Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

Defense is key to Denver's playoff hopes; Shaq back on track?; Hornets' West buzzing; Darko improving?; Beno Back Monday?; Maggette returns quickly; Thornton hitting Rookie Wall?; Pietrus powering up; and more...

DENVER'S SMALL 'D' 
They have the NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Marcus Camby. They lead the league in steals per game (9.3) and blocks per game (6.8). So why are the Nuggets so bad on defense?

At 105.7 points per game, the Nuggets allow the fourth-most scoring by opponents in the NBA. And the problem isn't getting better; Denver has allowed at least 100 points in six straight contests, including 136 on Mar.18 to the Pistons. So what gives? Well, part of the problem is that the Nuggets play a very wide-open style, and to their credit that helps them score a lot of points themselves (109.3 per game this season, third-best in the NBA). But their lack of consistent 'D' currently has them in 9th place in the super-competitive West, meaning they would be out of the playoffs if the postseason started today.

But here's a telling stat: Denver also gives up the fifth-most turnovers in the league (14.6 per contest). So regardless of their big defensive stats, they're ironically giving up so many points because they're sloppy on offense. As the Nuggets visit the Grizzlies Monday, can they tighten up the 'D' by tightening up the 'O'?

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DIRK GOES DOWN; OUT FOR WEEKS? 
Mavericks' superstar power forward Dirk Nowitzki appeared to severely sprain his left ankle Sunday versus the Spurs, and had to be helped off the court. There is no timetable for his return, but the injury appears to be significant. INTEL: Nowitzki has had nagging problems with his ankles for most of his career, but infrequently injures them as significantly as this looks. If it is a high ankle sprain he could be out for several weeks. Devean George, Brandon Bass, and Malik Allen are all candidates to start if Nowitzki can't. This development may be dire for the Mavericks, who lost the game 88-81, have lost three straight, and may be in jeopardy of slipping out of the playoff hunt in the West.

SHAQ BACK ON TRACK? 
On Saturday night Suns' center Shaquille O'Neal posted an impressive 23 points and 13 boards in 36 minutes of action against Houston to help Phoenix win their seventh straight win. INTEL: It was Big Daddy's best scoring performance since becoming a Sun in early January, and his best overall outing with his new team. The most promising part of this outing was that Shaq played 36 minutes. A big part of his decline in the past couple of seasons has been a lack of court-time, and when he gets over 30 minutes he usually dominates. Barring injury, he may just help the Suns make a run again in the tough West.

DAVID BUZZING AGAIN 
Showing he is more than fully recovered from recent ankle problem, Hornets' All-Star David West posted an impressive 37 points against the Celtics in Saturday's 113-106 win. He also played a whopping 43 minutes. INTEL: West is coming off sprains to both his ankles (a problem that has plagued him as a pro) but he is back on track with his stellar season. West has emerged this season as one of the NBA's truly elite all-round forwards, and has posted career-highs in points per game (20) rebounds per game (9.1), assists per game (2.3) and blocks per game (1.3).

MILICIC MAKING PROGRESS? 
In one of his best efforts of the season so far, Grizzlies' center Darko Milicic dropped 19 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks on the Kings to help Memphis to a 117-111 win Saturday night. INTEL: Another promising aspect of his performance: Darko went 7-of-8 from the free-throw line (where he has struggled this season at 52.5 percent). A big factor for Milicic in this game was he played 30 minutes, his most floor time since Mar.8 against the Celtics. Darko has the talent to be an above-average NBA pivot and is still only 22 years old. It takes big men longer to develop, so maybe Darko isn't quite the bust some suggest he is. If he keeps playing over 30 minutes per game, there is reason to believe he will become a fantasy force.

BENO BACK MONDAY? 
After sitting out the past three games due to a strained lower back, Kings' point guard Beno Udrih is hoping to return Monday against the Rockets, according to the Sacramento Bee. INTEL: Udrih has been one of the NBA's better point guards since taking over as Sacto's starter early this season. In March he is averaging an impressive 17.4 points and 6.1 assists for the Kings. Veteran Anthony Johnson has been filling in while Udrih has been out, but hasn't been as good as he was when he was quarterbacking the Atlanta Hawks earlier this season. Expect Udrih to be a strong producer as long as he plays.

PIETRUS POWERING UP 
In Golden State's new extreme small-ball lineup, swingman Mickael Pietrus has started at power forward the past two games. Over the two contests, he has averaged 15.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. INTEL: Pietrus was in head coach Don Nelson's doghouse earlier this season and Nellie's starting five is as unpredictable as the March weather. But Pietrus has started most of Golden State's games this month, and for March is averaging 12.1 points and 8.1 boards per game to go along with 1.4 steals per outing.

MAGGETTE RETURNS QUICKLY 
After missing Friday's contest against the Trail Blazers because of a sore shoulder, Clippers' top scorer Corey Maggette was back in the starting lineup Saturday. He scored 21 points and added seven boards in L.A.'s second straight game against Portland, an 83-72 loss. INTEL: Maggette has more nagging injuries than most high scorers because he loves going hard to the hoop and drawing fouls. He is fourth in the NBA in free-throw attempts per game (9.6) and that takes an obvious toll. The fact Maggette returned so quickly suggests the injury isn't serious.

THORNTON HITTING ROOK WALL? 
Clippers' rookie forward Al Thornton continues to hit the Rookie Wall recently, and hard. On Saturday he scored a dismal five points on 2-of-11 field-goal shooting. It was Thornton's fourth single-digit scoring performance in his past five games. INTEL: Over that five-game skid Thornton is hitting just 15-of-47 from the field (or, 32 percent). That suggests he is feeling the fatigue most rookies experience during the long NBA schedule, but to be fair to Thornton he is hitting it later than most other rookies do. The positive thing for him is he is still getting regular playing time (averaging 41.3 minutes per game over his past three outings). Of course, that may change if he keeps slumping.

CHUCKY UNLUCKY 
Veteran Nuggets point guard Chucky Atkins has played just six total minutes over his past two games, despite strong recent play and appearing to be healthy. INTEL: With the Nuggets in a tough fight to make the playoffs (they're currently on the outside looking in), head coach George Karl has had to go with his most dependable players lately. That means J.R. Smith, Linas Kleiza, and Eduardo Najera make up the primary bench squad, despite the fact Atkins was heating up lately with two impressive outings in mid-March. Unless one of the other three get injured, Atkins may be looking at a lot of time warming the bench down the stretch.

RONDO REBOUNDS FROM GOOSE-EGG 
Bouncing back from a zero-point performance March 20 against the Mavericks, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo posted 23 points, seven assists, and two steals Saturday versus the Hornets. INTEL: Rondo also saw a nice bump in minutes in this game, playing over 30 for the first game in his past five. He remains Boston's staring point guard and while he is having a somewhat up-and-down sophomore campaign, Rondo is still a very promising player. The recent arrival of veteran playmaker Sam Cassell will obviously cut into Rondo's playing time down the stretch and in the playoffs, but he remains the Celtics' point guard of the future.

STILL IN INDY: WALSH STAYING? 
The New York Daily News reports that, after meeting with Pacers owners Melvin and Herbert Simon on Friday, team CEO Donnie Walsh will likely stay on to run the organization. Several media reports earlier suggested Walsh might be on his way out. INTEL: This news may be curtains in Indy for team president (and NBA legend) Larry Bird. If Walsh is not going to take the fall for the Pacers' struggles of the past few years, Bird is next in line, and the New York Post reports the relationship between Bird and Walsh is strained. Walsh is one of the most coveted senior executives in the league, and so the Simons are obviously going to be reluctant to jettison him.