The Golden State Warriors versus?Los Angeles Clippers?rivalry didnt live up to the hype, Tim Frazier recorded a triple-double, and T.J. McConnell filled in for Sergio Rodriguez and finished one assist shy of recording one himself. What a crazy week in the NBA.Heres a list of the most fantasy-relevant news and notes for all 30 teams around the league heading into the eighth week of the season:Atlanta Hawks: Kent Bazemore (knee) is expected to return to the court this week after missing the past two games, but he was limited in practice Monday and his status for Tuesdays game against Orlando remains uncertain. If Bazemore doesnt feel well enough to play in shtaround, Tim Hardaway Jr. is expected to start his third game in a row.Boston Celtics: Isaiah Thomas has missed the past three games because of a groin injury but hopes to return to the court against San Antonio on Wednesday. Celtics coach Brad Stevens offered no further details about the chances of the point guard playing against the Spurs, saying, No idea about Wednesday. If Thomas is unable to go, expect Marcus Smart to again play extended minutes after being on the court for 36 minutes in each of the past two games.Brklyn Nets: Jeremy Lin (hamstring) makes his long-awaited return to the court on Monday after a six-week absence. His presence in the rotation will allow the 6-16 Nets to rely less on rkie Isaiah Whitehead and early-season surprise?Sean Kilpatrick?going forward. Lin averaged 15 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.4 assists in five games with Brklyn before the injury.Charlotte Hornets: Marvin Williams returned from a six-game absence last week and re-entered the Hornets starting lineup, moving?Frank Kaminsky?to the bench. If Williams is going to keep his job as the starter, though, he is going to have to improve on his career-low 34.4 percent shting. Never in Williams previous 11 NBA seasons has he shot under 42.3 percent.Chicago Bulls: Doug McDermott returned to the court last Thursday against San Antonio following an 11-game absence due to a concussion suffered from a nasty fall near the basket. McDermott is mostly a 3-point specialist by fantasy standards, but has made multiple 3s in only five of the 11 games he has played this season and is 1-for-6 from long distance in the two games since his return.Cleveland Cavaliers: J.R. Smith returned to the Cavs lineup on Saturday and played 32 minutes in a win over Charlotte, which is slightly more than his season average of 29.5. A month and a half into the season, the biggest issue with Smith continues to be his pr shting. The veteran is a career 42.2 percent shter and enters the week shting just 31.2 percent.Dallas Mavericks: J.J. Barea hasnt played in a game since Nov. 16 because of a calf injury, and though hes on track with his recovery, his return to the court is still at least a week away. Meanwhile, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle indicated on Monday that Dirk Nowitzki is going to ramp up his activity but is still out indefinitely as he works his way back from a strained right Achilles. Nowitzki has been out since Nov. 25.Denver Nuggets: It has been a disastrous month so far for Denvers second-year point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. The No. 7 overall pick in 2015 is shting just 28.9 percent and playing only 22.6 minutes per game, losing time to Jameer Nelson. Nelson missed one game last week because of a sprained ankle but returned to play 23 minutes against Orlando on Saturday. Hell need to become more efficient on the offensive end or he runs the risk of losing minutes to Nelson and rkie Jamal Murray going forward.Detroit Pistons: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday when the Pistons play the Mavericks, giving Detroit the perimeter defender it lacked in Sundays lopsided loss to Philadelphia when KCP sat with a knee contusion.Golden State Warriors: Kevon Lney stepped into the starting center spot Sunday against Minnesota when Zaza Pachulia was scratched with a wrist injury. Lney managed just four points and three rebounds in 18 minutes, but its worth noting that veteran JaVale McGee, who many expected to get the starting nod with Pachulia out, logged only six minutes.Houston Rockets: Hat tip to ESPNs Marc Stein on this one: Houston is suddenly +14.2 points per 100 possessions when Harden is off the flr since Patrick Beverleys return on Nov. 17. Beverley is one of the better glue players in the league, and his value is clear on a team like the Rockets that had chemistry problems in previous years.Indiana Pacers: Monta Ellis hadnt missed a game since joining the Pacers before last season, playing in 95 straight contests. Ellis has also played in at least 80 games in each of the past four seasons. But both those streaks are coming to an end, as the Pacers announced the veteran 2-guard will be out for at least the next four games because of a groin injury. Glenn Robinson III will take his place in the starting lineup for Mondays game against Charlotte.Los Angeles Clippers: Austin Rivers will miss Mondays game against Portland with a mild concussion, but the Clippers are expected to get Raymond Felton back. The veteran Felton had missed the previous two games attending his grandmothers funeral.Los Angeles Lakers: Lou Williams isnt a huge fantasy threat when the Lakers are at