NBA Player updates

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Even though Jalen Rose has been rumored to be on the trading block, Knicks president/coach Isiah Thomas says he's not pursuing any trades.

Either Rose or Quentin Richardson are supposed to be trade bait now that the Knicks have added Jared Jeffries and Renaldo Balkman. Thomas thinks keeping these veterans around will help build competition, which can be a good thing, he says.

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Joe Smith missed the Nuggets' practice Thursday to deal with a family situation.

George Karl doesn't expect Smith to return to the team before Sunday. Minutes among Denver's big men will be hard to come by this season. Assuming Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin average 30 MPG, that leaves Nene, Reggie Evans, Eduardo Najero and Smith to slug it out for the remaining 36 minutes of action.

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Jeff McInnis' name has cropped up as a possibility for the third point guard on the Heat.

He's expected to be bought out by New Jersey, but apparently Miami isn't jumping up and down at the prospect of grabbing McInnis, so this rumor is doubtful to become reality. Other possibilities being discussed include Travis Diener, Orien Greene, Dan Dickau, Keith McLeod, Jason Hart or an extra player from either the Cavs or the Hawks.

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The South Florida Sun-Sentinal suggests that Jason Williams, recovering from knee surgery, may still be a month away.

If that's accurate, Williams could miss the first three games of the season, meaning Gary Payton would be a strong play out of the gate. The Heat are trying to find a third point guard to help compensate for any time Williams may miss.

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Rookie Will Blalock is expected to spend the season in the NBDL.

He may be joined by Amir Johnson, taking the Pistons down to 12 players on the active roster. If that happens, Detroit is expected to add a player before the end of camp, possibly trying to pluck a veteran point guard off the waiver wire.

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Coach Mike Fratello says he's expecting big things from Chucky Atkins this season.

"Chuck is going to have a great year, and as a result, he's going to get rewarded," Fratello said. "That's what I really think is going to happen." Perhaps this is just a motivational speech for Atkins, who wanted a long-term deal, but had to settle for a one-year contract. Either way, Atkins has plenty of reasons to do well this season in backing up PG Damon Stoudamire.

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Junior Harrington, who missed out on his chance for a guaranteed deal when Memphis re-signed Chucky Atkins, will duke it out for the last roster spot on the Grizzlies.

Harrington is competing with two other guards -- Laron Profit and Tarance Kinsey -- plus forward Kimani Ffriend for the 15th spot on the roster. It will most likely go to a guard and the fact that Harrington did well at summer league and has 111 games of NBA experience helps his chances.

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P.J. Brown told Bulls.com that he doesn't know why he can't play until he's 40.

Brown, who turns 37 next week, is about to play in his 15th professional season. He doesn't appear to be slowing down, so perhaps there is no reason he can't stick around until 40.

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Isiah Thomas wants a more consistent effort from Jamal Crawford this season.

Crawford sounds like he's up to the task. Asked to gain a better general understanding of the game by Thomas, Crawford spent the summer reviewing tape of every single Knicks' game last year. As if that wasn't hard enough, he also did a lot of weighlifting, gaining eight pounds and a lot of strength, he says. Crawford struggled in the first half of 2005-06, but was very strong down the stretch.

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Amare Stoudemire had to skip practice Thursday and is now complaining about pain in both knees.

He missed practice time Monday because of right knee pain, but this is the first time he's talked about his left one (the one he had surgery on last year) hurting in over a month.

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An MRI on Kareem Rush's strained left groin revealed a slight tear.

Coach Bob Hill says Rush may miss a couple of pre-season games, but is expected to be back at full speed in a few days. The Sonics are seeking outside shooting help off the bench and Rush is competing with Desmond Farmer for the 14th and final spot on the team, assuming Seattle management allows the team to carry that many on the roster.

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Coach Bob Hill is impressed with Danny Fortson, who's recovering from knee woes.

Because he's nursing an injury, Fortson has only been participating in the early parts of workouts and has yet to play in a scrimmage. Fortson, who barely played last season, was the topic of trade rumors this summer, but apparently Seattle couldn't find any takers. When healthy, which he hasn't been for a few years, Fortson is a beast on the boards.

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Josh Boone, recovering from shoulder surgery, has begun running.

He is expected to start shooting in about two weeks.

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Michael Sweetney, dealing with dehydration, needed intravenous fluids Wednesday night and missed practice Thursday.

He was told to come to camp in shape, but is reportedly looking heavier than his listed weight of 270 pounds and judging by the effects that two-a-day practices are having him, Sweetney is definitely not in shape. Don't expect this to help him earn consistent PT.

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Shelden Williams injured his knee during practice during a full-court drill on Friday.

The rookie was able to return to practice with a sleeve on his knee and said he'd play through whatever pain he felt. "It's a bone bruise or whatever," Williams said. "It's in the back of my mind right now that this is my first training camp and I have to be out there. I can't afford to miss anything."

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Solomon Jones is expected to miss about two weeks after spraining his ankle during practice this week.

The rookie wore a protective boot on his right leg Friday after tweaking his ankle in Wednesday's practice. He'll be sidelined until the medical staff clears his return.

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After a week of practice, Wally Szczerbiak reported that his surgically repaired left knee feels great.

Szczerbiak is still not 100%.

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Delonte West (sore back) hopes to start practicing tomorrow, but coach Doc Rivers doesn't seem so sure.

"Honestly I don’t think it’ll be even then," the coach said. "We’ll see." Fellow point guards Sebastian Telfair and Rajon Rondo have looked impressive early in camp. It will be interesting to see how Rivers splits up the minutes at the point.

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Melvin Ely will sit out Sunday's intra-squad scrimmage after teammate Othella Harrington landed on his knee during practice Wednesday.

An MRI revealed no torn ligaments that would require surgery, so the free agent-to-be is considered day-to-day.

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Bulls waived center Eric Chenowith on Friday.

Luke Schenscher was outplaying Chenowith for the backup center job early on, so Chenowith proved to be expendable.

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Ben Gordon, who has looked very impressive during training camp, said he expects to start when the regular season kicks off against Miami on October 31.

"There's no reason to doubt that," Skiles said. "The [challenge] is keeping him on the court. In the past, he's committed a couple fouls when he's been tired and you have to take him out. Or he's kind of lost focus and given up a backdoor cut." Gordon started 47 of his 80 games last season, so he's familiar with either role.

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After struggling much of the first half of last year because he was out of shape, Damon Jones has reported to camp in better shape.

"I'm down to 195 pounds and 8½ percent body fat," he said, "just like I was during my time in Miami." Jones entered the season at 205 pounds last year and struggled mightily most of the year.

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Larry Hughes, who is not fully recovered from a broken middle finger of the right hand, who played in the Cavs first scrimmage Saturday night.

Hughes missed 45 games last season with the injury. Hughes said he takes calcium pills daily. "Hopefully they will strengthen my bones," he said. "They were recommended by the team's medical staff." It's very unlikely Hughes will regain his elite fantasy status of two years ago with the Cavs.

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Coach Mike Brown said he has been especially pleased with rookie guard Daniel Gibson during the first week of camp.

"Daniel has surprised me a little bit, he's learning really fast," Brown said. "He's showing the ability to get things accomplished at both ends of the floor." Despite the praise, Gibson is a longshot to make the team. He'll likely play in the Developmental League this year.

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Nuggets are expected to sign free-agent shooting guard DerMarr Johnson soon.

Johnson will be utilized in a backup role behind Carmelo Anthony once again this season. He's capable of 20-point game from time to time.

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Nuggets coach George Karl is leaning toward keeping Anthony Carter as the team's third point guard.

Denver plans on running and gunning this season, so AC could see a few minutes off the pine per game. Andre Miller and Earl Boykins will get the vast majority of minutes at the position though. "As fast as we're trying to play kind of caters to a third point guard," Karl said.

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According to ESPN, Ben Wallace signed a free agent deal with the Bulls this offseason partly because of his dislike of coach Flip Saunders.

"I have no relationship with him," Wallace told ESPN.com. "He's coach and I'm a player, and that's as far as it went." Big Ben was upset with Flip after the center wanted to put more attention on defense and the coach dismissed his suggestion. The Bulls and the Pistons face off for the first time on Jan. 6 in Chicago.

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Coach Don Nelson has been very impressed with Dajuan Wagner in camp, saying he has "buried every shot."

"There isn't anything I haven't liked," Nelson said. "He's guarded, he's passed, he's shot, he's done every drill." Although the Warriors are crowded at the two-guard with Jason Richardson, Monta Ellis and Mickael Pietrus, Wagner is expected to get playing time at both guard positions.

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According to Indiana police, Stephen Jackson appears to be justified when he fired five gunshots into the air following a dispute Thursday night at a strip club.

"Right now, from all the evidence we've gathered," said Sgt. Matthew Mount, "it looks like Jackson and three teammates were the victims in this case." Marion County prosecutors will evaluate the evidence and make the ultimate decision on whether Jackson or his teammates will face charges.

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Aaron McKie sat out Friday's intra-squad scrimmage due to a sore back.

