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Midwest Division Turf Wars

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: Rashard Lewis goes down | Is Jay Williams struggling with the triangle? | Clippers crumbling | Peep Show

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The Midwest Division is quickly becoming the stepchild to the powerhouse Pacific out West. With the exception of the Mavs and Spurs, there isn't one lock for the postseason. The Rockets, T-Wolves and Jazz will all be competitive, but as this edition of Turf Wars will show, they have huge question marks at key positions. The outcome of this fall's battles may determine whether they play the lottery this spring.

MIDWEST DIVISION TURF WARS

Also see: Atlantic Division | Central Division

DALLAS MAVERICKS

C: Raef LaFrentz vs. Shawn Bradley

We're kidding, right? Bradley, coming off a new low in a career that's rarely seen a high, was in danger of never seeing the light of day after last season's debacle. LaFrentz just signed a seven-year, $70 million contract. However, Bradley has been the biggest and most important story of camp. He spent the summer working out, bulking up and getting in shape for the upcoming season. "I'm not ready to give him the league's most-improved award just yet," assistant coach Del Harris told the Dallas Morning News. "But he looks very, very good. A lot better than last year."

Of course, we've heard this before. Bradley has shown promise in the preseason before only to totally deflate once the real games begin. Indeed, in the Mavs' first full scrimmage on Sunday, Bradley appeared to regress a bit. "I better stop talking about what he's been doing in practice," Nelson said. "He didn't do the things on the floor that he's been doing in practice." But if Bradley is ready for a breakout season, coach Don Nelson can employ his big lineup that moves LaFrentz over to his more natural power forward position and puts Dirk Nowitzki at the the three. Bradley would give the Mavs their best option for shot blocking and rebounding, LaFrentz would be more of an offensive force at the four and Nowitzki, who's capable of playing any position on the floor, creates the most match-up problems when he's playing small forward.

Will the Mavs really put three seven footers on the floor together? "We're definitely going to use the big lineup more this year than we did a year ago," Nelson told the Dallas Morning News. "Last year, I talked about it a lot, but every time we tried it, we laid an egg and I'd lose my patience and go back with the small lineup. But if the lineup allows me to do it, we're going to use it more this year."

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Steve Nash

SG: Michael Finley

SF: Eduardo Najera

PF: Dirk Nowitzki

C: Raef LaFrentz

DENVER NUGGETS

SF: Nikoloz Tskitishivili vs. Rodney White

With only two solid veterans on the team, you could make the argument that after Marcus Camby and Juwan Howard, everyone else on the Nuggets is embroiled in some sort of battle. The problem for the Nuggets is that they don't have the depth to make many of the battles interesting. Kenny Satterfield gets the point guard position by default. Rookie Junior Harrington is the closest thing Harrington has to competition. James Posey doesn't have much to sweat either. Veteran George McCloud and rookie Predrag Savovic won't put up much of a fight. That leaves small forward, where the newly acquired White and lottery pick Tskitishvili figure to be key players in the future of the Nuggets.

White and Tskitishivili bring different things to the table. White is an explosive athlete who has the strength and inside-outside offensive game to play three positions in the NBA. Tskitishiviili is incredibly skilled and fundamentally solid for a 7-footer. He's got a great outside shot, is an exceptional passer and can handle the ball as well as any young big man in the NBA. Both players also have a downside. White was traded from Denver after he showed no improvement this summer in his defensive intensity. He's also very raw. White played sparingly in Detroit and had only one year of college before bolting for the NBA. In other words, consider him a rookie. Tskitishivili isn't much further along. He's incredibly thin, lacks experience at any level and doesn't understand NBA defense.

The early word out of camp is that White has a slight edge over Skita and should be able to work his way into the starting lineup. Skita will get plenty of minutes in a supporting role early on, and second-year forward Chris Andersen is also in the mix. "He's a highlight tape on pretty much a daily basis," Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik told the Rocky Mountain News. "He has the ability to do something spectacular every 10 minutes. But what is he doing the other 9 minutes? . . . When he tries to do too much or shoot outside of his range, then he becomes a player who is not good enough to play in this league."