full-strength as they are with DAngelo Russell, Nick Young and Julius Randle back in the lineup, but what a week the veteran guard had. Williams is averaging 32.2 points in his past five games, shting 51.6 percent and making 3.6 3-pointers per game in the process. Keep an eye on him throughout the season, especially any time Russell, Young or Jordan Clarkson are out of the lineup.Memphis Grizzlies: The injury-ravaged Grizzlies are one of the better stories of the season, overcoming the extended absences of Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons to move to a 17-8 record. They enter the week fresh off a convincing 110-89 win over the Warriors. How are they doing it? With defense, thats how. The Grizzlies lead the league in defensive efficiency, allowing 99.5 points per 100 possessions.Miami Heat: The seemingly minor wrist injury that was initially expected to keep Justise Winslow out for only a few games has now cost him a month, but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Monday that Winslow is getting pretty close to being cleared for full-contact practices. Wayne Ellington, Josh Richardson and Rodney McGruder will continue to log extended minutes until Winslow and Dion Waiters return to the lineup.Milwaukee Bucks: Jabari Parker is shting a respectable 46.1 percent on the season, but the skilled power forward has made 50 percent of his shots only once in the past 10 games dating back to Nov. 21. Parker shot 49 percent or better in each of his first two seasons in the league, so this could be something to keep an eye on in the months ahead.Minnesota Timberwolves: Much has been made about some of the things Andrew Wiggins hasnt done since entering the NBA, but the fact is hes a 21-year-old with a career 44.7 shting percentage who is averaging 22.2 points in his third season. If theres one area where he has been very disappointing this season, its his lack of steals (0.5 SPG). Its hard to fathom that someone with Wiggins quickness and athleticism, playing over 36 minutes per game, could have registered zero steals in 14 of the teams 24 games thus far.New Orleans Pelicans: Rkie first-rounder Buddy Hield was a superstar in the college game last season, but his first year in the NBA is off to a rough start. He enters the week shting 36.8 percent in his first 25 NBA games, and on Sunday he was benched in favor of veteran Reggie Williams in the second half. Further struggles could limit Hields role going forward -- especially once Tyreke Evans returns -- but one encouraging sign is that hes shting 44.4 percent from 3-point range in his past five games, draining 12 3-pointers in that span.New York Knicks: Courtney Lee has made multiple 3-pointers in three straight games and in 11 of 22 games this season. He is also third in the league in 3-point percentage (47., which is a big step up for the career 38.8 percent shter from distance.Oklahoma City Thunder: X-rays on Victor Oladipos wrist came back negative, but his status remains in doubt for Tuesdays game in Portland. He didnt participate in practice on Monday, and if hes unable to play against the Trail Blazers, it will leave the Thunder without one of their premier perimeter defenders in the matchup against Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.Orlando Magic: Nikola Vucevic is listed as questionable for Tuesdays game against Atlanta, and his availability will come down to how his sore back feels leading up to the game. The big man participated in non-contact drills at practice on Monday. If hes unable to play against the Hawks, Orlando is expected to go with Bismack Biyombo as the starting center for a second straight game.Philadelphia 76ers: Nerlens Noels return to the lineup could mean many things for the 76ers, but the one player who is least impacted is Joel Embiid, the clear-cut starting center. Noels presence in the rotation will likely cut into Ersan Ilyasovas, Jahlil Okafors and Richaun Holmes minutes, while rkie Dario Saric is expected to continue to see more minutes at small forward.Phoenix Suns: If Alex Len is ever going to live up to the lofty expectations that came with being drafted No. 5 overall in 2013, hes going to need to find some consistency. The 7-ft-1 center came through with a huge 14-point, 13-rebound, 5-block effort in a win over the Lakers on Friday, but followed that up with six points and four rebounds in 15 minutes against New Orleans.Portland Trail Blazers:?McCollum buried seven 3-pointers against Indiana on Saturday, bumping his average to 2.8 treys per game on the season. Hes on pace to top his previous high of 2.5 3PG from last season and is also shting a career-high 47.3 percent from long range.Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins is averaging career highs in a number of important statistical categories -- points (28.2), assists (3.6) and 3-pointers made (1.7) -- but his shting percentage is all the way down to 44.8 percent. Cousins hasnt shot that pr from the field in a season since his second year in the league back in 2011-12.San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan may be retired from the NBA, but The Big Fundamental made news on Monday when he tk on current Spurs big man Pau Gasol in a game of one-on-one during practice. Its probably a stretch to assume that Duncan is considering coming out of retirement, but this certainly gets a lot of people thinking.Toronto Raptors: Steven Loung of sportsnet.ca points out that the Raptors have won eight of their past nine games and now have an offensive rating of 114.2 points per 100 possessions, tying them with Golden State for tops in the league. Toronto remains one of the slower teams in the league, however, averaging 97.3 possessions per game (No. 23 in the league).Utah Jazz: Injury updates continue to dominate the news for the Jazz.?Gordon Hayward returned from a one-game absence due to a finger injury, but?George Hill (toe) and Derrick Favors (knee) continue to work their way back to the court. Hill shed his walking bt but didnt practice Monday and might still be a week away. Favors, who has been out since Nov. 14, could return as sn as Wednesday at home against the Thunder.Washington Wizards: Second-year swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. poured in 19 points and added nine rebounds and three steals in a win over Milwaukee on Saturday, one day after his 21st birthday. Oubre has worked his way into the sixth man role in Washington and is earning more minutes as of late; hes averaging 21.2 minutes in his past five games and 27 in his past two games. If hes going to become a factor in fantasy this season, its going to be as a scorer, rebounder and 3-point shter. SWell Bottle Nz Stockists . On Saturday night, the normally free throw-challenged centre did just that. Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111. Swell Traveler Bottle NZ . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void. http://www.swellwaterbottlenz.com/swell-spectrum-bottle.html .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Swell Water Bottle Nz . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Swell Liberty Bottle NZ .Y. -- Knicks coach Mike Wdson said Wednesday that J. HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- First-year Southern Mississippi coach Jay Hopson walks into a situation that many of his peers would envy.Theres the loaded roster that includes 13 returning starters and an experienced quarterback. Theres a fan base thats second to none in Conference USA and hungry for a return to prominence.But with that comes the expectations. And Hopson knows nothing less than a C-USA title will be accepted.On our Eagle Walk, they only put the champions up there, Hopson said. At the end of the day, the goal at Southern Miss is to win a championship -- thats our charge.Hopson takes over a program thats seen a remarkable variation of highs, lows and turnover since 2011. A quick history lesson:- Coach Larry Fedora and quarterback Austin Davis led Southern Miss to a 12-win season and Conference USA title in 2011. Fedora left for North Carolina in the offseason while Davis went to the NFL.- Coach Ellis Johnson tk over the program and the Golden Eagles had one of the most remarkable collapses in college ftball history, falling to 0-12 in 2012.- Johnson was fired after one season and Todd Monken inherited a depleted program and lost its first 11 games in 2013. But he slowly rebuilt the roster and led Southern Miss to a 9-5 record in 2015, including a trip to the C-USA championship game before a loss to Western Kentucky. Monken left to become offensive crdinator for the NFLs Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason.That brings the Golden Eagles to present day and the arrival of Hopson, who led Alcorn State to two straight SWAC championships in 2014 and 15.The pressure for Hopson will be intense. The Golden Eagles were especially effective on offense under Monken -- quarterback Nick Mullens threw for 4,476 yards, 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last seeason.ddddddddddddMullens says even with a new coach, he expects the same results.Every coach has to adjust to their personnel and they all have their little twist, Mullens said. So its a little different. But there are also a lot of similarities. So I think you can lk forward to a balanced attack thats going to score a lot of points.Here are a few other things to know about Southern Miss this season:THOMPSONS TURNSouthern Miss top two receivers from last season -- Michael Thomas and Casey Martin -- are gone. That means Mullens likely top target will be D.J. Thompson, a 6-ft-3, 200-pound senior who caught 55 passes for 779 yards and six touchdowns last season.HOPSONS DEFENSEWhile Monkens background was mostly on offense, Hopson has spent most of his career on the defensive side of the ball. The Golden Eagles return five of their top seven tacklers from last season, including safety DNerius Antoine, who had 103 tackles and two interceptions in 2015.KEY GAMESThe Golden Eagles have a couple big opportunities against Southeastern Conference opponents, including the Sept. 3 season-opener at Kentucky. Southern Miss also travels to face LSU on Oct. 15. In C-USA play, the Golden Eagles conference title hopes could come down to showdowns against Marshall on Oct. 29 and Louisiana Tech on Nov. 25. Both of those games are at home.PREDICTIONSouthern Miss has the talent to win the C-USAs Western Division for a second straight year. Its just a matter of if Hopsons system can gel with the new personnel in time.-----Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP-----Online: AP College Ftball website: tball.ap.org" target="_blank">www.collegeftball.ap.org ' ' '