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Have we heard the last of Reggie Miller?

By Chad Ford

NBA Insider

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Who would've thought one week into the playoffs the three teams on the ropes would be the Pistons, Pacers and Blazers?

OK, we'll give you the Blazers. They've been on the ropes for the past three years. But the Pacers (the most talented team in the East) and the Pistons (the best team in the East) down 3-1?

It's too late to play the blame game at this point. On paper, both the Pacers and Pistons are better than their opponents. But neither has been able to match the intensity of the Celtics or Magic.

Interestingly, neither team has a "go-to" guy to help them down the stretch either.

Reggie's last dance?

Reggie Miller

Shooting Guard

Indiana Pacers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

70 12.6 2.5 2.4 .441 .900

The Pacers had Reggie Miller as a go-to guy, but I think it's safe to put that in past tense now, don't you?

Through four games, Miller is averaging 9.8 ppg on 29 percent shooting. This from the guy who had the biggest statistical scoring jump of any active player from the regular season to the post-season (18.9 ppg to 23.4 ppg before this series).

The Pacers aren't ready to rush Reggie to retirement just yet. They claim the World Championships and a nasty ankle injury suffered there took their toll on the 37-year old sharp-shooter. He also has lost the quickness to really create his own shot, meaning a defender can crowd him on the perimeter and make it more difficult to get his shot off. Combine that with the inevitable regression you start to see in guards after the age of 35, and I think it's safe to say Reggie isn't going to drop 40 on anyone in the playoffs anymore.

That leaves Jermaine O'Neal (who did hit some big fourth quarter shots for the Pacers this season), Ron Artest, Al Harrington or Jamaal Tinsley to come up big in the fourth.

Paul Pierce

Shooting Guard

Boston Celtics

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

79 25.9 7.3 4.4 .416 .802

As deep and talented as the Pacers are, none of those guys come close to what Paul Pierce can do in crunch time. Until the Pacers develop a guy who can really take over the game at the end and carry his team, we're asking too much from them to make a serious run in the playoffs.

Miller's shooting woes this year will certainly raise issues about his salary next season. Miller, who becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1, has said he wants to keep playing, and the Pacers want him back. Regardless of how much he can give the team on the court, he's their most valuable player in the locker room.

He's been the guy in Artest's ear all year trying to keep the volatile one focused on the court. That alone is worth a couple of million. But with GM Donnie Walsh trying to find the cap room to re-sign O'Neal, Brad Miller and Reggie this summer without incurring the luxury tax, you know Reggie's going to have to take it on the chin with a major paycut.

Pistons' missing piece

The Pistons are in a similar dilemma. Critics have contended all year that the Pistons biggest flaw was the lack of a go-to guy down the stretch.

That's never been more apparent than this week, watching Tracy McGrady at times single handedly foil the deepest team in the East.

The Pistons retort all season was to claim they had multiple weapons capable of hitting the game-winning shot. But down 3-1, it looks like everyone's out of ammo.

Chauncey Billups

Point Guard

Detroit Pistons

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

74 16.2 3.7 3.9 .421 .878

The team is still trying to figure out what happened to Chauncey Billups. He averaged 23.4 ppg in April on 46 percent shooting from the field and 43 percent shooting from 3.

In the playoffs, he's averaging 16.5 ppg on 32 percent shooting from the field and 18 percent (4-22) from behind the arc.

Billups was stellar in the playoffs last season for the T-Wolves (22 ppg on 46 percent shooting) raising the question of whether he's already spent too much time around Clifford Robinson.

Super sub Corliss Williamson hasn't really brought his game either. He's averaging just 9.3 ppg on 38 percent shooting.

Meanwhile, McGrady is averaging 36.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.5 apg on 52 percent shooting from the field.

"Oh, man, just to be a young player in this league and be able to put a team on my shoulders," McGrady told the Detroit News. "For a guy like me, who's been bounced from the first round of the playoffs three straight years, to finally get to experience the second round, it just feels great."

Second round? Is anyone on the Pistons that confident?

