Weez

D - I would wager (haven't checked stats, minutes etc.) that they're playing the younger guys quite a bit this preseason in order to attain chemistry and figure out what they're going to do with Redd/Mason/Kukoc/TT ~ they've really got a log jam and may go with a purely small ball lineup at times with Gads being their C (he runs the floor well) and TT or TK being the PF...much like what Miami (before Butler had surgery) and the Magic are going to do... a) they won't be contending for the playoffs this year, though you're right in that they've done a nice job of completely rebuilding on the fly and have now assembled what could be, emphasis on could, a nice nucleus. With the exception of TK, Gads, and Ford the young core has been in the L a little bit now and have playoff experience... b) more and more teams in the East are playing small ball...though the NBA in general is moving this way, the East is doing it with shorter players (in general ~ aka, not Dirk, Peja, R. Wallace type players). this should really benefit the Hawks if they piece together some chemistry, roles, and an offensive scheme...Reef's game is excellent here, if used correctly. I could write more, but this is getting long...

~Posters note, Ford is either too busy to think straight or I'm mistaken, but I thought Bender was much more of a perimeter oriented player, moreso than Harrington~ Carlisle has several options at small forward By Chad Ford NBA Insider Send an Email to Chad Ford Friday, October 17 Updated: October 17 9:50 AM ET A big logjam at small forward. That's the challenge coach Rick Carlisle has ahead of him as he attempts to untangle one of the deepest teams in the East. Does he start Ron Artest, the team's best defender and team's second-leading scorer? Maybe it should be Al Harrington, who has the size and athletic ability to be a star but just needs more experience. Or what about Jonathan Bender, the Pacers practice wonder boy who is seemingly on the verge of a breakthrough season every training camp? Or, maybe it's Austin Croshere, a Larry Bird and Rick Carlisle favorite, who's been steaming on the bench the past few seasons waiting for revenge. How does Carlisle balance that depth? It looks like he'll split the difference, throw Artest and Harrington in the starting five and bench a healthy, but aging Reggie Miller at the two. Indiana Pacers Small Forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Al Harrington 5 6-9 12.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg in 30.1 mpg He's an extraordinarily taleted player who has yet to find the consistency it takes to become a star. One night he'll drop 30 on you. The next night he disappears. But he's getting better and the Pacers love his size and toughness at the position. If he stumbles, Ron Artest will take over here, but right now it looks like they want to give Harrington a shot. 2. Austin Croshere 6 6-10 5.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg in 12.9 mpg Expect his minutes to grow substantially now that Carlisle is back. He'll get looks at the three and the four. He's still one of the best shooters on the team. 3. James Jones R 6-8 -- A second-round steal. Jones has great athletic ability and is a very good shooter from beyond the arc. The Pacers like him, though he's unlikely to see too much time this season. Shooting Guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Ron Artest 4 6-7 15.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg in 33.6 mpg Next to O'Neal, he's the team's most valuable player. Along with Ben Wallace, he's one of the few game-changing defenders in the league. His offense also continues to improve. If he can avoid those on-the-court flair ups, he's due for a huge year. 2. Reggie Miller 16 6-7 12.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg in 30.2 mpg An ankle injury slowed Miller down considerably last season, but that wasn't the only reason his production trailed off. Miller now lacks the quickness to get his own shot, which means he always has a hand in his face when he's trying to shoot. 3. Fred Jones 1 6-3 1.2 ppg, 0.5 rpg in 6.1 mpg Great athlete, but he'll struggle again this season to get in the rotation. Point Guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Jamaal Tinsley 2 6-3 7.8 ppg, 7.5 apg in 30.6 mpg One of the better assist men in the league, but he struggles with that jumper and is a terrible defender. His minutes may dip this season with the addition of Kenny Anderson and Anthony Johnson 2. Kenny Anderson 12 6-1 6.1 ppg, 3.2 apg in 19.2 mpg Was awful last season, but the Pacers still he has gas left in the tank. The year before he was critical to the Celtics' surprising playoff run. 3. Anthony Johnson 6 6-3 4.1 ppg, 1.3 apg in 12.8 mpg Jason Kidd's backup will get more of an opportunity to play in Indiana. 4. Jamison Brewer 2 6-4 2.2 ppg, 1.8 apg in 8.8 mpg Once again an afterthought. Power Forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Jermaine O'Neal 7 6-11 20.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg in 37.2 mpg Now that he has a big contract, can he live up to expectations? It won't be easy. With Brad Miller gone, the team will expect him to spend plenty of minutes playing center this year, something O'Neal isn't fond of. 2. Jonathan Bender 4 7-0 6.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg in 17.8 mpg Is this Bender's year? A knee injury has once again set him back. When he does return expect him to get major minutes on the floor with O'Neal. Center Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Scot Pollard 6 6-11 4.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg in 14.4 mpg He's a better rebounder and a better defender than Brad Miller. But most feel that the Pacers took a step back in the middle. 2. Jeff Foster 4 6-11 2.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg in 10.4 mpg A solid rebounder, but he has to be one of the most overpaid players in the NBA. 3. Primoz Brezec 2 7-1 1.9 ppg, 1.0 rpg in 5 mpg He's looked decent in the preseason.

with this much dispartiy between the conferences, I think it depends on how you want to rank 'em... but I hope everyone keeps placing us about where you have us...

More than anything (right now), I really hope OE didn't blow and ACL or tear a meniscus last night...

a) don't start sucking SJax's %*@# just yet, because his TO's are an area of concern, and his ball handling and ability to control himself while remaining/in the act of being aggressive is important to "potential," part of why many of us are excited about his being here. b) he IS just getting warmed up right now AND he's handling the ball a lot more than he will be in the regular season once Reef returns/gets back to full strength, thus becoming the 1st option again.

I'll see if I can track it down. Gimme till later this weekend.

I'm not sure if Vince beats Nique...imo it'd come down to Nique and what I've seen of Dr. J...

They struggled with just Shaq and Del Harris...and before that, with Vlade and NVE, they were "ok"...but that doesn't sum up the division, who had the horrible, horrible Clipps and Kings

The Sky Hook is the single most unstoppable move in all of basketball. period.

Sac is NOT deep anymore...they've traded a lot of their depth, primarily to get Miller...I still can't believe they didn't resign Jimmy Jackson... Wallace better step up...it's his time to shine right now

