While most of the rookies around the NBA are being stopped in their tracks by the notorious rookie wall, Philadelphia’s rookie point guard Jrue Holiday is crashing through it. Last month he averaged an impressive 27.5 minutes per game and he’s showing no signs of slowing down as he’s scored more than 20 points in two of Philadelphia’s last four games.

This afternoon Holiday continued to up the ante by combining his scoring exploits (21 points) with seven rebounds and six dimes.

After the game when reporters asked him if he’s over being called a rookie he grinned before responding, “I’ve been over that for a minute.”

Some of the proof he’s close to shedding his label as a rookie came with how he was his able to deal with some adversity late in the game.  In the final minutes of the fourth quarter he committed what looked to be a costly tough turnover that would have gotten most rookies benched or would have hurt their confidence.

Not Holiday.

Instead, he rallied around his mental miscue and was a big reason why Philadelphia was able to escape Toronto with a big road win.

“After he made the turnover at half court he knew he made a bad play,” Eddie Jordan told the media after the game. “He stepped up, cleared his head and he attacked when he had to. That’s what we need him to do.”

Attack could be a bit of an understatement.

With Toronto clawing back to within eight late in the fourth quarter most coaches would yank a rookie when he committed a mental mistake late in a close game. Jordan, however, stuck with his rookie and Holiday rewarded him by scoring five straight points to ignite a late surge which gave Philly a 107-84 advantage.

Throw in an assist on Thaddeus Young’s three-pointer on the following possession and Holiday’s imprint on the end of the game was easy to see.

After a season with minimal attention from the media, following the game Holiday was taking his time getting changed before he could escape the locker room and jump on the teams bus. Which is fair, because it would be easy to assume the media would want to chat with Marresse Speights about the injury to his knee, Young about his career-high 32 points or get the two faces of the franchise – Andre Igoudala and Elton Brand – to provide quotes to fill up game recaps.

However, the focus of the media tonight was easily Holiday and how he’s able to cap off an impressive rookie season by playing some of his best basketball when his peers are fading.

Needless to say the modest Holiday was in for a pleasant surprise when a huge horde of media was patiently waiting for him at his locker. When he spotted the group of media waiting for him first his eyes widened in shock and then a huge smile stretched across his face.

While the brief moment of modesty was refreshing, if Holiday continues to play inspired ball like he did this afternoon he can expect to get a lot more attention from the media.

Here’s to hoping this is one aspect of the NBA that Holiday doesn’t adapt to because modesty while dealing with the media was almost as impressive as what he did on the court this afternoon.

Having Chris Bosh out of action hasn’t been beneficial to Andrea Bargnani’s scoring output as he has shot a woeful 31-74 (41.9%) from the field over his last five games. Hardly the kind of shooting you want from the post player you’re looking to step in and replace Bosh’s 24.5 points per game.

However, it’s not for a lack of trying. Bargnani has led Toronto in field goal attempts in three of those games so his dip in productivity appears to be a simple case of the big man not being able to hit his shots.

Despite what stat geeks might try to persuade you there’s a reason why basketball isn’t analyzed strictly on numbers or stats.

According to Jay Triano, Bargnani’s recent shooting slump is largely attributed to the kinds of different looks opposing defenses have been throwing at him.

“He’s the focal point of other teams defenses now so he’s facing traps which he hasn’t faced before,” Triano explained to the media after a win against New York. “We got him to get it out of the trap a couple of times so he didn’t have to make a play and that’s when we started swinging the ball. We were then able to do what they do which is attack with penetration after the ball is swung.”

Sounds logical, right? The problem once again is staring at a stat sheet won’t back this up. Even though Bargnani was kicking the ball out of the paint and doing a great job of initiating Toronto’s offense, basketball doesn’t count the “hockey” assist so when he started the teams offense by swinging the ball around the perimeter to find an open teammate he didn’t get credit for.

Instead, all that shows up on the stat sheet is the atrocious 4-15 he went from the field.

But even that stat lies. Watching him play during this stretch he hasn’t jacked up a lot of ill-conceived shots. Instead, the majority of his shots looked good when he released them and he’s attempted most of his field goal attempts within the flow of Toronto’s offense.

The problem that is likely throwing off his rhythm and timing is the fact he has needed to adjust to seeing double-teams for the first time in his NBA career while Bosh has been out of action.