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Kenny Satterfield

SG: James Posey

SF: Rodney White

PF: Juwan Howard

C: Marcus Camby

HOUSTON ROCKETS

PF: Mo Taylor vs. Kenny Thomas vs. Eddie Griffin

The Rockets, for once, have plenty of frontcourt options this season. After last year's injury marred season, coach Rudy Tomjanovich is just happy to have a completely healthy team this fall. Taylor was the incumbent starter before tearing his ACL last summer. While he claims that he's completely healed, the Rockets are taking it slow with him. Taylor gained an enormous amount of weight over the last year and has been working hard over the last few months to get himself back into shape. "I'm definitely ready to play," Taylor told the Houston Chronicle. "I just want to go through training camp with no setbacks, no soreness, no taking any time off. I want to do as much as I possibly can to get myself into NBA shape."

If Taylor proves ready to go, last year's starter, Thomas, may end up making up his lost minutes at small forward. Thomas has excelled at the three in camp, and with Glen Rice's health always an issue, he may find his opportunity to get meaningful minutes there. But as talented as Taylor and Thomas are, both of them are looking over their shoulder at Griffin.

Griffin started last season slowly, but by January he was averaging 13.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 2.9 bpg in just over 35 minutes per game. While he seemed to hit the wall later in the season, the Rockets know that Griffin's diverse abilities make him their power forward of the future. He's already making a good impression in camp. "I see more aggressiveness, especially fighting for position to get the ball," Rudy T said. "His talent level ... when he goes after rebounds, it's his." Taylor and Thomas may be more accomplished scorers at the moment, but Griffin's rebounding and shot-blocking talents are already light years ahead of both players. If he keeps up the learning curve, it will be only a matter of time before Taylor and Thomas are cheering for Eddie from the side of the bench.

C: Yao Ming vs. Kelvin Cato

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 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."

You can understand why Cato is a little bit defensive. Not only has he done nothing over the last few years to justify the huge paycheck he collects, many feel Yao is poised to revolutionize the game. But before Cato, or anyone else for that matter, gets ahead of himself, Yao needs to get over here and play in a game or two first. The Rockets are still dodging obstacles from the Chinese Basketball Association. While a source on the Rockets told Insider this weekend that the team is still very confident that Yao will join it shortly after the completion of the Asian Games (Oct. 16th), it's going to take awhile to get Yao ready for the upcoming season. Not only does he face a new league, new offensive system, new teammates and a new culture -- he's also battling fatigue. Yao has literally been playing all summer for Team China and will likely suffer an inordinate amount of fatigue. That all translates into plenty of minutes for Cato this season. Whether they're productive or not remains to be seen.

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Steve Francis

SG: Cuttino Mobley

SF: Glen Rice

PF: Mo Taylor

C: Yao Ming<

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

PG: Terrell Brandon vs. Troy Hudson

Why are things so dour in Minnesota? The T-Wolves are coming off their best season ever, fourth-year player Wally Szczerbiak has blossomed into an all-star and Kevin Garnett continues to show loyalty to the team despite being unable to come to terms on a contract extension this summer. Unfortunately for coach Flip Saunders, the rest of the news surrounding camp has all been bad.

Losing point guard Chauncey Billups was a huge blow. Being spurned by just about every top free agent out there this summer hurt even more. With Brandon's rehab lagging, the T-Wolves' point guard problems have never been worse. How desperate is vice president Kevin McHale at this point? McHale said recently that an injured Brandon is still "better than anything else who's out there right now." Saunders joked that "we might have five forwards out there" when the season begins.