Six-division format on the horizon By Chad Ford NBA Insider Send an Email to Chad Ford Thursday, October 16 Updated: October 16 11:51 AM ET Next season the West is going to get considerably tougher, and the East will add yet another patsy to its 98-pound weakling line-up. That was the word out of the NBA Board of Governors meeting in New York on Wednesday. The governors are expected to approve the league's new six-division alignment. The move is being made in response to the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats to the Eastern Conference next season. To balance the conferences at 15 apiece, the New Orleans Hornets will move to the Western Conference. That can't sit well with teams like the Grizzlies and T-Wolves, who have been lobbying for years to get the [censored] out of the West. Instead, the West is receiving one of the few teams in the East that could actually compete for a playoff spot. The Hornets are one of the only teams in the East with great size, a requisite for success in the West. How do the Hornets feel about it? "It will sure make things more challenging," Hornets coach Tim Floyd told Insider. "I think it helps you realize what a great window of opportunity we have this season. In the East, the field is a little bit more open. There's a lot of congestion at the top in the West." According to a source familiar with the new realignment proposal, a final breakdown of the divisions hasn't been made. The divisions also have not received names just yet. However, the most likely breakdown is thought to look something like this. Eastern Conference Northeast: Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors Southeast: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards Central: Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks Western Conference Northwest: Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trailblazers, Seattle Supersonics, Utah Jazz Southwest: Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets, San Antonio Spurs Pacific: Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings The most sprawling division, geographically, is the Northwest, but the league was going to have problems there no matter what it did. There was a thought that the league would clump all of the teams physically on the West Coast together and move the Suns and Kings into a Midwest division along with the Wolves, Nuggets and Jazz, but that's less likely to happen, according to sources. From a strategic standpoint, the Southeast division will clearly be the easiest draw. Only the Magic are currently projected as a playoff team in that division. Adding the expansion Bobcats to the mix will give everyone a few easy wins. The toughest division? Probably the Southwest. The Mavs, Spurs and Hornets are all playoff teams for sure. The Rockets are on the verge of making the push, and even the Grizzlies have some promise. Around the League Have the Magic struck out on yet another first-round pick? Those are the whispers in Orlando after a disappointing summer and preseason for Reece Gaines. According to sources with the team, coach Doc Rivers has become increasingly convinced that Gaines doesn't have the court vision or leadership skills necessary to be the team's point guard -- at least not this year anyway. Of course, Gaines has the size to play two guard, but his value is diminished if that becomes his only position. GainesRivers, like other coaches who are former point guards, always gives his point guards a rough time. But this one will be tough to swallow. The team needs some size at the point. Right now, its other two point guards are Tyronn Lue (6-0) and Shammond Williams (6-1). Neither is starting quality. If the early read on Gaines is correct (remember that it sometimes takes point guards a little longer), it will be the fourth straight first-round pick for the Magic to go belly up. The Magic have struggled with the draft since taking Mike Miller No. 5 in 2000. Their 2001 selections -- Steven Hunter and Jeryl Sasser -- have both been disappointing. In fact, Sasser (who was taken ahead of Jamaal Tinsley and Tony Parker) is on the verge of being cut by the team, despite a guaranteed contract this year. Last year's first-rounder, Ryan Humphrey, has also been disappointing and was traded to Memphis just before the trade deadline. Now for the good news. The Magic scored a home run in the second round this year. The team loves Georgian center Zaur Pachulia and believes he may be the steal of the draft. The Magic are also high on Kentucky two guard Keith Bogans, who is likely to replace Sasser on the 15-man roster this year. Carmelo Anthony had another impressive performance Wednesday night versus the Pacers. Anthony got his first real NBA challenge when Ron Artest (arguably the best perimeter defender in the league) was called upon to guard the rookie. Artest lit up Carmelo on the offensive end, but Carmelo held his own in the scoring department. The move that turned everyone's head. Anthony caught the ball on the baseline just outside the key. He turned, lowered his shoulder into Artest's chest and drove the burly forward into the basket before scoring an easy bucket. Said Artest after the game: "He's not bad." Injuries are piling up as the preseason goes into week three, but it's doubtful anyone is having as much tough luck as the Pacers. On Wednesday night the team had six rotation players -- Kenny Anderson (pulled left hamstring), Jonathan Bender (left knee surgery), Austin Croshere (pulled left hamstring), Anthony Johnson (fractured left finger), Al Harrington (sore right shin) and Jermaine O'Neal (sore lower back) -- out with various injuries. "It's made it tough for us to get everything in that we need to," coach Rick Carlisle said. That's great news for free agents like Omar Cook and Carl English, who have received extended auditions just so the team can field 12 players in the exhibition. Unfortunately, guys like Cook are struggling to keep the coach interested. Cook went 0-for-8 from the field on Wednesday with just one assist and three turnovers in 21 minutes. Camby Marcus Camby has now played three straight games without an injury. That's thanks in part to Jeff Bzdelik's decision to only play him in the first half of games. Why isn't Camby rejoining the starters in the second half? He's healthy and looks like he's in great shape. The answer according to one Denver source? "We don't want to tempt the gods. If he can give us 20 minutes a night for 82 games, we'll be happy." Peep Show By Terry Brown NBA Insider Thursday, October 16 Updated: October 16 11:51 AM ET Van HornNew York Knicks: New Knick Keith Van Horn didn't exactly call his teammates lazy, but he might as well have after New York fell to 0-5 in the preseason."We need to get more precise when we practice -- with cutting, passing," Van Horn said in the New York Post. "We're not running through our offense at the speed we should be. In the game, we try to go at that speed, there's turnovers and bad plays. We need to step it up in focus, concentration and precision when we run through our offense." Van Horn was quick not to blame coach Don Chaney but rather the players themselves. "I think there's a difference between the speed of the game and speed we're running the plays at practice," Van Horn said. "Until we show that precision running the plays in practice, we can't expect to go into the game where it's 25 percent faster and be able to run things the way we want. Each individual has to take it upon themselves to cut harder, move quicker, be more precise with our passes [in practice]." New Jersey Nets: Will all the Nets starters please step forward. Not so fast, Alonzo. "I don't care how (Byron Scott) uses me. I don't care what the rotation is. If I have to come off the bench, fine," Mourning said in the New York Daily News. "I just got to get used to that. It shouldn't be that difficult for me. I feel the window of opportunity closing. This chance may not come again for me to do this. I am going to do what I can to try and make it happen." Head coach Byron Scott might instead choose to use Jason Collins or Aaron Williams as the starting center knowing that Mourning will be able to play only about 25 minutes a game. Denver Nuggets: Jon Barry can run and jump and do most of the things expected of a professional basketball player. He just can't use his right arm right now."It's tough," Barry said in the Denver Post. "I am able to run and do everything, but my right arm is dead. It's very difficult to shoot or even pass the ball. Everything felt normal when I played, but it's not now. (There was pain) during the first couple days of training camp, but it was tolerable. But the last two days, I've just had a pain shooting down my right arm." An MRI has already been performed and will help determine the length of absence from play. Houston Rockets: It's going to cost forward Eddie Griffin about $51,394 for missing the Rockets last preseason game without checking in first. "I just had some problems I had to take care of," Griffin said in the Houston Chronicle. "Things are fine now. I'm going to be back with the team. I'm going to be out for two games, but I understand, because that's the best for the team because I didn't show up. I had some stuff to take care of. I'm fine with it. I should have let him (Van Gundy) know. I didn't let him know. That's what you've got to do." Philadelphia 76ers: Strained groin or not, Derrick Coleman is going to get into shape if it kills him. "I feel pretty good," Coleman said in the Philadelphia Inquirer. "The main thing right now is just conditioning more than anything. So I tried not to come out of practice at all, tried to play the whole practice." Coleman, famous for his lack of concern for health and fitness, is making a good impression on his new coach. "It's great," Randy Ayers said. "We're doing a lot more up and down [the court] for him to get him going. Then we'll probably back it off after games and do a lot of half-court stuff. But right now, we're trying to get Derrick up and down the court. He's been great. He's running a lot better than he did at this point last year." Keith To Knicks: Speed It Up Marc Berman / New York Post Mourning: I'll come off bench for ring Ohm Youngmisuk / New York Daily News Barry facing recovery from 'dead' right arm Marc J. Spears / Denver Post Griffin expects 2-game suspension from Rockets Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle Coleman is back and working hard Joe Juliano / Philadelphia Inquirer

By Chad Ford ESPN.com Editor's note: Here's a glimpse of the good -- and the bad -- that could happen to the 2003-04 Orlando Magic. Tracy McGrady, judging by this look on media day, is still upset about the Mike Miller deal. Best Case Scenario Three things need to happen for the Magic to lock up home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. 1. Tracy McGrady stays mad. Remember when the Magic traded away best buddy Mike Miller and McGrady showed his disgust by dropping 50 points in three quarters on the first team he could get his hands on? The Magic need more of that. T-Mac is arguably the most gifted player in the league. If he had the razor-sharp focus and killer instinct of Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, he'd be unstoppable. The good news is that McGrady is just 24 years old and still getting better. He's been a little surly in camp and the folks in Orlando hope he starts taking it out on the competition. 2. Drew Gooden averages 10 to 12 rebounds a game. The Magic haven't had a decent rebounder since they shipped Ben Wallace to Detroit. For all of Gooden's talent on the offensive end, the Magic need him most on the boards. They brought in Juwan Howard to take the bulk of the offensive load off McGrady. Gooden's job will be to crash the boards relentlessly. The team continues to give up way too many offensive boards. If they can just take care of their defensive rebounding, it will be a big improvement. 3. The bench gives the team something. Pat Garrity is the Magic's best player coming off the bench. But they'll need more than a 3-point shooter to go deep in the playoffs. Someone else -- Steven Hunter, Andrew DeClercq, Shammond Williams, Zaur Pachulia or Reece Gaines -- needs to take a big step this year. The Magic starters were overburdened in 2002-03 and seemed to run out of gas as the season wound down. If they can play an honest eight-man rotation, they'll protect themselves from fatigue and injury. Worst Case Scenario The Magic will slip into the lottery if the following three things happen. 1. T-Mac can't stay healthy. The Magic are a one-note team. Like the Spurs and Sixers, they're a playoff team with their best player and a lottery team without him. McGrady's back acted up again at the Olympic qualifying tournament. On Tuesday, the team revealed that McGrady was diagnosed with pleurisy, an inflammation of the lining of his lungs that was leaving him breathless on the court. For the last few seasons, McGrady has struggled to keep himself healthy for 82 games If the Magic are going to make a strong run at home-court advantage in the first round, McGrady has to play and stay healthy, for all 82 games. 2. The Magic don't find a real point guard. Tyronn Lue is a nice undersized, backup point guard. Williams is a journeyman who's shoot-first, ask-questions-later attitude couldn't even buy him a real job on the point-less Nuggets last season. Gaines, a rookie, looks like a deer in the headlights. In other words, the Magic's point guard position may have actually gotten worse than the Jacque Vaughn/Darrell Armstrong disaster from last season. If someone doesn't step up, or if John Gabriel doesn't find a point guard via trade, McGrady (who led the team in assists last season) will be the point man again this year. 3. Howard doesn't score 18 points a game. No one is exactly sure how Howard will respond to being second fiddle on a good team. He's put up most of his numbers on bad teams that used him as a first option almost nightly. The only exception was a brief stint in Dallas, where he was closer to a fourth option most nights. The Magic brought him in to score and rebound. Four games into the preseason, Howard was still struggling to get a feel with the team. He passed up several open shots and instead deferred to other guys on the floor. The Magic need Howard to take the pressure off T-Mac offensively if they want to stay in the playoff race. Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN.com's ESPN Insider.

