Thanks for the early Christmas present, Mr. Injury Bug.

• SBNation brother site Red Reporter is holding the first annual Sports Blog Awards. Shockingly, this humble site is nominated in the Best Newcomer category. Unshockingly, as of right now, I have zero votes out of 202 so far.
• I found that Luis Flores, late training camp cut, is playing with Roseto of the Italian Lega Basket A. That squad is rather close to last place. Through three games, Flores is averaging 21.7 points and 5 rebounds in 31.3 minutes and has a true shooting percentage of 49.6. Former Duke Blue Devil Jason Capel and Dominican big man Jack Martinez also play for Roseto.
• Fellow late cut Luke "Dynamite" Schenscher is making news himself, as reports abound that the Aussie is heading back down under to play for the Australian league's expansion South Dragons. Dynamite is currently with the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBDL, and he's averaging 9 points and 5.7 rebounds in 27 minutes through nine games. He's also apparently South Australia's pride and joy, so a move back to pad the resume seems smart.
• The Clippers are out of first place. For all the talk about the Pacific being upside-down, the Kings are really the only team out of place, now that the Warriors have reverted to old ways.
• Despite the Sactown woes, I have a small smile on my face today and it has to do with the wonderful departure of Edgardo Alfonzo. For those of you that aren't Giants fans, imagine being able to trade Lionel Simmons in 1996. Yeah. It's that big.

Back later with an extensive and exhausting - err, exhaustive - preview of Kings-Mavericks. Unless, you know, Mike Bibby gets arrested or Brad Miller breaks his leg between now and then.