He will be missed tonight in Dallas. WagerWeb.com lists the Lakers as an 8.5-point underdogs against the rested Mavericks.
 
But then, Los Angeles wasn't the only team missing a key piece Tuesday night. Houston swingman Tracy McGrady sat out with back spasms, a problem that prevented him from playing 35 games a year ago. He had re-injured the back while scoring 28 points against Washington on Saturday night.
 
Luther Head will take his place in the starting lineup. He has been one of the league's most accurate long-range marksmen, shooting 50.5 percent from 3-point range and averaging 9.8 points a game off the bench. The return of Bonzi Wells should provide quality depth for the Rockets.
 
 
BOBCATS' BRICKS: According to a published report, Allen Iverson rejected a trade to Charlotte.
 
If his motivation is to land on a contender, he can't be blamed.
 
The Bobcats felt a sense of optimism after last season despite their 26-56 record. They figured the addition of highly touted draft pick Adam Morrison and the maturity of younger players who had performed well bode well for this year.
 
So far, that hasn't come to fruition. Not only has Morrison recently experienced a horrific shooting slump (4 for 34 from the field), but the Bobcats simply aren't receiving much production from anyone who's name isn't Emeka Okafor.
 
The result are records of 5-15 overall and 3-8 at home.
 
Charlotte is scoring a league-worst 90.5 points a game with a point differential of minus-8.5 that is also dead-last in the NBA. Only Memphis owns a worse shooting percentage than the Bobcats' .432. Charlotte also is near the bottom in rebounding differential and 3-point accuracy.
 
Morrison (.365), Raymond Felton (.386) and Gerald Wallace (.411) have all struggled from the field. Only Okafor, who is averaging 15.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.95 blocks a game, has prevented Charlotte from owning the worst record in the NBA.
 
Things are unlikely to change Wednesday night when the Bobcats play at Cleveland, though they did defeat the Cavaliers at home early this season. Charlotte is an 11-point underdog, according to WagerWeb.com.

DRIBBLES: Memphis owns the worst record in the NBA at 5-16, but the anticipated return of premier forward/center Pau Gasol this weekend will help. Gasol is not expected to play Wednesday night at home against Portland. The Grizzlies are 6-point favorites against the Blazers, according to WagerWeb.com. ... Golden State forward Matt Barnes did a number against his hometown team Tuesday night. He registered a career high in points (32) and rebounds (11) in a defeat of Sacramento. Injuries to Jason Richardson and Troy Murphy have the Warriors using a six-man rotation. Four of them scored 20 points or more in the 126-113 victory. ... Denver and Atlanta played a doubleheader Tuesday night. The Hawks won the first half, 54-43. The Nuggets won the second half, 57-33, to win the game going away. Neither team will get a break Wednesday night. Denver is a 3-point underdog in Washington on WagerWeb.com, while Atlanta is a 7-point underdog in New York.

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