Who, not where, is important for Magic By Chad Ford NBA Insider Send an Email to Chad Ford Thursday, October 16 Updated: October 16 1:28 PM ET Positions? Do the Magic really need positions? If things go according to plan this year, Doc Rivers will start four small forwards and a point guard and pray that they'll play just enough defense and rebound to make an improvement. Of course, Tracy McGrady has his spot locked up. Juwan Howard and Drew Gooden will be starters, too, though their positions are still up in the air. Tyronn Lue wins his job by default. As for the two guard? It looks like Gordan Giricek is shooting his way into the heart of Rivers. Orlando Magic Center Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Juwan Howard 9 6-9 18.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg in 35.5 mpg Howard isn't a center, but does it really matter in the East? The Magic don't look at Howard as a center either, but they do plan on starting both Howard and Drew Gooden, meaning someone will technically be filling this spot. Of course, Howard also will see minutes at the four and the three this season. 2. Andrew DeClercq 8 6-10 4.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg in 26.5 mpg He's the closest thing to a real center that the team has. That's pretty scary. 3. Zaur Pachulia R 6-11 -- He looked great in the summer league and could end up being one of the steals of the draft. Before camp started, the team thought he could actually get minutes, but an injury sidelined him for most of training camp, putting that in doubt now. Power Forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Drew Gooden 1 6-10 12.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg in 26.8 mpg He averaged over 12 boards a game in the postseason, giving the Magic hope that Gooden will give them a real enforcer on the boards. He also could be their post offensive option in the post. 2. Steven Hunter 2 7-0 3.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg in 13.5 mpg A good athlete but still doesn't have a clue how to play. Got stronger this summer, which has helped his progress, but he still looks a ways away. He'll also see minutes at center. Small Forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Tracy McGrady 6 6-8 32.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg in 39.4 mpg McGrady did it all last year. He was the team's leading scorer, rebounder and assist man. But his body wears down from carrying such a heavy load. If Howard and Gooden can pick up some of the slack, T-Mac will be fresher for the playoffs. 2. Pat Garrity 5 6-9 10.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg in 31.9 mpg He's the team's best shooter, but logged way too many minutes last season. Garrity is best in doses of about 20 minutes a night. 3. Grant Hill 9 6-8 14.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg in 29.1 mpg He won't try to make a comeback until January, but most likely he'll miss the entire season. Shooting Guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Gordan Giricek 1 6-6 12.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg in 28.3 mpg He looks sharp in camp and is an excellent fit with the rest of the team. Smart player who can light it up. If he plays better defense, he'll keep his starting job. 2. Keith Bogans R 6-5 -- Has great upper body strength and proved in the summer league that he can score. It looks like he's going to make the roster cut. 3. Jeryl Sasser 2 6-5 2.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg in 13.7 mpg He's a bust. Look for the Magic to waive him. Point Guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Tyronn Lue 5 6-0 8.6 ppg, 3.5 apg in 26.5 mpg Lue was a disappointment in Washington. It's hard to see how he'll be much more than that in Orlando. He's a decent back-up point guard, but he has no business starting. 2. Shammond Williams 5 6-1 8 ppg, 3.4 apg in 24.1 mpg He's an explosive scorer, but he's yet to find a fit in the league. Doc Rivers loves him. Is this his lucky break? 3. Reece Gaines R 6-5 -- He's already in Doc's doghouse. Privately, the team is very concerned that he can't play point guard. His value as a two guard drops dramatically. Has been shaky so far in the preseason.

NO is already having injury problems, Alexander's out for the season...I'm just not sure about them. They could go far, but could falter in a lot of close games due to coaching. This team will go only as far as Baron has truly matured as a pg and Mash can stay healthy....

you should also read Kobe's version of the story...I can't remember what magazine it was printed in, but it was pretty interesting, essentially saying that much of "emotional problems" that occured more or less started when he started freaking out in the middle of sex because he wasn't wearing a condom, then she starting freaking out and things just snowballed from there...

The same thing I said all along...that she's more than likely full of it...and subsequently (if true) an idiot for many many reasons...

he's not on Detroit's team anymore...

Point guard only real question By Terry Brown NBA Insider Wednesday, October 15 Updated: October 15 12:55 PM ET If the Sacramento Kings are still the deepest team in the league, then somebody better look below Peja Stojakovic and call for a measuring stick. They're older, a bit more bruised and not quite as intimidating. But that doesn't mean they're not still overly talented and court savvy, with a firm sense of purpose behind all those 60-plus win seasons. It just means the camp battles aren't as fun in this town as they used to be. Sacramento Kings Point guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Mike Bibby 5 6-1 15.9 ppg, 5.2 apg Statistically better before coming to Sacramento. Financially better since. Politically speaking, you just can't have a guy making $8.5 million lose his position because of injury, so hopefully Bibby can log more than 55 games this season and he and Bobby Jax can play for it. Bobby Jackson 6 6-1 15.2 ppg, 3.1 apg If being named the Sixth Man of the Year doesn't at least make Jackson the best back-up point guard in the NBA, then maybe it should, perhaps, make him the starting point guard on his own team. Speed alone makes him a match-up nightmare. His shooting, improved each year in Sacramento (both from the field in general and from long-range), might very well make him an all-star on almost any other team. Shooting guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Doug Christie 11 6-6 9.4 ppg, 2.2 spg If the 2.2 steals per game don't get you, then the 4.7 assists per game will. By the time opponents figure out that Christie, after all this time, is still a starting shooting guard in the NBA, the Kings have won another game and you can't recall the name of his back up. He remains the required team player in any succesful NBA franchise. Gerald Wallace 2 6-7 4.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg May very well be ready to add to his NBA trophy case which, so far, only consists of a runner-up slam dunk trinket. A third-year player blessed with this type of athleticism couldn't ask for a better environment. Anthony Peeler 11 6-4 7.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg Here just in case aforementioned third-year player doesn't take full advantage of his environment. But not a bad third-stringer, at that. Small forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Peja Stojakovic 5 6-10 19.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg If he shot too much better, he wouldn't be human. But that doesn't mean he still can't play better. His rebounding, passing and defending are still wanting, and unless they get better, he'll simply be an all-star shooter rather than superhuman. Still, can get that shot off in traffic, in form, incredible. Gerald Wallace 2 6-7 4.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg Doors are just opening up for this kid. Power forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Chris Webber 10 6-10 23 ppg, 10.5 rpg Arguably an MVP candidate from the first day he uncorked that smile in an NBA uniform. But until we can remove the "candidate" part, we'll always feel a bit frustrated at seeing that smirk in only 308 of a possible 378 Kings games. Cumulative numbers are staggering, but as of yet they amount to no crown of any significance. Lawrence Funderburke 6 6-9 2.7 ppg, 2 rpg Has scored only 2,022 points in a six-season NBA career, but every one of them has been for the Kings. He has that going for him. Darius Songaila R 6-9 -- Are those bags heavy yet, rook? Center Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Vlade Divac 14 7-1 9.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg Starter out of respect. Last year, they told him he could pace himself into the playoffs, but because of injuries to teammates, he played more minutes than he had three years ago. Now, with Brad Miller, the Kings make good on that promise. Brad Miller 5 7-0 13.1 ppg, 8.3 bpg Eastern Conference all star becomes just another big man in the other bracket, which features the likes of Shaq, Duncan, KG and Dirk. The fact you have to use both Brad and Miller to recognize him means he still has a way to go to really earn the fat contract he just got. Nonetheless, dependable in size and short jumper. Tony Massenburg 11 6-9 4.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg Six more fouls to give.