Despite being in his fourth year he’s had a tough time making the adjustment to reading what the defense is giving him.

“I think I did some good stuff and some very bad stuff when I was double-teamed,” Bargnani admitted to the media Friday after a win against New York. “Sometimes I lost the ball and other times I had a real good pass to find an open teammate.

“I’ve still got to get much better because I’m not used to seeing a double-team. CB (Chris Bosh) is the guy that normally gets double-teamed.”

Which is all part of the learning curve for Bargnani. Being thrust into a prominent role within Toronto’s offense is sure to be challenging as he and the team both try to find ways to win games without Bosh.

Luckily for Bargnani this trial by fire looks to be over once Bosh returns on Sunday.

Photo Credit: Nathan Gilbert

Back in training camp nobody who followed the Raptors – fans or media – could have predicted the kind of seasons Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems would have. Weems spent more time last year improving his game in the D-League or rocking a suit on Denver’s sideline than on the court while Johnson constantly found himself in foul trouble and only averaged 14.7 minutes per game despite getting 24 starts.

However, in Toronto this season both players have managed to find their groove and are enjoying career years. Johnson is averaging career highs in rebounds and minutes while Weems is shattering any stats he accumulated last season in Denver.

This evening Johnson picked up his first start of the season and provided Toronto with a huge spark in the first quarter with eight points and three boards. He finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.

Weems, meanwhile, scored a career-high 20 points while saving most of his scoring for the fourth quarter where he scored 10 of his points.

After the game Weems was grinning while he joked with the media about how he was able to exploit Tracy McGrady, who “is getting kind of old” and couldn’t keep up with him.

“I had Tracy (McGrady) on me most of the fourth quarter and I just tried to attack them every time I got the chance,” Weems boasted to Hoops Addict while smirking. “Jarrett (Jack) and Jose (Calderon) did a great job of penetrating and kicking to me and I tried to attack the paint and get some easy buckets. I think with Tracy getting a little bit older I just tried to exploit that.”

A couple of lockers down Johnson was searching for some cough medicine to help with the cold he is fighting through. Tonight he battled through some cold symptoms but “coughed it out” during the game.

While talking with the media Johnson was sitting in a chair at his locker and his voice was strained as he attempted to talk through his cold but he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face while talking about how big this win was for Toronto.

“It feels great knowing we were down a couple of sick players,” Johnson told Hoops Addict. “It was just a team effort. It feels great to have a win and know I was able to bring energy in a game where key guys were out due to feeling sick.”

A typical modest answer for a player who battles on a nightly basis for Toronto. Some night he’s the first big man off the bench while other nights he leads the team in rebounds.

Still, both Johnson and Weems realize how big this season has been for their careers. For players like Johnson and Weems remember far too well what it was like to be on the fringe of the NBA and when given a chance to shine they won’t step down.

It’s because of what Johnson’s battled through and endured during his career that there was no chance something as small a pesky sore throat would keep him off the court tonight.

And, for Weems, there was no chance he wouldn’t gloat over taking McGrady to school in a pivotal fourth quarter.

Just a quick note to let readers know I’ll be a guest on ESPN Radio tonight at 8:15 EST. Topics will include if Chris Bosh will resign in Toronto this summer and how Cleveland will adapt to being without Shaquille O’Neal for the next 6-8 weeks.

You can listen online by clicking on this link.

Right now, the Denver Nuggets are the least plausible “best team” the NBA has ever seen. They’re a group of misfits, castoffs and shadow dwellers who have seemingly made it all come together for a serious title run. Tougher than L.A., more talented than Dallas and more versatile than just about anybody else in the league, the Nuggets are the most dangerous team in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets will win an NBA Championship this year not only because they’re the most complete team in the league, but they’re the most energetic, emotional and motivated. They have tattoos and have been called thugs. Their past problems with the law, serious health issues and questionable, sometime unprofessional attitudes make them a band of individuals who have shared similar problems in the past and who are looking to make good in the future.

Despite their success Denver is still flying under the radar nationally. This might fester with the fan base, but is perfectly fine with management, the coaches and players. Never before has a team been put together with so many individual reclamation stories. Never has such immense talent come together with a collective aggression directed towards the cynics and disbelievers. Almost every key member has something to prove and they’re all always playing against more than just an opposing jersey. None of them are highlighted nationally in commercials for video games or sneakers; they don’t seek fame and fame doesn’t look for them.