McKie played in only 14 games last season with the Lakers because of a torn left quadriceps tendon that wasn't fully healed until this summer. Smush Parker is expected to get the majority of playing time at the point again this year.

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Following successful hip surgery, coach Phil Jackson seems more open to the possiblity of coming back for the 2007-08 season.

Jackson, who is walking with a cane now, remains out but is expected to return for the Oct. 31 regular season opener. "He's walking better than I've seen him in the last few years, even though it's very slowly," Jeanie Buss said. "His posture looks so much better. He's feeling better." Assistant coach Kurt Rambis would likely replace him if he's unable to return in time.

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Chris Mihm felt pain in his surgically repaired right ankle after beginning his running regimen a few days ago.

The center missed 24 of the team's last 25 games last season because of the ankle. "The more activity that's done on it, the more it gets to be a sharp pain," he said Friday. "It's a matter of working it as intensely as we can in a certain range, and when the pain spikes, icing it down."

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Mike Miller (toe) was unable to scrimmage Friday, but hopes to return sometime next week.

Miller, recovering from recent toe surgery, was able to participate in drills, and run through 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 workouts though. He should be fine for the regular season.

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Wayne Simien recentley revealed that he contracted salmonella bacteria and was hospitalized soon after the season ended.

"They said it could come from something I ate, or it could have been a virus that was in the stomach already," Simien said. The second-year forward lost 30 pounds due to the illness, but has gained it all back and says he "feels great." He should be in for a larger role with the defending champs in his second year.

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Gary Payton missed practice Thursday for what the team said are personal reasons.

Starting point guard Jason Williams is still a month away from returning, so The Glove will likely have a large role - at least early on. "He is 38 but I remember John Stockton playing 30 minutes at 39 or 40," coach Pat Riley said. "He has got the ability, because he is healthy, to be able to play more minutes than normal." Miami will likely sign a third point guard before the season starts.

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Mo Williams is being used as the Bucks starting point guard in camp this week, while Charlie Bell is the backup.

"I've been waiting for this opportunity but at the same time, every training camp I've been through has been some sort of battle," he said. "So it's nothing new to me." Williams averaged a career-high 12.1 PPG last season, but is expected to more of a distributor this year.

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Mark Blount appears to be the early favorite to start at center for the Timberwolves this season.

Minnesota has the first, second and third teams already determined early on with Kevin Garnett, Trenton Hassell, Mike James, Ricky Davis and Blount running with the first team. Marko Jaric, Troy Hudson, Madsen, Eddie Griffin and Justin Reed were the backups; and Randy Foye, Craig Smith, Bracey Wright, Baker, Paul Shirley and Tyrone Ellis were the third-stringers.

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Marcus Williams has looked very impressive early on and appears on his way to being a major part of the Nets rotation.

There's no doubting that Jason Kidd is the team's starter, but Williams looks in store for decent minutes with the veteran team. "I don't know who was scouting him that day, but he can shoot it," Kidd said. "He can pass and he can run the team. He can shoot it, though. There's no doubt about that."

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Coach Byron Scott is very eager for the Hornets to re-sign David West, who is set to be a free agent at season's end.

"David West, to me, is definitely one of those players where last year wasn't no fluke," Scott said. "And he's expanded his game. He did everything I asked him to do to get ready and broaden his horizons from a basketball standpoint." Look for last season's Sixth Man of the Year runner-up to build upon his breakout 17.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG campaign. He's worked a great deal on his 3-point shooting over the offseason.

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Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson had a nasty collision during practice Friday that left both players with bloodied heads.

Nelson received nine stitches over his right eye and Howard six over his left eye. Howard is expected to play Saturday night in an intra-squad scrimmage, but Nelson's status isn't as good.

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Magic coach Brian Hill said he plans on starting Tony Battie alongside Dwight Howard in the frontcourt during the preseason.

That means Darko Milicic, who added 28 pounds of muscle during the offseason, will come off the bench. "He'll earn whatever playing time he earns, but I don't see him [starting] right now,"

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Andrew Bogut suffered a contusion on his lower left leg during the third quarter of a team scrimmage Saturday and did not return.

Bucks coach Terry Stotts said Bogut, who is day-to-day, was "going to be all right". "Whenever someone comes out of the game, you always want to make sure he's all right," Stotts said. Bogut has the potential to average around a double-double in his sophomore campaign.

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Gilbert Arenas has been working with a special defensive coach and is focusing more on defense this season.

With defensive specialist Jared Jeffries now in New York, Washington will need to really work on defense this year to be competitive. "I expect to be a better defender now than I've been at any point in my career," guard Gilbert Arenas said. "I have to take responsibility -- we all do -- for the way we defend."

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Luol Deng has been granted a British passport and hopes to play for Britain's national team at the 2012 London Olympics.

Deng was born in Sudan but lived in London for six years before playing with Duke and the Bulls. "Although I've been playing in the U.S. for a number of years, London will always be my home," Deng said. "It's the city I grew up in and where my family lives today."

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Amare Stoudemire, recovering from knee surgery, did not play in Friday's exhibition with Virtus Lottomatica Roma in Rome.

Shawn Marion scored 19 points and Steve Nash had nine assists as Phoenix won by seven. No word on Stoudemire's return to the court.

[lonny23]

Amare Stoudemire had to skip practice Thursday and is now complaining about pain in both knees.

He missed practice time Monday because of right knee pain, but this is the first time he's talked about his left one (the one he had surgery on last year) hurting in over a month.
DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH

[lonny23]

After a week of practice, Wally Szczerbiak reported that his surgically repaired left knee feels great.

Szczerbiak is still not 100%.
That's great news. I want Wide to be able to watch his boy!:p

[lonny23]

Bulls waived center Eric Chenowith on Friday.

Luke Schenscher was outplaying Chenowith for the backup center job early on, so Chenowith proved to be expendable.
If Schenscher is your backup, you don't have one. All that depth and they don't have a backup Center?

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Delonte West (back) surprised coach Doc Rivers by practicing for about 1 hour 15 minutes Saturday.

West went through the entire practice with the exception of the scrimmages. He's expected to go full out within the next day or two. ``It felt great, but the key was not to overdo it," said West. He's got a slight edge over Rajon Rondo and Sebastian Telfair for the most playing time at the crowded point guad spot.

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Coach Bernie Bickerstaff has been very impressed with the improvement of Raymond Felton since last season.

"I expect him to keep getting better," Bickerstaff said. "He's added a lot to his game. It's amazing, in terms of his progression." Felton should get to play a lot more point guard this year, even when Brevin Knight is in the game.

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Trajan Langdon scored 17 points to lead CSKA Moscow to a 94-75 victory over the Clippers in an exhibition game Saturday.

With the score 52-39 at halftime, Langdon hit two straight 3-pointers in quick succession to put his team 16 points ahead and set the tone in the second half. The former Duke star could get a chance with an NBA team sometime this year.

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Dale Davis left Saturday's scrimmage with a strained left hamstring and did not return.

The injury isn't considered serious. Davis, who will be an emregency center, is listed day-to-day.

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Still recovering from knee surgery, Jason Richardson vowed to do whatever it takes to be back for the regular season opener against the Lakers on Nov. 1.

"I'm going to be in here doing whatever I can, night and day," Richardson said. "If I have to sleep in here, bring a pillow and sleep on that couch, I'm going to be in there to get back to the playing shape that I'm capable of being in and being ready for it." He hopes to partake in non-contact drills as early as Tuesday.

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With Chris Mihm not expected to be healthy for the season opener, Kwame Brown will open the season as the Lakers starting center.

Brown struggled mightily most of last season, but came on strong towards the end. He averaged 13.6 points and 9.2 rebounds in the team's final 13 regular-season games, and 12.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG in the playoffs.

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Aaron McKie practiced Saturday after sitting out part of Friday's practice because of a sore back.

McKie's best assets are his leadership and wisdom.

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The Heat is delaying the signing of Shandon Anderson, while he continues to recover from a wrist injury.

Anderson's agent, Dan Fegan, said the injury will require only rest and rehabilitation, not surgery. Coach Pat Riley suggested he's still interested in re-signing Anderson when he's healthy, which could take four to six weeks.

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Unable to revive his NBA career due to various injuries, Kerrry Kittles has joined the Nets in an advisory role.

Coach Lawrence Frank wouldn't define his job, other than to say, "We thought Kerry could be a great asset to all of our players. He's a great representative of what we're all about."

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According to coach Byron Scott, Linton Johnson reported to camp in "probably the best condition of athletes we have."

Johnson put on 15 pounds of muscle after working out extensively this summer. "He probably has the most improvement of any player I've seen on the team from last year to this year," Scott said. "He's just a hard working guy -- and he has the size, strength and athleticism."

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Jameer Nelson has been diagnosed with a mild concussion and will undergo further testing in Orlando.

Nelson did not play in Saturday night's intrasquad game after receiving nine stitches over his right eye on Friday after a collision with Dwight Howard. "We had to check him out here, and we'll check out Jameer when we get home," Coach Brian Hill said. Nelson is questionable for the Magic's opening exhibition game Tuesday night.

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Ray Allen left the Saturday morning's practice to undergo some tests after injuring his right index finger.