You already know the answer, and so does Pistons GM Joe Dumars. The team knows it's one superstar away from being unstoppable. They have the right coach, the right defensive intensity, the right role players and a deep bench. But until they get someone who can take over the game in the fourth consistently (sit back down Chauncey) it's pretty clear they'll struggle to make it all the way.

They should have a decent chance of picking up someone like that this summer. The Pistons will get the Grizzlies' lottery pick, as long as it isn't the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. If they land the No. 2 or No. 3 pick, Carmelo Anthony or Darko Milicic could be that guy. If they fall to No. 6 or 7, the may attempt to package their two first round picks and an expiring contract or two (Michael Curry and Hubert Davis come off the books next summer) for a more reliable go-to guy.

Portland already planning changes

Speaking of go-to-guys, the Mavericks' Dirk Nowtizki is averaging 34.8 ppg in the playoffs. The Blazers don't have anyone close. Bonzi Wells did have that big 45-point performance in Game 2, but he has shot the ball terribly the rest of the series.

Zachary Randolph

Power Forward

Portland Trail Blazers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

77 8.4 4.5 0.5 .513 .758

Rasheed Wallace has been steady, and that's saying a lot. But it amazes me that it took Maurice Cheeks until Sunday to give Zach Randolph the ball. Randolph got 41 minutes on Sunday and responded with 25 points and 15 rebounds and the Blazers first win.

Randolph is the Blazers' best scoring threat in the post. Given the Mavs' notorious softness in the paint, Cheeks' decision to leave Randolph on the bench for the first three games is amazing. Yes, he's only 21 years old. But Randolph has the tools to exploit the Mavs biggest weakness.

Insider isn't the only one who noticed this before Randolph exploded on the Mavs on Sunday. A league source told me embattled GM Bob Whitsitt pushed Cheeks to start Randolph at power forward after the Blazers kept failing to take advantage of their strength in the paint. Cheeks had been starting Antonio Daniels at the 2-guard, playing Bonzi at the 3 and playing 'Sheed at the 4.

When the Blazers get eliminated from the series, don't be surprised to see Cheeks kicked to the curb (though it'll be a lot tougher to fire the guy after he helped sing the national anthem). According to the same league source, Cheeks and Whitsitt haven't seen eye-to-eye all season. With Whitsitt already feeling the heat (word is he's already shown assistant GM Mark Warkentien the door) the pressure's on for him to make big changes this summer.

First, he'll try to lure Jeff Van Gundy out of retirement. If he can get a commitment from Van Gundy, who has shown interest in the Portland job before, Cheeks is gone. Second, the Blazers will shop Wallace. He's in the last year of his contract, and owner Paul Allen is pushing for change. Wallace, despite all of his off the court issues, is still the Blazers' best commodity. With the way Randolph is developing, the team can afford to move him for a younger, developing star.

Pacers' season is over

C. Jemal Horton / Indianapolis Star

Carlisle must take blame for team's lack of passion

Drew Sharp / Detroit Free Press

Not so fast: Blazers thwart bid for sweep

Kerry Eggers / Dallas Morning News

2003 NBA Draft: Top 15 point guards

By Chad Ford

NBA Insider

Send an Email to Chad Ford

It's been three pretty long years since the point guard explosion of 1999 brought us Steve Francis, Baron Davis, Andre Miller and Jason Terry in the lottery.

Since then, only 11 point guards have been drafted in the first round. Only two, Jay Williams and Jamal Crawford, have been drafted in the lottery.

We spend a lot of time talking about centers being a dying species. But is the pass-first point guard also heading toward the evolutionary abyss?

"Who knows?" one prominent GM answered Insider. "Last year, I would've told you that smallish point guards were a thing of the past. Teams were obsessed with big point guards who could shoot the ball. Now, with the emergence of Earl Boykins and Tony Parker, who knows? There just isn't a protypical point guard anymore. To each their own."

This year you have your choice of the 5-foot-10, pure point from Texas or the skinny, 6-foot-3 kid from Iowa who does everything; or maybe you'd like the Nene Hilario of point guards (a Brazilian you've never heard of) or a 6-foot-6 shoot-the-lights-out combo guard from the Rick Pitino school of basketball.

