. One reason may be his health over the last few years. Jefferson has only played two full seasons in the last four years. Seeing how it seems to be an every-other-year thing for Jefferson, maybe the team thought it was time to move him.

I would have thought the Nets could have gotten more for him than they did. He averaged a career-high 22.6 points per game last season – a product of Kidd being gone and New Jersey not having another scorer besides Vince Carter – and what they got in return was two players who combined don’t have Jefferson’s numbers. They picked up forwards Yi Jianlian, 8.6 ppg., and Bobby Simmons, 7.6 ppg. Not the best trade in the world.

The biggest problem I find with New Jersey is who in the world is going to score for them? Yes Carter will get his points, but his production actually slipped last year by four points per game. That was with Jefferson for the whole season and Kidd for the first part. What is he going to do now that he is the lone star on the team? He will need to score at least 30 a night, but that is not in him and he teams will really concentrate their defense on stopping him.

After Carter, the next best returning scorers on the team is point guard Devin Harris, who averaged 15.4 ppg. and 6.5 assists per game. If you think there is a significant drop off between Carter and Harris you should see the fall after Harris. New Jersey only has four of its top nine scorers back from last year’s team that ranked 25th in the league at 95.8 points per night. Yikes!

There are three players battling for the starting center position. Second-year man Josh Boone scored 8.2 ppg. and grabbed 7.3 rpg. as a reserve. The Nets picked up Yi Jianlian from Milwaukee and he comes in averaging 8.6 ppg. and 5.2 rpg. With mediocre talent in the middle, the starting job could easily go to the team’s first round draft pick, Brook Lopez from Stanford. He scored 19.3 ppg. and grabbed 8.2 rpg. for the Cardinal last season.

Another young player the team will be called upon to have more of a roll in the offense is power forward Sean Williams. In his rookie season he started 29 games, scoring 5.6 ppg. and grabbing 4.4 rpg. Just like center spot, this could be wide open because of the team’s youth. Rookie Ryan Anderson from Cal averaged 21.1 ppg. and 9.9 rpg. If Williams does not show vast improvement I could see the Nets going with Anderson or don’t be surprised if they play Lopez at the four and Jianlian/Boone at center.

Your guess is as good as mine as to who will be the Nets starting small forward when the season opens. By default the starting job goes to Bobby Simmons, but he was less than spectacular at 7.6 ppg. and 3.2 rpg. for the Bucks last season. Rookie Chris Douglas-Roberts may have a shot. He put up 18.1 ppg. and 4.1 rpg. in getting Memphis to the national championship game. Simmons has not panned out that well so why not give Douglas-Roberts a shot.

Prediction:
It is going to be another season without a playoff appearance for the Nets. I think that since they are so young that they will struggle to score points consistently. They were mediocre on offense with Jefferson and I do not see anyone filling his scoring role.

If nothing else the team may show signs of improvement down the road. With the exception of Carter and Harris, I think the other three positions on the floor are up for grabs. What you hope for in that case is for the competition to make everyone better. No one is going to be able to rest on their laurels so they are going to have to produce every night.

The entire frontcourt is going to be a battle. If Boone cannot get it done, then Lopez or Jianlian being ready to step in and take his place. The same goes for Williams in the power forward and Simmons at the small forward.

There are just too many holes on this team for them to really be a playoff team and that is saying a lot in the weak East. I think their backcourt is manageable – for now, Carter is not getting any younger – but something has to be done about the frontcourt. They really did not get much of anything for their two big trades. Who knows what general manager Rod Thorn was doing. I know you’re not going to get much for Kidd, but there should have been a market for Jefferson.

