FANTASY / PLAYER NEWS
Chauncey Billups: Near Double-Double in Return
Update: Billups had 20 points, nine assists, and five steals Tuesday.
Analysis: Billups missed one game due to a personal matter, but picked up where he left off. In his last six games, he's shooting 94% from the line and averaging 21.7 ppg, 8.3 apg, and 1.8 spg.
Corey Brewer: Sits Tuesday Night
Update: Brewer sat Tuesday night's game against the Bobcats with a thigh bruise, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Brewer was unable to practice Monday, and was considered iffy for Tuesday. We'll let you know what his status is for tomorrow's game against Utah.
Rashad McCants: Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Update: McCants sat out Tuesday night's game because of food poisoning, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: There's no word on his availability for Wednesday's road game in Utah.
Corey Brewer: Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Update: Brewer sat out Tuesday night's game because of a thigh bruise, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Brewer was injured in Sunday's loss to Seattle and could not practice Monday. He'll travel with the team for a three-game road trip beginning Wednesday in Utah.
Chris Webber: Misses Tuesday's Game
Update: Webber missed Tuesday night's game against Atlanta because of a sore left knee, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Warriors coach Don Nelson said Webber, who left Sunday's win over Portland, could sit out the final three games of the team's current road trip. Results of an MRI taken Monday were negative. Matt Barnes started in place of Webber on Tuesday.
Chris Webber: Could Miss Even More Time
Update: Webber could miss the Warriors' next four games due to a sore knee, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Webber is rehabbing at his home in Atlanta. In the mean time, 14-year vet Matt Barnes will start in his place. Webber's MRI taken Monday came back negative, so hopefully he'll be back sooner than later.
Tyronn Lue: Signs With Dallas
Update: The Mavericks signed Lue (calf) on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Lue will back up Jason Kidd at point guard. His calf injury is nearly healed, so he should be able to play soon. Dallas' next game is Thursday against Houston.
Sam Cassell: Signs with Celtics
Update: Cassell passed his physical and signed with the Celtics on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Cassell gives Boston some much needed depth at point guard behind Rajon Rondo. Cassell will miss Wednesday's game against Detroit to attend a funeral, but should be ready for Friday's game against Chicago.
Theo Ratliff: Signs with Detroit
Update: The Pistons signed Ratliff Tuesday.
Analysis: He will likely serve as Rasheed Wallace's primary backup in Detroit after averaging 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in Minnesota.
Thabo Sefolosha: Siiting Out Third Straight Game With Sore Left Groin
Update: Sefolosha is expected to miss his third straight game Tuesday because of a sore left groin, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Analysis: Larry Hughes will once again start in Sefolosha's spot and it remains to be seen how much time Thabo will get when he is ready to return to action.
Caron Butler: Still Not Practicing
Update: Butler (hip) was not at Tuesday's practice and there is still no update on his condition, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: He will be evaluated this week after nearly a week of resting and some Wizards players said Butler should return soon. But we'll have to wait for this newest evaluation to get a better picture. Stay tuned.
DeShawn Stevenson: Kept out of Practice
Update: Stevenson (knee) did not practice Tuesday, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: He is still expected to play in Wednesday's game against the Magic. The knee has bugged him for a while, but it has not affected his performance much - he had 13.9 points and 2.1 assists per game in the month of February and had 16 points and five assists in his first March game.
Gilbert Arenas: Returns to Practice
Update: Arenas (knee) returned to practice Tuesday for the first time in four months.
Analysis: The drills he ran were non-contact, but he ran them at full-speed. A return by the end of the month is looking very likely at this point.
Beno Udrih: Comfortable as a Starter
Update: Udrih has settled into his role as the Kings' starting point guard, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Analysis: "I'm trying to make the right decisions, pass the ball to the right player at the right moment and trying to run the team," Udrih said. "We are all in this together." The 25-year-old was Sacramento's starting point guard while Mike Bibby recovered from thumb surgery earlier in the season. After Bibby was traded on Feb. 16, Udrih was officially appointed the role. As a starter this season, he is averaging 14.3 points, 5.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 39 games.
Ben Gordon: Struggling Since Addition Of Larry Hughes
Update: In the five games since Larry Hughes arrived, Gordon is shooting 33.3 percent, averaging 12.4 points and, unofficially, almost as many contested shots, the Chicago Tribune reports. "For everybody, it's been an adjustment," Gordon said following Monday's practice. "You can't expect the chemistry to be great right away. Right now with the way guys are meshing together, it's a little inconsistent."
