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Central Division Turf Wars

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: McMillan, Sonics torn between Barry and Mason | Will Fortson be the odd man out in Golden State? | McInnis makes his case | How did Spree back his hand? | Peep Show

NBA position battles: Are there any scorers surrounding Duncan?

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Training camps are underway and the position battles are heating up. Insider gives you a glimpse at the battles to watch over the next few weeks. Today we continue with the Central Division, where point guard battles in Atlanta, Chicago and Cleveland are heating up. Monday we'll tackle the Midwest Division.

CENTRAL DIVISION TURF WARS

Also see Atlantic Turf Wars

ATLANTA HAWKS

PG: Jason Terry vs. Dan Dickau

Hawks GM Pete Babcock spent draft night working the phones diligently trying to get Dickau. Jacque Vaughn is out the door. Jason Terry has been more successful playing the two than running the point. The Hawks needed a starting point guard and seem to think they've found one. "We always liked his game," Babcock told Insider this summer. "His toughness, his shooting and his floor leadership are all things this team needs." Coach Lon Kruger was more effusive, declaring the Hawks' yearlong search for a point guard over. "Dan brings a passion, competitiveness and feel for the game that's going to be big part of our future."

Dickau was one of the many bright spots for an undefeated Hawks summer league team, but the team still has a dilemma. With DerMarr Johnson out for the season, the Hawks will need Terry more than ever to spend major minutes at the two. The combination of Dickau, listed at 6-foot-1, and Terry, listed at 6-foot-2, would be the smallest backcourt in the NBA. For now, Dion Glover is grabbing most of the minutes at shooting guard and the Hawks are crossing their fingers that the new competition will force Terry to step up his game as the team's point guard. Still, with Dickau's playmaking skills, you get the feeling it's only a matter of time before he breaks through.

Dickau knows it may take a little time. "A rookie, like I've said before, is learning and learning and learning. Very few rookies I've seen can come in right away and play," he told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.. "And this is the toughest position to learn. I'm a guy who's not the most vocal. I've got to become more vocal at practice and then when the games start. That will come as I get to know them, and we play together."

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Jason Terry

SG: Dion Glover

SF: Glenn Robinson

PF: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

C: Theo Ratliff

CHICAGO BULLS

PG: Jay Williams vs. Jamal Crawford

The tensions are already running at full steam in Chicago as Crawford fights a fruitless battle against No. 2 pick Williams. Injuries, passiveness and a penchant for getting under Jerry Krause's skin seem to have doomed Crawford into spending the next year or two in Williams' shadow. The latest had coach Bill Cartwright shooting down a potential solution to the minutes problem. The speculation all summer was that Crawford would get minutes at both the point and two guard. Cartwright, however, said there just isn't room for Crawford at the two. "We have plenty of shooters like Trenton Hassell and Eddie Robinson and Fred Hoiberg," Cartwright told the Chicago Sun Times. "We need point guards, which is what Jay and Jamal are. So you probably won't see them on the court together, unless we get two or three guys injured. They'll get enough minutes to be happy, or at least to make me happy."

Still, the competition is spirited. Krause promised Crawford and his agent, Aaron Goodwin, that he'd get a fair shake in camp. Goodwin, who also represents Gary Payton, is pushing to make sure that happens. Goodwin, told the Chicago Sun Times he has been assured by Jerry Krause that Crawford won't lose the position unless legitimately beaten out by Williams. Goodwin said if the position simply were handed to Williams, he would consider asking Krause to trade Crawford. But with the deck seemingly stacked against Crawford, expect the trade rumors to last all season.

SF: Eddie Robinson vs. Donyell Marshall

Another interesting battle is blooming at small forward, where the athletic Robinson is trying to keep the veteran Marshall from stealing most of his minutes. Robinson was the Bulls' one bright offseason signing last summer. But a series of injuries limited him to just 29 games last season. With Marshall now on board, it won't be easy for Robinson to grab ahold of the starting job again. However, a source in Chicago told Insider that the plan is to give Robinson every opportunity to start.

"At this point we're still playing for the future," the source told Insider. "Guys like Donyell are here to give us some veteran leadership. But the plan is to give our young players like Eddie and Tyson [Chandler] and [Eddy] Curry as many minutes as they can handle. We're looking for athletes and that's the edge Eddie has over Donyell at this point."