By Marc Stein ESPN.com Editor's note: Here's a glimpse of the good -- and the bad -- that could happen to the 2003-04 Sacramento Kings. Brad Miller, left, will start at power forward in place of the injured Chris Webber. Best Case Scenario Three things need to happen for the Kings to maintain their 60-win level and re-establish themselves as a co-favorite to win the championship along with San Antonio and the L.A. Lakers. 1. Sustained health. No one can remember the last time the Kings had any. They don't start the season with any, either, as Chris Webber is still recovering from offseason knee surgery, likely sidelining Webber until December. "We're starting the season the way we always do," Vlade Divac said. Of course, the Kings will deal with injuries now if they knew that meant a healthy roster for the postseason. 2. A good start. Two seasons ago, the Kings won early without Webber. Last season, the Kings won early without Bibby, then survived the loss of Bobby Jackson. Depending on your perspective, this is either a source of comfort or concern. On one hand, no team in recent memory has proven more adept at winning without its regulars than Sacramento. On the flip side, winning in the face of major injuries is one of the hardest things to do, which suggests that it will be tough to continue. The solace: Sacramento couldn't ask for a much better Webber replacement than Brad Miller. 3. Plenty of Peja. He'll be the November go-to guy with Webber out and Peja's stroke, when I saw him over the weekend, looked as swish-worthy as ever. If there's a concern with Peja, it's - surprise - the injury bug. He suffered injuries playing for his country each of the last two summers and is prone to ankle trouble. His countryman Divac, though, insists that Stojakovic keeps himself in better shape than anyone in the league. Yes, Vlade said league. "People in Sacramento made it a big, big deal, asking why he played for the national team (when Serbia and Montenegro had already qualified for the Olympics)," Divac said. "It's the same thing like asking why Mike Bibby played for the U.S. national team. It's ridiculous. (Stojakovic) could have turned an ankle in a pickup game, stepping on a rock." Worst Case Scenario The Kings will lose in the second round of the playoffs (or maybe the first) if these three things happen. 1. The bench isn't as productive as it used to be. Sacramento was the undisputed Deepest Team In The League last season. Not any more. Jim Jackson, Keon Clark, Scot Pollard and Hedo Turkoglu are all gone. Anthony Peeler and Tony Massenburg were signed to join Bobby Jackson and Gerald Wallace. Once Miller goes to the bench, that group looks a lot better, and Miller says a reserve role will be no problem. "I've done that more than I've started," Miller said. But Adelman doesn't have the lineup flexibility seen the past few seasons. 2. The defense slips. Sacramento quietly led the league in field-goal percentage defense last season, after years of ridicule regarding its porous D. The Kings have to maintain that commitment to stopping people, but do so with a smaller team. When Adelman opted for smaller lineups last season, he had at least two of the following three players on the floor: Stojakovic, Jim Jackson or Turkoglu. With Jackson and Turkoglu now in Texas, with Houston and San Antonio respectively, Adelman's small ball team is smaller. Peeler and Wallace, who finally gets his chance to claim some of the swingman minutes behind defensive specialist Doug Christie, are the prime options now. 3. Frustration starts to set in. A team can only take so many disappointments, and the Kings have had their share. The big question about them entering the season is their team spirit, and whether it has been dampened any by the steady stream of injuries and playoff heartbreaks Sacramento has endured. The Kings have to prove how tough they are all over again. Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. Also, send Stein a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.

McGrady the favorite to repeat By Terry Brown NBA Insider Wednesday, October 15 Updated: October 15 12:07 PM ET On Tuesday night, Lamar Odom scored 31 points, including the game-winner at the buzzer, to go along with 14 rebounds and five assists. Rashard Lewis is leading the league at 23.7 points per game. Two behind him is last year's Sixthman of the Year runner-up Michael Redd at 20.5 followed by point guard Jamal Crawford at 19.5 and rookie Carmelo Anthony at 19 even. And how can we forget about Joe Johnson leading the entire Phoenix Sun contingent, you know, Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion and reigning rookie of the year Amare Stoudemire, in scoring at 18.3 points per game. Odom But the difference between Odom, as well as many others, during the preseason and Odom during the regular season is summed up by Heat head coach Pat Riley. "He's the kind of player that needs to do two things: he needs to be able to have the freedom to play, and that's how he has played in the last four years. But he also needs structure," Riley said in the Miami Herald. "We need to have him in some structure where we can execute and go to some other guys, and he has to become part of that. There is a fine line between our structure and his spontaneity. Every now and then when he gets too far out there we have to bring it back to the middle. Any time I think we get too structured then I have to let him go. Sometimes you sort of shake your head with some of the things he does, but then you see what he does at the end of the game and the plays that he can make." During the preseason, when the games don't count in the standings and the all-stars have yet to earn their money or even work up a sweat on most nights, Riley can afford to have the spontaneous Odom. But during the regular season, when jobs are on the line, Riley is going to have to have the structured Odom. And that's when Odom can't have eight turnovers to go with his 31 points because Tim Duncan will be playing in the low post for the Spurs rather than the guy in front of Odom Tuesday night named Ernest Brown. So with the NBA's regular-season schedule to begin in two short weeks, who will really have the freedom of spontaneity as well as the team structure to actually score point after point? Who really has a shot at the scoring title (in no particular order)? Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic Credentials: Led the league last year at 32.1 per game while the second-highest scorer on the team, Grant Hill, averaged only 14.5 and played only 29 games. It doesn't look like Hill will be playing much this year, either, leaving McGrady with plenty of opportunities to do it again. So far in the preseason, with McGrady taking it easy, no one on the Magic team is averaging more than 16 a game. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers Credentials: Second in scoring last year at 30 a game with legendary string of 40-point games that came at Phil Jackson's blessing. Learned late last season that he was bothered by ongoing rift with parents but that did little to hurt his performance on the court. In a weird way, he might actually look at current off-court matters as a challenge to prove himself on the floor. Pride may push him even higher and, as a side effect, the Lakers lower. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks Credentials: Has increased his scoring output every season he's played in the NBA (five in all), which isn't bad considering that in his third he was already at 21.8. Last year, he averaged 25.1 as opponents cringed at a 7-footer hitting 148 triples while also grabbing 9.9 boards a game. He could very well become the most lethal offensive weapon in the game, especially in a system that doesn't require defensive responsibilities on a regular basis and chastises him every time he passes up an open look. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics Credentials: Yet to win a scoring title, but scored more points than any other player in 2002 with 2,144. His down season last year, in which his scoring (25.9 ppg) dipped below the previous season's mark and shooting percentages hit career lows, may motivate him. Plus, Antoine Walker has scored consecutively less in three straight seasons, which may give Pierce even more incentive. Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers Credentials: Three-time scoring champ with career average of 27 points per game while having never averaged less than 22 in a season. Last year's average of 27.6 was a three-year low and it's been two years since he was named league MVP after leading the Sixers to the NBA Finals. Has something to prove now that Larry Brown has moved on. Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers Credentials: He's fat. He's slow. His foot hurts. Pick your poison and watch the best center in the game demonstrate to Laker management why he deserves to become the highest-paid player in the game next season with a contract extension. Last year's average of 27.5 per game was actually lower than his career average of 27.6. Add that to the list and listen to him blame it on his lack of touches. Vince Carter, Toronto Raptors Credentials: It's been two years since Carter peaked in this league and averaged 27.6 points per game in 2001. Not so coincidently, it's also been two years since Carter has played anything close to a full regular-season schedule. And if he needs any motivation to play through the pain this season, maybe he'll remember the giggles overheard when they named him to the most recent Team USA after posting a career-low 20.6 point per game last season. Or, he can just look at the scoreboard and realize that Chris Bosh and Lamond Murray aren't scoring 14 a game anymore like they did in preseason. Ray Allen, Seattle SuperSonics Credentials: Prior to being traded to the Sonics, Allen had never scored more than 22 a game in his career. After being traded to the Sonics midway through last season, he averaged 24.5 while also upping his assist, rebound and steal numbers. Now that the Sonics have had a year to jel, he may be able to go back to being the best shooter in the game on a team where the best shooter can also be the best scorer. Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves Credentials: Only All-NBAer Garnett would take the preseason so seriously and actually bust his butt to 22.3 points per game in boxscores that don't even get printed in the local paper. Last year, he averaged a career-high 23 a game while also piling up 13.4 rebounds per contest. A more balanced team and even added pressure may push him even higher. Sure, they've added a lot of names to this team, but there's still only one that you're going to remember in 10 years. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs Credentials: Last year, he needed only 23.3 points to not only lead the Spurs to their second NBA title but also win his second MVP award. But now that players will be gunning for his NBA title and MVP award, he may need to use that scoring average to defend it along with his career 51 percent shooting percentage. The good news, as far as scoring titles go, is that David Robinson is gone. The bad news is that Robinson is gone. Duncan decides this season. Peep Show By Terry Brown NBA Insider Wednesday, October 15 Updated: October 15 9:05 AM ET Orlando Magic: Most of the time, it's Tracy McGrady who leaves us breathless, not the other way around. "I didn't realize that for like two weeks, I've been coming up short breathing," said McGrady in the Orlando Sentinel. "Without even doing anything, sitting in bed, I'd have trouble breathing." The all-star was diagnosed with pleurisy, an inflammation of the lining of the lung, and was given antibiotics. He should be fully recovered within the week. O'NealLos Angeles Lakers: Shaquille O'Neal's heal hurts. But an MRI performed on it recently revealed that there is no structural damage to it and, according to him, it won't affect him during the regular season. "We talked about it and I asked him how he felt about playing or not playing and what his feeling was," coach Phil Jackson said in the L.A. Times. "He said he'd just as soon not have a nagging injury affect him and maybe break into more than just a training camp injury, but also affect his regular-season play. So, we're going to try to get that soreness of the heel before he plays." Philadelphia 76ers: Woulda, coulda, shoulda. The Philadelphia Daily News is reporting that Alonzo Mourning wanted to be a Sixer and very well could have been Allen Iverson's teammate as we speak had Larry Brown decided to stay with the team. "They were in the mix, but only if Larry Brown were the coach," Mourning said. "If I was going to be there, I wanted him to be the coach. We bonded somewhat during the Olympics in Australia . . . The man knows how to win; his track record speaks for itself," Mourning continued. "And he has a system. I didn't want a coach where I didn't know what the system would be." StackhouseWashington Wizards: Jerry Stackhouse has fallen, and new coach Eddie Jordan has no idea when he'll get up after taking an MRI on Tuesday for his sore right knee. "We'll have to play as if Jerry might not be available for the beginning of the season," Jordan said. "We talked today about being four games into the preseason, we have to look at a good rotation. A rotation that we think will fit so we can build some togetherness in learning how to play with that rotation. Right now there's still 10-11 people involved and as coaches we have to come together and think about things." New Orleans Hornets: The Times Picayune is reporting the shooting guard Courtney Alexander could be out up to two months due to a torn right achilles tendon. "He could be out longer than two months," vice president Bob Bass said. "We thought that his last two games (Dallas and Houston) were his best games." Alexander is expected to undergo surgery on Thursday. Loss leaves McGrady, Magic wheezing Brian Schmitz / Orlando Sentinel O'Neal Joins Bryant on Hold Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times Mourning could have been a Sixer if Brown stayed Phil Jasner / Philadelphia Daily News Wizards Fall; Stackhouse Has MRI Steve Wyche / Washington Post Hornets lose backup guard to injury John Reid / New Orleans Times-Picayune