Coach Bob Hill said Allen sprained his finger and is day-to-day. "You don't want to lose Ray, but when you coach Ray you understand that whatever precautions he has to take, you know he's going to be back as soon as he can," Hill said. "He's the ultimate pro."

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Coach Eddie Jordan said DeShawn Stevenson has made the biggest impact of any player in camp "from a defensive standpoint."

Stevenson was one of 12 players in the NBA that played in all 82 games last year. He has been playing a lot with the first unit as the team's new defensive specialist.

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Sean May took eight stitches above his left eye after a training camp collision with teammate Gerald Wallace on Sunday.

"I'm suing him for ruining my modeling career," May joked. "He came down right on top of my head." May should be fine for the start of the regular season after missing most of last year with a knee injury.

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The Nuggets signed shooting guard Courtney Alexander on Sunday.

He ruptured his right Achilles tendon in an exhibition game in 2003 while with the New Orleans Hornets and is just now fighting his way back into the league. He averaged 9.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 187 games with three teams.

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Forward Joe Smith is attending to personal matters and it is uncertain when he will return to training camp.

It was originally thought he'd return on or before Sunday, but now it's unknown when he'll be back. He's going to be an important front court player for the injury prone Nuggets, so it's important that he's in camp to learn the new system.

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Backup center Jerome James partially tore his plantar fascia in the first day of training camp for the Knicks.

On the last day of camp, he tried running suicide sprints to show team unity and could barely move. James was useless for the Knicks last year and appears to be headed down the same road again this season.

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Still suffering from the symptoms of a concussion, point guard Jameer Nelson will miss Orlando's opening exhibition game Tuesday night and might miss all three games this week.

Coach Brian Hill said he didn't expect Nelson to be available "until the end of the week" and Nelson said "It was like I got hit by a car," in regards to his collision with Dwight Howard.

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J.J. Redick will be out for about a week after tearing soft tissue on the bottom of his left foot.

His pro career is off to a slow start.

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Ray Allen didn't practice on Sunday due to a right index finger injury sustained on Saturday.

An MRI showed no ligament damage.

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Andrew Bogut will likely miss the beginning of the season with a lower left leg sprain that is expected to sideline him for six to eight weeks.

Bogut was helped off the court during a team scrimmage on Saturday after banging his leg into Steve Blake's knee. The Bucks originally believed he was day-to-day, but the injury has turned out to be much more severe. Dan Gadzuric and Brian Skinner will take most of Bogut's minutes for at least the first couple of weeks of the regular season.

[lonny23]

Trajan Langdon scored 17 points to lead CSKA Moscow to a 94-75 victory over the Clippers in an exhibition game Saturday.

With the score 52-39 at halftime, Langdon hit two straight 3-pointers in quick succession to put his team 16 points ahead and set the tone in the second half. The former Duke star could get a chance with an NBA team sometime this year.
That dude used to drill 3's all the time when I watched him in high school.

[twcpfan1]

Trajan Langdon scored 17 points to lead CSKA Moscow to a 94-75 victory over the Clippers in an exhibition game Saturday.

With the score 52-39 at halftime, Langdon hit two straight 3-pointers in quick succession to put his team 16 points ahead and set the tone in the second half. The former Duke star could get a chance with an NBA team sometime this year.

Surprise Surprise. Another victory by a European team over an NBA team

[lonny23]

Surprise Surprise. Another victory by a European team over an NBA team
The 2007 NBA champs are going to be led by a European!:p

[BeauxGeezy]

J.J. Redick will be out for about a week after tearing soft tissue on the bottom of his left foot.

His pro career is off to a slow start.


20 bucks says he was absolutely hammered when he did it.

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Indiana forward Jermaine O'Neal expects to miss the Pacers' preseason opener against New Jersey on Wednesday because of a lawsuit stemming from the brawl with Detroit Pistons fans two years ago.

O'Neal should testify on Tuesday or Wednesday, leaving him doubtful for the game, although it's still possible he could show up. The case involves the guy he punched on the court the night of the brawl. "It's the icing on the cake to finish this thing off and put it behind me once and for all," he said.

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Andrea Bargnani made his preseason debut for the Raptors on Monday and had eight points and four boards in 14 minutes of action off the bench.

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Jarvis Hayes made his preseason debut on Monday and scored 14 points against the Raptors.

He came off the bench, but looks healthy after missing most of the last two seasons with knee problems.

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The Blazers named Steve Patterson their general manager on Monday.

He's also the president of the team and was involved in swinging several draft-day trades, but many people believe that then director of player personnel, Kevin Pritchard, was instrumental in those deals and should have been named the GM. Pritchard did get a promotion, but it was to assistant GM.

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Roger Mason has had a great training camp and is reportedly on the verge of working his way into the regular rotation for the Wizards.

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Joe Smith returned to the Nuggets on Monday after missing four days attending to a personal matter.

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Julius Hodge (infection) is shooting again and went through drills at Monday's practice.

He'd been sidelined by a foot infection that resulted from him being shot last season.

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Big man Dale Davis went through about half of Monday's Pistons practice in Puerto Rico, where they'll face the Heat on Tuesday.

He suffered a strained left hamstring in Saturday's practice and is listed as day-to-day. And yes, believe it or not, he's still in the league.

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Mickael Pietrus has been named Don Nelson's starting small forward for this season.

This comes as somewhat of a shock because it was uncertain if he'd even get much playing time this year. "I don't see, no matter what happens now, that anyone's going to move MP out of the (small forward) spot," said Nelson. "He's been terrific." The starting lineup looks like Baron Davis and Jason Richardson in the backcourt, with Pietrus at SF, Mike Dunleavy at PF and Troy Murphy at C.

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Kobe Bryant has been ruled out of Thursday's preseason game as he recovers from knee surgery.

It sounds like there's a chance he could play in the following game but either way, is on track to be ready for the regular season.

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Stephen Jackson has been given an extra year of probation stemming from the brawl in Detroit in 2004.

"He hadn't satisfied everything he was supposed to do so he is under probation for another year," said assitant prosecutor John Pietrofesa. He either skimped on the $250 fine, anger management counseling or 60 hours of community service. His future with the Pacers is somewhat unclear after last weekend's embarrassing shooting incident at a strip club.

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Hedo Turkoglu is not injured, but will miss several days due to a mysterious illness that has bothered him dating to last year.

He has experienced flu-like symptoms often accompanied by violent chills and had two episodes during training camp in Jacksonville, FL recently. He's scheduled to undergo tests in hopes of pinpointing the problem. "They want to get a blood work-up on him," Coach Brian Hill said.

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Blazers forward/center Raef LaFrentz has a tear in his left calf and probably will miss another week of practice.

LaFrentz suffered the injury in September while running, then aggravated the injury two weeks later. He said he hopes to begin running again later this week. He will primarily play a backup role for the Blazers this year.

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Travis Outlaw has had a great camp and it appears he and Martell Webster are battling for the starting small forward job.

Darius Miles is also in the running, but is still recovering from knee surgery and no one is sure if he'll be the same player he was before the surgery.

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Nuggets coach George Karl had his option picked up by the team Tuesday, extending his contract through the 2009-10 season.

Financial terms were not disclosed. Karl is 76-46 with the Nuggets, leading them to the playoffs over each of the last two years and to the Northwest Division title last season. Now, if he can just find a way to keep his big men healthy and Kenyon Martin happy.

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Amare Stoudemire (knee) has been cleared to play in Tuesday's preseason game against the Sixers.

He's been in and out of practice with knee issues, but will see some minutes today. The game is at 3 p.m. EST.

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Stromile Swift will miss a couple preseason games as he let's a minor knee strain fully heal.

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Stephen Jackson finally spoke out about Friday's shooting incident in which he was hit by a car at a strip club at 3 a.m.

"I want to apologize to my teammates, to the fans and to this organization," he said after his first practice since the fight early Friday. "It was a very unfortunate incident. I definitely take responsibility for my action and everything I've done." Two suspects have been arrested and police are currently looking for a third. Police are also trying to find a way to connect the small amount of marijuana in Jamaal Tinsley's car to one of the four players involved. Jackson's starting job with the Pacers is in jeopardy as everyone from the average fan to Reggie Miller seems to be fed up with Jackson's antics.

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The Clippers signed free agent Lamond Murray on Tuesday.

He was originally drafted by the Clippers and spent last year with the Nets.

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Rodney Carney hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left in Tuesday's game to lead the Sixers to a comeback 103-100 win over the Suns in Germany.

The Sixers outscored the Suns 28-11 in the fourth quarter and Carney had 14 points and seven rebounds to go along with the game-winner. Allen Iverson had 29 points and Kyle Korver pitched in 20 as well. Carney looks like a very confident rookie .

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Amare Stoudemire played in today's preseason game vs. the Sixers in Germany and had six points and six rebounds off the bench.

He also had four fouls and five turnovers, but did add a couple dunks and appeared to make it through the game without aggravating his knee injury.

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Mike Sweetney needed an IV for dehydration recently and appears to be much heavier than the 270 pounds he's listed at.