What the Nets’ biggest problem is that they lack any real talent. After Carter I am not sure that anyone of these players would be starting on 95 percent of the NBA rosters. This could be a decent team for a few years down the line, but for the immediate future they should be scouring the college and international ranks for a top big man because they are going to have a lottery pick in 2009.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Atlanta Hawks

2008 Record: 37-45
Division Finish: 3rd – Southeast
2008 Playoffs: Lost, 4-3, to Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference First Round

Head Coach: Mike Woodson
Season: Going into fifth season
Record At Atlanta: 106-222
Career Record: Same

Offseason Acquisitions:
Ronald “Flip” Murray, G, 11.0 ppg., 3.5 apg – Signed from Indiana Pacers
Maurice Williams, G-F, 9.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg. – Signed from Orlando Magic
Randolph Morris, F-C, 3.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg., – Signed from New York Knicks
Thomas Gardner, G, – Free Agent

Offseason Losses:
Josh Childress, G-F, 11.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg – Signed in Greece
Salim Stoudamire, G, 5.7 ppg., 0.8 apg – Signe with San Antonio
Signed Jeremy Richardson, F, 1.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg, – Signed with Orlando Magic

Offseason Transactions:
Matched Memphis Grizzlies contract offer for Josh Smith
Picked up the option on Al Horford through 2009-10
Picked up the option on Acie Law through 2009-10.

Rookies:
Othello Hunter, F, 6-8, 9.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg., Ohio State

The Skinny:
If the Atlanta Hawks were in the Western Conference we would be talking about how they had a great chance to improve their team in the lottery. But since they play in the Eastern Conference were talking about how fortunate they are to be a playoff team. Of course since they did not have any draft picks anyway I guess it was best to make the playoffs. It gives them something to build on and sell tickets.

The Hawks have one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Point guard Mike Bibby, a nine-year veteran, threw off the curve when he joined the team last year. Joe Johnson and Speedy Claxton have six years of service then after that no one has more than four.

That is the good news because they have got a lot of youth and if they can keep this team together they have a shot of being good for a while. That young, cocky attitude was what they need to push the Boston Celtics to a seventh game in the first round of the playoffs.

The flip side of being young is that their inexperience often shows at the wrong time, like game seven against Boston when they lost by 34 points. I think in order to force a game seven they had to expend most of their energy in a tight 103-100 game six victory.

Rick Sund was named the Hawks’ general manager in May, but he didn’t have much to work with. When Atlanta acquired Joe Johnson from Phoenix in 2005 they had to give the Suns their 2008 first round pick. Then when the Hawks brought Bibby on board last season it cost them their second round pick.

Atlanta did get two quality free agents during the offseason. They signed Ronald “Flip” Murray from Indiana. He can play either the point or shooting guard spots. In addition, they picked up swingman Maurice Williams from the Orlando Magic. They signed undrafted rookie Othello Hunter from Ohio State. He was a spot starter during the Buckeyes’ run to the National Championship game and averaged 9.9 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game as a start on the OSU’s NIT Championship squad.

The reason for the such a quiet offseason is that Atlanta has almost all of its pieces back from last year’s team. Conventional wisdom says that should make them a better team, but we will see. It is the East after all.

Johnson is back for his fourth season with the Hawks. Since being traded to Atlanta from Phoenix he has averaged at least 20 ppg., including last season when he tossed in 21.7 ppg. Johnson is one of the better all-around players in the league as he averaged 4.2 rpg. and assists per game last season.

Five of the Hawks’ top six scorers are back for the 2008-09 season. Atlanta matched an offer sheet from the Memphis Grizzlies to keep Josh Smith and his 17.2 ppg. and 8.2 rpg. around for a few more years. They had to do that. He is the face of the franchise and if they lost him they might have spun back into oblivion. Forward Marvin Williams continued his improvement as he poured in a career-high 14.8 ppg. and grabbed 5.7 rpg.

The lone top scorer not back is Josh Childress. He accepted a $20 million, three year deal to play in a team in Greece. I guess he is just chasing the money since he had a pretty decent season last year. The Haws will miss his 11.8 ppg. and 4.8 rpg. Atlanta still holds the rights to Childress for two more years if he decided to come back to the NBA. If they do not rescind their qualifying offer to him he will count for about $4.5 million against the cap.

The weakest portion of the Hawks last season was the point guard spot so that is why they went out and got Bibby. Speedy Claxton was hurt most of last season and Acie Law was just a rookie and was not ready to start in the NBA. That left most of the duties up to Johnson, which probably affected his scoring production. Just over halfway through the season the team brought in Bibby and he averaged 14.1 ppg. and 6.5 apg., but the team went just 15-18 with him running the show. Bringing in a point guard at midseason is like bringing in a quarterback. Yeah it might be an upgrade, but only over time. It takes a while to get all the timing down. I would imagine the team was Law to learn behind Bibby for a few years.