Take a look at their point guard. Chauncey Billups has changed teams six times in his 12 year career. He was drafted third overall by the Boston Celtics in 1997 with the grand task of reverting the franchise back to its glory days. He was packaged in a multi-player deal 51 games into his rookie season for, of all players, Kenny Anderson. After bouncing around the league for a few years and looking like a draft day bust, Billups landed in Detroit, won a championship and has since been appropriately deemed a winner. He’s never mentioned among the league’s elite at his position despite the fact that he’s become most known for marvelous performances when the lights shine their brightest.

Right now Billups is in the midst of a second stint in his hometown of Denver, Colorado where at 33 he’s averaging over 20 points per game for the first time in his career. Due to his coach-like attitude on the court with his teammates looking up to him as somebody who’s been to both the bottom and top of the mountain, Billups represents resiliency as a man who rarely loses his bearings in even the most pressure filled situations. He’s just one of half a dozen players in Denver who fit in the same personal odyssey sub group.

The least likely of players one would assume to fit in with this crowd would be the superstar Carmelo Anthony. A 6’ 8” forward who some believe is the best offensive player in the world, Anthony can put the ball in the hole in so many different ways it’s not even worth listing them here. But he too is not without flaw. Coming out of the same draft class as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, Anthony is still to this day rarely spoken of as being on their level. Unlike Wade and James, Anthony battled with off the court issues throughout his early days. The stop snitching video, the DUI and the brawl he induced at MSG, all of those things kept the NBA from promoting him as one of their brightest stars and so despite his on the court heroics, Anthony was reverted to the background. He still feels disrespected and he still feels like an underdog which is scary for his opponents because he is one of the most unstoppable forces on the planet and the main reason Denver looks down on everybody else.

The team is personified not by its 30 point per game scorer or it’s veteran point guard. No, this team’s identity can be found behind the resurrection of an aptly nicknamed bench player. Chris “Birdman” Anderson—skin strangling tattoos, newly grown trailer park mustache, headband wrapped faux-hawk and all—is the man who embodies the team’s current makeup. His hand crafted, on court recklessness aside, Anderson has been through it all. He’s an everyman (apart from the 6’10” body) who has committed nearly fatal mistakes yet has persevered to a level nobody including himself would have believed possible. It’s the Birdman, a man who went from a two year league ban for drug use to a fan favorite in such a short period, who is the soul of the team.

These are just a few of the team’s numerous examples of the misplaced, troubled and disrespected. There’s the misunderstood long range specialist J.R. Smith (earlier this year he pled guilty to reckless driving in a car crash that killed a friend), the big brother enforcer Kenyon Martin (a former number one overall pick who has made a successful comeback from micro fracture knee surgery) and the vastly underrated Nene (who overcame testicular cancer).

What separates this team from last year’s squad, however, is their rookie, Ty Lawson. Coming off an incredible performance in the NCAA Tournament where he was the most important player on a champion, Lawson was plucked by Denver from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a draft day trade. Lawson is short, quick and young. He drives past defenders at the snap of a finger with his baby blue headband looking like a whipped Frisbee flying towards the backboard. He aids the older players with his 21-year-old legs and performs like a four or five year veteran point guard. He’s averaging just over 15 points per 36 minutes.

Denver is second in the league in offensive rating and third in points per game because they’re nearly impossible to defend. Their offensive options are seemingly endless, whether it’s launching pin-point long balls, methodically working it down low with their muscle or allowing their one on one talents to break down defenders and get to the basket.

However, like every collection of human beings in the world, they aren’t perfect. This season they’ve fallen to Minnesota, Philadelphia, Sacramento (twice) and Washington. Perhaps the reason for these lapses is mental. They’re a team focused on the postseason and while this doesn’t excuse losing to such terrible teams, it isn’t as concerning as some may make it seem.

Denver is the best team in basketball. They have all the key pieces that make up a winner and after taking the world champion Lakers to six games in last year’s Western Conference Finals, today they are more polished, talented, dangerous and difficult to defeat. The Denver Nuggets are a true team of redemption.

When Shaquille O’Neal injured his thumb on Thursday night I assumed there would be concern within the Cavaliers locker room over their lack of depth in the front court. With Zydrunas Ilgauskas recently traded to Washington and now O’Neal out for at least the next few games, the team had lost two of their prominent center’s within the span of two weeks.