It looks like Sweetney has probably eaten his way out of the league and is on his last chance with coach Scott Skiles.

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Wally Szczerbiak played 16 minutes in the Celtics first preseason game on Tuesday and had four points.

He was just 1-of-8 from the floor but it was nice to see him play despite knee concerns. His knee could be an issue all year, but so far he says it's feeling fine.

Paul Pierce had 17 points in Tuesday's preseason win over the Cavaliers.

He was 0-of-5 from downtown and just 4-of-12 from the floor, but looked pretty good in his first action since offseason elbow surgery.

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Kendrick Perkins played well on Tuesday night, logging 10 points and seven rebounds in a win over the Cavaliers.

He looked good after offseason shoulder surgery and should battle with Theo Ratliff for the starting job and playing time this season. Ratliff started tonight, but didn't play much before Perkins took over.

Michael Olowokandi had five points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday's preseason opener.

He doesn't have a contract, but if he has a great preseason, he could make the team as a reserve. He's off to a good start after tonight.

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Delonte West sat out Tuesday's preseason opener with a sore back.

No surprise here, as the back has been bothering him for weeks. Hopefully the problem is resolved by the start of the season, but it's not looking great for West right now.

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Larry Hughes showed no signs of a finger injury in Tuesday night's loss to the Celtics.

He had eight points and two steals on 4-of-6 shooting .

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Emeka Okafor started at center Tuesday night and finally returned to the court from his severely sprained ankle.

He was abused defensively while trying to guard Dwight Howard and didn't score before fouling out. He did have three boards, but his ankle is still a huge concern for him.

Adam Morrison came off the bench and scored a game-high 19 points in a loss to the Magic on Tuesday.

He hit 7-of-14 shots including two threes, but didn't contribute much else. However, he looked great and should have a nice rookie year.

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Sean May started at power forward on Tuesday and had 13 points and seven boards on 5-of-11 shooting in a loss to the Magic.

Emeka Okafor started at center, so May got the start at PF. If the Cats go with a small lineup, May could start on opening night. He missed most of last season with a knee injury.

Brevin Knight left Tuesday's game with a sprained right ankle.

The injury isn't thought to be serious and he started at point guard. He had two points and three assists before leaving and could be the opening-night starter at point guard for the Cats.

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Boris Diaw had 10 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in Tuesday's preseason opener.

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Keith Bogans started at shooting guard for the Magic on Tuesday and had 14 points.

When Hedo Turkoglu is healthy, Bogans should come off the bench, but he got off to a good start on Tuesday.

Grant Hill had 16 points in Tuesday's preseason opener for the Magic.

He's expected to start at shooting guard for the Magic this season and hit 4-of-6 shots on Tuesday. He appears to be quite healthy right now.

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Peja Stojakovic sat out Tuesday's preseason opener with a strained right quad.

Peja was held out for precautionary reasons and should be ready to go by opening night.

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Nazr Mohammed had 16 points and eight boards in his debut as the new center for the Pistons.

He's traditionally a slow starter, so tonight's output was a pleasant surprise.

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Damon Stoudamire returned from last year's knee surgery and had six points and four boards on 2-of-4 shooting on Tuesday.

This was great to see and it's looking like he'll be the opening-night starter at PG for the Grizzlies.

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Rookie Rudy Gay scored nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter of a win over Houston on Tuesday.

No one is talking about him doing much this year, but he was a No. 1 pick candidate on draft night.

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Rookie Rajon Rondo had 11 points and eight assists in Tuesday's win over the Cavaliers.

Sebastian Telfair started at point guard and had 12 points and one assist, but Rondo looked great with his stat line.

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Deron Williams had 16 points, five rebounds and five assists in Tuesday's preseason opener against the Lakers.

He also hit a couple threes on 7-of-13 shooting and even recorded a block. Derek Fisher came off the bench and had five points, five assists and four steals .

Carlos Boozer had 18 points and 12 rebounds in his preseason opener on Tuesday night.

He hit 9-of-12 shots and is finally both happy and healthy.

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Lamar Odom had 18 points, five boards and six assists in Tuesday's win over the Jazz.

He hit 6-of-9 shots, including three 3-pointers in his first action since the death of his young son last summer.:(

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Jay Williams will take the court Wednesday night for the Nets, seeing his first NBA action in over three years after a motorcycle accident almost killed him.

"It's going to be a fun time," Williams said Tuesday after practice. "I really don't see the crowd. I am into the game. That's what I look forward to the most, the game and playing against new competition. I want to get my legs right. I am going to be ready for it."

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Ike Diogu is really struggling to learn the Warriors playbook and Don Nelson says it could cost him time.

"It's going to limit his playing time if he doesn't know the offense," Nelson said. "But I'm more concerned about the defensive aspects of the game. He makes too many errors there as well." Diogu appears to have a bright future in front of him, but this year is not off to a great start.

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Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton will join Chauncey Billups as co-captains this season.

Prince and Rip replace Ben Wallace as Chauncey's as co-captains .

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James White and Jeff Foster will start in place of Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal in Wednesday's preseason game.

Jackson is recovering from being run over by a car and O'Neal is testifying in a Detroit court stemming from the brawl. Al Harrington, Danny Granger and Jamaal Tinsley will round out the starting lineup today against New Jersey.

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Tim Thomas sat out Tuesday's practice with a sore lower back.

The injury isn't thought to be serious.

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Guard Aaron McKie may be waived by the Lakers to make room for a younger player.

Rookie guard J.R. Pinnock and forward Devin Green appear more likely to make the final roster than McKie.

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It appears that Brian Skinner will be the starting center for the Bucks until Andrew Bogut (leg) is healthy again.

"Brian's had a good camp," coach Terry Stotts said. "He has a good sense to the game. I don't know how many years he's been in the league but he's an intelligent player."

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Vince Carter isn't expected to play in Wednesday's preseason game against the Pacers with bruised ribs, an injury that has hampered him all of training camp.

His injury isn't thought to be serious, but he had a great matchup going against rookie James White today. Bogey Nachbar (bronchitis) and Eddie House (knee) are also not likely to play.

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Jerome James' foot injury could keep him out for the season opener and be a problem all season long.

The Knicks announced yesterday that an MRI revealed that James is suffering from right plantar fasciitis, which is an inflammation of the tissue under the foot. In most cases, rest is the only suitable treatment, leaving his short and long-term status in limbo. Eddy Curry is likely to get most of the center minutes in New York this season.

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Dwight Howard started at center with Tony Battie (knee) sidelined, but it sounds like he's set to play there all season.

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Jarrett Jack still appears to be the starting point guard for the Blazers.

Wednesday's starting lineup looks like Jack at PG, Juan Dixon at SG, Travis Outlaw at SF, Zach Randolph at PF and Joel Przybilla at center.

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Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Kenny Thomas got into an altercation during practice on Tuesday.

"We were just playing. Those things happen all the time in practices," Abdur-Rahim said. The two are competing for the starting PF job in Sacto, but SAR is the current front runner

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Earl Watson lost a front tooth in Tuesday's practice and will probably miss his first preseason game.

Training-camp invitee Kenny Adeleke hit Watson's mouth while going for the ball, knocking out one front tooth. Coach Bob Hill spotted the loose tooth on the court and joked he should be paid a $5 finder's fee. "He was hurting and wasn't going to play," said coach Bob Hill of Watson's immediate reaction to the injury. "If he takes it off, it gives me a chance to play [reserve guards Milt] Palacio and [Mike] Wilks." Watson has a great chance of being the opening-night starter at point guard for the Sonics, unseating Luke Ridnour.

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Andrei Kirilenko's back is bothering him already, as he missed part of practices last weekend.

"It's just a little tired," he said of his back. "Practice was big intensity last week, and we had three days [with] twice practice," Kirilenko said. "I'm trying to prevent [injury]. If I feel it's to the point where it will hurt, I stop myself so it doesn't happen again. And I'm feeling good again now."

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Indiana Pacers guard Stephen Jackson was charged with criminal recklessness, a felony, on Wednesday following last week's confrontation outside a strip club.

Jackson was also charged with battery and disorderly conduct (misdemeanors) by Marion County prosecutor Carl Brizzi five days after he and three teammates fought with patrons. He was expected to turn himself in Wednesday or Thursday and the felony count carries a prison term of six months to three years. The Pacers may secretly be happy about the charges as we get the feeling they're looking for a way to get rid of Jackson. He was also a central figure in the brawl in Detroit and because he's still technically on probation from that incident, he could be in some serious trouble now. Rookie James White will start in his place in tonight's preseason game.

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Ray Allen returned to practice from a finger injury on Tuesday and is questionable for Wednesday's preseason game.

He got a scare with the injury, but an MRI confirmed that it's not serious. He should be fine to start the regular season.

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Leandro Barbosa blew up for 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting on Wednesday to help the Suns defeat Maccabi Tel Aviv in an exhibition game.

He was 5-of-8 from downtown .

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Amare Stoudemire played for the Suns again on Wednesday in an exhibition win over Maccabi Tel Aviv.

That's back-to-back games and while his production isn't great (11 points, three rebounds), the fact he's playing is great news. So far, so good.

