Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

McGrady and Carter meet again Monday; Sixers' Young steps up; Villanueva gets some burn; Curry has torn cartilage; Will the Pacers blow it up?; Bobs' Wallace on the mend; Thomas takes over in the paint; and more...

COUSIN REUNION 
It doesn't seem that long ago that cousins Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady were competing in the Slam Dunk contest together as Toronto Raptors.

But it's actually been almost eight seasons since the two were together on the same team. Since then, Carter has gone on to star for the New Jersey Nets, while McGrady has played for the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets. Both players have seen good times and bad times since then, and earlier this season it appeared both might miss the playoffs. But with McGrady's recent hot streak, his Rockets have won an incredible 18 straight games.

Meanwhile, Carter's Nets have fallen on tougher times. New Jersey is on the outside of the playoff hunt at 26-37, but they actually still have a chance of qualifying for the postseason in the weak East. As the two friends and cousins meet again Monday night, can McGrady continue his incredible run at a potential first MVP award?

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THADDEUS PLAYING LIKE A VET 
Continuing his strong play of late, rookie forward Thaddeus Young scored 22 points Sunday in Philly's 119-97 dismantling of the Bucks. INTEL: Young has a lot of raw talent and athleticism, and at 19 has a very, very bright NBA future. He also added four rebounds and three assists, and seems to have solidified himself as a starting Sixers' forward for the next decade or so.

CHARLIE V STAYS HOT 
Charlie Villanueva posted his third consecutive big effort for the Bucks, dropping team-highs of 25 points and eight boards on in 35 minutes against the Sixers on Sunday. INTEL: Charlie V is finally getting a real chance to show what he can do this season. He was stuck behind Yi Jianlian all season, but now that Yi is out with a wrist injury Villanueva is getting big minutes. Pick him up quickly and reap the fantasy rewards going forward.

CURRY'S CARTILAGE TORN 
The word is in on Eddy Curry's swollen knee, and the word isn't looking good. The Associated Press reports the hulking center has torn cartilage in his right knee, and the team and player are mulling surgery. INTEL: Apparently he has a vertical tear rather than a horizontal tear, meaning that he might be able to keep playing. Even if he does, don't expect much from Curry for the rest of the season. Now would be a great time to grab David Lee if he's available in your fantasy league.

PACER HOUSECLEANING? 
Herb Simon, a co-owner of the Indiana Pacers, has told the Indianapolis Star he and his brother Mel (the team's other owner) will "be having a series of meetings, and we're going to make changes." What kind of changes will be discussed? "Everything but the owner right now." INTEL: These are dramatic words from Simon, who obviously is tired of the seemingly unending litany of off-court trouble the Pacers seem to be involved in. The most recent controversies involve swingmen Shawne Williams and Marquis Daniels, whose houses were connected to serious crimes recently. Don't be surprised if Williams, Daniels, and Jamaal Tinsley are the focus of the housecleaning talk in Indy.

BOBS' WALLACE BACK WEDNESDAY? 
Athletic forward Gerald Wallace may return to game action by Wednesday (versus the Mavericks) for the Bobcats, according to the Associated Press. He has missed eight straight games to a concussion. INTEL: Wallace is one of the NBA's best players when he's active, but he continues to also be one of its most injury-prone and overworked. He has seen action in just four games since the end of January because of different maladies. That said, he is a must-start calibre of player when he's able to go.

BIG CACTUS BLOOMS 
Obviously feeling a bit of media heat for his unimpressive start with the Suns, center Shaquille O'Neal scored 14 points and grabbed 16 boards as the Suns edged the Spurs Sunday, 94-87. INTEL: A solid outing by the Big Cactus, who also blocked two shots and played a healthy 34 minutes. As long as Shaq is getting that many minutes (which is debatable) his numbers should be better than they were in Miami earlier this season.

KURT COMING ON 
With 27 minutes on Sunday against the Suns, Spurs' center Kurt Thomas has now played at least 24 minutes in his past three games. INTEL: The veteran big-man has also started the past four games for the Spurs, which suggests head coach Gregg Popovich is finally getting comfortable with him. Thomas gives the defending NBA champs an above-average veteran presence in the paint, and his rise means curtains to significant production from Fabricio Oberto, who heads to the pine.

BENO BRINGS A-GAME AGAIN 
Is Beno Udrih for real? It certainly looks that way. Sunday the Kings' new starting point guard (since Mike Bibby was traded) posted another big outing with 25 points and 10 helpers against the Lakers. INTEL: Udrih has now scored at least 23 points in five of his past seven outings. He is proving to actually be a better option than Bibby was, and has to be seen as a top-tier NBA point guard for the rest of this season.

FARMAR COOLING OFF 
After a hot streak in late February, Lakers' backup point guard has fallen back to earth lately. He has scored in double-figures in just one game in March, and Sunday had just five points in only 16 minutes of action versus the Kings. INTEL: Farmar is clearly the future at the point guard spot for the Lake Show and draws favorable comparisons to Tony Parker. But it's clear that as the Lakers head toward the playoffs, they are going more often with veteran starter Derek Fisher.