Everyone has his place. With one major caveat.

"I think there's still a major fear of the tweener," the GM said. "Nothing scares a team off more than an undersized 2-guard trying to make the switch to point guard in the pros. It's already the hardest position to learn in the NBA -- and that's if you've played the position your whole life. Gilbert Arenas is a great story this year. But he's the exception not the rule."

Here's a look at what should be the best point-guard class since 1999. Tuesday we'll tackle the Top 15 shooting guards.

Note: The list includes all players seriously considering entering the 2003 draft. An asterisk (*) by a player's name indicates he is an underclassman who has officially declared.

1. T.J. Ford, Texas

The line: 5-10, 165, Sophomore

The skinny: Ford is the top point guard in college hoops despite being only 5-foot-10. He may be the fastest player in basketball, pro or college. Has an uncanny ability to see the floor and deliver it with laser-like accuracy. Call it a kind of point guard sixth sense -- the same stuff that fuels Jason Kidd's mojo. His only real weakness is his size and lack of a consistent jumper. Still, some teams feel he's the best playmaker to come out of college since Kidd. He's not for everybody, but there's almost no way he falls out of the Top 10.

2. Kirk Hinrich, Kansas

The line: 6-3, 190, Senior

The skinny: If seniors are out and young kids with 40-inch verticals are in, how does a skinny kid from Iowa sneak into the lottery? Poise. Savvy. Intelligence. A killer jumper. Surprising athleticism. Hinrich has the size, floor vision, ball handling, unselfishness and long-range jumper that scouts beg for in a point guard. While some worry about his strength and lateral quickness, most teams feel he's a lock for the mid-to-late lottery.

3. Leandrinho Barbosa, Brazil*

The line: 6-4, 220, 21 years old

The skinny: Considered the best player in Brazil. He's very long and is an explosive athlete. The thing that has scouts buzzing is the speed at which Barbosa plays for someone his size. He's constantly attacking the basket on offense, and aggressively harassing his man on defense. With his long arms (6-foot-10 wingspan) he gets an unusual amount of steals and blocks for a point guard. Only a few teams have actually been to Brazil to see Barbosa play. He averaged 29.6 ppg, 7.8 apg, 4.2 rpg, 2.6 spg and 0.8 bpg while shooting 57 percent from the field, 47 percent from beyond the arc and 85 percent from the free-throw line. Several NBA scouts who have seen him feel he could move into the late lottery with strong workouts.

4. Reece Gaines, Louisville

The line: 6-6, 205, Senior

The skinny: He's 6-6, has legitimate point-guard skills, is a great athlete and has developed into a legit 3-point marksman. Several scouts used words like "slick" and "savvy" to describe his play. If teams are convinced he can be a full-time point guard in the pros, he's got a great shot at the late lottery. If he they think he's a combo guard, he's looking at a mid-to-late first-round selection.

5. Luke Ridnour, Oregon*

The line: 6-2, 185, Junior

The skinny: Ridnour is a point guard with a flair for the dramatic. Despite his frail-looking frame, scouts say he's tough. Ridnour has great floor vision, is a natural leader and can really shoot. Still, concerns about his ability to create his own shot in the pros and his athleticism will hurt him. He's tough to gauge. Several scouts still prefer him to Hinrich and Gaines. But most feel he could be in for a Dan Dickau-like draft day drop.

6. Maurice Williams, Alabama

The line: 6-1, 183, Sophmore

The skinny: Williams is a slick point guard with all of the requisite tools. He has great ball-handling ability, superb handles and a killer crossover that helps him get the ball to the basket. Loves to drive and dish and is also solid running the pick and roll. Plays in control. Has a nice mid-range game. He's a strong floor leader. He does have his flaws, however. He gets abused at times on the defensive end. He has the strength and size to be a good defender, but hasn't shown the effort. He isn't a great athlete. He's quick, but not explosive. He needs to work on his jumper, especially his 3-ball. Scouts think he should stay in school, but they admit he's a mid- to late-first-round pick if he comes out.