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Samuel Dalembert had 15 points and 18 rebounds in a win over Moscow on Wednesday.

He also had five blocks and this was the type of line that most were expecting from him consistently last year until he fell into Mo Cheeks' doghouse, and was never able to get out.

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Rookie Rajon Rondo exploded for 29 points, four boards, five assists, three steals and two 3-pointers in Wednesday's overtime loss to the Raptors.

One of his treys actually sent the game to overtime, but the Celtics weren't able to hold on for the win. Rondo was spectacular tonight and didn't really look like a rookie.

Theo Ratliff sat out Wednesday's game with a sore back.

It's not thought to be a serious injury, but he's not exactly known as a picture of health year in and year out.

Wally Szczerbiak sat out Wednesday's game with a sore knee.

His knee could cause him problems all season, but this move was of a precautionary nature.

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Jorge Garbajosa led the Raptors with 18 points and four assists in Wednesday's win over the Celtics.

The Raptors are still trying to figure out their rotation.

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Antoine Wright started in place of Vince Carter (ribs) on Wednesday and had 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

We'd see a lot more lines like this if he didn't have to spend all his time behind Vinsanity.

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Danny Granger had 16 points, four rebounds and a 3-pointer in Wednesday's win over the Nets.

He looked pretty good and appears to be living up to the hype.

Al Harrington made his Pacers debut on Wednesday and had 21 points and nine rebounds on 10-of-21 shooting.

He displayed great leadership (and a mohawk) throughout the game and everything went according to plan except the fact he hit just 1-of-6 free throws on the night.

Marquis Daniels had four points in limited action in Wednesday's preseason win over the Nets.

He has been battling a sore toe after the toenail was removed, but appears to be healthy enough to play now.

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Luke Jackson played 10 minutes and scored one point in Tuesday's preseason game.

He's finally back on the court after having serious back issues over the past two seasons.

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Al Jefferson appears to be over his ankle injuries after playing in two straight preseason games for the Celtics.

He had nine points and four boards in his first game and one point and four boards in his second. His ankle problems aren't completely behind him, but it looks like he's on his way after shedding 30 pounds. Ryan Gomes has looked fantastic so it's not a given that Jefferson will land in the starting lineup.

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Jay Williams played for the Nets on Wednesday and had two points in 16 minutes of action.

The fact he finally returned to the court with an NBA team after his motorcycle accident is an inspirational story.

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Bobby Simmons-G/F- Bucks

Bobby Simmons sat out Wednesday's preseason game with a bruised right heel.

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Troy Hudson was 0-of-4 from the field in Wednesday's preseason game, but at least played after a long battle with ankle problems.

He had three points and four assists and could be a solid backup point guard for the Wolves this year if he's truly healthy.

Eddie Griffin had two points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in Wednesday's preseason win over the Bucks.

Is that a typical Griffin line or what?

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Randy Foye came off the bench and had four points on 1-of-5 shooting in Wednesday's preseason win.

Dwane Casey is preaching defense this season, so it would make sense that specialist Trenton Hassell starts in front of Foye. Casey's a tough coach to get a read on, so don't count on anything out of Foye over the first month or two of the regular season.

Mark Blount was ejected from Wednesday's preseason game for arguing foul calls.

Referees will have a quick trigger finger this year as players can be T'd up for showing negative emotion after a foul call. They got Blount tonight, twice, and ejected him. He finished with seven points, eight rebounds, seven turnovers and two blocks. It's going to be very interesting to see how a guy like Rasheed Wallace deals with the new rule.

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Joe Johnson had 22 points, five boards, five assists, two steals and four 3-pointers in Wednesday's preseason win over the Grizzlies.

Lorenzen Wright, a former Grizzly, was ejected for fighting with Memphis' Kimani Ffriend on Wednesday.

Both players had three points before leaving, and Wright is battling with Zaza Pachulia for the starting center job in Atlanta.

Shelden Williams had 12 points and nine rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting on Wednesday.

He's starting to look better.

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Rookie Rudy Gay has led the Grizzlies in scoring in their two preseason games after posting 15 points on Wednesday against the Hawks.

He had 14 on Tuesday and is off to a nice start thus far.

Rookie Alexander Johnson had 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks against the Hawks on Wednesday.

Rookie Kyle Lowry had 12 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the free throw line on Wednesday against the Hawks.

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Ben Wallace had seven points, nine rebounds, two steals and a block in his Bulls debut on Wednesday.

He came off the bench and didn't play much, but he looked good in a Bulls uniform tonight.

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Ray Allen had 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting on Wednesday and hit one 3-pointer in a preseason win over the Blazers.

He showed no signs of a finger injury that he suffered last week and he should be good to go for the regular season.

Luke Ridnour left Wednesday's game after suffering a thumb injury and finished the preseason game with just two points and two assists.

Luckily, X-rays were negative. However, if he's going to miss any time with the injury, it just increases the chances that Earl Watson steals his starting point guard job this season.

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Nick Collison had 11 points and 12 rebounds in Wednesday's preseason opener.

No one is talking about Collison with Chris Wilcox in the house, but he had a nice game off the bench tonight. It's possible that Wilcox and Collison could split time this season.

Earl Watson surprisingly played on Wednesday despite losing a tooth on Tuesday and had 15 points, four assists and two threes in the win over the Blazers.

Luke Ridnour was injured during the game (thumb) so Watson saw some extra minutes.

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Zach Randolph had 20 points and seven rebounds in Portland's preseason loss to the Sonics on Wednesday.

He also impressively had three steals and hit a three on the night.

Rookie Brandon Roy had eight points, two rebounds and two assists in Wednesday's loss to the Sonics.

He's not in the starting lineup as of now, but he could be by opening night. He hit just 3-of-10 shots, but is still the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award at this point.

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Jarrett Jack had 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in Wednesday's preseason opener for Portland.

He played very well and should be the starting point guard for Portland on opening night.

Dan Dickau played well in Portland's preseason opener on Wednesday, logging nine points and four assists in the loss.

He hit 3-of-6 shots and was 2-of-2 from downtown in the loss. He should end up being Jarrett Jack's backup at point guard after overcoming an Achilles' injury.

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Stephen Jackson entered court in Indianapolis on Thursday to face a felony charge of criminal recklessness.

Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, who filed charges Wednesday, said Jackson got his gun from his car and fired it before he was hit. Jackson also originally said he was punched in the face, but later told police his injuries were all from being hit by the car, Brizzi said. "Firing the shots in the air at that point is criminal recklessness," Brizzi said. "Those bullets, once they come up, have to come down, and they come down at least 90 miles per hour, and they do absolutely have the ability to take someone's life." Jackson could be facing jail time in Indy and Detroit since he was still technically on probation from the "Malace at the Palace" in 2004.

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Marvin Williams left Wednesday's game midway through the third quarter with bruised ribs.

The injury came courtesy of a body block from Eddie Jones but is not thought to be serious. Williams had 11 points, five boards, one steal and two blocks before leaving the game.

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Wally Szczerbiak (knee) sat out Wednesday's game strictly for precautionary reasons.

"Wally was moving stiffly [against the Cavaliers]," coach Doc Rivers said. "That's part of the process with him. If it was part of the regular season, both of them probably could have played."

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The Warriors waived forward Dijon Thompson on Wednesday.

That leaves Anthony Roberson and Matt Barnes as the only players in camp without a guaranteed contract, so they're probably next in line to go.

Backup point guard Keith McLeod missed Wednesday's practice with a sprained ankle.

The injury isn't thought to be serious and he's listed as day-to-day.

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Sam Cassell has missed two straight practices with a strained left calf.

He's still listed as the starting point guard for the Clippers, but Shaun Livingston may have the position by opening night.

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Nenad Krstic has looked great in camp and appears to be in line for more threes and blocks this season.

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Hornets center Marc Jackson re-injured his left hamstring during Wednesday's practice and is out indefinitely.

Jackson rested his hamstring during Tuesday's preseason game, but tweaked it the next morning. Fellow reserve center Hilton Armstrong should get extended time in the post.

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Jalen Rose has been working with the third team in scrimmages.

It looks like he's going to struggle to find many minutes with the Knicks this season

[LPFAN]

I just thought I would break the cycle. :D I have never seen someone post so many back to back messages. Are you just trying to get your post count up or what?:confused:

[lonny23]

I just thought I would break the cycle. :D I have never seen someone post so many back to back messages. Are you just trying to get your post count up or what?:confused:
He's been doing these updates most of the year. He's done the NBA, MLB, and the NFL.

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Jarvis Hayes made his first start on Wednesday since Dec. 16, when he re-injured his right knee against the Lakers.

Hayes, who scored 14 points of 6-of-11 shooting Monday night against Toronto, looked sharp again, hitting 4-of-7 shots and scoring 11 points in 19 minutes.

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Guard Antonio Daniels sprained his left ankle in practice on Thursday.

He's day-to-day and is currently competing for minutes at both guard positions for the Wizards.

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Isiah Thomas is now talking about bringing Jamal Crawford off the bench this season, while starting Steve Francis

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Brian Cook scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers came back to beat Seattle 104-101 on Thursday night.