Now that Robinson is healthy again, he's confident he'll be back in the mix in Chicago. "I know what I'm capable of doing," he said. "My coaches and teammates know what I'm capable of doing. It's just a matter of me performing."

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Jay Williams

SG: Jalen Rose

SF: Eddie Robinson

PF: Tyson Chandler

C: Eddy Curry

CLEVELAND CAVS

PG: Dajuan Wagner vs. Bimbo Coles vs. Darius Miles

Considering the Cavs traded away their best player, Andre Miller, to accommodate Wagner this battle should be a no-brainer, right? Wrong. Coach John Lucas has his doubts about Wagner's ability to play the point, especially in his rookie year, which is why he's already anointed Coles as their starter. How long can Coles, a career backup whose battled health problems the last two years, hold up? No one is pretending that he's Cavs' long-term answer at the point, which is why Lucas has spent the first few days at camp experimenting with Darius Miles running the team.

"We know Dajuan is the size of a point guard, but he's not a point," Miles told the News Herald. "We know that. He's an [Allen] Iverson-type player. We definitely want to keep him in his groove. I would love to take the role of bringing the ball down the court." So far, Lucas has been impressed. "He can really handle the basketball," Lucas said. "He played the point today for all of practice. His ability to bring it up [the court] is what makes him such a factor." Lucas said

PF: Tyrone Hill vs. Chris Mihm vs. Jumaine Jones

Last year it was Hill who suffered a series of debilitating injures that kept him out of all but 29 games. This season early injuries to Mihm and Jones will likely settle the battle before it even begins. Mihm got off to a fast start in camp, but until the results of a MRI come back, his status is up in the air. One Cavs official told the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Thursday Mihm could be out from four to six weeks. "I don't want to talk about it," Mihm told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I'm really disappointed at this time." So was Cavs coach John Lucas. "Chris was having a great camp," Lucas said "He was doing very, very well. I'm disappointed."

Still, the job was Hill's to lose from the get go. He's one of the few veterans left on the team and played well toward the end of the season, finishing the year averaging 10.5 rebounds per game and his average of three offensive rebounds a game put him in the top 10. With sharp shooters like Wesley Person and Lamond Murray replaced with brick layers like Miles and Ricky Davis, the opportunity to grab even more rebounds on the offensive end could make a healthy Hill one of the top rebounders in the NBA.

When Mihm does return, however, expect a more spirited battle. "He seems more confident," assistant coach Ron Ekker said. "He's more confident on what he has to do, so that means he's doing things a little quicker and better. Those things add up to making progress in his game. And there's no doubt about it, he needs to step up his game. This is his third year and he needs to be effective and we need real performance out of him this season."

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Bimbo Coles

SG: Ricky Davis

SF: Darius Miles

PF: Tyrone Hill

C: Zydrunas Ilgauskas

DETROIT PISTONS

C: Cliff Robinson vs. Zeljko Rebraca

After a solid rookie season, the Pistons are ready to put more of a load on Rebraca this season. While Robinson performed admirably at center last season, he's a more natural fit at small forward. Now that Rebraca has a year of experience under his belt, the starting center job is his to lose. "We have to have an inside presence from him," coach Rick Carlisle told the Detroit News. "I am not sure where it will come from in terms of the lineup. But when he is in there, we are going to look to get him the ball in the painted area as much as possible. Last year when we were able to do that, he was very effective."

The Pistons can point to some impressive numbers to support their claim. In games in which he played at least 20 minutes, he produced 12 points and 6 rebounds. When he played 24 or more minutes, he produced 15.8 points and 6.7 rebounds. Carlisle thinks Rebraca is ready to get those type of minutes on a consistent basis now. "His conditioning is much better in terms of the NBA game," he said. "His understanding is better, and he seems more comfortable with his teammates and vice versa. I think his situation has gotten better, and we need him to be a big factor for us."

SF: Cliff Robinson vs. Michael Curry vs. Corliss Williamson vs. Tayshaun Prince

If Rebraca does land the starting job at center, there will be an even bigger battle at small forward. Robinson is capable of playing the three and Carlisle has already told him to expect some minutes there this season. The combination of Rebraca, Ben Wallace and Robinson will give the Pistons one of the biggest front lines in the league. Behind Robinson, there will be another three-man scrum for minutes this season. Curry's defensive got him the starting nod for most of last season and should get him plenty of minutes again this year. While his numbers (4 ppg, 2 rpg) are modest, Carlisle swears by him. "If fans could really see what he does out on the court, they would understand why he plays," Carlisle said. Williamson was the team's primary offensive weapon off the bench. But most of the buzz in camp has surrounded Prince. His poise, versatility and sweet shooting has already made Rodney White expendable. Is it just a matter of time before he starts digging into Curry and Williamson's minutes?