It's not that bad, but it's close. The team did pick up Hudson this summer, but he's got his work cut out for him. Known as more of a scorer than a playmaker, Hudson will have to change his game to keep Wally and KG happy. "I know how to run the point-guard position, but that mentality can come down any time, where I'll look to score the ball," Hudson told the Pioneer Press. "There's a hardheadedness inside of me that, at times, I go away from being a point guard. But over this past couple of years, I've been able to control that, to get my teammates the ball. I know that's what I have to do here." While no one will mistakes Hudson's game for the unselfish type of basketball Brandon plays, there is one upside to having Hudson around. "He's our most dynamic scorer," Saunders said. "In the last few years, we've never had someone where we could... give him the ball and say 'Get me a shot.' He can either break a guy down, get to the basket, get fouled or shoot it ? that's what Troy can do. He definitely brings something to the table."

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Troy Hudson

SG: Wally Szczerbiak

SF: Kevin Garnett

PF: Joe Smith

C: Radoslav Nesterovic

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

SG: Michael Dickerson vs. Wesley Person

After missing 78 games last season with a groin stress fracture, Dickerson knows he's got a lot to prove this season. Dickerson has returned to camp bigger, stronger and with a fairly large chip on his shoulder. This summer, new team president Jerry West traded for Person as insurance in case Dickerson wasn't ready or able to perform. So far, that hasn't been an issue. Dickerson has impressed everyone in Memphis and seems to have nailed down his starting job again. "He's our starting two guard. He is a big piece to this team," Griz coach Sidney Lowe told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "He is someone we're counting on, so it's a big thing to have him back. He's another scorer, another threat to open things up for Pau [Gasol] and Jason [Williams]."

Dickerson may be playing well, but he's being pushed by Person, who's coming off his best season ever. Person rarely missed a jump shot last season, shooting a sizzling 49 percent from the field and 44 percent from behind the arc. He's rarely missed one in training camp either, leading to speculation that if Dickerson comes out of the gate rusty, Lowe won't hesitate to give him the hook for Person.

6TH MAN: Stromile Swift vs. Drew Gooden

The Grizzlies spent much of the summer trying to trade Swift in an effort free up a logjam at power forward. The team, however, just couldn't get the value it expected for the No. 2 overall pick. Rumors of a Mike Miller-for-Swift swap continue to make the rounds, but it appears likely that the Grizzlies will begin the season with three top young prospects at the four. While Pau Gasol, the reigning rookie of the year, is lock to get the starting nod, Gooden and Swift are embroiled in one of the most interesting battles of the fall.

"There's not going to be a lot of minutes there," Lowe told the Commercial Appeal. "When you think about it, if Gasol plays the way he's capable of playing, it's hard not having him on the floor. The minutes that those guys get -- either Drew or Stro -- they have to be productive minutes." Right now the team seems to be easing the tension somewhat by claiming that it wants to bring Gooden along much slower than it did Gasol and Shane Battier last season. But that may be tough. Observers at camp say Gooden continues to build upon an impressive summer league performance and has routinely out performed Swift in practice. If Gooden clearly wins the battle outside of the public eye, look for the Grizzlies to start working the phones again. Swift's value will be nothing languishing at the end of the bench.

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Jason Williams

SG: Michael Dickerson

SF: Shane Battier

PF: Pau Gasol

C: Lorenzen Wright

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

SG: Steve Smith vs. Emmanuel Ginobili

Two months ago, several prominent NBA writers were laughing off the suggestion that Ginobili, a skinny Argentinean two guard who's finally making his way to the NBA, had what it took to displace Smith as the team's starting shooting guard. But after Ginobili's coming out party at the World Championships, the consensus now seems to be that he's the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year. Oh, what a difference two weeks make.

What most writers and fans don't know is that Ginobili has been lighting up Europe for the past few years with his tenacious offensive play. While some NBA scouts wondered aloud whether Ginobili's game would translate in the NBA, his ability to constantly get by some top U.S. players last month at the Worlds seems to have quieted his critics for the moment. A sprained ankle suffered at the Worlds kept him off the floor until Sunday. When "Manu" finally did hit the court, his teammates were impressed. "He looked good in the short time he was on the floor," David Robinson told the San Antonio Express News. "He made some nice moves out there -- he made a really nice move by me. I think he definitely has ability and he understands the game. Obviously, it's going to take some time for him to get a feel for us as players. But I can see that the skills are there."