Turns out Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown doesn’t share the same concerns with the current big men at his disposal.

“We’ve played with J.J. (Hickson) at center from time to time throughout the course of the year,” Brown told the media before Cleveland’s game against Toronto. “We knew he had played well for us all year so when he got his number called we didn’t expect anything different. It’s unfortunate that Shaq went down but it seems every time somebody does go down we just have other guys step up.”

True to his statement before the game, over the next few hours Cleveland’s big men rose to the occasion. Antawn Jamison snagged a game-high 11 rebounds, Hickson had six points in 13 minutes off the bench and Leon Powe snagged four rebounds in his 16 minutes off the bench.

Heck, even Jamario Moon contributed with three rebounds in his four minutes of burn.

Not only that, but Anderson Varejao started 42 games for Cleveland last season and is currently averaging a career-high 29.2 minutes per game. Against Toronto he stepped up with a strong game in only his seventh start of the season before fouling out near the end of the fourth quarter.

When the two centers you’ve had at your disposal for the majority of the season aren’t suited up and your third string center fouls most teams would panic. Not for Cleveland. Due to the versatility they have on their roster when this happened Brown decided to play small ball.

For the majority of overtime Brown went with a smaller lineup that featured three guards (Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, and Delonte West) and two forwards (LeBron James and Antawn Jamison). This worked to perfection as Cleveland outscored Toronto 15-7 in the final five minutes to steal a big win on the road.

Leading the way was Williams who hit two consecutive daggers from beyond the arc early in overtime to help give Cleveland a lead they wouldn’t conceded.

“Instead of pushing the ball off the dribble we ran the floor incredibly hard and got some open looks from the three-point line,” Brown explained to the media after the game. “Then we were able to keep them off balance a little bit with our pick-and-roll. They wanted to go small and have (Andrea) Bargnani guard Jamison and that’s a tough matchup when you have Bargnani guarding Jamison and we have no other bigs out there because now you’re going to have LeBron (James) turning the corner in a pick and roll situation. He’s big enough to throw over the defense which is what he did and he kind of picked them apart.”

Cleveland appears to be facing a test with their front court depleted but if last night was any indication it won’t slow the team down too much.

Besides, having James on the court is always a great equalizer.

There were 45 seconds left in overtime, when Shaun Livingston stepped back on to the Verizon Center floor.  Up until that point, he had only been in the game for a total of two minutes,  which was hardly enough time to gain any sort of momentum.  Yet here he was at a crucial point in the game, expected to execute what should have been a simple play.

After calling his final full timeout, Saunders substituted Livingston into the game, and asked him to inbound the ball. The Wizards had yet to score in the overtime period, and although the Knicks had only scored two points, they were in the lead and time was running out.

The referee handed the ball to Livingston, and instantly he frantically began to look for a  teammate to pass to, but could not find anyone.  Finally, Livingston called a timeout, hoping that Saunders could use one of the two -20 second time outs he had left, but it wasn’t to be.  The referee blew the whistle, turned to face the scorer’s table, and indicated that a five second violation had taken place.

Livingston pleaded his case to no avail, and then found himself right back on the bench, after Saunders asked Mike Harris to check into the game for him.

There were 45 seconds on the clock and the Wizards went on to lose to the New York  Knicks 118-116.

After the game, I asked Livingston about his version of the inbounds play.

“The ref was standing right next to me, and usually when they call a five second its always on the fifth count, after five one-thousand, “  Livingston recounted as he buttoned up his shirt after the game.  “I called that timeout between the five and the one-thousand but I guess it was too late.  I thought I made it, but he saw it differently.”

I followed up by asking Livingston if he thought his inactivity (he hasn’t played since he was cut by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec 22, 2009) had anything to do with his decision making.

“It very could have and my timing could be a bit off in those instances.  But then again, the last time I got one of those, I had to be in fifth grade, ” Livingston said while laughing.

In his post game press conference, Coach Saunders addressed the difficult situation that Livingston, and the other new players on the team currently face.

“We had to play some guys that really haven’t had a chance to practice with us. And in their first they are in that situation, which isn’t totally fair to those guys.” Saunders said.  “But we really had no choice.”

