March 7, 2008, 2:17 PM

Occupational Hazard: Bosh to miss more time

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Lake By Guy Lake
Special to ESPN.com
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It's stretch run time, people. You have likely made your last trade and are steeling yourself for the last month plus of the season. Injuries are as critical as ever and we are here to help you through all the gauze and Mercurochrome. This week's injuries were not as catastrophic as Yao's last week, but at this point in the season even a few missed weeks can make all the difference in the world, especially in head-to-head leagues.

Triage unit

Chris Bosh, PF/C, Raptors: Last Saturday, coach Sam Mitchell told Toronto's FAN 590 that Bosh would sit three games after feeling soreness in his right knee. Friday's game against the Wizards is the third game and Bosh is not close to returning. According to the Toronto Sun, Bosh's knee feels no better now than it did a week ago when he first underwent an MRI. The MRI came up negative, but the pain is positively infuriating. Expect Bosh to miss the Sonics game on Sunday and likely the first game of the road trip against the Lakers next Tuesday. Weekly owners should probably bench Bosh for the next scoring period. Check the Toronto papers to see if there is any word after Sunday's game about whether Bosh is going to make the trip with the team.

[+] EnlargeMo Williams
Ron Hoskins/Getty ImagesMo Williams is averaging 20.3 points per game since the All-Star break.
Mo Williams, PG, Bucks: I would be very surprised if we see Williams on the court tonight. He has been diagnosed with an abdominal strain, causing him to miss Wednesday's game. The team has not yet announced the severity of the strain and according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he is listed as day-to-day. The Bucks also speculated that Royal Ivey might be getting the start tonight as well. Abdominal strains are no joke. Just ask Kevin Garnett, who lost nine games to one. My guess is, we see Williams sit out the next few games. Strains almost always come back worse if players come back too soon by injuring the same muscle. Look for Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva to pick up the scoring slack should Williams miss time.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C, Cavaliers: Big Z will miss another week or so with a sore back. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that no timetable has been set, but Ilgauskas told reporters last Sunday that he would be out at least two weeks. Ilgauskas has struggled with back pain all season, most recently on Feb. 10 when he missed the fourth quarter against the Magic due to back spasms. Sit Big Z for next week. I will update his status next Friday, but this sounds like a case in which the team may have him take it easy until the playoffs. Downgrade accordingly.

Andrei Kirilenko, SF/PF, Jazz: After Dirk Nowitzki leveled Kirilenko, he was hit with a flagrant-2, causing him to miss one game. AK-47 may miss more than that. He already missed Wednesday's game with a sprained hip from the fall. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that an MRI revealed no structural damage to Kirilenko's right hip, but he could be out for a little while. According to the Tribune, he is walking with a crutch and will not be traveling with the team for Friday's game in Phoenix.

Zach Randolph, PF, Knicks: It looks like Randolph will miss at least one more game with a bruised right foot. According to Newsday, Isiah Thomas said the power forward was likely to miss Friday's game against the Pistons. Randolph did practice with the team on Thursday, usually an indication that a player is ready to go, but wasn't on the floor for the final 10 minutes when reporters are allowed to watch. Sounds to me like a game-time decision may be looming with the better chance that Randolph does not suit up. David Lee and Eddy Curry will benefit from his absence. Curry has had back-to-back excellent games without Randolph, but will return to his bottom-feeding ways once Z-Bo returns.

[+] EnlargeRon Artest
Scott Cunningham/Getty ImagesRon Artest has missed at least 10 games in six of the past seven seasons.
Ron Artest, SF, Kings: There isn't a lot of news about the sore right foot that kept Artest out of Wednesday night's game against the Clippers. The Sacramento Bee expressed surprise at his absence, noting that Reggie Theus had Artest in his starting lineup when he conducted his pregame interview. There has been little follow-up, so owners should consider Artest day-to-day. If he misses more time, John Salmons is the obvious beneficiary. It would not shock me to see Artest sit a bit more to give Salmons more run as the season winds down. The team will have Salmons next season, but is unlikely to keep Artest, so it is in the Kings best interest to try some rotations that include Salmons.

Jamaal Tinsley, PG, Pacers: According to The Indianapolis Star, Tinsley is still experiencing pain in his knee and there is no timetable for his return. At this point, I recommend cutting him unless you have a deep bench. Travis Diener is still out there in most ESPN leagues (38.8 percent owned), but is starting to get snatched up fast. Make the move now if you need point guard help.

Outpatient clinic

Elton Brand, PF, Clippers: Long-suffering Brand owners will have to wait a bit more. In fact, I remain in doubt as to whether he is going to play at all this year. Brand told the Los Angeles Times and others that he could be back as soon as two weeks (toward the end of the five-game road trip that starts Monday). His coach is preaching more caution. "We don't want to put him out there until he's ready to be out there," Dunleavy said. "It's one of those things where we shouldn't rush him back. I want to see him dominating practice like he has in the past before I throw him into a game." The paper reported that Brand was far from dominating in his first practice this week. If Brand does come back, it won't be until the last two weeks and at that point, why would you bother if you are the coach or owner of the Clippers?

Gilbert Arenas, PG, Wizards: Agent Zero participated in his first full-contact practice this week and came out smiling. "It felt good. I was surprised about my wind -- I wasn't as tired as I thought I was going to be," he told The Baltimore Sun. The paper reported that while there remains no timetable for his return, Arenas was still targeting the week of March 25 as his return date. That's just 2-3 weeks of fantasy play, but he could be a huge lift for owners in head-to-head leagues, provided they are still alive in their league's playoffs.

Gerald Wallace, SG/SF, Bobcats: Crash has been working out individually all this week and it looks like he may be cleared to return next week in time for the Dallas and Houston games, according to The Charlotte Observer. This would mean a Wednesday return and a full three-game week for Wallace. If and when he does return, Wallace will be required to wear a mouthpiece to protect against future concussions. It will be interesting to see if his playing style is toned down upon his return and if it is, how it will affect his numbers.

Andris Biedrins, C, Warriors: Look for Biedrins to rejoin the Warriors Friday in Miami. He has recovered from his appendectomy and should slide right back to his starting center role. Only his conditioning would hold him back, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. With Chris Webber out with a sore knee, Biedrins should see plenty of minutes. Of course, we are talking about Nellie's team here and he has recently taken to starting rookie Brandan Wright, and with some success. Still, Biedrins is much more polished and should not see a reduction in playing time. Instead Wright will take the minutes Webber vacated.

Chucky Atkins, PG, Nuggets: After his long recovery from hernia surgery, Atkins will make his return to the court for the Nuggets, according to the Rocky Mountain News. Atkins won't have much value on his own, but he could affect others on the Nuggets. He isn't likely to see many minutes at first, but he may cut into Anthony Carter's minutes in the next few weeks.

Guy Lake is a fantasy basketball analyst for ESPN.com. He can be reached at GuyLake@TalentedMrRoto.com.