Cook is coming off thumb surgery so this was a big game for him.

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Stephen Jackson's trial for criminal recklessness will start on Jan. 8.

He should be allowed to play for the Pacers until then, but the entire city of Indianapolis has already ruled him guilty and appears to be done with Jackson. It will be interesting to see how the Pacers' brass handles Jackson and his playing time between now and his court date.

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Nick Collison backed up his 11-point, 12-rebound game with 20 points and six boards on Thursday night against the Lakers.

He hit 9-of-12 shots.

Luke Ridnour sat out Thursday's game with a sprained thumb and isn't expected to play on Sunday either.

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Andrew Bynum appears to be over his knee injury after scoring six points in Thursday's preseason game against the Sonics

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Dajuan Wagner scored 18 points on Thursday to lead the Warriors over Efes Pilsen 120-66 in an exhibition game.

Troy Murphy had 12 points and 14 boards in Golden St.'s preseason opener on Thursday night.

Adonal Foyle has been removed from the Warriors' rotation as Troy Murphy will get the bulk of center minutes this season.

"What he needs to do is guard, block shots, run, get thin and do what I tell him to do, and not worry about scoring or anything like that," coach Don Nelson said.

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Andre Miller's having a nice preseason, but is catching some heat for the gut he showed up with.

"Are you three months pregnant?" Linas Kleiza joked in the locker room. George Karl expects Miller to be an on-court leader and thinks he needs work harder in the offseaon. "Miller needs to (get) himself into shape," Karl said. "He knows that." Luckily, he's playing well and appears to be in no danger of losing minutes or his job.

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Guard Andre Owens has been sent home and told he won't play for the Warriors this season.

That means that Matt Barnes or Anthony Roberson will probably secure the last available spot on the team. Owens' contract is guaranteed and he's scheduled to make $700,000, but the Warriors say they're not waiving him.

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Prosecutors in Detroit will request jail time for Pacers guard Stephen Jackson when he returns next month for a probation violation hearing.

"Anybody who has been brought before a court and has been sentenced clearly understands the ramifications of engaging in criminal behavior while under the thumb of the court system," Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca said. Jackson is scheduled to appear at a probation violation hearing on Nov. 13 and he could face up to three months in jail. Despite all of this, there is talk of Jackson playing against Utah in Indy on Saturday, where he's sure to get an ice-cold reception. His trial date in Indy is set for Jan. 8.

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Cuttino Mobley has told coach Mike Dunleavy that he'll come off the bench if necessary to keep his teammates happy.

Quinton Ross, Corey Maggette and Mobley are all fighting for minutes at shooting guard this season, but we can't imagine Mobley not being the starter there. Dunleavy seems determined to bring Maggette off the bench this season (behind Mobley and Tim Thomas), which is going to probably lead to attitude problems with the former Duke star.

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Jake Tsakalidis lost 10 pounds in the offseason in hopes of being prepared to run better with the Grizzlies this season.

By default, he's the starting center in Memphis, but has gotten off to a very slow start this preseason. He had flashes of brilliance last year, but hasn't looked great thus far.

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Guard Eddie House is going to need surgery to repair a tear in the meniscus in his left knee.

He'll get the knee scoped on Monday, and is looking at a 4-to-6 week recovery period. House has a positive outlook on the situation. "They say if you gotta get something on your knee, that’s the thing to get done," he said. "It’s an easy procedure - in and out in 30 minutes. Get it done, clean it up, and no more problems in that knee, hopefully."

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Blazers forward Zach Randolph was fined by the team for arriving to the Rose Garden more than 30 minutes late for Wednesday's exhibition opener against Seattle.

Coach Nate McMillan said he requires players to be at the arena 90 minutes before tipoff, but Randolph arrived 55 minutes before the 7 p.m. start. "It has been taken care of," McMillan said. Randolph still started and scored 20 points, but still hasn't learned. He was tardy last season to five shootarounds the morning of a game.

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Andrei Kirilenko has not looked good so far this preseason and there is speculation that a bad back may be to blame.

"Andrei's struggling with his game," agreed coach Jerry Sloan. "I don't know what's happening with him, if his back's bothering him or what. He's had a couple of tough outings." Hopefully he gets into gear before the regular season starts.

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Jarvis Hayes is not feeling any soreness in his knees and says he's as healthy as he's ever been right now.

"Everything's great, I feel good," Hayes said. "I feel like I am in my last year at Georgia again. The strength in my legs and in my knee is so much better than it's been the last couple years. I'm finally playing like I know I can play." He's not likely to make the starting five for the Wizards, but could play a big role off the bench this year.

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Kobe Bryant on Friday participated in his first practice since undergoing knee surgery on July 15.

"We're easing our way back," he said. "I didn't do every drill. I just did certain things. It felt pretty good." He thinks he'll play in one preseason game and will be ready for the Lakers' regular-season opener.

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David West had to leave Friday's game in the third quarter because of a sprained right ankle after scoring 17 points for the second straight game.

Last season, West sprained his left ankle in a preseason game and was hampered by it all season. Many thought his scoring would suffer with the new faces in New Orleans, but he had been playing well up to this point. Of course, Peja Stojakovic has been out with an injury, so it's hard to tell exactly what West's role will be this year.

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Renaldo Balkman, the rookie who dropped his plate of food when it was announced the Knicks had drafted him, had 11 points and seven rebounds in Friday's preseason game.

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Marcus Williams had another nice game on Friday, going for 21 points, seven assists and three 3-pointers in a loss to the Knicks.

Jason Kidd was held out for precautionary reasons, so Williams got the start. He looks great and appears to be the steal of this year's draft.

Jay Williams was 0-of-3 from the floor and committed five turnovers in 16 minutes of action on Friday.

His comeback story is a great one, but it looks like he'll have a hard time making the Nets' final roster this season.

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Raymond Felton had 21 points, six rebounds and five assists in three quarters of action on Friday.

He looks great, picking up where he left off last season, although it's important to remember that Brevin Knight sat out with a sprained ankle. The Cats started their probable starting five tonight, with Felton and Gerald Wallace in the backcourt, and Adam Morrison, Emeka Okafor and Primoz Brezec up front.

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Sean May had 17 points and nine rebounds in Friday's loss to the Bucks.

He's racked up 30 points and 16 rebounds in two preseason games and will be a nice backup for Emeka Okafor.

Adam Morrison had 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting in Friday's loss.

He didn't do much else, which is quickly becoming a trend. His name value is probably worth more than he is.

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Mo Williams' fiancee' had a baby recently, so he was not with the team for Friday's win over Charlotte.

He's still slated to be the starting point guard in Milwaukee.

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Wally Szczerbiak returned to action on Friday and had 21 points, 13 of which came in the first quarter, in a loss to the Cavs.

He sat out his last game to rest his knee but looked great tonight, hitting 7-of-8 shots. He also hit two 3-pointers.

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Paul Pierce left Friday's game in the third quarter with a bruised left hip.

He had just two points and the injury isn't thought to be serious.

Sebastian Telfair had 16 points and seven assists in Friday's loss to Cleveland.

Rajon Rondo had six points, four boards and four assists, but it was Telfair's turn to shine tonight. The two are going to probably end up splitting time at PG, but Telfair should be the everyday starter.

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LeBron James did not play in Friday's preseason game against the Celtics.

Don't be surprised to see him taking it easy until the start of the regular season after playing in the world championships this summer. He's fine

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Troy Hudson, who sat out most of last season with ankle problems, had 15 points, three boards and four assists in Friday's loss to the Pistons.

He hit 7-of-12 shots and a three.

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Eddie Griffin had 10 points, six rebounds and five blocks in Friday's loss to the Pistons.

He is capable of doing this every night, but coach Dwane Casey doesn't seem to want to give him the minutes to make it happen.

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Pat Garrity had 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting in Friday's win over the Hornets.

He also hit two threes and had seven boards.

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Desmond Mason had 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting in Friday's loss to the Magic.

He said he was going to play better tonight and he wasn't lying, after going just 2-of-7 in his last game.

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A man driving a vehicle owned by Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal was arrested Friday night on a marijuana possession charge, police said.

O'Neal was not in the SUV, and a police spokesman said he was not suspected of any involvement. O'Neal said he had nothing to do with the incident and that he bought the SUV about five years ago and had given it to a friend, but continued paying for its insurance.

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Combo guard Delonte West (back) played nearly 26 minutes on Friday night and said he felt fine afterwards.

Well, except for the fact he hit just 2-of-11 shots and failed to record an assist. But it was good to see him back on the court and maybe his back problem is not going to be an issue this season.

When Luke Jackson became a Celtic on Friday he became the fifth first-round draft pick from the class of 2004 to join the team.

Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair, Delonte West and Tony Allen are the other four, and Jackson was taken before every one of them at No. 10 overall that year. Jackson says he's fully healthy for the first time since being drafted and coach Doc Rivers envisions him helping the Celtics spread the floor with his outside shooting. If Jackson really is healthy, the trade that sent Dwayne Jones to Cleveland for Jackson could end up being a big steal for the Celtics.