Earlier in the day, before being thrown into the fire, Livingston signed a 10-day contract with the Wizards.   After the horrific knee injury that occurred while he was with Los Angeles Clippers back in February of 2007, Livingston rehabbed hard for a year and a half to get that knee back into playing shape.  He appeared in four games with the Miami Heat, 18 games with Oklahoma City Thunder, he did a brief stint in the Minnesota Timberwolves training camp and he even spent sime time with the Tulsa 66ers of the D League before arriving the Wizards.

Prior to tonight’s game, Coach Saunders discussed why the Wizards signed Livingston.

“He’s definitely always been able to pass the ball and I think he’s a guy that if he can ever get healthy again, he’s got unbelievable basketball instincts and high IQ, ” Saunders told the media.  “To his credit, he’s fought back to put himself back in a position where he made Oklahoma City, as far as the beginning of the year, and now  he has another opportunity.  Randy Wittman (current Washington Wizards assistant, formerly with the  Timberwolves) had him last year in September.  And seeing him a year ago to where he is now its like 100% difference from where he was.”

I asked Livingston what he had been doing to stay in shape and whether he thought he’d be back in the NBA, once he was cut by Oklahoma City.

“I’ve just been trying to stay in shape as best I can. Nothing replaces that real game experience, but I’ve been shooting and doing cardio and all, ” Livingston told Hoops Addict.  “But the Thunder cut me because they were actually trading for a player (rookie Eric Maynor), so it was a numbers game, but I knew I had proven I could play, so I just stayed patient.”

Since the earlier inbounds play had been so influential in the game, I decided to end my interview, by revisiting that play and his feelings about it.  I asked him if the outcome of that play would tamper his joy about having another chance with this Washington Wizards team.

“Ideally it always feels good to get a win, and I think I could have done more with the opportunity, but hopefully there will be another one.”

Luckily for Shaun Livingston, that next opportunity comes on Sunday, when his Wizards take on the worst team in the NBA:  The New Jersey Nets.

The following is a press release from the Toronto Raptors:

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) is teaming up with Canadian Blood Services to host, ‘The Big Save’, the largest ever blood donor clinic in Toronto.

Starting Monday, March 1 at 10 a.m. MLSE will open the doors of Air Canada Centre to blood donors in an all out effort to change a startling statistic that very few Torontonians know about.

Toronto is one of the heaviest users of blood in the country and for the past few years, the city has consistently relied on blood donors from other cities, importing an average of 50,000 units of blood a year to make up the shortfall between local donations and hospital demand.

MLSE and Canadian Blood Services are encouraging Toronto residents to register for the day-long event at Air Canada Centre in an attempt to reach their goal of over 1,000 appointments and 650 units of blood collected at the first ever ‘The Big Save’ blood donor clinic. Monday’s event will be Toronto’s largest blood donor clinic and a huge step towards building sufficient blood donations in the region.

Richard Peddie, President and CEO of MLSE, along with Brian Burke, Leafs President and General Manager and Brian Colangelo, Raptors President and General Manager, announced the blood drive earlier this month while donating blood at a Canadian Blood Services blood donor clinic.

“The numbers say it all, there is a huge need for blood in the city and we are very excited to be playing a role in addressing the issue,” said Richard Peddie, president and CEO of MLSE. “Our goal is a lofty one, but with the support of the best fans in the world, we have every confidence that we will rise up to the challenge.”

Canadian Blood Services currently collects an average of 500 units of blood daily from many smaller clinics in the city, but close to 700 units are needed by patients each day in the region. The strong demand is due in large part to the significant concentration of hospitals in the region. Six of the ‘top twenty’ hospitals, in terms of red blood cells transfused, are located in the Toronto region. Hospitals such as Sunnybrook, SickKids and the University Health Network which includes Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital, are major referral centres for cancer treatment, illnesses, surgery and trauma care and this specialized care contributes to the large local need for blood. 73,000 units of red blood cells were transfused in patients undergoing treatment in the top six GTA hospitals alone last year.

“Blood donors in Toronto are very generous, but there are too few of them,” says Sue Blasutti, Director, Donor and Clinic Services, Central Ontario Region, Canadian Blood Services. “One of the reasons we rely on other cities to make up our gap in blood is because our participation is the lowest in the country.”

Nationally 3.5 per cent of the eligible population donates regularly but in Toronto only 1.8 per cent give blood.

