Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

The old Mavs meet the young Jazz Monday; Gooden and Hughes are starting for Chicago; Ellis and Lil' Dun are on fire; Wilcox heats up for the Sonics; Garnett is back to his Big Ticket self; Udrih continues to shine; Dalembert is limping; and more...


OLD WEST, NEW WEST 
With Jason Kidd, the Dallas Mavericks are now like a new team. But with Kidd they're now also a decidedly old team too.

Turning 35 later this month, Kidd likely doesn't have too many elite years left. Meanwhile other key Mavs are also getting on in age: Jason Terry is 30, Jerry Stackhouse is 33, and Erick Dampier is 32. While All-Star forwards Dirk Nowitzki (29) and Josh Howard (27) are still in their primes, it would seem the current Mavericks' window of opportunity for an NBA title is closing fast.

Conversely, another Western conference contender has managed to rise with a mostly youthful core. The Utah Jazz are a twenty-something bunch that could dominate for many years to come; Deron Williams is only 23, Carlos Boozer is 26, Andrei Kirilenko 27, Ronnie Brewer 22, and Kyle Korver 26. As the youthful Jazz host the old Mavs on Monday - - in a potential preview of the West Finals - - can young legs beat out veteran savvy?

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BULLS  It only took Drew Gooden a few games, but he's finally a starter for the new-look Bulls. On Sunday the talented power forward joined fellow new Bull Larry Hughes in taking over as starters for Chicago (although Hughes was starting his second straight for his new team). Gooden played 32 minutes and posted 11 points and 10 boards against his old Cleveland team, while Hughes dropped 23 points, five rebounds, and four assists in the 95-86 loss. Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni, and Tyrus Thomas all came off the bench.

CAVALIERS 
Even before the big trade that brought in Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak, the Cavs were often characterized as a one-star squad with LeBron James. That wasn't entirely true, since Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been an All-Star twice. So Cleveland will obviously be hurt by the 7-3 pivot's absence for the next week or so, as he sits out with a strained back. With Ilgauskas out Sunday versus the Bulls, Anderson Varejao stepped into the starting five. He posted five points, eight boards, and two steals in the team's 95-96 win.

CELTICS 
Looks like Kevin Garnett is back to his old dominant self. After missing weeks with an abdominal strain, the Big Ticket had been somewhat held back by the cautious Boston coaching staff, but Sunday Garnett was back in fine form. He played 35 minutes against the Hawks (the most since his Feb.19 return to action) and responded with 20 points, 16 boards, three assists, and two steals in Beantown's 98-88 win.

KINGS  How consistent has Beno Udrih been since taking over as the Kings' starting point guard? As consistent as smooth peanut butter. The talented fourth-year playmaker posted 23 points, nine assists, and three steals Sunday to help the Kings blow out the Heat 120-109. It was the third straight game Udrih has posted at least 23 points, and he has averaged 39 minutes per game over the three. Pick him up if he is still available in your fantasy league.

NETS 
He's not a star, but Bostjan Nachbar has been one of the more underrated reserves in the NBA this season. His efficient scoring off the bench has helped Jersey stay respectable, but now the rebuilding team may be without him for a little while. The lanky small forward strained his left hip flexor Sunday against the Spurs, and didn't play during the game's second half. He is likely day-to-day. Look for Trenton Hassell to pick up minutes filling in.

PACERS 
The Pacers are widely expected to make big roster changes in the offseason, but there is one player that is lately looking like a good bet to stick around: Mike Dunleavy. The talented swingman was long considered an underachiever until this season, but at the age of 27 he's finally becoming the star people expected when he was the No.3 overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft. With 36 points Sunday against the Bucks, Lil' Dun now has two 36-point games in a row.

RAPTORS 
With Chris Bosh day-to-day lately due to a sore knee, the Raptors have needed someone to step up in the scoring department. Lately that someone has been Anthony Parker. The underrated veteran shooting guard has looked great lately picking up the slack in the Toronto offense. On Sunday he hit for a team-high 24 points in the Raps' 110-98 loss to the Bobcats, and the game before that he dropped 25 versus the Pacers.

76ERS 
Is Samuel Dalembert slowing down? Not really, but he does seem to be affected by a sore ankle. The massive pivot is trying to play through soreness in the joint, but his past two outings suggest he's limited by it. He managed just four points (but added 10 boards) on Friday against the Warriors, and Saturday Dalembert posted only five points and eight rebounds against the Suns. His minutes are also starting to dwindle, so it might be wise to put him on the fantasy bench for now.

SUPERSONICS 
What has gotten into Chris Wilcox? Maybe his traditional late-season surge, is what. The strong-finishing big-man has been on fire lately, and that continued Sunday against the Timberwolves. Wilcox scored 18 points and added 15 boards to help Seattle to a 111-108 win over Minny. On Feb.29 against the Heat, Wilcox scored 30 points.

WARRIORS 
He slumped a little earlier this season, but it looks like Monta Ellis is ready to pick back up on his road to super-stardom. The talented combo guard has been really lighting it up lately, and not just as a scorer. Sunday he hit for 22 points, 10 boards, six assists, and a steal in the Warriors' 110-104 win over the Trail Blazers. In February he averaged a whopping 26 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per contest.