With Baron Davis being incorporated into the team and Iman Shumpert and Josh Harrellson returning to the Knicks from injuries, Mike D’Antoni acknowledged the dilemma he now faces in finding minutes for each player.

“It’s not humanly possible to play 12 guys in a normal rotation. Ten probably. Eleven maybe,” he said. “That’s how we have to do it. We’ll see how injuries go, who’s playing well. The idea is you got to be ready because (the player) who doesn’t play today might play tomorrow. It might be a 10-man rotation for back-to-backs, but it might not be the same 10. You might have another guy come in. Instead of the 10th guy . . . the 11th guy comes in. Something like that.”

Jimmer Fredette has been slow to adapt to the NBA game during his rookie season.

"He's making a gigantic adjustment," said Kings coach Keith Smart. "People have to understand that's what he's making. He went from a guy who had the ball in his hands and could shoot the ball as many times as he wanted, to now, where he has to blend in with everyone else. He's going through what a lot of rookies have gone through."

Fredette is shooting 37.5% from the field.

"I think everyone can't put pressure on him to perform at the level he just came out of college performing. It's going to be an adjustment in the NBA, and he's going to get better," Smart said.

During their recent losing streak, the Sixers have struggled offensively.

Doug Collins is looking for Jrue Holiday to be the catalyst.

"I want Jrue to always look to be a scorer, especially with that starting group," Collins said. "When we start the games, especially with Spencer [Hawes] hurt and E.B. [Elton Brand] hurt, we need guys out on the floor to score, so I wanted him to do that. Last year when he made that turn and we really started winning, I thought he came off screens and he was looking to score. I want him to be aggressive. I don't want there to be any indecision where when he's getting in there [the lane] thinking he's got to pass and do those kind of things. I want him looking at that rim and getting us off to good starts."

Determined to add strength and transform his physique, Roy Hibbert hired nutritionist Mike Roussell, who works with him on calorie intake and nutrient levels. Roussell creates personalized meal plans, which are fed into a software program to monitor what type of proteins, fats and carbohydrates Hibbert needs in his diet that day, based on whether he has a game.

"Roy is very time-consuming," said Roussell, who has a Ph.D. from Penn State. "He's the only athlete I go into this great of detail for. He's easily the most dedicated and committed.

"I'm constantly making adjustments to Roy's plan at least every two weeks. Increasing or decreasing his calories, changing levels of nutrients. I add or take away different supplements depending on the feedback we get based on his body weight, how he's feeling, how he's sleeping, how he's been performing and recovering."

The nutrition regimen combined with weight lifting sessions after every home game and on practice days when time permits have been a tremendous asset to Hibbert, who is averaging a career-high 30.2 minutes a game and will appear in his first All-Star game on Sunday.

"This is a lot more complex than what a lot of the guys on the team have," Hibbert said. "They just have a chef who makes whatever."

When Mike Brown was with the Cavaliers, he had a close working relationship with front office personnel Danny Ferry, Chris Grant and Lance Blanks.

With the Lakers, Brown has more distance from Jerry Buss, Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak.

"The relationship there was really, really tight," Brown said Wednesday. "We never did anything without getting the approval of the other guy. Here, it's a little different. Mitch is the GM, and Jimmy is one of the owners with his dad and whoever else, so they make the personnel decisions. At times they may get my opinion; at times they may not."

Asked about Jim Buss, Brown said: "My relationship with him is fine. ... We don't really have interaction like that when it comes to making trades and all that other stuff. That's usually he and Mitch who are talking, and really I just coach the team. I think he's a good guy. I enjoy working for him. "

Kyrie Irving has averaged 36.4 points per 48 minutes of clutch time, defined as the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when neither team is ahead by more than five points.

Irving is quickly developing a reputation as a clutch player.

“He’s not a household name as a closer, but we have a young man in [Irving] who can close games out,” Cavs coach Byron Scott said. “He’s proven that.”

Irving’s clutch time production ranks 15th in the league, ahead of notable closers Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Paul Pierce.

Eddy Curry has received limited minutes during his tenure with the Heat.

"We're looking at big picture," Erik Spoelstra said. "He's come a long way, he really has. And the fact that he's not necessarily in the rotation right now does not necessarily mean anything. It doesn’t mean that he doesn't still have an opportunity. It doesn't mean that he hasn't made a lot of progress, because he has.

"It means we offered an opportunity for him here and he's developing. He's getting in terrific condition and the toughest part is trying to get him up to speed to our system when we don't have our normal set of practices."

Rick Carlisle is pleased with Lamar Odom’s play over the last 15 games.

"His field-goal percentage is down, but if you go back and look at it the last 15 games since he’s really gotten into shape, my bet would be that it’s significantly higher than that," Carlisle said. "I’m basing what I’m saying on the last 15 games because, look, his summer was rough, he wasn’t in shape when he got here, all that’s been documented. What I can talk to you about is what I’ve seen and I saw the first 15 games and I’ve seen the last 16 or whatever it’s been, and there’s been marked improvement.

Odom is shooting 36.1 percent from floor, 27.5 percent from 3-point range and 57.7 percent from the free throw line.

"I would love for Lamar to be the kind of high-impact player that he is supposedly advertised as being. But the truth is, he has been a consistent player," Carlisle said after Odom went 2-of-8 for four points in the Mavs' 89-73 win against the Celtics. "His stats have been very consistent and based on his per-36 minutes-a-game stats, his last 15 games are right pretty much on par with his career. And so I think we’re really looking for spectacular things from him on a night-in, night-out basis; that’s not who he is.

"But, if we’re looking for a guy that’s going to dazzle on a night-in, night-out basis with gaudy stats and a bunch of fancy stuff, that’s not who he is as a player and that’s not who he’s been as a player."