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Chauncey Billups

SG: Richard Hamilton

SF: Cliff Robinson

PF: Ben Wallace

C: Zeljko Rebraca

INDIANA PACERS

PG: Al Harrington vs. Ron Mercer vs. Ron Artest vs. Jonathan Bender vs. Austin Croshere

Isiah Thomas has the right mix of veteran savvy and youthful exuberance this season, he's got overwhelming talent at every position and one of the deepest teams in the league. But he's somehow got to figure out how to make some semblance of a rotation out of the five-headed small forward monster. Harrington played well enough last season to steal minutes away from Jalen Rose. Coming off a devastating knee injury last season, Harrington is taking a cautious approach early. However, his toughness, size, rebounding and athleticism should lock down the starting job once the team is confident his knee is 100 percent. "I've said all along that we want to make sure Al's ready for the start of the regular season, so we have to be careful about how we push him right now," Thomas told the Indianapolis Star. "But he's fine."

From there, things get sticky. Artest finished last season as the team's starting small foward and will push Harrington the most this season. He is an incredible athlete and a tenacious on the ball defender. But his off-the-wall behavior and his on-again off-again offensive game may make him a better fit coming off the bench. Mercer spent most of the year on the injured list, but figures to get most of his minutes at the two backing up Reggie Miller this season. Mercer was kind of the forgotten man in last winter's trade, but Pacers president Donnie Walsh feels he'll play a vital role on the team this season. "I'm excited about Mercer because there are certain players who seem to fall through the cracks for whatever reason," Walsh told Pacers.com. "I didn't realize he could handle the ball as well as he does, that he could get his own shot as easily as he does," Walsh said. "I knew he could post up. I knew he could shoot the ball. I knew he was good on slashing-type plays. I think he can defend, he's big and he's got a lot of pride in himself which is good to see."

Of course, then there's Bender, the 7-foot-1 phenom who is probably the Pacer with the most upside. The team will have to be careful what they do with him this year. Bender becomes a restricted free agent at the end of the season and if he's unable to get into Thomas' rotation this year, he may be inclined to look for more significant minutes somewhere else. Bender is one of the team's best perimeter shooters and his size and quickness create match-up problems wherever he plays. Expect him to collect some minutes wherever he can find them. He has the ballhandling and quickness to play the two, the perimeter game to play the three and the height to spend a few quality minutes on the block.

That leaves Croshere as the odd man out. There's little tension now that a foot injury is keeping Croshere sidelined, but once he gets healthy the tension will be thick. Thomas rarely used him last season prompting Walsh to spend the summer trying to find him a new home. But questions about which position he plays, combined with his whopping contract meant that Walsh couldn't find any takers. With Harrington, Mercer, Artest and Bender all clambering for minutes, it could be a long year for Croshere.

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Jamaal Tinsley

SG: Reggie Miller

SF: Al Harrington

PF: Jermaine O'Neal

C: Brad Miller

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

SF: Tim Thomas vs. Toni Kukoc

The Bucks moved Glenn Robinson this summer in an effort to get Thomas into the starting lineup. He's more versatile, a better athlete and a superior defender to Robinson, but he doesn't pack nearly the offensive punch that the Big Dog did. Still, both Ray Allen and coach George Karl have said publicly that overall, Thomas is an upgrade over Robinson. We'll see. Last year, seeing spot starting duty for an injured Robinson, Thomas averaged 15.1 ppg and 4.7 rpg for the Bucks. However, he shot a shady 39 percent from the field and just 31 percent from behind the arc. More telling, during the Bucks' late-season swoon, Thomas disappeared. He averaged just 5.9 ppg and 2.2 rpg during the month of April on 36 percent shooting from the field.

Enter Kukoc. He's content with coming off the bench, will be one of the teams better shooters and his ball-handling skills allow him to even play point guard in a pinch. While Karl will give Thomas every opportunity to shine, especially because of the disparity in defense between Thomas and Kukoc (even worse than Robinson on D), Kukoc will be constantly knocking on his door.

