PHILADELPHIA Little-used center Gana Diop is moving back into the Charlotte Bobcats' starting lineup, and if that sounds odd, consider this:

In back-to-back blowout losses to the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards, the Bobcats gave up 104 points in the lane. It's been absurdly easy of late for opposing big men to post up or guards to drive to the rim.

Whatever Diop isn't (and that covers a lot of ground), he's 295 pounds of barrier between opponents and the rim.

That, combined with a bruised hand suffered by center Byron Mullens against the Wizards, add up to Diop's fourth start of the season when the Bobcats play the Philadelphia 76ers tonight.

Diop isn't the only change. Injuries are cropping up. Coach Paul Silas said at Thursday practice that Gerald Henderson (back contusion) and D.J. White (bruised knee) will miss both the Sixers game and Saturday's home game against the Wizards.

Mullens missed practice Thursday and is questionable for the Sixers game.

Shooting guard Matt Carroll, who grew up in the Philadelphia area, will make his second straight start in place of the injured Henderson.

Diop replacing Mullens as the starting center is partially about Mullens' injury and partially about Mullens' lessened performance of late. Mullen was starting primarily for his shooting, and that's dropped off dramatically.

Mullens made five of 19 shots in his last three games.

Mullens isn't particularly physical, and that's apparent from how easily the Knicks and Wizards got to the rim. Two-thirds of the Wizards' points were scored in the lane.

"Playing under Avery (Johnson in Dallas) I felt like I anchored the defense. I played in the Finals off of that," Diop said after practice Thursday. "Whether it's in the middle or on the side (i.e. baseline) I feel like I can do something" about the constant penetration to the rim.

Diop has lost 15 pounds since showing up for training camp about 25 pounds overweight. He said his endurance is much better than it was a month ago.

"I feel good - really good," Diop said. "I can get up-and-down and feel like I can play 12 minutes straight without wearing down."

Carroll found out minutes before the start of the Wizards game that he'd make his first start of the season.

Just before player introductions, Silas succinctly motioned to Carroll, "Henderson's out, you're up."

Carroll said hearing so late that he'd start probably helped keep him loose. He entered the game shooting just 27 percent from the field, so his 7-of-10, 17-point performance was an unexpected bonus in a generally frustrating game.

What about starting in Philadelphia, where he'll have hundreds of friends and family in the stands?

"Very exciting. Of course the place I'd most like to start a game is in front of your hometown and home crowd," Carroll said. "But most importantly, I'd love to get a win here, because unfortunately we haven't had much luck."

The Bobcats are 3-10 all-time in Philadelphia.