Analysis: Though the team's offensive numbers have spiked noticeably since Jim Boylan became coach, the Bulls remain last in shooting percentage, mostly because they take so many contested shots. The Bulls' drive-and-kick style used to draw widespread praise for its selflessness and its ability to produce wide-open shots. Now, a problem area all season -- selfish shot-taking on offense -- has the added wrinkle of trying to incorporate two more talented offensive players, Hughes and Drew Gooden, which has resulted in less ball movement and more contested, shot clock winding down shots.
Cuttino Mobley: Logs 31 Minutes
Update: Mobley (illness) shot 6-of-8 and scored 12 points in the Clippers' loss to Philadelphia Monday night.
Analysis: Mobley, who was recovering from food poisoning he suffered Saturday, came off the bench and played 31 minutes. He didn't miss any time because of his illness and appears to be nearing full strength.
Brevin Knight: Dishes Seven Assists
Update: Knight had eight points, seven assists and a steal in the Clippers' 106-80 loss to Philadelphia Monday night.
Analysis: Knight, the Clippers' starting point guard, registered 29 minutes, shot 4-of-7 and grabbed a rebound.
Al Thornton: 20 Points But 10 Miscues
Update: Thornton scored 20 points but had a whopping team season-high 10 turnovers in the Clippers' 106-80 loss to Philadelphia Monday night. He started at power forward for Tim Thomas, who is out indefinitely with a groin injury.
Analysis: The rookie won't endear himself to Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy if he doesn't value the ball more. Otherwise, Thornton has looked like one of the better first-year players in the NBA the past two months. Against the 76ers, he shot 6-of-11 from the field, 2-of-4 behind the arc and 6-of-7 at the line. Since Jan. 1, a span of 29 games, Thornton is averaging 15.2 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 46.6 percent.
Chris Kaman: 10 Points in Limited Action
Update: Kaman (back) had 10 points, five rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block in the Clippers' loss to 106-80 loss to the 76ers Monday night.
Analysis: The center's court time was limited to avert a reoccurrence of the nerve inflammation in his lower back. He shot 5-of-9 and logged 27 minutes. Expect team officials to treat him gently until his full health is restored.
Corey Brewer: Unlikely to Play Tuesday
Update: Brewer (thigh contusion) is unlikely to play Tuesday night against the Bobcats, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.
Analysis: Brewer was unable to practice Monday. "It flared up overnight on him pretty good," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. "So we'll have to see how he is [today]. He could barely walk on it [Monday]."
Marko Jaric: Light Workout
Update: Jaric (knee) was a limited participant at Monday's practice and is questionable for Tuesday night's game against Charlotte, the Minnespolis Star-Tribune reports.
Analysis: Jaric has missed two of the past four games with the injury, including Minnesota's loss to Seattle on Saturday.
Vladimir Radmanovic: Expected to Play on Tuesday
Update: Radmanovic (calf) practiced on Monday and is expected to play Tuesday night, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Analysis: Expect Radmanovic to start and for Luke Walton's minutes to drop precipitously.
Marcus Williams: Needs To Be Aggressive
Update: Nets coach Lawrence Frank spoke with Williams after Monday's practice, telling the second-year point guard that he needs to be more aggressive, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. The chat with the coach comes on the heels of Richard Jefferson's comments on the exact same topic after Sunday's loss to San Antonio.
Analysis: "He was talking about being aggressive," Williams said of his chat with Frank. "The previous game he said I was more vocal and getting us organized, and (Sunday) he didn't really see that." Williams has been the starting point guard since Jason Kidd was traded, but the clock is ticking now that Devin Harris has recovered from his ankle injury. The Nets play the second of a home-and-home set with the Spurs in San Antonio Tuesday, and Frank has not yet made a decision about whether Harris will start in place of Williams, but we expect that switch to go down at some point during New Jersey's road trip.
DeSagana Diop: Limited Availability Tuesday
Update: Diop has a toe injury that could limit his availability Tuesday night against San Antonio, the New York Post reports.
Analysis: Diop is averaging 20 minutes a game in his last two contests, playing a role similar to what he did in Dallas. He gives the Nets a defender in the paint, who can swat shots and hit the boards. It's not nightly starter type of stuff, but if you're looking to add blocked shots late in the season, Diop will be getting playing time in New Jersey.
Bostjan Nachbar: To Miss Tuesday's Game
Update: Nachbar will sit out Tuesday night's game in San Antonio because of a strained left hip, the New York Daily News reports.
Analysis: Nachbar suffered the injury in Sunday's loss to the Spurs.
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