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Sam Cassell

SG: Ray Allen

SF: Tim Thomas

PF: Anthony Mason

C: Joel Przybilla

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

SG: David Wesley vs. Courtney Alexander

This may be one of the most entertaining camp battles of the fall. "I haven't experienced something like this in camp before as a coach," coach Paul Silas told the Times Picayune, "and it's going to be interesting to see how this one plays out. They'll both get an equal opportunity to show what they can do. But I know David. And he's not giving an inch. Courtney, from the games they play out here one-on-one, he's got a lot of toughness to him. So it will be interesting to see who emerges."

Who knows what the Wizards were thinking when they shipped off the promising Alexander for the draft rights to Juan Dixon. The Hornets sure don't know. Alexander was almost immediately pegged as a potential starter on a contender. Wesley had a strong year for the Hornets last season but his size (he's just 6-foot-1) and streaky outside shooting were both liabilities. He's better suited coming off the bench as a combo guard than as the starting two.

Alexander, on the other hand, is a solid outside shooter, has the quickness to create his own shot and has a good five inches on Wesley. Forget about last season's miserable performance in the shadow of MJ. You've only got to look to the last 27 games of Alexander's rookie year when he averaged 17 ppg on 45 percent shooting for the Wizards to see his potential. "He can play; flat out go," Silas said. "He's a hell of an athlete. He's got a super mid-range jumper and is very quick to the hoop and can finish with both hands. You don't see that very much. I just want to expand his game. I think with the teams he's been on, he hasn't had the chance to showcase his talent yet. He'll get that chance here."

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Baron Davis

SG: Courtney Alexander

SF: Jamal Mashburn

PF: P.J. Brown

C: Elden Campbell

TORONTO RAPTORS

SF: Morris Peterson vs. Lamond Murray

If Murray wasn't happy taking a back seat to up-and-coming superstar Darius Miles, how's he going to feel on opening night if Peterson, a solid but unspectacular swingman, is out there for the opening tip? "You'd think everything would be set in stone with a team like this," Murray told the Toronto Star. "But for things to be open is a good thing." Right now it seems like coach Lenny Wilkens is keeping an open mind.

Peterson was off and on for the Raptors last season, but when Vince Carter went down for the year, it was Peterson's leadership that helped the Raptors secure an improbable seventh seed in the playoffs. During the month of April, Peterson averaged 18.8 ppg on 45 percent shooting. Murray can talk about his scoring exploits and veteran savvy all he wants, but the truth is that Peterson, not Murray has the experience that counts -- he knows how to win. Murray admits that in many ways, after stints with the Clippers and Cavs, playing for a decent team is a new experience for him.

"It's really uncharted territory for me," he said. "I think it'll rejuvenate the fire and the intensity in me." So far the competition between the two plays has lived up to expectations. Murray has shown a scoring touch that no one outside of Carter possesses on this team, but Peterson has largely held his own. With Peterson playing for a contract extension next summer, don't expect him to give up easily. "I worked hard this summer trying to improve individually so I could help the team. I've gotten a lot stronger. I've added five or seven pounds of muscle. I don't want to take away from my quickness, though, so hopefully it just made me stronger. We'll have to see."

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Alvin Williams

SG: Vince Carter

SF: Morris Peterson

PF: Jerome Williams

C: Antonio Davis

Dickau will take time at 'toughest position to learn'

Jeffrey Denberg / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Minutes precious at the point

Roman Modrowski / Chicago Sun-Times

Healthy Robinson set to show stuff

K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune

Cavaliers' Coles plans on making his point

Bob Finnan / Willoughby News-Herald

Pistons look to Rebraca

Chris McCosky / Detroit News

Flash or not, Curry has the tools to start for the Pistons

Rob Parker / Detroit News

Harrington eases into training camp routine

Mark Montieth / Indianapolis Star

Thomas, chemistry catalysts to mix

Dale Hofmann / Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Mashburn backups content to compete

Jimmy Smith / New Orleans Times-Picayune

Raptors must find Mo money

Bill Harris / Toronto Sun

McMillan, Sonics torn between Barry and Mason

While Insider will give you a more in-depth look at the Western Conference camp battles on Monday and Tuesday, a few stories have developed over the last couple of days that are worth mentioning.

In Seattle, Nate McMillian is seriously considering giving third-year guard Desmond Mason the starting nod over incumbent Brent Barry.