7. Marcus Moore, Washington State

The line: 6-6, 208, Junior

The skinny: Size. Size. Size. Scouts love his explosiveness and claim he's a legitimate point-guard prospect, but his 35 percent shooting from the field may scare many of them off. Moore averaged 18.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 4.7 apg this season. He scored a career-high 42 points against Gonzaga and also had a 35-point effort against Arizona. Rumors have been circulating for a month that he's considering the draft. Will he declare? Scouts want him to stay in school under the tutelege of new head coach [censored] Bennett. However, Moore is worried that his offense will suffer in Bennett's more conservative system. Right now he's looking at a mid- to late-first-round pick. That could go up or down depending on he works out.

8. Marcus Banks, UNLV

The line: 6-2, 200, Senior

The skinny: Think a poor man's Baron Davis. Banks already has an NBA body and an NBA-type game. He's strong, can get to the basket at will and already plays solid defense. He's got great court vision and can really run the break. However, he has issues. He's an inconsistent shooter from the perimeter, is turnover prone, and scouts fear he's closer to 6-0 than 6-2. He's on the late first round, early second round bubble.

9. Zoran Planinic*

The line: 6-6, 215, 21 years old

The skinny: Gets a lot of comparisons to Jiri Welsch. He plays both guard positions, but his NBA future is at the point. Unlike Welsch, he's more of a 1 than 2. He's coming off an injury, which has limited his exposure a bit. But now that he's healthy, scouts are flocking to Cibona, Croatia, to check him out. He's very thin, but teams will always take a risk on a 6-6 point guard. Should be a late first-rounder.

10. Chris Thomas, Notre Dame

The line: 6-1, 182, Sophmore

The skinny: Thomas is one of the few "true" point guards in the draft. Like Ford, he's a 2001 McDonald's All-American alum. However, that's where the comparison's end. He doesn't have the speed or the floor vision of Ford. He's a better shooter, but scouts consider him just an average athlete. He's anxious to put his name in the draft this year, but he's probably making a mistake. Scouts say he's probably a second-rounder, due in part to the unusual number of top point guards in this year's draft.

11. Troy Bell, Boston College

The line: 6-1, 183, Senior

The skinny: A gifted college scorer who is going to have to prove to scouts he's not a 2-guard trapped in a point-guard's body. He doesn't really have the size or the body to play the 2 in the NBA on consistent basis like Juan Dixon. Could be a Bobby Jackson-like spark plug off the bench, if he commits to playing good defense. He's a second-round pick.

12. Paccelis Morlende, France

The line: 6-3, 190, 21 years old

The skinny: The next Tony Parker? Morlende was actually once ranked higher than Parker in France. He's a great athlete with good size for a point guard. However, he doesn't have Parker's "knack" for running the point. Still, he's intriguing.

13. Kristaps Valters, Latvia

The line: 6-3, 185, 22 years old

The skinny: When NBA scouts start traveling to Latvia, you know there's something to his game. Valters is a good athlete who likes to drive and dish. He's got good speed and is an expert finisher around the basket. However, he's been playing in a pretty weak division in Europe. How will he fare against NBA players? There's a pretty big difference between Cleveland and Latvia, believe it or not. Someone will take a chance on him in the late first round.

14. Jermaine Boyette, Weber State

The line: 6-1, 183, Senior

The skinny: Made a name for himself in Portsmouth when he shot 70 percent from the field. Some scouts still believe he's an undersized 2, but he showed some nice court awarness at Portsmouth. If he could learn to play the point, he'd be a steal in the second round.

15. Marcus Hatten, St. Johns

The line: 6-1, 165, Senior

The skinny: Size. Size. Size. If he were 6-foot-5, he'd be a lottery pick. He's an explosive scorer who can absolutely dominate a game when he gets it going. But is he a point guard? Hatten passed up the opportunity to prove it to scouts in Portsmouth. With the new underclassmen rules in effect at Chicago, there's a chance he could get shut out there, too.

