You might say it's a big week for the NBA: the Lakers are scrambling to replace their (literally) biggest player, some big stars are returning for the Kings, there's a big rematch in San Antonio Thursday, and Big Daddy is back for the Heat. Read on as we track the NBA's best, worst and most notable for the coming week...
 

   Quick Hitz  
    In the PAINT...
    On the SHELF...
    Best and WORST...
    Three-POINTERS...
    Quick ANALYSIS...
    And the final WORD...

  In the PAINT... 

GAME OF THE WEEK
Cavaliers @ Spurs, 8 pm ET, Thurs., Jan.17
There are a lot of great sub-plots here. Not only is it a rematch of last season's NBA Finals (which the Spurs swept in four games), it's the NBA's best individual player (LeBron James) vs. the NBA's best all-round team (the Spurs). LeBron is coming off a 51-point night against the Grizzlies.

GRUDGE MATCH OF THE WEEK
Warriors @ Pacers, 7 pm ET, Wed., Jan. 16
Usually grudge matches are single players versus former teams, but this game has several grudges going on. For the Pacers, swingman Mike Dunleavy and big-man Troy Murphy will want to play well since the Warriors gave up on them last season. Meanwhile Pacer fans may boo Golden State's Stephen Jackson, who was part of that trade and was a headache for Indy on and off the court with his bad shot selection and his legal troubles.

  On the SHELF... 

- Lakers' C Andrew Bynum is seeing his breakout season hindered by a sprained knee, an injury that will keep him out eight weeks. Kwame Brown is expected to fill in.

- Rockets' SG/SF Tracy McGrady will try to return to action on Jan.19, according to the Houston Chronicle. That will likely mean a reduced role for Bonzi Wells.

- Kings' PG Mike Bibby is set to come off the disabled list after missing the whole season so far due to a thumb injury. That means Beno Udrih is likely to become a reserve.

- Kings' SG Kevin Martin returned this week from a month-long absence caused by a sore groin, scoring 74 points in his first two games back.

- Kings' SF Ron Artest is reportedly hoping to return soon from minor elbow surgery he had Jan.2, according to the Sacramento Bee. When he does, Francisco Garcia and John Salmons will likely play less.

- Heat C Shaquille O'Neal is expected to return Jan.16 after an eight-game absence caused by a sore hip. Mark Blount heads back to the bench.

- Bulls' combo guard Kirk Hinrich recently missed his first game of the season, the result of back spasms. He is day-to-day, with Thabo Sefolosha filling in. - Knicks' PG Stephon Marbury is out again, this time with bone spurs in his ankle. There are rumors he will have surgery, meaning Nate Robinson could be in for a promotion.

- Sonics' PF Chris Wilcox is back after missing four games to a dislocated pinkie finger. His return may affect the minutes of Nick Collison and Kurt Thomas.

- Sonics' PG Luke Ridnour recently returned from a four-game absence caused by a sore thigh. That means less playing time for Earl Watson.

- Nuggets' PF/C Nene Hilario is out indefinitely because of a testicular tumor that was removed Jan.14. Kenyon Martin will play more as a result.

- Nuggets' PG Chucky Atkins is gone eight weeks because of a sports hernia that needed surgery, so Anthony Carter and J.R. Smith will both see more action.

- Celtics' PG Rajon Rondo remains day-to-day with a sore back and a sore hamstring. Eddie House has been seeing more minutes lately as a result.

- Grizzlies' C Darko Milicic is injured again, this time with a knee problem. It's uncertain how long he'll be sidelined, but guard Juan Carlos Navarro should see more time, as should Stromile Swift.

- Wizards' PG Antonio Daniels continues to be bothered by a sore knee that kept him out for two weeks recently. Roger Mason will fill in if Daniels can't play.

  Best and WORST... 

TOP 3 TEAMS (SEASON-TO-DATE)

1. Los Angeles Lakers (Western Conference)
The recent loss of Andrew Bynum could be devastating. But for now they have the best record in the West, which is saying something.

