NBA News/Injuries/etc. (11/2/13)

[HacheMan]

Nene Hilario - F/C - Wizards
Nene (calf) will be a game-time decision vs. the Heat on Sunday.

He ran on a treadmill during Saturday's practice but was held out of other workouts, and owners should begin making contingency plans in case he picks up another DNP. Trevor Booker slid into the PF spot with Nene absent on Friday, and Marcin Gortat started at center.


Source: Michael Lee on Twitter
Nov 2 - 3:34 PM

 

[HacheMan]

Andrea Bargnani - F/C - Knicks
Andrea Bargnani will start at PF vs. the Wolves on Sunday.

The 'big' lineup allows Carmelo Anthony to SF, while New York gets some added size (if not toughness) on the court to battle Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Love. Bargnani is averaging 7.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 21 minutes through two games, without a single block to his credit.


Source: Adam Zagoria on Twitter
Nov 2 - 3:19 PM

 

[HacheMan]

Tim Duncan - F/C - Spurs
Tim Duncan (bruised chest) is questionable for Saturday's game vs. the Blazers, and beat writer Jeff McDonald describes Duncan's timetable as "fluid."

"Whatever it is, I don't know," Popovich said, when asked about Duncan's return. "When they tell me he's ready to play, then he'll play." That typically opaque quote from Popovich leaves owners with no choice but to bench Duncan until he's officially cleared to return. The Spurs don't return to action until Tuesday at Denver, and it wouldn't be surprising if they rested Duncan on Saturday to give him three extra days of rehab.


Source: San Antonio Express-News
Nov 2 - 2:59 PM

 

[HacheMan]

Amare Stoudemire - F/C - Knicks
Amare Stoudemire will not play on Sunday, as the Knicks decided to give him a day to "recover."

Amare played under 11 minutes in his debut on Thursday, so the need for three consecutive days of rest underscores the delicacy of his health. He's perpetually questionable for the Knicks' games, as far as we can tell, and has no place on fantasy teams.


Source: Barbara Barker on Twitter
Nov 2 - 2:53 PM

 

[HacheMan]

Steve Nash - G - Lakers
Steve Nash gave a blunt assessment of his health and season outlook after sitting out the fourth quarter on Friday.

The former MVP said that after breaking his leg and hurting his hamstring and back last season, he can now "feel [the nerves] every day." He continued, "So my body's different. I worked incredibly hard this summer and got myself back where I have a chance ... Hopefully I can play at a better rate at some point in the near future. But also you're going to see Jordan [Farmar] really come alive and play well more consistently and give us a real player who can help the team." Nash is iffy for back-to-back sets and it's unclear if the nerve damage will heal during the season, leaving fantasy owners out of luck and giving extra PG opportunities to Farmar and Steve Blake.
Related: Jordan Farmar, Steve Blake

Source: Bleacher Report
Nov 2 - 2:46 PM

 

[HacheMan]

Raymond Felton - G - Knicks
Raymond Felton did not practice Saturday, as the Knicks opted to give him some rest.

He is still expected to play Sunday and will be ready to go for New York's upcoming three-game week, which includes two games against Felton's former team the Bobcats.


Source: Ian Begley on Twitter
Nov 2 - 1:20 PM

 

[HacheMan]

John Wall - G - Wizards
John Wall (back spasms) did not practice on Saturday.

This is discouraging news. He managed to play through the injury on Friday against the Sixers and score 26 points to go with six assists and three steals. However, half those points came in the first five minutes of the game, before the back pain crept up. We'll keep an eye on his status for Sunday.


Source: J. Michael on Twitter
Nov 2 - 1:17 PM

 

[HacheMan]

Brandon Jennings - G - Pistons
Brandon Jennings said Saturday that he will be a game-time decision on Sunday.

He was able to practice Saturday and is on the verge of returning, even if he sits out one more game. For those in daily leagues, keep an eye on his status leading up to Sunday's game vs. Boston. For those in weekly leagues, it should be safe to plug Jennings into the lineup for Detroit's three-game week.


Source: Keith Langlois on Twitter
Nov 2 - 1:07 PM

 

[HacheMan]

Rajon Rondo - G - Celtics
Rajon Rondo (ACL surgery) participated in a few half court sets at the end of team practice Saturday.

In the last few days, Rondo has oscillated between saying his knee is "87 percent" and that he won't rush a return to the court, leaving us to wonder when exactly he will return. While we still can't say, it's nonetheless encouraging to see him practicing with the team. Full-contact drills will be the next step.


Source: A. Sherrod Blakely on Twitter
Nov 2 - 12:59 PM