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Brevin Knight is likely still two weeks away from returning from a sprained ankle suffered in Tuesday's preseason game.

"It's going well," Knight said of his recovery, "but the hardest part is getting from this point (walking on it) to playing again. My son can still beat me in a race, so I'm obviously still not ready." Given his injury history, Raymond Felton is looking better every day. Especially after his 21 points, six boards and five assists last night.

Gerald Wallace has hit 10-of-15 shots from the floor this preseason and apparently spent much of the offseason working on his jumper.

We've yet to see him play, but Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes "I'm finally a believer in Gerald Wallace's jump shot. Whatever he's doing, he shouldn't stop."

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Marquis Daniels could benefit from the legal woes of Stephen Jackson this season.

Jackson has several court dates set up and could be going to jail, so the Pacers will probably either look to Daniels or rookie James White to start at shooting guard if Jackson is unavailable.

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Forward Tim Thomas, who had gum surgery in Los Angeles on Thursday, is expected to return to training camp Saturday.

Coach Mike Dunleavy was hoping Thomas, who is also dealing with a sore lower back, was going to rejoin the team Friday. The Clippers signed the three-point specialist to a four-year, $24-million contract this summer, but he's off to a slow start. If he falls into Dunleavy's doghouse, Corey Maggette will likely be handed the starting job.

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Backup center Zeljko Rebraca remains in L.A. because of back problems and received a second epidural injection.

Rebraca sat out most of last season because of heart and conditioning problems and it's hard to believe that he'll ever be able to play full time in the NBA.

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Kwame Brown suffered a sprained right shoulder courtesy of second-year center Andrew Bynum on Friday.

Brown was going up for a shot at practice when Bynum accidentally leveled his right shoulder. He saw an orthopedic specialist Friday afternoon and is icing the injury, which is considered day-to-day.

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Charlie Villanueva has fouled out of both his preseason games in limited minutes.

"I don't know, I think I'm being over-aggressive or something," Villanueva said. "It's frustrating because it gets you out of rhythm. You're trying to get into a rhythm and break a sweat out there, but it's OK. It's pre-season. No big deal." He has picked up 12 fouls in just 40 minutes thus far, but you have to think he gets this worked out by opening night

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Minnesota guard Bracey Wright says he will not go to the D League this year if the team asks him to.

"I wouldn't go," he said. "I believe I've done everything down there. I went down and played extremely well. I was on a winning team. My numbers were great, I did everything they asked, and I really can't see why they would want to send me back." Pretty hard talk from a second-year, second-round pick, but we're guessing the Wolves find a way to use him this year, especially given the loss of Rashad McCants (knee).

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Isiah Thomas is loudly singing the praises of Quentin Richardson, perhaps in an attempt to get someone to bite on his 3-point shot and bad back.

Thomas sounds like a veteran fantasy owner trying to sell the rookie owner on bad trade. "Quentin Richardson has been spectacular, really, really good," Thomas said. "He's the Quentin Richardson we thought we were getting when we traded for him."

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Rasho Nesterovic's lack of speed may not be an ideal fit for the run-and-gun Raptors this season.

They brought the big man in to take some pressure off Chris Bosh and Nesterovic is actually their highest paid player this season. But he lumbers up and down the court.

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Marvin Williams (ribs) started and had 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists in a preseason win against the Heat.

Williams left Wednesday's contest with a rib injury, but looked sharp Saturday night. With Al Harrington gone, the second-year forward could be in the starting lineup when the regular season kicks off.

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Zaza Pachulia scored 18 points Saturday night against Miami on 7-for-8 shooting.

Pachulia has the inside track on Lorenzen Wright for the starting center job in Atlanta. He's coming off a breakout season where he averaged career-highs of 11.7 PPG and 7.9 RPG.

Salim Stoudamire (elbow) came off the bench for seven points on 2-for-9 shooting in Saturday's preseason game against Miami.

The southpaw perimeter threat missed the final month of his rookie season after injuring his right elbow in late March. He should be good for double-digit points off the Hawks bench this season.

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Antoine Walker had team-highs of 17 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's preseason loss against Atlanta.

It was a typical Walker game - he shot just 5-for-16 from the floor and 5-for-10 from the line, but got his points. He'll be the No. 3 option again behind Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal for the defending champs once again.

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Eddy Curry had game-highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's 102-100 preseason win against Philadelphia.

Curry shot 10-for-13 from the floor and showed what he's capable of on the offensive end. His problem has been consistency though.

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Jamal Crawford had 21 points, five rebounds and four assists in Saturday's two-point preseason victory against the Sixers.

He started at the shooting guard along side Stephon Marbury. Crawford has the upside of around 17 PPG, but still has a questionable role in the Knicks crowded backcourt. He buried the game-winner with 1.3 second remaining to give New York the 102-100 win.

Jalen Rose started at small forward in Saturday's preseason game, but did not score a single point.

Rose, who will become a free agent after this season, is a great trade candidate sometime this season.

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Kyle Korver had a team-high 24 points off the bench for Philadelphia in a preseason loss to the Knicks Saturday night.

Korver scored 17 of his 24 points in the second half. He buried four 3-pointers and went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.

Shavlik Randolph started at forward in Saturday's preseason game against New York and had 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.

Randolph got the starting nod because Chris Webber (flu) sat out the contest.

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Deron Williams had a game-high 24 points in Saturday's preseason game against Indiana.

Williams shot 8-for-9 from the court and the line in the double-digit road victory. Early on in camp, the second-year point guard is looking very impressive. Expect a big spike in production from the University of Illinois product

Carlos Boozer had 11 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday's preseason game vs. Indiana.

Boozer is a serious double-double threat every single night for Utah. After a year stuck on the sidelines with various injuries, Boozer looked to reclaim his elite status in the second half of last season .

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Al Harrington scored 22 points in Saturday's preseason game against Utah, including 14-for-18 from the free-throw line.

Harrington started along side Jermaine O'Neal and Danny Granger in Indiana's frontcourt. After O'Neal, Harrington and Stephen Jackson will each contend to be the Pacers's No. 2 scoring threat.

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Antonio Daniels (ankle) had a team-high 15 points in Saturday's preseason game against the Cavaliers.

Daniels hit 6-of-7 shots to lead a balanced Wizards attack. He turned his ankle on Thursday, but didn't show any signs of the injury tonight.

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Anderson Varejao had team-highs of 14 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's preseason game against Washington.

Drew Gooden got the night off, so Varejao got extended minutes. With Gooden re-signing in Cleveland, Varejao will likely be limited to a reserve role again this season.

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Rudy Gay had 21 points against the Pistons Saturday night in a Grizzlies victory.

The UConn rookie hit 7-of-12 shots, including his only 3-pointer.

Hakim Warrick had 13 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's preseason game against the Pistons.

In the absence of Pau Gasol, Warrick is also expected to see a larger role in Memphis' frontcourt.

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Jason Maxiell had a team-high 16 points and nine rebounds in Saturday's preseason game against Memphis.

Maxiell shot 12-for-16 from the foul line, but hit only 2-of-10 shot from the floor. On a deep Pistons team, the second-year forward will have a very minimal role.

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Derek Fisher left Saturday's preseason game early in the first quarter after falling hard to the ground on a drive to the basket.

Fisher came down on his back and head and was taken to the hospital for X-rays on his pelvis.

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Stephen Jackson didn't start Saturday's preseason game but came off the bench and scored six points.

Jackson missed the opening preseason game after he was arraigned Thursday on a felony charge of criminal recklessness and misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct. He was booed constantly by the home crowd.

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Travis Diener started for the Magic in Saturday's preseason game and came through with team-highs of 23 points and seven assists.

Diener has been spectacular for Orlando this offseason. He buried all four of his 3-pointers and went 5-for-5 from the line in the victory. With the presence of Jameer Nelson, Keith Dooling and Carlos Arroyo, Diener is still a long shot to make an impact.

Darko Milicic had 14 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's preseason game against the Spurs.

Milicic is expected to come off the bench this season, while Tony Battie and Dwight Howard start in Orlando's frontcourt.

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Bobby Simmons will miss at least a month because of a stress reaction in his right heel, the team said Saturday.

Simmons was injured at practice earlir this week. Milwaukee could start the regular season without two of their starting frontcourt players. Andrew Bogut is also out four-to-eight weeks.

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Jarvis Hayes turned his ankle in the second quarter of Saturday's preseason game and did not return.

Hayes missed all but 21 games last year with a knee injury. No initial word on the severity of his injury at this time.

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Kwame Brown missed practice Saturday a day after spraining his right shoulder in a collision with teammate Andrew Bynum.

He had therapy on the shoulder Saturday, but might miss Sunday's exhibition game against the Suns. Brown said he has pain when he lifts his arm. "Every time I get it above my head, it pinches on my shoulder," Brown said. "I haven't raised it above my head yet today. They want me to wait until tomorrow."

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After playing in back-to-back games, Amare Stoudemire (knee) declared himself close to 100-percent.

"Right now I haven't felt any pain, no discomfort," he said. "I'm glad to be back." Stoudemire said he still needs to take a day off to rest occasionally, but the Suns are being patient with his recovery.