2. Boston Celtics (Eastern Conference)
Three losses in their past four suggest the Big Three (who are all over 30) are getting a bit tired. But they remain the NBA's best defensive team.

3. Phoenix Suns (Western Conference)
They need Grant Hill back, but his recent absence has helped Raja Bell get more shots and regain his stroke. They're still the league's best starting five.

BOTTOM 3 TEAMS (SEASON-TO-DATE)

1. Minnesota Timberwolves (Western Conference)
Why are Corey Brewer and Gerald Green not playing more? It's not like the regulars are winning.

2. Miami Heat (Eastern Conference)
A recent 10-game losing skid may have them in rebuilding mode soon. Expect the Shaq trade rumors to start ramping up.

3. Seattle SuperSonics (Western Conference)
Durant has been as good as expected, but after him it's still an adventure every game. This team needs to either start more veterans or start going with their youth.

TOP 3 PLAYERS (SEASON-TO-DATE)

1. LeBron James, SF, Cavaliers: Let's see now: he leads the NBA in scoring (30 points per game), he's eighth-overall in assists (7.5 per game) and he's top-40 in rebounding (7.7 per game). What else is there to say? Oh yeah; he's an elite defender too.

2. Chris Paul, PG, Hornets: Still the NBA's leader in steals (2.8 per game), Paul is also No.3 in assists (10.4 per contest) and is top-20 in scoring (21.7 points per outing, 16th overall).

3. Dwight Howard, C, Magic: He's pulling away with the rebounding lead (15.1 per contest), is still top-3 in FG%, and Howard's Magic still lead the Southeast (at 24-16).

BOTTOM 3 PLAYERS (SEASON-TO-DATE)

1. Stephon Marbury, PG, Knicks: Okay, so he has an ankle spur. That doesn't explain his lack of effort, his clashes with his coach, or his me-first attitude.

2. Boris Diaw, G/F/C, Suns: What a bust. With no physical problems, it's clear Diaw has reverted to the player the Hawks were desperate to dump a few years ago.

3. Mike James, PG, Rockets: He had that one great season for Toronto back in 2005-06 and has done little since. He has appeared in only two Rockets games in January.

  Three-POINTERS... 

ON THE RISE

- Nick Collison, PF/C, SuperSonics: Over three games last week Collison averaged 19 points and almost 13 boards per game. He has been Seattle's most consistent big-man all season.

- J.R. Smith, SG, Nuggets: With Nene on the shelf and Eduardo Najera hurting, Smith is finally getting a look from head coach George Karl. He has 20 point-per-game talent.

- DeShawn Stevenson, SG, Wizards: Earlier this month Stevenson posted five straight games of scoring in double-figures. The iffy status of Antonio Daniels also means a bigger role.

ON THE DECLINE

- Aleksandar Pavlovic, SG/SF, Cavaliers: Sasha averaged just 5.8 points per game in December on 29 percent from the field, and in January has been almost as bad (5.9 points per game on 36 percent).

- Morris Peterson, SG/SF, Hornets: The streakiness continues. MoPete scored just eight total points over three starts this past week. Yikes.

- Bruce Bowen, SG/F, Spurs: He still hits the odd trey and plays gritty defense, but Bowen at 36 is struggling. In January he's averaging just 4.9 points and two boards per game.

DEFENSIVE DEMONS

- Jermaine O'Neal, PF/C, Pacers: Recent injuries had some thinking O'Neal might be in decline, but last week he blocked eight shots over two games in his return from a sore left knee.

- Yao Ming, C, Rockets: This shouldn't be a surprise since he's the NBA's tallest player, but Yao sometimes gets overlooked as a defender. He has blocked 18 shots over the past six games (3.0 per outing).

- Shane Battier, SF, Rockets: His season has been mostly dismal so far, but lately Battier is bouncing back. In January he's averaging two blocks and 1.4 steals per game.