So far Smith has been a good sport about all of the hype surrounding Ginobili. He knows his outside shooting (he led the league in three-point shooting percentage last season) and experience will give him the nod, at least early in the season. He also knows that he wants to win. If Manu is the missing key, so be it. "He's going to help our team," Smith said. "That's good. It keeps me going. Keeps me on my toes. Whatever happens, happens. At this point in my career, I just want to stay healthy and have fun."

Projected Starting 5:

PG: Tony Parker

SG: Steve Smith

SF: Bruce Bowen

PF: Tim Duncan

C: David Robinson

UTAH JAZZ

SG: Matt Harpring vs. DeShawn Stevenson

With Bryon Russell, John Starks and Quincy Lewis finally out of the way, for a while this summer it looked like Stevenson's best competition for the starting two guard position this fall would be Calbert Cheaney. But the signing of Harpring has complicated all of that. Though Harpring is much more comfortable playing small forward, the Jazz signed him with the hope that he could give them big minutes at the two. Andrei Kirilenko already has the starting small forward job locked up. If Harpring is going to get the same minutes he got in Philly, he's going to have to do it as a guard, if he can beat out Stevenson.

Though Stevenson has come along slowly the the last two years, he finally seemed to have a breakthrough this summer at the Rocky Mountain Revue, where he was named to the all-tournament team. Now that he's in a contract year (the Jazz haven't decided whether to pick up their team option for next year) and there's an opportunity to nab a starting role, Stevenson doesn't want the chance to slip by him. "I'm gonna play this year. Starter or not, I'm gonna play," he told the Salt Lake Tribune. "I see myself getting a lot of minutes if I do the things I'm supposed to."

While Harpring is known as a good defender, it will be Stevenson's development on the defensive end that will determine his role with the team. The Jazz need his athleticism desperately. Harpring doesn't have the speed or quickness to hang with the Kobes and Tracy McGradys of the world. Stevenson does, but he still has to get it into his head that that coach Jerry Sloan needs him to stop scorers more than scoring himself. Stevenson's lapse during Sunday night's exhibition game epitomized the dilemma. "It never fails -- you work on stuff all week, then you go out there and all of a sudden, guys forget what they're supposed to do," Sloan said. "If you duck your head and think, 'I've got to get shots off,' we can't do that. DeShawn started thinking about shooting. . . . I guess that's what the exhibition season is all about."

Projected Starting 5:

PG: John Stockton

SG: Matt Harpring

SF: Andrei Kirilenko

PF: Karl Malone

C: Jarron Collins

Mavs' big lineup ? huge hit or tall order?

Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News

Beefed-up Bradley needs to prove himself

Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News

Scrimmage shows Nuggets where to improve

Marc J. Spears / Denver Post

Rockets' Rice making no concessions to age

Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle

Cato has positive attitude on training, Yao joining Rockets

Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle

Hudson takes control at Wolves' point

Robbi Pickeral / St. Paul Pioneer Press

Hudson looks good in scrimmage

Steve Aschburner / Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Dickerson shows no signs of injury

Ronald Tillery / Memphis Commercial Appeal

Griz past full at forward

Ronald Tillery / Memphis Commercial-Appeal

Manu finally feels playful

Johnny Ludden / San Antonio Express-News

Point Guards Impress In Jazz's Opening Win

Phil Miller / Salt Lake Tribune

Rashard Lewis goes down

Well, that didn't take long. Rashard Lewis, just weeks off signing his big seven-year, $60 million contract, didn't get much time to prove his worth.

The Jazz and Sonics got the NBA preseason underway Sunday but Lewis didn't make it out of first quarter. Lewis' shoulder, the same one he injured toward the end of last season, popped out with 1 minute, 50 seconds to go in the first quarter.