Van Exel, J-Rich only sure things By Terry Brown NBA Insider Tuesday, October 14 Updated: October 14 4:22 PM ET It's one thing to be a bad team trying to rebuild. It's quite another to be a bad team trying to rebuild year after year. But it's something else altogether to be a bad team year after year that thinks getting rid of Antawn Jamison, its best player, and Gilbert Arenas, the reigning Most Improved Player, for the likes of Avery Johnson, Evan Eschmeyer, Popeye Jones and Antoine Rigaudeau actually counts as rebuilding. At least the Golden State Warriors got Nick Van Exel in the deal, too, so someone on this team will know the old guy with dirt on his chin at small forward still has more game than the young guy with the pedigree. Golden State Warriors Point guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Nick Van Exel 10 6-1 12.5 ppg, 4.3 apg Perhaps you remember Nick Van Exel for his long-range bombs with the clock running down. Or the playoff daggers he launched off the bench. Or maybe even his epic outbursts against referees and former head coaches. But at this stage of his career, with this type of team, perhaps we should remember that in 1997 with the Lakers, he averaged 8.5 assists per game. Or that in 2001 with the Nuggets, he also averaged 8.5 assists per game. Or that the year before that he averaged 9 assists per game. Speedy Claxton 2 5-11 5.8 ppg, 2.5 apg Didn't get a good look at this kid until it mattered most, during last year's NBA Finals, and we're pretty sure we were as pleasantly surprised as he was. But three surgeries in three seasons have limited him to a total of 97 career games, hence the need for a back-up point guard for the back-up point guard. Pepe Sanchez 2 6-4 0 ppg, 0.9 apg Insurance. Avery Johnson 15 5-11 3.3 ppg, 1.3 apg Trade filler who'll be doing more coaching than dribbling. Shooting guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Jason Richardson 2 6-6 15.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg Any shooting guard worth the letters on the back of his uniform wants more shots. J-Rich, the former slam dunk champ who once dropped 40 in an NBA game, is just such a guard. Played 69 more minutes last season than in his rookie campaign and took 71 more shots. Do the math. With Jamison and Arenas subtracted from the lineup, keep an eye on his career 41.8 percent shooting. Calbert Cheaney 10 6-7 8.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg Two years ago, shot 48 percent from the field for the Nuggets. Last year, shot 49 percent from the field for the Jazz, to go along with his 40 percent from long range. Actually shot above 50 percent in 79 games back in 1997 for the Wizards. Maybe some of that will rub off on Richardson and not the other way around. Mickael Pietrus R 6-6 -- Compared to Michael Jordan while playing in Europe. That was the first sentence. Hopefully for the Warriors, it won't also be the last. Small forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Mike Dunleavy 1 6-9 5.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg If all it took to earn a starting small forward spot in the NBA was to score 466 points in 82 games (5.7 ppg) on 40 percent shooting, there would be a lot more starting small forwards than teams able to accommodate them. Clifford Robinson 14 6-10 12.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg Named Sixth-Man of the Year in 1993, named to an All-Star team, an All-Defensive team and even a 3-point shootout, and once scored 50 points in a game and appeared in 125 playoff games. Seen it all, done it all. But after more than 1,000 regular season games, hopefully it doesn't all show. Power forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Troy Murphy 2 6-11 11.7 ppg, 10.2 rpg There are 58 starting centers and power forwards in the NBA. Only four of them averaged more rebounds per game last season than Troy Murphy. His rebounding prowess (10.2 per game) was in addition to his improved scoring (11.7 ppg) and shooting (45 percent) after he packed on 17 pounds of muscle between his rookie and second seasons. Don't count on him adding another 17 this year, but don't be surprised either if he doubles his scoring output on occasion. Popeye Jones 10 6-8 2 ppg, 2.3 rpg Worst-case scenario. Center Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Erick Dampier 7 6-11 8.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg Not sure if we're supposed to pat him on the back for starting 82 games last year or slap him in the head for logging only 24.1 minutes per game (after averaging 24.5 for his seven-year career). Or maybe just cut his $6.8 million paycheck in half. Adonal Foyle 6 6-10 5.4 ppg, 2.5 bpg Not sure if we're supposed to pat him on the back for averaging 21.8 minutes per game last season (after averaging 19 for his six-year career) or slap him in the head for not starting a single game. Or maybe just cut his $4.4 million paycheck in half. Evan Eschmeyer 4 6-11 1 ppg, 1.7 rpg If you're scoring at home, the Warriors already were paying two men the equivalent of a max-type deal to do the job of one. Why not make it three?