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Dan Gadzuric started in Saturday's exhibition game and had eight points, four rebounds and five blocks.

With Andrew Bogut and now Bobby Simmons sidelined for the Bucks, Gadzuric has the potential to get steady minutes early on.

[TexasRed6x]

After playing in back-to-back games, Amare Stoudemire (knee) declared himself close to 100-percent.

"Right now I haven't felt any pain, no discomfort," he said. "I'm glad to be back." Stoudemire said he still needs to take a day off to rest occasionally, but the Suns are being patient with his recovery.
He should have a monster season if he's healthy.

[TexasRed6x]

Renaldo Balkman, the rookie who dropped his plate of food when it was announced the Knicks had drafted him, had 11 points and seven rebounds in Friday's preseason game.
I dropped more than my plate of food when the Knicks drafted him I lost my mind because I thought they were going to take a projected first rounder and a very good player not a second round guy.

[TexasRed6x]

He's been doing these updates most of the year. He's done the NBA, MLB, and the NFL.
Its great that he keeps up with this info. Its very informative and he should keep doing it.

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The Knicks are now saying that Jared Jeffries will probably miss 6-8 weeks with a broken wrist.

Quentin Richardson, David Lee and Jalen Rose are all likely to see extra time in the absence of Jeffries.

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Larry Hughes can't make a fist due to finger surgery he has last year and will always deal with soreness and swelling with the injury.

"My finger's been smacked and I haven't had any swelling," he said. "It's just working out and I'm trying to stay on top of it by stretching. I can't really stretch the knuckle or the finger but you stretch everything around it like the hand, the wrist and the forearm. I'm going to stay on top of it and I plan to play 82 games."

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Nuggets guard Julius Hodge will not make the three-game exhibition road trip, which includes games Saturday at Milwaukee and Sunday at Detroit, because he will be rehabilitating a left foot infection in Denver

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Jason Maxiell is 20 pounds lighter this season and has been one of the biggest preseason surprises for the Pistons.

He's been leading the team on most nights, but that's not expected to happen much during the regular season unless the Pistons suffer some injury woes.

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Kobe Bryant (knee surgery) and Chris Mihm (ankle surgery), who hope to get a game or two in before the regular season starts, aren't the only injured players for the Lakers this preseason.

Sasha Vujacic sat out two games because of a strained muscle in his left foot, Vladimir Radmanovic has been bothered by a sprained ligament in his right hand and has made only 7-of-27 shots (25.9%) and Aaron McKie left Tuesday night's exhibition in the first quarter because of back spasms. In addition, Shammond Williams has an abdominal strain, Von Wafer has a bruised left heel, and coach Phil Jackson has yet to return to full-time status because of hip-replacement surgery the day training camp opened.

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After nearly a week of hearing nothing but positive rhetoric regarding Amare Stoudemire's knees, he sat out Tuesday's workout with soreness in the left one.

"He's still a ways away," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We're going to have to somehow figure out a way to win in the meantime. It's not going to be that easy. We have to understand as he comes back, as last year, that everybody else is going to have to put it in an extra gear because he's not going to be quite ready. If anybody else is not quite doing it, then we're not going to win." Sixty games still sounds about right for Stoudemire.

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Boris Diaw, reportedly seeking a $50 million deal, is getting closer to signing an extension with the Suns.

"I'm optimistic," Diaw said. "I don't know if it'll get done in the next two weeks. If it gets done, that's great. If I'm waiting another year (when he would be a restricted free agent), it's OK. It's OK because either way it's what I decided."

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Chris Bosh will miss the Raptors' pre-season game Wednesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Rochester, N.Y., as he continues to be bothered by a sore right heel.

Bosh took shots after the team worked out yesterday but that was the extent of his practice. Coach Sam Mitchell hopes the all-star forward can play tomorrow night when the Raptors face Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Air Canada Centre. "We'll see how he feels," said Mitchell. "He says he feels fine, but we'll see." Consider him day-to-day at this point.

Fred Jones, who bruised his hand in a fall during Sunday's game, practiced yesterday and is expected to play tonight.

He's fighting for a starting spot with the Raptors, but should play a big role with the team even if he comes off the bench.

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Derek Fisher's injured pelvis is improving, but still not enough for him to take the court for the Jazz just yet.

Doctors examined him Tuesday in Salt Lake and recommended three to four more days of rest. Fisher injured his pelvis when he slammed to the floor in Saturday's game at Indiana. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said he isn't sure when the guard will return. "He's getting better, but it's still pretty sore," Sloan said. "He's got a severe bruise." He should be ready for opening night.

Andrei Kirilenko says his back feels better and he's planning on playing this week.

"It's more in my head," said Kirilenko, who missed six games with back spasms last year. "I haven't tried to do a lot of fast moves, reaching in and getting back on defense. I'll see how practice goes today, but I'll be good," he said of Thursday's preseason game against Portland. Injuries

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Brendan Haywood met with coach Eddie Jordan to try to put last season's differences behind them.

"It was one of the few positive [talks] we've ever had," said Haywood, who has played three of his five seasons in Washington under Jordan. "We'll see how it plays out during the season. I'm hoping it plays out in a very positive manner, and myself and him can put the previous years behind us and move forward." Haywood should be the starting center for the Wizards this season.

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Nazr Mohammed had 20 points and six rebounds in Wednesday's win over the Timberwolves.

He hit 7-of-12 from the floor, 6-of-6 from the free throw line, and shot an impressive 78.5% from the stripe last year in 80 games. He's had a great preseason.

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Al Harrington returned from his bruised hip on Wednesday and had seven points and three rebounds on 2-of-7 shooting.

He missed his last game, but the important thing is that he played tonight and his injury is not serious.

Jermaine O'Neal played on Wednesday despite soreness in his Achilles' and had six points and four rebounds before leaving in the second half with a sore hamstring.

He's already got some serious issues, as the Achilles' has been bothering him for about 10 days and now we learn of a hamstring problem.

Danny Granger missed all seven of his shot attempts on Wednesday and finished the game with just two points and five rebounds.

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Nene made his preseason debut on Wednesday and had nine points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal in the win over the Pacers.

Stop the presses, we have a Nene sighting! He played just two minutes last season and there were questions about whether he'd be ready to play this year after his knee surgery. He's likely to suffer some setbacks along the way, but it's good to see him on the court.

Kenyon Martin had 20 points and eight rebounds in Wednesday's win over the Pacers, but left the game after being kneed in the quad.

This was a homecoming game for KMart, as it was played in Cincinnati, and he delivered the goods for his boys early. He hit 7-of-13 shots and has been saying he's healthy and ready to go this year. He's been an injury mess over the last couple years.

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LeBron James sat out Wednesday's preseason game, but it was simply to rest.

LeBron sympathized with fans who paid to see him play on Wednesday. "I would be disappointed if I came and saw someone play (warm up) and they're not in action," James said. "I'm not injured. I'm just trying to get back to 100 percent from this summer."

Drew Gooden had 15 points and 11 rebounds in Wednesday's preseason loss to the Raptors.

He's been dealing with a quad strain, but should be a double-double machine for the Cavs this season.

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Jorge Garbajosa had 16 points, four rebounds and hit four 3-pointers in Wednesday's win over the Cavs.

He's looked fantastic throughout the preseason and has probably earned a spot in the rotation for the Raptors because of his strong play.

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Vince Carter had 23 points and five rebounds on 6-of-16 shooting in a loss to Boston on Wednesday.

He looks to be fully over his rib injury.

Nenad Krstic returned from missing a game with a neck injury and had 21 points, seven boards, two steals and a block in the loss to Boston Wednesday.

He was 5-of-5 from the free throw line, but didn't hit any threes.

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Antoine Wright had 12 points and four rebounds on Wednesday against the Celtics.

He's had a fantastic preseason, but flourished when Vince Carter was out.

Richard Jefferson rested on Wednesday night against the Celtics.

No worries with RJ, as he was simply getting some rest.

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As expected, Paul Pierce returned from a hip injury on Wednesday and had 18 points and five boards on 5-of-13 shooting.

He seems to play 80 games every year and this one should be no different.

Al Jefferson started Wednesday and had nine points and one rebound on 4-of-5 shooting.

Once again, he was outplayed by Ryan Gomes, who had 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks off the bench.

Delonte West missed another preseason game on Wednesday with an infected toe.

The injury stems from an ingrown toe nail, but he also has a back problem.

Wally Szczerbiak didn't play on Wednesday, but is not believed to be injured.

Doc Rivers is being cautious with his surgically repaired knee, but Wally could take a day off per week early in the season.

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Michael Redd hit 9-of-14 shots and 3-of-4 3-pointers in Wednesday's loss to the Rockets, finishing with 21 points.

Mo Williams missed Wednesday's game due to a sprained right thumb.

He missed his last game for personal reasons and he's always an injury concern.

Ruben Patterson started on Wednesday and had eight points and two rebounds on 3-of-7 shooting.

He's probably going to start in place of injured Bobby Simmons to start the season.

Brian Skinner started at center for the Bucks on Wednesday and had 10 points