Nikola Vucevic was held out of Sunday’s game with elbow soreness, which he’s been dealing with for the last few days. For now, it doesn’t look like a concern, and he has a good shot to play Tuesday at San Antonio. It doesn’t affect his fantasy value at the moment, and he’s still one of the top options at center.
Steve Nash and Chris Kaman are both dealing with a similar illness, most likely resulting from the team’s nine-day trip to China. Kaman missed Sunday’s practice, while Nash left early. They should both be fine for the season opener, and are still both potential late-round selections.
Harrison Barnes (foot), who has not seen any action since Oct. 8, will not play Wednesday after not practicing on Sunday. Barnes is expected to be Golden State’s sixth man, which slots him as a late-round pick. The foot issue isn’t supposed to be serious, but it could translate to a rusty first few weeks.
Kevin Martin (Achilles) looked good in his return to the court on Sunday, racking up 21 points (7-16 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 2-4 FT) and five boards in 29 minutes. He looks to be fully recovered from his injury, rendering him a solid pick in the middle to late rounds, especially while Chase Budinger (knee) remains out.
Kobe Bryant (Achilles) is still a major question mark for opening night, and the Lakers are preparing for life without him when the season kicks off. Bryant still hasn’t practiced, and is yet to do anything beyond sprinting and set shooting. Mike D’Antoni admitted to having ?no idea? when The Mamba will return to practice, and acknowledged that there are plenty of steps he needs to take before he’ll be ready to play. In his absence, Nick Young will continue to hoist up shots, and should easily average double-figures until Bryant is back.
Raymond Felton (strained hamstring) will not play on Monday in Toronto. The move is mostly precautionary by the Knicks, as hamstrings are always threats to flare up and become more serious. In other Knicks news, Andrea Bargnani (back stiffness) was held out of action Sunday, although Mike Woodson said he’s fine. Iman Shumpert (elbow) was a limited participant in practice and is questionable for Monday. His competition for the starting shooting guard spot, J.R. Smith (knee), has been cleared for contact and will participate in his first scrimmage on Tuesday.