"Brent has done a good job," McMillan told the Tacoma Tribune. "He did a good job last season and played well. Mase wants an opportunity and he is working hard. So that is a decision that I have to look at. If Mase is playing well enough to move into that spot, then that is definitely something we have to consider. That is a part of me making the decision and the players respecting that decision and making it work."

The issue right now for the Sonics is two-fold. While Barry had a career year last season, the team has clearly tagged Mason as its future at that position. With Rashard Lewis locked up, Calvin Booth and Jerome James healthy and second-year forward Vladimir Radmanovic getting a huge jump in minutes, there's pressure to get Mason in there so the Sonics can start their future drive now.

Secondly, Mason is a much better defender than Mason. McMillian has been stressing defense in camp, leading to speculation that Mason could beat out Barry. For now, McMillian seems torn.

"Brent is good for Gary [Payton] because he shoots the ball well enough to keep people honest," McMillan said. "And it allows Gary an extra second to have one-on-one opportunities because Brent shoots the ball so well.

"Mase can defend a bigger guard. He also can punish smaller guards if they want to switch their point on him. I will give them both opportunities. It is a matter of what is best for the team, what makes us comfortable."

Sonics seek Payton's backcourt mate

Frank Hughes / Tacoma News Tribune

Mason getting a handle on his ballgame

Percy Allen / Seattle Times

Will Fortson be the odd man out in Golden State?

Antawn Jamison hasn't spent a minute at power forward in camp, but the speculation is still running rampant that incumbent Danny Fortson's days as a starter are numbered.

It's not a big deal that Fortson sat out Thursday's scrimmage with a bruised right knee. But Warriors coach Eric Musselman's math concerning his regular rotation has raised a few eyebrows.

On Wednesday, Musselman said he was looking at an 81/2- to nine-man rotation — numbers that included rookies Mike Dunleavy and Jiri Welsh. When you factor in Bobby Sura and Gilbert Arenas at point guard, Jason Richardson at the two, Jamison at the three/four and Erick Dampier and Adonal Foyle in the middle you're already up to eight. Musselman has also made it clear that second-year forward Troy Murphy is in his plans, leaving out . . . you guessed it, Fortson.

On Thursday, he amended his math, saying he may need to use as many as 10 guys. "We're contemplating having to play 10 guys," Musselman told the Contra Costa Times. "It's a dilemma a lot of teams have without an established pecking order. We might have to make tough decisions. When I say 81/2 to nine, ideally, that's what we'd like to do. But right now there are 10 guys and all 10 have done a very good job. What if the experiment with Murphy at

works?"

That should quiet the controversy for the moment. Musselman knows that the best way to move Fortson (the Warriors tried all summer) is not to bury him on the end of the bench the way the Warriors did Marc Jackson last fall.

Several other camp controversies are still playing themselves out. It looks like Sura has the edge over Arenas. In fact, Arenas didn't even get a chance to play the point until Thursday. Right now, it looks like Musselman prefers to have him backing up Richardson. Arena's agent, Dan Fegan, offered a veiled threat on Thursday.

"In terms of Gilbert Arenas' future with the Warriors, it's important that they develop him as a point guard," Fegan told the San Francisco Chronicle. Arenas will be a restricted free agent next summer.

Warriors rotation not set in stone

Matt Steinmetz / Contra Costa Times

'Early Bird' may fly the coup

Brad Weinstein / San Francisco Chronicle

Logan finding life with coach not to liking

Roger Brown / Cleveland Plain Dealer

McInnis makes his case

Is there really any contest between Jeff McInnis and Damon Stoudamire for the Blazers' starting point guard position.

McInnis is 6-foot-4 to Stoudamire's 5-foot-9. McInnis is a better playmaker, a better defender, better at posting up and he seems to have the edge in attitude at this point. With the exception of Stoudamire's outside shooting, what's holding the Blazers back?

For now, Stoudamire is the starter, but getting a bigger playmaker has been a Blazer priority for the last two seasons. Stoudamire may be starting, but it's likely that McInnis will be finishing games.

To his credit, McInnis has remained about the fray. While Stoudamire has demanded a trade if he loses his starting job, McInnis said he's happy whatever the outcome.

"Whatever they need me to do to be a Trail Blazer, I just want to do it," McInnis told the Oregonian. "I don't want to come in and cause controversy, talking about 'I want to start.' I just want to come out and play. Damon's been helping me on the court. He knows this system, and every time he sees me doing something wrong, he comes up and says, 'Jeff, do this . . . do that.' "

Stoudamire blames any controversy on the media. "Sometimes I wish people would put the focus on the team instead of two players," Stoudamire said. "What that does, basically, is wage battle between two players on the same team . . . and that's something that may have hurt our team in the past."

