Shaq vs. Kobe and KG's Return

Wednesday night's big story will be the matchup between the Phoenix Suns and LA Lakers. It's Shaq and Kobe on the same court again, on opposing teams, but this time they are in the same division. We may even get a Suns - Lakers playoff preview here. It's going to be the aged and beat up Shaq debuting for the Suns, vs. Kobe Bryant and his injured pinky. It still will make for an intriguing match as the Lakers and Suns are amongst the West's top teams. Give the edge to the Suns, because Steve Nash, Amare and even Shaq will bring it. The Lakers should also be tired after a big win over the Atlanta Hawks and Kobe has said his finger feels like a spaghetti noodle at times.

Another return came as Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics faced the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. KG's been out for 9 games with an abdominal strain. According to ESPN analyst Tim Legler on Tuesday that's one of the toughest injuries to heal from as you utilize your abdominal muscles in almost all your daily actions. KG return was spoiled by a 124-118 Nuggets victory and one has to wonder if the Celtics have enough to compete with the West's best. To their credit, the Celtics have been able to defeat Dallas in Boston and can still prove their worth on the rest of this West coast road trip.

Wednesday will also mark just 1 day before the trade deadline, so we may see some big moves or nothing much at all. There was mention on ESPN Sportscenter that names like Vince Carter, Ron Artest and Al Harrington may be on the move.. Stay tuned basketball fans...