News of the day (so far) for a Monday, with updates on notables including VC, AK, Monta, and Hedo.
• Vince Carter(notes) "might" be able to return from a sprained right toe when the Magic next take the court, Thursday at Dallas. X-rays revealed no serious damage but he was also playing with a sprained right ankle and the Magic’s attention is squarely on the playoffs at this point. We obviously won’t know for sure if he’s going to be able to play until closer to Thursday, so just stay tuned. J.J. Redick(notes) and Ryan Anderson(notes) will see more playing time if VC (and Mickael Pietrus(notes)) miss more time.
• Andrei Kirilenko(notes) has strained his left calf again, is out Monday, and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday. This puts AK’s status for much of Week 23 in doubt – the Jazz play Monday (NYK), Wednesday (GSW), and Friday (@LAL) – and means that C.J. Miles(notes) looks like a good short-term add, particularly for the matchups with the Knicks and Warriors.
• Monta Ellis’(notes) Sunday DNP (flu) was likely a determining factor in a number of Week 22 matchups, and those of you that advanced anyway aren’t yet out of the woods. He’s still sick and remains questionable for Wednesday’s game – the Warriors are off Monday and his availability for Tuesday’s practice will give us a better read on things. Reggie Williams(notes) and C.J. Watson(notes) stand to benefit from Ellis being out or at less than 100 percent.
• Anderson Varejao(notes) missed Sunday’s game with a sore left hamstring and is currently day-to-day. Mike Brown said the team will be cautious and may rest Varejao more to avoid any potential for the injury to linger. Having the top overall seed in the NBA playoffs all but wrapped up and getting Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) back gives them the option, so be looking for updates on game day.
• Things are getting, shall we say, interesting for Hedo Turkoglu(notes) and the Raptors. He missed Friday’s game because of a stomach ailment but then appears to have been a healthy scratch Sunday because it was later discovered that he was out on the town on Friday night. His status for Monday remains in doubt, as well. Turkoglu has been a disappointment by all measurable standards and has been trending downward – his per-game rank is 112th on the season, but it falls to 143rd over the past month and he’s missed six games since February 1. The Raptors are clinging to a playoff spot and need Hedo to play a bit closer to his potential during a favorable four-game week, so a straight drop may not be in order here. At the very least, weigh your options carefully.
• Jermaine O’Neal(notes) missed Sunday’s game with a hyper-extended right knee and has been tagged with the dreaded day-to-day label. Here’s what Erik Spoelstra had to say in advance of the team’s next game (Wednesday, @DET):
"He is feeling better. He’ll officially be
listed day to day. Hopefully, we have a little bit of rest this week, we
can get him back on the court soon. I don’t know when that will be.
It’ll just depend on when his knee responds."
Joel Anthony(notes) is next on the depth chart here, and he’s averaged 4.6 points, 5.1 boards, and 2.1 blocks in 27 minutes during his 11 starts on the season.
• Robin Lopez(notes) is now expected to miss at least the next two weeks because of bulging disks in his back, ending his fantasy season for all intents and purposes. He’ll be re-evaluated on April 12. Jarron Collins(notes) will start for Lopez (11 minutes, 0 points, 2 boards Sunday) to keep a similar flow in the rotation, but Channing Frye(notes) is the clear beneficiary here (31 minutes, 17 points, 5 threes).
• For the 76ers: Louis Williams(notes) (back) remains day-to-day. Thaddeus Young(notes) (thumb) says he’d like to be back in the lineup before the end of the week, but it appears to be a stretch.
• Quick hits: Kevin Martin(notes) (shoulder) will have his status for Tuesday
determined after
the morning’s shootaround … Carlos Delfino(notes) (neck, jaw) is doing better
and will probably play Tuesday … Kendrick Perkins(notes) (knee tendinitis) "should"
play when the Celtics return to the court Wednesday but he’s
anything but a sure thing at this point … Randy Foye(notes) is out
for the season because of a torn ligament in his left wrist.
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