It appears Stoudamire isn't the only one doing the teaching.

McInnis won't quit until he is satisfied

Jim Beseda / The Oregonian

How did Spree back his hand?

The fallout from Latrell Sprewell's mysterious broken hand continues to be the talk of the town in New York. For most of the week Spree has maintained that he had no idea how he broke the hand.

Thursday, Spree's agent offered the first public account, claiming that he broke his pinkie in a yacht mishap. According to Sprewell's account, Gist said, a wave smacked his boat and he scrambled to gain control of the vessel, pulling on a rope to redirect it. Sprewell banged his hand in trying to get the boat back on course, Gist said.

That's at odds with a N.Y. Post report, citing two unidentified eye witnesses who claim that Spree hurt his hand when, during a late-night party on his boat, he was involved in a skirmish in which he threw a punch that missed and hit a wall.

Sprewell denied the account through one of his publicists on Thursday evening, but that probably won't stop the speculation. The Post also consulted a hand specialist who claims that some fractures of the fifth metacarpal are called "a boxer's fracture" because they result from a punch. "A boxer's fracture" normally occurs when someone punches something with no give, such as a wall or pole."

Allan Houston, who has missed practice with a sprained right ankle, said he's disappointed Spree is a no-show at camp.

"I don't know what his situation is," Houston told Newsday. "I'd like to have him here. If he can't for whatever reason, we're still going to support him. But yeah, we'd like to see him.

"Last year, we weren't willing to put it on the line for each other like we have in the past ... As the season went on, you could just sense a drought in the emotion and the passion. Those intangible things will make a huge difference. You could see at the end of last year that we needed a fresh start."

Spree Broke Pinkie In Yacht Mishap

Marc Berman / New York Post

Houston: Where Is Sprewell?

Greg Logan / Newsday

Talent Not an Excuse for Today's Bad Behavior

Mike Wise / New York Times

Peep Show

Mavs: Shawn Bradley's resurgence continues to be the talk of the Mavericks' training camp. "He let himself down, us down, and the fans down last year," Mavericks coach Don Nelson told the Fort Worth Star Telegram. "He just couldn't find a way to be a factor, for whatever reason, and he's trying to repair that damage." . . . With the addition of Popeye Jones, expect Eduardo Najera to move to the three this season. "We're so deep with our big lineup that we're trying to move Najera into the three spot [small forward]," Nelson told the Dallas Morning News. "He's made his living in the past as an undersized power forward who got by with his heart and his hustle." . . .Free agent Raja Bell has made a good impression in camp. "What Raja brings is someone who brings a lot of energy and plays at both ends of the floor," Steve Nash said. "Defensively, he can come in and give us a spark, and offensively he can really run the floor."

Kings: Keon Clark finally arrived at Kings camp Thursday. He made a good first impression. "I think what's good, from just watching him, he's got good offensive skills," coach Rick Adelman told the Sacramento Bee, "and he can pass the ball like our other big guys, which is a real advantage. And he's very long, and he gets to the basket. Off the first day, he's pretty much what we thought he might be."

Knicks: It looks like Howard Eisley may have a slight edge over Charlie Ward for the Knicks' starting point guard position. Eisley may even have a slight advantage because the up-tempo style of play that Chaney is espousing is similar to the way he played with Utah and Dallas. Ward, on the other hand, has played grind-it-out, halfcourt ball for eight seasons with the Knicks. "I feel more comfortable playing up-tempo basketball," Eisley told the New York Times. "We've got guys on our team that can put the ball in the basket, guys that can flourish in that type of system, so I think it'll be good for our team."

Wizards: Larry Hughes, Kwame Brown and rookie Jared Jeffries are drawing praise from the coaching staff, which said the battle for playing time is making this a heated training camp. "We have a lot of guys who've done some good stuff," coach Doug Collins told the Washington Post. "Jared has really been impressive. He's a tremendous offensive rebounder. Kwame's had three good practices in a row. He really has played very well. Our guards, the defensive pressure we can put on [players] up the floor, is a real big change for our team."