By Marc Stein ESPN.com Editor's note: Here's a glimpse of the good -- and the bad -- that could happen to the 2003-04 Golden State Warriors. Jason Richardson must help fill the offensive void left by Antawn Jamison. Best Case Scenario Three things need to happen for the Warriors to keep building on last season's 38-44 finish and join Houston and Portland in the battle for the No. 8 seed in the mighty West. 1. Someone emerges as a go-to scorer. Or, at the very least, the Warriors need consistent and increased production from Jason Richardson, Troy Murphy and new starter Mike Dunleavy. Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas and frequent fourth-quarter hero Earl Boykins have all departed. Nick Van Exel can certainly offset Arenas' departure, and Boykins actually faded somewhat in the second half of the season, but Jamison averaged 22 points a game. Richardson hasn't proven he can score at that level, and from Dunleavy you only expect solid, not spectacular, numbers. The ever-improving Murphy has been working diligently on his 3-point shot to extend defenses -- I personally watched him swish dozens in camp -- but the Warriors need him more as a gritty double-double guy than as a perimeter threat. So Richardson is the prime candidate, aside from Van Exel. 2. The bench makes up the difference. You can make the case that the Warriors' second unit is better than the first. Clifford Robinson, who has never missed the playoffs, arrived from Detroit to give coach Eric Musselman an accomplished interior defender ... and a handy alternative to the foul-prone Erick Dampier and Adonal Foyle. In spite of the fouls, Foyle is still one of the league's better backup centers. And Speedy Claxton -- while admittedly disappointed that Van Exel was acquired after he signed with Golden State -- helped San Antonio win a championship as the Spurs' No. 2 point guard. Musselman can also expect a contribution from Calbert Cheaney, who had the highest shooting percentage (.499) of any guard in the NBA last season, and maybe even athletic rookie swingman Mickael Pietrus. 3. The Warriors improve against the West's best. The West only got tougher in the offseason, but Golden State wasn't doing anything against the elite anyway. The Warriors went 3-17 against the top five teams in the conference last season, and 35-27 against everyone else. Either they have to win a few more games against the Spurs, Lakers, Kings, Mavericks and Wolves, or do even better against the other 23 teams. Worst Case Scenario The Warriors will backslide into the 20s in the win column if the following three things happen. 1. The defense continues to be the league's worst. Golden State allowed an average of nearly 104 points per game last season. Not good. Van Exel and Dunleavy won't make the defense any better, so, again, the onus here falls to the Warriors' new bench. 2. They fail to recover from a potentially slow start. Because of his CBA background, Musselman is well acquainted with roster turnover. But the Warriors have brought back only five guys from last season's overachievers, and the coach fears that Golden State might be behind in November as a result. Musselman wants his team to be able to push the ball, and his preference for pick-and-roll calls should hasten Van Exel's transition, but all the new guys have to have the system down first. 3. The veterans get unhappy. It's unlikely that Van Exel will publicly campaign for a trade like he did in Denver. But it's possible vets like he and Robinson, with his playoff streak on the line, could be dragged down if the kiddies don't come through. And if the fans don't see a carryover of the momentum generated last season, they could get restless as well, making Oaktown an unhappy place for all. Golden State's last playoff berth, remember, came in 1993-94, so Warriors fans will be looking for immediate evidence to support the belief that a corner was turned in Year 1 of the Musselman Era. Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. Also, send Stein a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.