Prediction:
I am not exactly sold on Atlanta as a consistent playoff team. Last season was their first trip to the playoffs in eight years. And it is not like the Hawks have been just knocking on the doorstep of the playoffs every year only to just miss it by this much. They have been brutal.

The 37-45 record was their best record since 1998-99 when the last made the playoffs. If this team plays in the Western Conference it is excited about a lottery pick, not selling playoff tickets.

I could be wrong about the Hawks this year, but I do not think they are going to make the playoffs. As bad as the East is, it is very possible that I am wrong. Atlanta, Indiana and New Jersey are all very mediocre teams that will be fighting for that eighth spot. Who knows what the Miami Heat will do this year, but I think they will be better as well. Maybe someone like Toronto or Orlando slips up and two of the three aforementioned teams gets into the playoffs.

I have never really been a big Mike Bibby fan. I am just not. I think he has got some occasional good moves that give him some flash, but I do not think there is much substances there. Think back to all the talent he had around him in Sacramento during that four-year run from 2000-04 and they never got it done. I always thought he got out-played in crunch time.

As I said above bringing in a point guard in midseason is like bringing in a quarterback at midseason, but should he not have made them slightly better? At least they could have gone more than 15-18 during his time. He is an improvement over what they had, but not what they need to be a consistent playoff team.

Another problem for the Hawks is at the center position. Second-year man Al Horford will be the starting center, but I am not sure if he is an NBA center or not. Maybe in college, but I do not think he can do it in the Association. I think he would be a great power forward, but you already have Smith and Williams. Maybe I am wrong. He put up some solid numbers his first year – 10.1 ppg. and 9.7 rpg. – but less than a block per game. Zaza Pachulia from Georgia, the country not the school, is his back up and he is mediocre. Once Horford came in last year Pachulia was demoted to the bench and only scored 5.2 ppg and grabbed 4.0 rpg.

I also think losing Josh Childress is going to be a bigger problem than they think. He was a really good sixth-man and they did not bring in any of his caliber during the offseason. Flip Murray is okay, but I do not think he is at Childress’ level.

Bottom line, I see the eighth spot in the East going to someone like Indiana or New Jersey, not the Hawks. If this team stays together and improves they could build into a consistent playoff team, but they are a year or two away from that.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Philadelphia 76ers

2008 Record: 40-42
Division Finish: 2nd – Atlantic
2008 Playoffs: Lost, 4-1, to Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference First Round

Head Coach: Maurice Cheeks
Season: Going into fourth season
Record At Philadelphia: 113-133
Career Record: 275-272

Offseason Acquisitions:
Elton Brand, F, 17.6 ppg, 8.0 – Signed from Los Angeles Clippers
Jared Reiner, C, – Signed from Spain
Donyell Marshall, F, 3.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg. – Signed off waivers
Theo Ratliff, F-C, 3.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg. – Signed off waivers
Kareem Rush, G, 8.3 ppg, 2.4 ppg – Signed from Indiana
Royal Ivey, G, 5.6 ppg, 2.1 apg – - Signed from Milwaukee

Offseason Losses:
Calvin Booth, F-C, 0.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg – Traded to Minnesota Timberwolves
Rodney Carney, F, 5.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg – Traded to Minnesota Timberwolves
Andre Emmett – Waived
Maurice Rice – Waived
Corey Underwood – Waived
Justin Reed – Waived

Offseason Transactions:
Re-signed Andre Igoudala
Re-signed Louis Williams
Exercised option on Thaddeus Young
Exercised option on Jason Smith

Rookies:
Marreese Speight, F-C, 6-10, 14.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, Florida
Antwayne Robinson, F, 6-8, – Signed from France

The Skinny:
Few teams may have made a bigger move during the offseason than the Philadelphia 76ers. Whether that gives them the edge they need to move up from a middle of the road team in a weak conference or a contender for the Eastern title remains to be seen.

During the middle of the summer it looked like the Los Angeles Clippers were going to be a major player in the Western Conference when Baron Davis was about to sign with the team to go along an already improving and young team. However, the Clippers had the rug pulled out from underneath them when the foundation of the team, power forward Elton Brand, signed with the 76ers.