BURIED ON THE BENCH

- Damon Stoudamire, PG, Grizzlies: Usually youngsters make this list, but the 34-year-old Mighty Mouse hasn't played in January, since losing his starting gig to rookie Mike Conley. A trade should come soon.

- Gerald Green, SF, Timberwolves: Last year's Slam Dunk champ also has great all-round skills, and the T-Wolves are 5-32. Why is he averaging only 12 minutes per game?

- Mickael Gelabale, SF, SuperSonics: It's not like the Sonics are a playoff contender, and Gelabale has star-level talent. At 8.3 minutes per game, he is not exactly getting a chance to learn.

SIXTH SENSE 

- Josh Childress, G/F, Hawks: We still have no idea why Childress is coming off the bench for the Hawks. In January so far he's 15.6 points per game on a mind-boggling 68 percent from the floor. He also rebounds, passes, and defends.

- Nazr Mohammed, C, Bobcats: It's still odd that the Bobs decided to give his starting job to point guard Jeff McInnis, but Mohammed is doing fine off the pine. In January he's averaging 13 points, 8.3 boards, and a block per game.

- Anderson Varejao, PF/C, Cavaliers: He's rounding into form since coming back to the Cavs, and Varejao is starting to get starter's minutes for Cleveland. He's seeing 32 minutes of playing time per contest in January.

ROOKIE LOOKS

- Mike Conley, PG, Grizzlies: We've mentioned him here a few times before, and he gets another nod here for averaging 11 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.5 steals in January.

- Thaddeus Young, F, Sixers: With Philly likely to shake up their team via trade soon, Young may be a starter down the stretch. He's playing a lot more lately and showing a great all-round game.

- Rodney Stuckey, G, Pistons: He won't be a starter anytime soon but Stuckey is making a mark as a regular in the Detroit rotation. He can score, but needs to start taking more high-percentage shots.

  Quick ANALYSIS... 

D-LEAGUE CORNER 

- JamesOn Curry wasn't drafted until No.51 overall last year by the Bulls, but he could end up being a valuable player for them. The rookie combo guard is currently showing a nice all-round game playing for Iowa, averaging 21.4 points, six assists, and 3.4 boards per game.

- Billy Thomas didn't get much playing time with the Nets before being waived by them Jan.7, but the 32-year-old journeyman can certainly play defense. He's leading the D-League in steals per game at 2.6 over 14 games. He is now a free agent playing for the Colorado 14ers.

- Dakota's Rod Benson continues to be the D-League's most reliable and dominant big-man. The 6-10 power forward leads the league in rebounding at 12.3 boards per game, while also bringing a solid 14.4 points, 1.6 blocks, and 1.4 steals per contest.

COACH'S CORNER
Things only seem to be getting worse for Isiah Thomas in New York. This week the Knicks' head coach-GM saw another one of his players outwardly confront him. During a Jan.11 loss to the Raptors, Zach Randolph got pulled by Thomas, who then clearly asked Randolph to sit next to him on the bench. Randolph instead refused, walking to the end of the bench while openly jawing at his bench boss. Thomas has already had clashes with Stephon Marbury and Quentin Richardson, and this latest sign of friction only adds to the tension in Gotham.

EXECUTIVE SUITE
As the Feb.21 NBA trade deadline creeps up, keep an eye on Mitch Kupchak. The Lakers' GM had the pressure taken off him by his team's 26-11 start, but now that Andrew Bynum is out for eight weeks, things could get tough for Kupchak again. Bynum is the biggest reason for the improvement (and for Kobe Bryant backing off his trade demands), so if the Lakers start falling in the standings Kupchak will be expected to make a move to get the team back on top.
 

AND THE FINAL WORD...  "I didn't know you could get suspended by players." -- Rookie big fella Joakim Noah to the Arlington Heights Daily Herald, after his teammates unanimously voted to have him sit out a game following a confrontation he had with assistant coach Ron Adams.