Which teams made the right moves? By Chad Ford NBA Insider Send an Email to Chad Ford Tuesday, October 14 Updated: October 14 10:34 AM ET Cavs GM Jim Paxson leads a charmed life. After doing his best to dismantle and then dismantle again the lowly Cavs, Paxson knew that that his job and his career in the NBA came down to a few hundred ping-pong balls in May. When the lottery balls fell his way, Paxson went from the Cavs' black widow to its savior overnight. He got things right on draft night when he took LeBron James. James, almost overnight, breathed new life into the franchise. The arena started selling out. The jerseys flew off the shelves. The players suddenly wanted to play in Cleveland. Dogs and cats began living together. And Paxson, bless his heart, got a big, fat extension. If only it were so easy. Rarely are the big decisions made in the summer so black and white. Franchises will be born and die this season based on decisions that were and weren't made by GMs and free agents in June and July. As the season gets underway, Insider puts on its 20-20 hindsight glasses and asks . . . who made the right call? Will a short-term fix rob the Lakers of a future? Don't hand another ring to Phil Jackson just yet. Sure, on paper, the additions of Karl Malone and Gary Payton this summer make the Lakers roster look like a dream team. But will they play that way? Some scouts argue that the Lakers didn't need more veterans. What they needed were young, talented legs to inject life into a franchise that gets creakier by the minute. The only significant young player on the Lakers entire roster is Kobe Bryant. With his legal issues moving from a storm into a hurricane, even if he does make it through this season, there's no guarantee that he won't flee the bright lights of L.A. after the season (he has an opt out in his contract) and try to find a more peaceful home (and a more supportive coach) somewhere else. If he does, savor this season Lakers fans. Next year, you'll be fighting for the eight seed in the West. Darko over Carmelo? Give this to Joe Dumars. He didn't hesitate. Upon learning that his Pistons had obtained a surprising No. 2 pick in the draft, he picked up the phone and called Marc Cornstein, Darko Milicic's agent, and said essentially, welcome to the family. That night, Dumars, who just happened to be in New York for his team's playoff game versus the Nets, sat with Cornstein and Milicic in his suite at the Plaza and toasted to a bright future in Detroit. Darko Milicic's size and versatility should make him more valuable than Carmelo Anthony. The Pistons weren't the only ones that felt this way. The Nuggets, had they gotten No. 2, likely would've taken Darko as well. But as the season gets under way, and Carmelo is lighting things up, the question is already being raised: Did the Pistons make a mistake? The argument is that Detroit needs scorers, and Anthony's ability to step in and play right away would've given the Pistons a better shot at a title now. The flip side, which allows Dumars to sleep at night, is this. In three years, when Darko catches up from a maturity standpoint, who will be the better player? Most likely, Carmelo will always be the better scorer. But Darko's versatility in a 7-foot-1 frame will make him more valuable. His toughness, aggressiveness in the paint, and his athleticism for his size will help him dominate down low for years. An NBA career is a marathon, not a sprint. In the long run, the Pistons should come out of this with one of the most dominant big men in the game. If they do, Dumars isn't just a genius, he's a visionary -- because everyone knows it takes two all-star small forwards to make up for one dominant big man in the vertically challenged East. Can Mark Cuban buy a title? Another year, another max player for the Dallas Mavericks. After flirting with, and being rejected by Alonzo Mourning, Cuban panicked and traded away their most explosive bench player (Nick Vn Exel) for Antawn Jamison. While Jamison is younger, taller and also an excellent scorer, he wasn't the tough blue collar rebounder the Mavs needed. Maybe Danny Fortson (who was also acquired in the trade) is, but given his medical history, our skepticism will hang around for a while. If he isn't, Cuban may have painted himself into a corner that he can't buy his way out of. Once the team re-signs point guard Steve Nash this summer, it will have a roster full of players with outrageous, immovable contracts. With everyone, including Paul Allen now, tightening their belts, Cuban's ability to move one of them to get that final piece in place has become more difficult every year. Unless he's willing to part with Dirk Nowitzki (he'd be foolish to), the Mavs days of wheeling and dealing may be over. If you're a Mavs fan, you better pray that the hand Cuban dealt you was the right one. You're going to be stuck with it for a while. Just ask Bob Whitsitt and Scott Layden how it feels. Will Mt. Mutombo cast a shadow over the Nets? Signing Alonzo Mourning this summer was a slam dunk for New Jersey. He was part of the package that also gave them Jason Kidd. But dumping Mutombo as a cost cutting move may come back to haunt him. If Mourning doesn't stay healthy. If Jason Collins isn't ready to be a 35-minute-a-night center. If they suffer one big injury in the middle, the Nets will struggle this year against teams like the Pistons, who are suddenly super-sized in the middle. Argue all you want that Mutombo wasn't going to play any minutes in the Nets up tempo style. On paper you're right. But it just takes one bad fall, and Mutombo, even at the age of 87, would start looking pretty good in the middle. How long will it take Flip Saunders to hurl himself off the Target Center? Kevin Flip Saunders could be the fall guy if the T-Wolves fall short this season. McHale upgraded the talent and got his wish -- a long-term extension from Kevin Garnett. Will it make a difference? The T-Wolves are loaded, but someone better hang a "Handle with Care" sign on the door. Garnett's explosiveness cost them a chance to re-sign Rasho Nesterovic, who turned down more money in Minnesota to get away from KG. Now add Sam Cassell, whose mouth works faster than his motor, Latrell Sprewell (already skipping practice and preseason games), Michael Olowokandi (complaining about his touches in his street clothes) and Wally (who could barely handle what KG dished out) and you wonder how long it will take McHale to sign Eminem to a five-year deal. All coaches love to have lots of talent, but you think Saunders is privately sweating this thing out. These guys are all locked into long-term deals. If things go south, it may be Saunders who must pack his bags this time. The key will be coming out of the gate quickly. Success covers up even the most combustible chemistry issues. If the team stumbles early, the smack will be deafening. Did the Jazz and Nuggets miss a golden opportunity? Both the Jazz and Nuggets had enough cap space this summer to land two superstars. The Wizards and Heat had enough to land just one. But when the smoke cleared in late August, the Wizards and Heat were the teams with young players who had superstar potential. The Jazz and Nuggets? GM Kevin O'Connor made bids to four players -- Elton Brand, Andre Miller, Corey Maggette and Jason Terry. Brand and Miller flirted with the Jazz before signing elsewhere. Maggette and Terry signed on, only to watch their offers matched by their home teams. The Nuggets flirted with Alonzo Mourning before eventually securing Miller, Earl Boykins, Jon Barry and Voshon Lenard. Should they have done more to secure a star? Neither O'Connor nor Kiki Vandeweghe wanted to overpay for a guy. But sometimes, when you play in a small market, you have to do just that to lure a superstar. At the heart of the firestorm for the Jazz was Miller. They wanted him, but not at the price he was asking. Now with Raul Lopez and Carlos Arroyo running the point, they have to be looking back and wondering whether Miller (who would've be a great fit in Utah) was worth a little extra dough. Ditto for Maggette. Had the Jazz offered him more, would the Clippers have matched? In Denver, the key free-agent in question was Gilbert Arenas. The Nuggets claim that Miller was their guy all along. I'm a huge fan of Miller and he looks like he's fit in nicely in Denver. But Arenas has a star quality, at age 20, that Miller may never have. The Nuggets needed scoring in the backcourt in the worst way. Miller was a good addition, but had they been willing to spend a few million more, Arenas may have turned out to be an even better one. Donald Sterling opened his wallet, but did he open it enough? Pat Donald on the back all you want for matching the offers for Elton Brand and Corey Maggette. Both of them deserved the deals they got and have bright futures in the league. But before you go and throw a ticker tape parade for the Clippers, ask yourself, for all of the money that Sterling spent, are the Clips any better? Maybe, if you think coach Mike Dunleavy is a savior. But on paper, the loss of Andre Miller, Lamar Odom, Michael Olowokandi and Eric Piatkowski for nothing in return stings. As other teams in the West stocked up, the Clippers may have trimmed off too much fat. I'm not saying that Miller, Olowokandi or even Odom were the right fits in L.A. But the Clips stubborn refusal to do sign-and-trades (they had them for Olowokandi, Odom and Miller) has left the Clips back where they started -- a decent, but not great team. Dunleavy said the other day that he believed the team was going to add one more proven player this summer. It should have been Arenas. The team flirted with him, even made him an offer, but was unwilling to go higher because Odom's future was in doubt. They should have cut Odom loose, paid Arenas what he was asking and swung for the fences. The Clippers needed bold strokes this summer. They got safe ones. It may only be a matter of time before those trade kickers that Brand and Maggette insisted on (in an effort to scare off the Clips) come back to haunt them. Around the League It appears there was no truth to the rumors that the Knicks were on the verge of swapping Kurt Thomas and Charlie Ward to the Warriors for Nick Van Exel after they signed Dikembe Mutombo. GM Scott Layden would've loved to have pulled the trigger on that deal, but according to sources, the Warriors are encouraged by Van Exel's attitude in camp. Thomas For months, Thomas has reiterated that he wants to be in New York. Now with Mutombo in the fold, he told the New York Post that he's considering opting out of his contract at the end of the season. His first choice? Dallas of course. If the Knicks feel there's any truth to the threat, they may want to start working harder to find a trade that makes sense. The team is still looking for a young athletic point guard. We've been hearing the package of Thomas and Ward on the trading block for years. Certainly, someone has to be interested. Ward has a $2 million buyout on his contract this year. Thomas has only one year remaining on his deal if he chooses not to opt out. Financially, it could make a lot of sense for a few teams. You know the Blazers would move Damon Stoudamire for that deal in a heart beat. Other deals that the may be available to the Knicks? Pick up the phone and call the Wizards. The Wizards need a player like Thomas to give them some inside toughness. With Gilbert Arenas on board, Larry Hughes is expendable. While Hughes isn't a pure point guard, he's got more upside than anyone playing the position on the Knicks. A deal of Hughes and Jahidi White works under the cap. Another option? Antonio Davis is begging to get out of there, and the Raptors would love the cap space and the toughness that Thomas provides. If the Raptors threw in their No. 1 draft pick, would the Knicks bite? Speaking of regrets, are the Celtics having second thoughts about rookie Marcus Banks after a pretty miserable preseason. No one gives up on rookies that fast. But everyone, including Banks, appears to be a little concerned. "I would say there's one thing that I would like Marcus to do and that's relax," Danny Ainge, director of basketball operations, told the Boston Globe. "I think Marcus is going to be fine and I am just as excited now as I was when we drafted him. He does things you can't teach. He beats his man off the dribble and gets into the paint. His penetration and explosiveness are things you can't teach." Added coach Jim O'Brien: "He is where he is. I didn't have a pace for him . . . He'll get there. He's a smart kid. He's hungry. He's a good listener. He wants to get better. The coaches spend extra time in the video room with him, explaining his mistakes. If you try to force any number of things down somebody's throat, it not a good learning experience. It's just a gradual process." It's no big surprise. Very few rookie NBA point guards thrive in the league. It's the hardest position to learn and usually takes three or so years for a point guard to hit his stride -- especially someone like Banks who was more of a combo guard to begin with. "It's just the transition from college to the NBA," said Banks. "It's just about how fast you learn and, of course, you're going to not catch on too fast. I've got plenty of time, almost 90 something games. I'll take my time and everything will come to me. I'll be all right. When I was in college, I went through the same thing; it's going to take five, six, seven, eight, nine games. It's going to take 20, 30 practices before you start growing as a person and a player and that starts affecting your basketball." The best new invention of the summer? The No Sweat Wipe. If you've already been to a preseason game, perhaps you've noticed that the NBA towel boys, the kids who sit under the basket and run out to wipe the sweat off the court, have a new weapon at their disposal. The No Sweat Wipe is a long pole with a circular disk attached to the end. Under the disk are a number of towels used to wipe off sweat from the floor. The inventor got sick of watching multi-million dollar players slip on wet spots on the floor and wondered to himself why teams weren't using a more efficient method of making sure the floors stayed dry. The No Sweat Wipe was born over the summer and has already been adopted by 23 NBA teams. Which makes you wonder, what are the other six NBA teams thinking? The Jazz, Hornets, Bucks, Raptors, Sonics and Nets are the only teams in the league who have yet to adopt the tool. C'mon guys. Even the Clippers and Warriors have forked over the cash. Peep Show By Terry Brown NBA Insider Tuesday, October 14 Updated: October 14 10:25 AM ET Denver Nuggets: After six days a week of seven-hour workouts, Nikoloz Tskitishvili is making sure no one's taking his lunch money this season. "He got addicted," Nuggets strength and conditioning coach Steve Hess said in the Rocky Mountain News. "He's got a great work ethic anyway, but it got to the point where I'd be like, 'All right, Skita, that's enough.' He is more mentally tough than I could have imagined. Some of the workouts are absolutely grueling." As a result, the 214-pound small forward is now a 243-pound power forward without adding more than 1 percent body fat. "These are not normal numbers," Hess said. "I've been in the NBA eight years, and this is the first time I've seen anyone improve that much and keep his speed and agility." O'Neal Los Angeles Lakers: The Los Angeles Times is reporting that because of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Lakers can only offer Shaquille O'Neal a two-year extension on his current contract rather than the expected three. Either way, the paper reports that O'Neal would eventually become the highest paid player in the game with the extension worth, at most, $70 million. "There's no doubt this is the most talented, aggressive big guy who's played a basketball game," Coach Phil Jackson said. "For him to have any letdown is going to be either through motivation or he's not kept himself in the kind of condition he has to in the off-season, hasn't taken it that seriously. And injury, to his legs, knees, toe, whatever. That's an important factor for the big guys. But, we watched David Robinson [play nearly to 40] and you look at [Kevin] Willis. They still can play basketball. The big guys can play basketball in their late 30s. There's no reason Shaq shouldn't be a real good player in his! late 30s if he still has an appetite for the game." O'Neal's age was the determining factor in the length of the extension. New York Knicks: The Knicks offense has been so bad lately that Allan Houston is willing to return to the floor whether he's healthy or not. "It's a lot tougher sitting out when you see everybody struggling," Houston said in the NY Daily News. "I think we just need some chemistry right now. People are still trying to get a feel for their own games. We have to get a feel for what everyone's role is as a unit." Houston is expected to practice for the first time on Thursday and play in Fridays preseason game against the Spurs. Houston Rockets: Former Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich, a recent cancer survivor, returned to the Toyota Center to take a look at his old team and says that he's feeling fine after quitting smoking and eating better. "I've been up against some things in my life, and here was another one," Tomjanovich said in the Houston Chronicle. "And it was major, just like the other ones were major. I trusted in God and trusted in people, too. The thing I feel is what a fortunate person I am to have so many good, close, loving friends. I never felt alone in this fight, never alone. That's really big." Tskitishvili a different man after off-season makeover Aaron J. Lopez / Rocky Mountain News Age Rule Clouds O'Neal Extension Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times Houston shooting to join Knicks soon Frank Isola / New York Daily News Rudy T says he feels fine Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle

By David Aldridge Special to ESPN.com Editor's note: Here's a glimpse of the good -- and the bad -- that could happen to the 2003-04 Washington Wizards. Perhaps Kwame Brown can finally stand tall with Michael Jordan not around. Best Case Scenario For the Wizards to break their pattern of mediocrity (one playoff appearance since 1988) and finally reach the postseason, the following three things must happen. 1. One of their young bigs must grow up. Not literally, though Kwame Brown is now a legitimate seven feet tall. Whether it's Brown, Jared Jeffries, Brendan Haywood or Etan Thomas, the Wizards need somebody to give them consistent presence at both ends in the middle. The best bet, it says here, is Jeffries, who's coming off an ACL tear that ended a promising rookie season. Washington's brass is toying with the idea of a lineup that would feature Jeffries at the four and Brown at the five. 2. Defensive disruptions. Yes, Gilbert Arenas is a blur with the ball, and he and Jerry Stackhouse will have their explosive scoring nights. But Arenas, Larry Hughes and Stackhouse have to get it done at the defensive end. The 6-foot-4 Arenas and the 6-6 Hughes are long and fast, and have to be active in the passing lanes. The more Washington disrupts its opponents in the halfcourt on defense and produces steals, the more the Wizards will be able to create early offense and take advantage of their young legs. 3. Create a real home-court advantage. The Wizards were a pedestrian 23-18 at MCI Center last season, following home marks of 22-19, 12-29 and 17-24 the previous three seasons. With their very young roster, and lack of stars that will get calls down the stretch, it's not likely the Wizards will be formidable on the road. To get anywhere near .500, they'll have to clean up when they're wearing the home whites. Worst Case Scenario If the Wizards struggle again this season, it will likely be because these three things happen. 1. More turnovers than J Lo. Despite his offensive skills, there's still a question of whether Arenas (1.86 assist/turnover ratio last season) is a true point guard. The lack of a pure ballhandler is one reason Washington brought veteran Chris Whitney back late in the offseason (second-round pick Steve Blake may be the best of the bunch in time). And none of Washington's bigs has great hands. The Wizards' biggest problem will be keeping the ball out of the opposition's clutches. 2. Growing pains. With nine of Washington's likely 12 players younger than 27 (Stackhouse, Christian Laettner and Jahidi White are the graybeards), the likelihood of the Wizards picking up Eddie Jordan's system quickly and without error is almost nil. That means lots of busted assignments on offense and late rotations on defense -- which get a team killed -- and lack of respect from the striped shirts. 3. MJ hangover. The Wizards sold out all 41 of their home games last season and led the league in regular-season attendance. A lot of those butts in seats came to see one Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Without his presence, will Washington return to its familiar pattern during the pre-Jordan decade, when there were as many people rooting for the opposition as the home team? David Aldridge, who covers the NBA for ESPN, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.

Wizards still searching for small forward By Chad Ford NBA Insider Send an Email to Chad Ford Tuesday, October 14 Updated: October 14 12:05 PM ET The Washington Wizards used the No. 11 pick in the 2002 NBA draft to select small forward Jared Jeffries. In the 2003 NBA draft, the Wizards used the No. 10 pick in the draft to select small forward Jarvis Hayes. Three games into the pre-season, the Wizards are still wondering whether they have their small forward of the future, prompting them to use Jerry Stackhouse at the three until they sort the mess out. Washington Wizards Small Forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Jerry Stackhouse 8 6-6 21. 5 ppg, 4.5 apg in 39.2 mpg Stackhouse's natural position is at the two. But his ability to post up defenders in the paint allows him to play some three, as well. If either Hayes or Jeffries emerges this season, Stack will move back to the two, and Larry Hughes might have to pack his bags. Jarvis Hayes R 6-7 -- Hayes is a remarkable athlete and a solid perimeter shooter -- two things the Wizards desperately need. He looked good in the summer league and should be able to win the starting job down the road if he stays healthy and keeps sinking those 3s. Jared Jeffries 1 6-11 4.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg in 14.6 mpg He's long and versatile, but his development keeps suffering setbacks due to injuries. Center Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Brendan Haywood 2 7-0 6.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg in 23.8 mpg Has a lot of talent, but he's pretty soft. At some point, the Wizards need to upgrade here and bring Haywood off the bench. Etan Thomas 2 6-10 4.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg in 13.5 mpg He's strong and aggressive, but can he stay healthy? Jahidi White 5 6-9 4.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg in 14.4 mpg Bruising center doesn't fit into Eddie Jordan's plans. He needs big men who run the floor and can pass the ball. White does neither well. Power Forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Kwame Brown 2 6-11 7.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg in 22.2 mpg Has Kwame turned the corner? With Michael Jordan and Doug Collins down, his confidence and playing time are up. No one expects all-star numbers from him this year, but 13 ppg and 8 rpg would be nice. Christian Laettner 11 6-11 8.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg in 29.1 mpg Will take a backseat to Kwame this year. Shooting Guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Larry Hughes 5 6-5 12.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg in 31.9 mpg Hughes spent most of the past three seasons playing out of position at the point. He's better suited to the two and will get plenty of minutes here as the team waits for Hayes and Jeffries to develop. He'll also see a few minutes backing up Gilbert Arenas at the point. However, if Hayes or Jeffries breaks out, Hughes may be headed back to the bench. He won't be happy. Juan Dixon 1 6-3 6.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg in 15.4 Another combo guard better suited to play the two. He can really score but may find his minutes squeezed behind both Hughes and Stackhouse. Will play a little point guard but struggled at that position last season. Point Guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes Gilbert Arenas 2 6-3 18.3 ppg, 6.3 apg in 35 mpg Arenas wanted to play someplace where he'd be a star and have a chance at the playoffs. He'll be a star in Washington, but unless people like Brown, Haywood and Hughes step up, the playoffs may be out of reach. Chris Whitney 10 6-0 7.0 ppg, 2.8 apg in 20.6 mpg Wizards need him to sink some 3s. Steve Blake R 6-3 -- He's the very definition of a pure point guard. But will his defense and offense ever get to the point where he can be a significant player in the league?