Lawrence Frank believes Monta Ellis is the closest player he has ever seen to Allen Iverson.

"Those two are lethal," Frank said, referring to Ellis and Jennings.

"Ellis is a challenge for everyone. Ellis is a nightmare matchup. To me, Ellis is the closest thing to Iverson. He has speed, quickness; he's a great finisher for his size."

Nikola Vucevic scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 29 rebounds -- an Orlando Magic franchise record -- in Sunday's 112-110 loss to the Miami Heat.

"Yeah, I knew how many rebounds I had," Vucevic said. "Teammates kept telling me to get 30, and I was close. But I only wish we would've won the game."

Vucevic broke Shaquille O'Neal's 19-year-old franchise high.

Greivis Vasquez was named the Western Conference Player of Week for games played Monday, December 24, through Sunday, December 30. This is the first time in Vasquez’s career that he has won a Player of the Week honor.

Vasquez led the Hornets to a 2-1 record, averaging 21.0 points, 10.0 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals while shooting 53.1 percent from the field. 

Monta Ellis received the honor in the Eastern Conference.

Tyreke Evans will visit Dr. Steve Lombardo to receive a second opinion on his sore left knee.

Evans has been out of the Sacramento Kings' lineup since Dec. 16.

Amar'e Stoudemire participated in his first full practice since mid-October, but isn't sure if he will return on Jan. 1.

Stoudemire said he's not even 80 percent and would like to feel close to 100 percent before he plays.

"It would be great if I could go on Jan. 1," he said. "I can't determine how I feel tomorrow or the following day. If the next two days go well and I continue to improve, then that will be a great day to start playing."

The Knicks' injury woes have caused Stoudemire to want to return earlier.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed Lazar Hayward.

Hayward, who played collegiately at Marquette, has appeared in 69 NBA regular-season games with Minnesota and Oklahoma City, posting averages of 2.9 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game.

Even with the signing of Hayward, the Timberwolves will continue to look to bolster their wing depth.

DeMarcus Cousins returned from his indefinite suspension earlier than the team had expected.

Cousins arrived for a Christmas Eve practice.

"When he apologized to the team, two players stood up and said, 'We've heard this bull[bleep] before,'" the source said. "'You're either going to be with us, or you're not. We don't want to hear any more excuses.'"

The Kings have tried to persuade Cousins to enter counseling.

Tyreke Evans had wanted to return for Sunday's game against the Boston Celtics but decided he wasn't ready during practices and workouts leading up to the contest.

Now, Evans plans to get a second opinion on his injured left knee.

Evans bruised his knee on Nov. 27 and an MRI earlier this month showed no structural damage.

Avery Bradley remains on track to return to the Boston Celtics for their next game on Jan. 2.

The Celtics kept Bradley at home during their current road trip to work out in preparation for his first NBA game in seven months after surgery on both shoulders.

“The biggest thing is now is just trust in our communication defensively,” point guard Rajon Rondo said about the defensive struggles. “With Avery coming back, obviously that will be a better pick-and-roll defender for the guard spot, but it’s not just going to be on Avery. It’s going to be trust from our bigs and our guards, being patient, and playing together.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers have recalled forward Samardo Samuels from the Canton Charge.

Samuels played in two games (both starts) for the Charge, averaging 20.5 points on .567 shooting and 10.5 rebounds in 37.5 minutes per game, helping Canton win both games. Samuels has played in 18 games (one start) this season for the Cavs, averaging 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game.