Brand signed a five-year, $79.9-millon deal with Philadelphia and may be the missing ingredient the team needs to challenge Boston and Detroit. The 76ers had some solid talent, particularly in the backcourt, but needed a real superstar to be the go-to guy and bulk up their front court. They may have gotten that in Brand.

After a lackluster showing in the opening round of the 2005 playoffs, Philadelphia brought in Maurice Cheeks to be their head coach. Following some growing pains in his first two seasons, Cheeks appears to have the ship turned around as they won 40 games and made the Eastern Conference playoffs despite being under .500.

Up until this season the 76ers may not have had a person with the presence of Brand in the frontcourt since the likes of Charles Barkley. Brand is no Barkley, but he’s better than anything they have had since the Round Mound of Rebound.

Going into his 10th season, Brand is one of only four active players that have a career average of 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. He had a monster year in 2005-06, averaging a career-best 24.7 points per game. His scoring production has dipped the last two seasons, but a big reason for that is he has had better players around him so he has not had to carry as much of the scoring load.

Brand does come to Philadelphia as a bit of damage goods. Before the start of last season he ruptured the Achilles’ tendon in his left foot and missed the majority of the season. He managed to play only eight games last season, averaging 17.6 ppg. and 8.0 rebounds per game.

If Brand is back to his old self he has got the potential to make the 76ers a great team. Philadelphia brings back its top six scorers from last season and that group averaged 79.5 ppg.

Heading up this list of returning players is swingman Andre Igoudala, who is one of the top all-around players in the country. His 2007-08 numbers were 19.9 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 4.8 assists per game and 2.1 steals per game. Point guard Andre Miller does a good job of running the offense as he dished out 6.9 apg., while scoring 17.0 ppg. Add in guards Willie Green who averaged 12.4 ppg. as well as Louis Williams coming off the bench at 11.5 ppg. and you’ve got a pretty solid back court.

The front court was a different story. Six-foot-eleven center Samuel Dalembert did a solid job last season, averaging a double-double with 10.5 ppg and 10.4 rpg. The problem was without another good player in the frontcourt teams were able to focus on Dalembert and limit his scoring. Now with Brand beside him he could really make a big improvement this year.

Prediction:
Philadelphia is one of the teams I am high on this year as a potential sleeper in the East. As we stated here time and time again, the Eastern Conference is pretty weak. The 76ers are living testament to that as they made the playoffs last year despite a losing record. Outside of Boston and Detroit no team is really a major threat and no made a major move like Philly did. Jermaine O’Neal to Toronto does not really count.

The 76ers frontcourt was there major weakness and they did a lot to improve it by bringing in Brand. Yes he comes in having suffered a major injury, but up until now he has been pretty healthy so I do not see why he will not be back to his old form. He will make Dalembert a much better player and he will need to be against some of the top big men in the conference.

The addition of Brand really only leaves small forward as the only hole in the team’s line-up, but there is some potential there. Thaddeus Young stepped into the starting role in his rookie season and averaged 8.2 ppg. and 4.2 rpg. A year wiser and having Brand on the court could allow him to really grow in his second season.

Green and Williams give 76ers a pretty solid pair of reserves in the backcourt. The addition of TJ Ford in Indiana via the O’Neal trade made Kareem Rush expendable and he will be able to spell Iguodala or Young.

The team is a little thin in terms of its frontcourt bench. They tired to sure that up by drafting 6-foot-10 forward-center Marreese Speight from Florida, who averaged 14.5 ppg and 8.1 ppg. If they can stay healthy in the front court they could be a very good team.

I like all the moves the 76ers have done in terms of getting Brand, signing Rush and drafting Speight. After reserves Donyell Marshall and Theo Ratliff, Brand is the oldest player on the team at 29-years old. If they can keep this team together they could be a contender for the next few years.

I think Philadelphia will surprise a lot of people this year. I like them to win about 50 games this year and move up to second in the Atlantic. If all the chips fall into place they could win the division. I like them to get to at least the second round of the playoffs and do not be surprised if you see them on the doorstep of the NBA Finals.