“With a GTA population of five million, we know there is room for improvement, so we are especially encouraging anyone who hasn’t donated before to make an appointment to roll up a sleeve at ‘The Big Save’. This is a tremendous opportunity for the entire diverse donor base within Toronto and the GTA area to join together to make a difference in their community.”

‘The Big Save’ blood donor clinic runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m, Monday March 1st on the floor of Air Canada Centre. Personalities from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, Marlies and the Toronto FC teams will be on hand throughout the day to meet blood donors and raffle prize draws will be made for player-autographed items. Call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283) to book your appointment to give blood at this exciting event. While walk-in donors are welcome, appointments are preferred.

The first time  JaVale McGee drew the ire of Wizards head coach Flip Saunders on Monday against the Bulls happened early in the first quarter. Brad Miller gave a slight head and ball fake, McGee fell for it, and then watched as Miller went around him.

Saunders emphatically pointed towards the ground and yelled at the second year center: “Stay down, stay down!”

Less than two minutes later, McGee took a shot that was slightly out of his range, and missed everything.  Saunders immediately whipped around and called for James Singleton to check into the game.

McGee slumped his shoulders, barely slapped fives with his teammates, and took a seat on the bench.

When he checked back into the game with 10 minutes left in the second quarter, McGee looked energized.  He got rebounds on both the offensive and defensive ends, and he hit a short jumper to give his team the lead.  But shortly thereafter he picked up a bad foul, got called for an illegal defense technical foul, and then he fell for yet another head fake.

Coach Saunders once again angrily called for Singleton to come in the game, and again McGee walked off the floor.  But before he could get to the bench, Saunders grabbed his arm, then grabbed a white clipboard, and started diagramming a play and talking McGee through it.

I looked at Kyle Weidie from Truth About It, and wondered aloud what Coach Saunders was saying, and he challenged me to ask McGee after the game, so I did.

“Well, first he told me not to keep leaving my feet on defense, and then he said I had to play smarter and show a little more on my screen and rolls, ” the quiet McGee told me in front of his locker.

I asked McGee if he gets frustrated when he’s jerked out of the game like that, and he calmly responded, “Not at all. He’s teaching me what I need to do to be a better player and stay in the lineup. I can’t get mad at that.”

Prior the trades that saw the Wizards trade their former starting front line (Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and Antawn Jamison) to different teams, McGee was barely getting off the bench.  But since entering the starting lineup four games ago, McGee has averaged 9 points, 6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game in 22 minutes of play.

He’s been wildly inconsistent, but he’s also shown a plethora of energy and a willingness to learn.

“We’ve got a group of guys that have high motors that play with a greater volume of aggression and intensity,” Saunders observed after his team’s 101-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls.   “What’s happened is, the new guys are playing that way and now all of a sudden Andray (Blatche) and JaVale (McGee) and those guys have fallen right into place.”

I asked McGee if he felt his confidence rising as a result of the increased personalized attention from the head coach as well as more playing time.

“Definitely man, definitely,” McGee told me in a rare candid moment. “It was hard sitting on that bench knowing I could get in there and help my team. But now I know I’m going to play and if I mess up I know what to do the next time, so its much better like this.”

The next lesson for McGee? How to guard the combination of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, Wednesday night against Memphis Grizzlies.

Almost a week  after making his debut as a Washington Wizard, Josh Howard will now be reduced to the role of spectator.

Team President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that Josh Howard would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee.  No timetable was announced for his return.

The injury occurred with 4:23 left in the first quarter, when Howard caught an outlet pass and attempted to make a move to the basket.  He collided with Chicago Bulls guard Ronald “Flip” Murray, and his left knee buckled.  He was helped off the court, and at the time it was diagnosed as simply a sprain.

Howard, along with James Singleton and Quinton Ross, were part of the big trade that sent former Wizards,  Brendan Haywood, Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson to the Dallas Mavericks on February 13th.  After coming off the bench in his first game as a Wizard, Howard started at shooting guard during the last three games and averaged 14.5 points and 3.3 rebounds.  He has an $11.8 million team option in his contract, but this injury, as well as the Wizards desire to stay financially flexible, could mean that Howard has played his last minutes as a Washington Wizard.

Newly acquired Al Thornton, started the second half of the game against the Bulls, but there’s been no official word as to who will take his place tomorrow night against the Grizzlies.

Stay tuned to Hoops Addict for more info.