Henry Abbott speculates about Stephon Marbury's NBA future. The list of potential destinations is alphabetical.

Still.

Atlanta Hawks The Hawks have Mike Bibby and Acie Law. Speedy Claxton is still wrestling injury demons. And Georgia was Marbury's home for a year of college.

Topping the lists of things I didn't need to read today: anything that makes me think, "Don't forget about Flip Murray. We've got him. We don't need Marbury."

WHO: Orlando (4-1) at Atlanta (4-2)

WHEN: 7pm

WHERE: No TV, Hawks Radio Network (should any station preempt coverage of the pre-season game I suggest NBA Audio League Pass)

Injury Report: No official update in days, but Speedy Claxton figures to still be out. A decision will be made on Marvin Williams following today's shootaround. Ben Q. Rock of Third Quarter Collapse assumes Hedo Turkoglu will sit out tonight's game on the advice of his (Hedo's) groin. Kyle Hightower, though, writes that Turkoglu "should be back in the lineup tonight."

WHO: Phoenix (1-2) at Atlanta (3-1)

WHEN: 7pm

WHERE: No TV, Hawks Radio Network (should any station preempt coverage of the pre-season game I suggest NBA Audio League Pass)

Injury Report: Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby, and Speedy Claxton are out. For Phoenix, Alando Tucker will miss the game. Leandro Barbosa and Amare Stoudemire have resumed practicing but neither is expected to play tonight.

The Hawks waived Marcus Hubbard and Frank Robinson. Neither had played a second of pre-season basketball. The roster is down to 15 players.

Elsewhere...

• Assistant Coach Bob Bender talks to Micah Hart about tonight's game.
• Listen to Shaq hang on to his ego. Feel Phoenix Stan's love.
  
• Free Darko's EVERY GAME PREVIEW carries on.

WHO: Atlanta @ Orlando

WHEN: 7pm

WHERE: No TV, Hawks Radio Network (should any station preempt coverage of the pre-season game I suggest NBA Audio League Pass)

Injury Report: Speedy Claxton is expected to miss the game. I guess it would be too much to expect Claxton and Tony Battie to be healthy concurrently.

Not much news in anticipation of tonight's pre-season opener. Sekou Smith explains why he will be watching Al Horford, Josh Smith, Othello Hunter, and Acie Law IV closely.

Mike Woodson, once again, really wants to win pre-season games:

"Just win baby. It’s time to play, man. Some people view preseason game as something to get players in shape and get ready for the season. To me, it’s huge in terms of using that time to bond and get used to doing things in a winning way. I don’t think you can do it any other way. You have to play to win."

106-222.

Ben Q. Rock of Third Quarter Collapse and I exchanged questions and answers about respective teams. My answers to his questions are here. His answers to my questions are after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Micah Hart reports that the Hawks will put Olumide Oyedeji on waivers prior to Monday's pre-season opener in Orlando. That's what happens when you get outclassed by Solomon Jones on a consistent basis. Good luck to Oyedeji wherever he next lands.

There's a reason my look at the free agents in training camp never progressed beyond Frank Robinson: I'd rather not contemplate a regular season roster that includes Oyedeji (which it won't) or Marcus Hubbard. I couldn't pick Hubbard out of a lineup, but looking at his stat line at Angelo State I have no idea how he could be useful to an NBA team. Listed as a center, more than a third of his field goal attempts came from beyond the three-point line, he rarely grabbed an offensive rebound, and his block shot and steal rates were so different between his junior and senior seasons, I suspect he was playing hurt. Throw in the low level of competition and I'm befuddled as to his presence in camp. Of course, I can't wait to see him play. He's a mystery man.

In injury news, Thomas Gardner took a nasty spill on Friday. Again, from Micah Hart:

I saw one of the nastiest spills I've ever seen today near the end of practice. Thomas Gardner was going to the hole, guarded by Mario West, when West slipped on the floor and Gardner went with him. Gardner went down face first into the floor, causing his head to snap back in a terrible manner. I was sure he was knocked out, or had broken parts of his face for sure, but amazingly Gardner got up and walked it off under his own power. The training staff checked him out, but he appeared to be ok. For his sake I sure hope he is, because it looked at the time like he was going to be hurt pretty badly. Gardner has been out the last few days with a leg injury, which must have been pretty severe considering his reaction to today's spill. That is one tough dude.

Speedy Claxton pulled a hamstring in practice Friday. He's expected to travel with the team to Orlando, Phoenix, and Kansas City (playing Portland) but is not expected to play. Which, presumably, is his default setting at this point.