He thought of his friends again Tuesday and all that had happened to their plans this season, especially with Francis scheduled to face Cassell tonight when the Rockets face the Bucks.

But Cassell is questionable with a sprained toe. Francis never knows when the next migraine attack will hit, forcing him to sit out. Van Exel has been out with a hyper-extended left elbow, and does not know where he will play next with the Nuggets trying to grant his trade request by Thursday's deadline.

As he removed his `We R One' sweats designed by the company he, Van Exel and Cassell share, the irony of the company name and their simultaneous travails was inescapable.