Detroit searching for answers offensively

By Terry Brown

NBA Insider

Detroit center Ben Wallace grabs a career-playoff-best 24 rebounds last night, sets a Pistons playoff record with 7 steals and scores 12 points after averaging only 6.9 on the regular season in which he was named Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Orlando swingman Tracy McGrady scores a relatively mundane 27 after leading the league in scoring at 32.1 this year.

Magic win.

Wallace

"I don't really have any comment about this game," Ben Wallace said in the Detroit News after the 100-92 loss that put the Magic up 3-1 in the first round series. "I don't want to hurt nobody's feelings. They can go ahead and think they had a great year this year. I don't have any more comment."

We're not exactly sure who "they" were but it was the Detroit Pistons who have averaged only 88.7 points per game in the playoffs after averaging only 91.4 points per game during the regular season.

The only teams to score less were the Toronto Raptors (90.9), Miami Heat (85.6) and Denver Nuggets (84.2). Not one of those teams made the playoffs.

"We've got to put up or shut up now," said Piston guard Chauncey Billups. "If we don't, this great season we thought we had won't mean a thing. It's not like we're an explosive offensive team, but we usually score enough to win."

The Cleveland Cavs (91.4), Washington Wizards (91.5) and Seattle Sonics (92.1) were the three teams just above the Pistons on the scoring charts. Not one of those teams made the playoffs, either.

"They did a great job of always knowing where I was at," Piston's leading scorer Rip Hamilton told the Daytona Beach News Journal. "I didn't get one clean look at the basket. Everything was a pump fake or something. I didn't get a single good look."

The Houston Rockets were one of the best defensive teams in the league this season, giving up only 92.3 points per game, sixth best in the NBA, but they didn't make the playoffs, either.

"There's no choice now," Billups continued. "We have to figure this thing out in the next couple of days or this great season is over. All of this means nothing. The No. 1 seed means nothing. The Central Division title means nothing. It's hit the fan now."

In fact, of the 10 best defensive teams in the league according to points allowed, five of them didn't make the playoffs and the five that did are a combined 7-11 in the postseason so far.

Billups

"They know exactly where I'm going," point guard Chauncey Billups said before Sunday's game even took place in Detroit Free Press. "You can probably count my dribbles from one side to the other side before I pass the ball. . . . I just would like to have the freedom, if there is pressure, to break down the defense and go make opportunities to make a play and not just dribbling to one spot. It's easy to pressure me if I'm just dribbling from free throw line to free throw line to one spot and just passing and going through. It's easy to defend that. But if you have a guy that's going to go at you and look for opportunities to break down the defense; that's a lot harder to defend."

In the meanwhile, of the ten best offensive teams in the league according to points scored, eight of them, including McGrady and the Magic, made the playoffs and they have a combined 17-13 record in the postseason.

"For them to score 18 straight points, and we don't get one easy basket during that stretch, that says a lot," said Detroit guard Richard Hamilton in Orlando Sentinel of one particular span of the tell-tale game. "We've got to go back to the drawing board."

Pistons searching for answers

Tim Povtak / Orlando Sentinel

Pistons in dire straits

Chris McCosky / Detroit News

Nothing has gone right in disastrous series vs. Magic

Chris McCosky / Detroit News

Pistons think Magic can see them coming

Perry Farrell / Detroit Free Press

Magic's defense gets Pistons down

Brent Woronoff / Daytona Beach News-Journal

Peep Show

New Jersey Nets: Bad news for the Milwaukee Bucks. Kenyon Martin, the New Jersey forward already averaging 24 points and 10 rebounds per game, is just getting started. "I'm trying to do whatever I can to help my team win," he said in the New York Times. "I was in a position to do that and I came up short. On the whole, for this series, I guess I am playing all right," he said, and then added softly, "I can play better." Buck guard Sam Cassell agrees. "People say Jason is the key; I think Kenyon Martin is the key," he said. "He's rebounding the ball, keeping balls alive, giving them big buckets when they need it. He's got to be the main focus right now."