Hornets: George Lynch, Lee Nailon and Stacey Augmon are battling out for the opportunity to back up Jamal Mashburn at small forward. "Whew, it's going to be tough," Silas told the Times Picayune. "Somebody is going to emerge as the backup to Mash and get the majority of the minutes. Right now, I just can't tell you who that will be. It's going to be a nice battle."

Heat: How much are the Heat feeling the loss of Alonzo Mourning. Coach Pat Riley said he might consider going small at times and playing rookies Caron Butler or Rasual Butler at power forward. Riley said Butler has the strength to compete with more traditional power forwards, and Rasual Butler's long arms can make up for any height differential. "We've got to put shooters out there as much as we can and get as much quickness and energy as we can," Riley told the Miami Herald "We've got to make up for what we've lost with something, and that something we'll find out. I don't have any answers today. But over the next 30 days, we'll know where we can play. And it's sort of fun to try to figure it out."

Spurs, Pistons: The Spurs finally pulled the trigger on the Mengke Bateer trade. The Spurs sent a 2003 second-round pick to Detroit in return. With just David Robinson and Kevin Willis in the middle, the Spurs needed another big to take up some space. "We think he's a very, very underrated basketball player," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told the San Antonio Express News. "Everyone's known about him, but kind of pigeon-holed him in a sense that he's another foreign player. Everybody hoped they could probably find somebody better elsewhere." Bateer won't be able to join the Spurs until Oct. 16, when Team China finishes the Asian Games.

Clippers: Still no word on when Elton Brand will be ready to play again. Brand, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last week, still hasn't joined the team. According to the L.A. Times, Brand could be sidelined for up to one month. . . Andre Miller and Marko Jaric may end on the court together next season. "With Andre Miller and Marko Jaric, I think they're very unselfish, and they give up the ball," coach Alvin Gentry said. "Guys have a tendency to run more, try to get up the court and get easy baskets."

Blazers: Scottie Pippen will miss at least the next 10 days of practice because of a problem in his right knee, and coach Maurice Cheeks said the injury might jeopardize Pippen's starting role for the Oct. 30 season opener. "He might not play in training camp," Cheeks told the Oregonian. "But we are going to wait until his knee calms down."

Rockets: Here's a surprise, Kelvin "Jack Squat" Cato wasn't thrilled when the Rockets drafted center Yao Ming. "I was a little against it [Yao's selection] the first day," he told the Houston Chronicle. "But after thinking about it, I just want to win. I've been on this team for three years. We haven't been in the playoffs since I've been here." Cato then went on to compare his game to Yao's. "We both block shots, but I don't think I can block as many as he can being that he's 7-6. His scoring ability is different than mine. He's a natural-born scorer. He's so big that not too many people can contest his shot besides Shaq [O'Neal] and probably [Dikembe] Mutombo. Getting up and down the floor, I'll probably be faster than him."

Mavs Camp Report

Dwain Price / Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Mavericks move forward with Najera, Jones

Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News

Mavs hoping Bell fills defensive shortage

Art Garcia / Fort Worth Star-Telegram

The newest King arrives at court

Martin McNeal / Sacramento Bee

Up-Tempo Style Suits Eisley's Game

Chris Broussard / New York Times

Heated Competition For Playing Time

Staff / Washington Post

Mashburn backups content to compete

Jimmy Smith / New Orleans Times-Picayune

Ripple effect of Zo's absence felt at power forward, too

Israel Gutierrez / Miami Herald

Spurs add foreign insurance policy

Johnny Ludden / San Antonio Express-News

Uncertainty Surrounds Brand

Elliott Teaford / Los Angeles Times

Clippers making an early point

Joe Stevens / Los Angeles Daily News

Pippen might sit out training camp

Jason Quick / The Oregonian

Cato has positive attitude on training, Yao joining Rockets

Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle

[Traceman]

It is so ridiculously obvious that he simply takes quotes that he thinks supports his position that JT is an undersized SG to make his point. He ignores all quotes that show that the team has made its postion CLEAR that JT is the starting PG for this team.

In addition, I disagree with the Ford's assessment that JT has been more successful at SG than PG. In fact, the only success this team has had over a signifcant stretch since JT has been here was after the All Star break when JT played the majority of his minutes at PG.

The team DOES see Dickau as a big part of our future but for right now, JT is CLEARLY the starter at PG. Ford implies that the Hawks plan to start Dickau but that is clearly not the case.