"I kind of got tangled up with somebody and felt like it shifted a little bit and felt a little pop," Lewis told the Seattle Times. "It just stung for a quick second. ... The last time, it completely came out, but this time it just felt like a little shift and a quick pop."

While the Soncis are downplaying the seriousness of the injury — no MRI's are planned — it does raise questions about Lewis' health. Lewis, who injured the shoulder against the Spurs last season and missed 11 games, refused to have surgery this summer and instead decided to use rest and rehabilitation to heal the injury.

Months ago, Sonics sources suggested to Insider that they were concerned about the injury and felt that Lewis opted against surgery because he was a free agent.

The news, however, serious as it is or isn't, was enough to cast a pall over the Sonics' first game, an 89-82 loss.

"I didn't really see it, but when we found out it was the same shoulder, it really tweaks us a little bit," Gary Payton told the Times. "Without him, it [puts] a lot more on me, Desmond [Mason] and Brent [barry]. We've got to do a little more on offense. I hope he can come back, but it's just preseason. He [doesn't) need to come back. He needs to get himself together, work his arm and get it stronger. And then by the time Oct. 30 comes, hopefully we can get him back."

Lewis injured as Sonics tumble

Percy Allen / Seattle Times

Is Jay Williams struggling with the triangle?

While it seems like the camp battle between Jay Williams and Jamal Crawford for the starting point guard position was pre-determined on draft night, there does seem to be a small bump in the road on Williams' way toward taking the reigns of the team.

Williams, like just about everyone else, is having problems picking up the triangle offense.

"There are a lot of ways you can fill out the triangle that I didn't realize you could do," Williams told the Chicago Tribune. "It's a difficult offense to adjust to, but if you use it the right way, it provides open opportunities and a lot of isolation situations. I'm learning situations and trying to get isolation to make things happen."

Speculation has run rampant all summer that the Bulls may scrap the offense to better utilize the talents of players like Williams. Some believe that the offense will limit Williams' ability to penetrate.

Cartwright isn't too concerned. "Jay is going to be fine wherever he is," the coach said. "He's adaptable. He's a smart basketball player. His greatest ability is his ability to push the ball and penetrate, and I feel that he'll have plenty of opportunities to do that and learn when the best opportunities are."

Williams adjusts to triangle

K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune

Clippers crumbling

First Lamar Odom fell. Then Elton Brand. Shortly thereafter it was Quentin Richardson. Now Michael Olowokandi is the latest victim of the Donald Sterling curse.

"We've had bad karma, I guess," coach Alvin Gentry told the L.A. Times on Sunday.

Olowokandi's injury, termed a "sore knee", isn't believed to be serious, but given the Clippers' recent injury history, they're taking precautions.

"He'll have an MRI and an X-ray, and we'll go from there," Gentry said. "He's got some soreness in it. It's accumulated over the five days we've been out here. We want to get it looked at."

The rest of the Clippers are in worse shape. Brand probably won't be ready for the Oct. 30 opener after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Sept. 26. Odom is expected to sit out at least two more months because of a sprained right ankle. Richardson injured his knee while running Friday and is to be re-evaluated by the team's medical staff today.

Richardson disputed an ESPN report that he would miss the season opener with a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. "Don't believe what you heard," Richardson told the O.C. Register. "I think I'll be cool. I'll be straight. I wouldn't suggest that anybody believe what they heard on ESPN. I'm not putting a timetable on it. I do know that I'll be ready when the real bell rings."

Gentry said all of the injuries have been frustrating to the team. "They're frustrated. They see the potential of our team. One thing about this group of guys, I don't think there's anybody who wants to be sitting out. They all want to be playing right now."

Olowokandi Sidelined Too

Elliott Teaford / Los Angeles Times

Richardson denies he'll miss opener

Art Thompson / Orange County Register

Peep Show

Nets: Jason Kidd has been working on his jump shot. "He'll have a better year than he did last year," coach Byron Scott told the N.Y. Times. "I think he'll be a little more aggressive offensively." Kidd's more philosophical about his shooting. "If I was more of a shoot-first, pass-second, maybe my percentage would go up," said Kidd, who has shot 40.3 percent for his career. "But the game is a lot easier when you pass and your teammates can put the ball in the basket. If I shoot the ball better, maybe I'll have a better chance of winning that award. But the bottom line is winning."

