MJ's hoping this deal won't come back to haunt him.

THAT YOU RIDING PINE, MIKE?
You mean to say Mike will spend his last season (honest) being like ... Jud Buechler? To spare Michael Jordan's soon-to-be 40-year-old knees, the Wizards added athleticism with Jerry Stackhouse, Bryon Russell and Larry Hughes and bulk with MJ-blaster-from-the-past Charles Oakley. Enough to launch a legit playoff run for the Wizards? Should be. Enough for MJ's ego and keep him content coming off the bench? We'll see.

STARTING FIVE
Kwame's No.1 goal: prove his lame rookie year was an aberration. Who's the top UNC product on this team? It has to be Stack for the Wizards to make the playoffs.

Atlantic Division

1. Nets

2. Magic

3. Celtics

4. Wizards

5. Sixers

6. Heat

7. Knicks

Scouting Report Index

Kwame Brown, PF: 4.5 ppg lowest for top pick since 1972-73 (LaRue Martin)
Bryon Russell, SF: 38% FG in 2001-02 was worst of his 9-year career
Brendan Haywood, C: Shares time with coach Patrick Ewing by March
Jerry Stackhouse, SG: Can he co-exist with MJ late in games? With one ball?
Larry Hughes, PG: PG experiment failed miserably in Golden State

BENCH
Jordan adds the Sixth Man Award to trophy case. Vets (Christian Laettner and Oakley) and kids (Jared Jeffries, Juan Dixon) solidify the group.

GLOBAL VIEW
Ratko Varda (Yugo.) averaged
just 4.2/2.7 in 5 Slav seasons.

FREEWHEELIN' WITH WALTON
MJ's the fourth-most athletic player on his own team. That's a plus.

This article will appear in the November 11 issue of ESPN The Magazine.