The 2nd paragraph of Ford's write up is not only contradictory, its ridiculous! He said:

"Dickau was one of the many bright spots for an undefeated Hawks summer league team, but the team still has a dilemma. With DerMarr Johnson out for the season, the Hawks will need Terry more than ever to spend major minutes at the two. The combination of Dickau, listed at 6-foot-1, and Terry, listed at 6-foot-2, would be the smallest backcourt in the NBA. For now, Dion Glover is grabbing most of the minutes at shooting guard and the Hawks are crossing their fingers that the new competition will force Terry to step up his game as the team's point guard. Still, with Dickau's playmaking skills, you get the feeling it's only a matter of time before he breaks through."

He makes it sound like JT has to step up his game at PG because Glover is grabbing most of the minutes at SG. Please! Hell, Glover is on the outside looking in as the starter at SG, regardless of where JT plays! Ira is the probable starter there at this point. To suggest that JT has to look over his shoulder at Glover or Dickau is ridiculous. JT is going to be in the starting lineup FOR SURE if he's healthy. I'd say there's about a 95% chance that he will start at PG but I guess its possible he could start at SG. But he will start.

As for Dickau's playmaking skills, I think they are going to be very good but even still, he doesn't bring anywhere NEAR the things to the table that JT does. I look for Dan the Man to get a decent amount of PT this year but he's not going to start and I doubt that he will mount much of a serious challenge to JT to start at any point during this season. There is a reason that JT was drafted in the top 10 AS A PG in a STRONG PG draft and Dickau was drafted 29th in WEAK PG draft. JT was CLEARLY the better player coming out of college and he is CLEARLY the better player now.

[Guest]

I agree but JT will have to play well in a uptempo

because that is what Lon is going to try and enforce

even though we don't have the talent to do that

type of game.

[Diesel]

IF Babcock were planning to ship JT off to a team in need of a PG for a bigger SG, who do you think JT would bring us?

Please, say no to JT/Hendu/Nazr for Spreewell/Thomas.

More seriously.

JT/Hendu for Jones?

I think Jones is in Miami to stay. Even Best being injured can't get Miami to reload that way....

JT for Battier?

Memphis doesn't need a PG.

Well, let's do it like this. Teams in need of a PG:

NY, GS, Chi, Minn, Sea?, Tor?, Mia?,

of these teams... Only a few of them have a SG that's worth Terry.

I mean, I could say JT/Hendu/1st rounders for 5 yrs for Vince... BUt it still makes no sense.

Unless there's a Spreewell Deal (which I would hate)...

Or some kind of three way involving Wally Z... I don't think a trade is going down.

BUT Still playing Devil's advocate:

JT to Minn

Wally to Houston

Mobley to Atlanta.

JT to Minn

Wally to Memphis

Battier to Atlanta

JT to Minn

Wally to PTL

Bonzi to Atlanta

Hmm?

[Guest]

Bonzi??lol you mean the guy that puts down his

own fans?

Mobley.yeah if you got us a starting PG I'd

consider trading Terry for Mobley.

I'd rather trade Reef because we are not going

to get out of the first round with a first option

post player that can't pass out of a double team

not to mention the lack of atheletic ability and

the fact that he can be scored on with ease as

guys like Dirk and KG shoot over him with ease.

Eddie Jones?Is there REALLY alot of difference

between he and Spree?

[Blunt91]

I like Cuttino Mobley. I would do that deal if Terry doesn't workout out at shooting guard.Would that really help Houston? Francis is really a shooting guard himself.

Atlanta's lineup:

PG Dan Dickau

SG Cuttino Mobley

SF Glenn Robinson

PF Shareef Abdur Rahim

C Theo Ratliff

Houston's lineup

PG Steve Francis

SG Jason Terry

Sf Eddie Griffin

PF Maurice Taylor

C Yao Ming

On paper that deal favors the Rockets.

[Traceman]

JT is our PG for this year. We will win or lose with him but he's going to be the guy at PG. Babs has to find out if JT can make the transition to full time (well he'll likely always play SOME SG but you know what I mean) PG before he even considers trading him. How dumb would he look if he trades JT for a super role player like Battier and then JT explodes and becomes the perennial All Star PG that most of us here thinks he can be? The Hawks are going to give JT every opportunity to prove he can play PG because the bottom line is that his ability to play PG is the difference between a Bibby contract and a Dickerson contract (if that).

[Guest]

If we trade JT for Mobley we need a REAL PG.