Knicks: Latrell Sprewell and Scott Layden are set to meet today. "We will meet with him [today] and I will speak to you guys afterward," coach Don Chaney told the N.Y. Daily News. "I'm worn out with Latrell. I want to think about the team, and go from there. Let's talk about team. I'm just not in the mood to talk about Sprewell at this time. I'll meet with him and go from there." . . .With Allan Houston also ailing, look for Shandon Anderson to play some two guard and a slimmed down Clarence Weatherspoon to play the three. "I think he's made a hell of an adjustment," Chaney said. "The biggest thing for him is shooting with confidence. A lot of times, he's hesitant about taking an open shot. I want him to shoot any time he's open."

Blazers: Coach Mo Cheeks is contemplating using 7-foot-3 Arvydas Sabonis at center, 6-11 Dale Davis at power forward, 6-11 Rasheed Wallace at small forward, 6-5 Bonzi Wells at off guard and 6-4 Jeff McInnis at point guard. "We have a lot of lineups that are big, to the point where we should be able to outrebound anybody," Cheeks told the Oregonian. "And we should be able to match up with anybody out there. With the exception of [5-9 guard] Damon [stoudamire], everybody on our team has size."

Raptors: It looks like Vince Carter's knee is holding up just fine. "He moved real well, he went to the basket strong, he wasn't hesitating," Wilkens told the Globe and Mail. "There don't seem to be any side effects from being out as long as he has, and I think he'll continue to get better."

Hawks: Is Theo Ratliff finally healthy? "I'll never be 100 percent of who I was," Ratliff told the Atlanta Journal Constitution, acknowledging the care he must take with his abdominal muscles, and the pain that lingers in his surgically repaired right hip. "But I can be 100 percent of who I am, and that's what I'm working on. If I start to feel discomfort or I have some pain, I have to be smart and take some time. I've got to know when to back off, when I can go full speed."

Suns: Penny Hardaway and Tom Gugliotta are earning praise. Hardaway says for once he's totally healthy. "I feel great," he told the Arizona Republic. "I didn't play as well as I wanted to, but I had a lot of energy. I didn't make enough shots, but I feel really excited about this team. Googs and I have been through a lot, and I can't say it's been easy. Hopefully we can both contribute to this team."

Rockets: Glen Rice says he's ready to start lighting teams up again after battling injuries for the last two seasons. "As far as being who I am and doing what I do, I'm still going to want that," Rice told the Houston Chronicle. "I'm a scorer. My shooting ability is there. I still want to do that as much as I can and as well as I can. Whenever I'm doing what I do best, it's going to give us a big advantage. I'm trying not to slow down until it's time to slow down, and right now is not the time."

Sixers: Monty Williams is the latest Sixer to go down with an injury. Williams strained his left shoulder during practice Saturday and will have an MRI exam today. Are the Sixers in for another season of injury woes? Allen Iverson (broken right finger), Derrick Coleman (left knee rehab), Greg Buckner (right knee sprain), Sam Clancy (left knee rehab), Mark Bryant (right quad strain), Art Long (groin strain) and Efthimios Rentzias (lower back strain) all missed practice on Sunday. Warriors: Eric Mussellman is doing his best to change the losing culture of the Warriors. But sometimes his players' new found confidence gets a bit out control. For example, take Erick Dampier, who after a summer working with Clifford Ray wants to challenge Allen Iverson for the scoring title. "From here on out, that's my motto: Anytime I have an open look at the goal, I'm going to shoot it, regardless of what anybody says," Dampier told the San Francisco Chronicle. For the record, Dampier, a center, averages a miserable 41 percent from the field.

