Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

The Lakers try to win small; Granger is injured; Bucks' GM is out; Vince goes off; Devin returns fast; Horford heats up rookie race; Murphy bounces back; and more...
'BIG' ISSUES 
NBA history shows that to win a title, it's essential to have a dominant post player. Which raises the question: do the Lakers have what it takes?

On paper, they do. But on the court, lately L.A. is having to adapt to playing without two of the NBA's best big-men: Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. With Gasol out for the next several games due to a sprained ankle and Bynum not expected back until the playoffs because of a sore knee, the Lakers are left a little thin up front in the big, big West. While Lamar Odom is an underrated rebounder and force in the paint and Ronny Turiaf provides equally underrated toughness in the post, the Lakers could struggle down the stretch without Gasol and Bynum.

We'll see Thursday night, as the depleted Lakers take on the big-ball Jazz. With the average height of Utah's starting five a whopping 6-foot-8, Kobe Bryant and company will have to show they can stay on top in the West while their biggest players get healthy.

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GRANGER ON THE SHELF 
Emerging star forward Danny Granger sat out Wednesday's contest against the Bobcats due to a sprained right wrist. The Pacers' leading scorer at 18.6 points per game, Granger was replaced in the starting five by Kareem Rush, who managed just seven points in 24 minutes. Granger appears to be day-to-day. INTEL: Marquis Daniels also saw a bump in playing time filling in. Expect Granger to be back within a few games if the injury doesn't get worse. With the Pacers still in the playoff hunt, he may try to get back in the lineup rather than shutting it down for the rest of the way. Look for Ronald Murray to be more productive in his absence.

BUCKS GM IS GONE 
Larry Harris is out as the Milwaukee Bucks' GM after spending almost five years on the job. No replacement has been named, but director of personnel Dave Babcock will reportedly handle the team until a successor is found. INTEL: Obviously this will change the face of the struggling Bucks, who didn't exactly become a powerhouse under Harris' watch. At a dismal 23-44 with a mostly rebuilt young squad, they have a lot of soul-searching to do as an organization. Among the questionable moves Harris made while GM: passing on Chris Paul and Deron Williams in the 2005 draft, signing injury-prone Bobby Simmons to a big contract, and sending T.J. Ford to Toronto for the injury-prone Charlie Villanueva.

START THE VINSANITY! 
In a rare impressive performance of late, Nets' swingman Vince Carter exploded Wednesday for 39 points, eight assists, and 10 rebounds in the Nets' 125-117 win over the Hawks. INTEL: Vinsanity had only hit the 20-point mark three times in March before his Wednesday outburst, so maybe he is hearing the whispers that he's not bringing it like he used to. Carter still has all the ability in the world and at 31 he's not exactly over the hill, but his career has been marked by this kind of streakiness. We'll see if he can keep it up down the stretch.

DEVIN'S QUICK RETURN 
In a surprising appearance Wednesday, Nets' point guard Devin Harris played in Wednesday's game against the Hawks despite spraining his ankle Tuesday against the Bulls. In fact, he played 41 minutes in Jersey's 125-117 win and chipped in 26 points, nine helpers, and three steals. INTEL: Considering how long Harris' last ankle sprain kept him out, this was a bit of a shocker. It was thought that Marcus Williams would get the start, but he saw only four minutes in this one backing up Harris, who played almost the whole contest.

HORFORD HEATS UP ROOK RACE 
In his second straight well-rounded and dominant performance, on Wednesday night rookie center Al Horford scored 20 points, grabbed 15 boards, and handed out six assists in Atlanta's 125-117 loss to New Jersey. INTEL: This was Horford's second straight six-assist, 15-board effort. The helpers are a nice and unexpected part of his game, but not really a huge surprise since he came from a team-first college program at Florida. Horford is turning into an elite NBA pivot in just his first season, and his all-round game is starting to look more impressive than Kevin Durant's scoring show. Horford may yet be able to do enough down the stretch to steal Rookie of the Year honors.

MURPHY BOUNCES BACK 
Continuing his strong recent play, Pacers' big-man Troy Murphy on Wednesday posted a very solid 18 points and 13 boards in Indy's 102-95 win over the Bobcats. INTEL: Murphy has had a quiet season until recently, but it's notable that he has now scored in double-figures in every games (except one) since the start of February. He also has double-digit boards in his past two outings, and in March is averaging almost 16 points, eight boards, and three assists per contest. He also hits a lot of threes for a guy with center eligibility, and has three NBA seasons in which he has averaged at least 10 boards per game.

ANOTHER BONZI SIGHTING 
As he seems to do every year, Bonzi Wells is suddenly heating up. The talented but unpredictable swingman scored 25 points in 27 minutes Wednesday against his old team, the Rockets. His big effort helped the Hornets breeze to a 90-69 romp. INTEL: For now, it's probably wise to chalk this one up to a 'show me' effort. Wells was obviously making a statement against the team that traded him earlier this season, and his recent lack of production doesn't ensure he will keep it up. That said, he did have 19 points in his previous outing, so perhaps Bonzi is one to keep an eye on. He certainly has the talent to produce when he's healthy and focused.

FLIPPING IT ON 
Staring in his third straight game at point guard for the Pacers, Ronald Murray scored an impressive 22 points in 35 minutes Wednesday versus the Bobcats and added four assists and three steals. INTEL: The guard known as 'Flip' has always had the ability to put up near-star-like numbers, but he has become somewhat of a journeyman for whatever reason. He has only been playing with the Pacers since the start of March, but has done well enough to earn the starting point guard job. He is a very solid option on a struggling team, and may be worth picking up in a tight fantasy league for teams looking for a boost.