Utah Jazz: Utah may have won the last battle, but Sacramento coach Rick Adelman believes this war is coming to an end. "Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see how they are going to be that successful right off the bat, because you're replacing two Hall of Fame people. Their body of work in this league is unparalleled -- their non-injuries, the way they've played year after year, that's hard to replace," he said in the Salt Lake Tribune about the impending breakup of the Jazz. "Maybe you just have to create a whole new identity for the team." But Adelman believes at least one thing shouldn't change and that's Utah coach Jerry Sloan. "He has the wherewithal and the coaching staff to create a new situation that can be successful. He did it with this group and I believe he can do it again, if he chooses to. He's a great coach. He should have been coach of the year a number of times already."

Orlando Magic: The Magic are doing fine. It's Orlando that has everybody worried. "No, Tampa has not been discussed. Not at all," commissioner David Stern said of rumors floating around that the team may move. "The DeVos family is happy here. They are intent on building this franchise, signing players, doing the right things." However, Stern did admit that the team was at a disadvantage for playing at T.D.Waterhouse, one of the oldest buildings in the league. "In the long term, without question," he said. "All you have to do is look at the various buildings being built."

Portland Trail Blazers: Damon Stoudamire isn't sure if he's more surprised that the Blazers finally won a playoff game or that he actually played in that win. "I don't even have a word for what this season has been like for me," he said in the Seattle Times. "It's like there've been four or five different chapters written. It's been a long year for me. It's been draining. But I'm just going to keep on fighting and when the year is over, then I can reflect on what a crazy year it was for me." After suffering through 22 DNP-CDs, Stoudamire tallied 17 points and dished out 11 assists in the Blazers win Sunday.

Dallas Mavericks: Ever wonder how Don Nelson really feels after losing a playoff game? "Steve was an enigma," he said of his all star guard Steve Nash before starting on all star guard Michael Finley in the Star Telegram. "Not that I haven't seen him have bad games, but never anything this bad. Mike, I guess, wasn't that big a surprise. He hasn't been sharp lately. We've been dodging bullets with him, trying to get him back to where he was before the injury. Obviously, he's not there yet."

A Dominating Martin Says, 'I Can Play Better'

Liz Robbins / New York Times

Adelman Sees Changes Ahead for Jazz

Phil Miller / Salt Lake Tribune

Stern acts to stop talk about moving

Jerry Brewer, Tim Povtak and Roger Simmons / Orlando Sentinel

Credit Stoudamire's class

Steve Kelley / Seattle Times

The team that quit? It wasn't the Blazers

Randy Galloway / Fort Worth Star-Telegram

[Traceman]

3. Leandrinho Barbosa, Brazil*

The line: 6-4, 220, 21 years old

The skinny: Considered the best player in Brazil. He's very long and is an explosive athlete. The thing that has scouts buzzing is the speed at which Barbosa plays for someone his size. He's constantly attacking the basket on offense, and aggressively harassing his man on defense. With his long arms (6-foot-10 wingspan) he gets an unusual amount of steals and blocks for a point guard. Only a few teams have actually been to Brazil to see Barbosa play. He averaged 29.6 ppg, 7.8 apg, 4.2 rpg, 2.6 spg and 0.8 bpg while shooting 57 percent from the field, 47 percent from beyond the arc and 85 percent from the free-throw line. Several NBA scouts who have seen him feel he could move into the late lottery with strong workouts.

4. Reece Gaines, Louisville

The line: 6-6, 205, Senior

The skinny: He's 6-6, has legitimate point-guard skills, is a great athlete and has developed into a legit 3-point marksman. Several scouts used words like "slick" and "savvy" to describe his play. If teams are convinced he can be a full-time point guard in the pros, he's got a great shot at the late lottery. If he they think he's a combo guard, he's looking at a mid-to-late first-round selection.

Either one sounds like he would fit pretty well with JT to me. Barbosa sounds really intriguing. He's almost as big as Glover, he has a 6'10" wingspan and he's known for his D. What more could the Hawks ask for!

[cyman3]

i wanna see how well his workouts go...