Pacers: Reggie Miller is impressed with the improvement of some of the Pacers' younger players. "Jamaal's [Tinsley] decision-making is fantastic; he really understands how to run a ballclub," Miller told the Indianapolis Star Tribune. "Jonathan [bender] is showing more aggressiveness at both ends of the floor. Ron Artest is a warrior. He does everything. Ron Mercer is [playing like] in his early days in the league, playing both ends of the court. I'm happy with all of them."

Pistons, Wizards: Richard Hamilton had an interesting take on playing with Michael Jordan. "I watched MJ and saw what he did, what he said, how he carried himself," Hamilton told the Detroit News. "All the pressure was on him, I could just slide by. The focus wasn't on me. Now I'm ready for a little more pressure. I'm not saying I am going to replace Stack. It's going to take all of us to help out and pick that up. I think for things like the the fourth quarter, where before all I could do was get the ball to MJ — I had to, he's the owner and he wanted the ball — I want to see now how I will do in those situations. I want to test myself and succeed."

Heat: If centers Ken Johnson and Ernest Brown are battling for one roster spot, it sounds as if Johnson has the early lead. "If he gets it off, he [isn't] ever going to get it blocked because he's so long," coach Pat Riley told the Miami Herald. "I think that makes his game simple. The other guys have a little bit too much thought about what they want to do on offense." As for Brown, Riley said his injuries — the latest is a thigh contusion that kept him out of practice Sunday — have been a problem. "He's very injury prone," Riley said. "He's always missing time."

Kidd Shows He Intends to Improve His Shooting

Liz Robbins / New York Times

Spree vs. Knicks tips off

Frank Isola / New York Daily News

Blazers Notebook

Jim Beseda / Oregonian

Carter's bad knee holds up

Michael Grange / Toronto Globe & Mail

Ratliff's aim is to avoid further injury

Jeffrey Denberg / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hardaway, Gugliotta impressive

Bob Young / Arizona Republic

Rockets' Rice making no concessions to age

Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle

Warriors' Dampier swats many notions

Brad Weinstein / San Francisco Chronicle

Captains tip their hats to overall improvement

Mark Montieth and Sekou Smith / Indianapolis Star

Hamilton starting to feel at home with the Pistons

Joanne C. Gerstner / Detroit News

Fratello as successor? Riley says no

Israel Gutierrez / Miami Herald

[Hawksfreak]

What a waste of time! LOL he better come see us play! That will show him what a good team is! What is wrong with him? Travis Best for JT I'm still thinking about that LOL!

[hds428]

I could'nt bring myself to read anymore after that. That's just hilarious!!! I'll concede the Mavs, they have enough talent to get out of the redheaded stepchild division. But the Spurs? Aside from Duncan they are four big walking question marks. Can Tony Parker duplicate his rookie season? Can Smitty and The Admiral hold up? Has Bruce Bowen ever been anything more than a 7ppg role player? Spurs are a one man team, and have been going downhill since '99, and I really think that Minn, Hou, Utah, or even Mem (if they gel quickly and listen to Jerry) could snatch their spot. Lock indeed. I used to think he was just a dork, but now I'm starting to think of Chad Ford in the same sense as David Aldridge, just an overglorified name dropper.

[Diesel]

Well, I would like to agree with you that San Antonio is not a lock for the playoffs, but they are. Duncan brings SO MUCH. He doesn't need a lot of help. In fact, SA might win 50 again. Their defense will still be good. Their offense will be questionable. The other question is who is Ginobili?

[hds428]

Duncan could win them close to 50 games, that much I'll give you. I'm also willing to concede that the playoffs is a possibility for the Spurs. But a lock? Hardly. In the East, maybe, but in the West, one man teams don't get the job done. Just ask Kevin Garnett. SA is in a tough conference and an up and coming division, my point is that there are a number of teams in their division alone who could snatch that spot, but they don't have the big names that Chad Ford can drop. StocktontoMalone is passe and MEM is'nt even on Ford's radar. So other than DAL, who has a player with enough celebrity cred that Ford can namedrop? San Antonio.