| | Like a citizen of Brigadoon, the NBA fan arises out of the mist after a
long absence. He has witnessed the end of the Jordan Era, a spirit-sapping
lockout and a disjointed, at times horrifying 50-game sprint to end a
dubious season. And now...and now.
|  | | The presence of Scottie Pippen in Portland makes the Blazers NBA title favorites. |
Welcome back to basketball.
Welcome back to a real season, with a real training camp and a real
schedule.
Welcome back to a league chock full of worthy superstars, from the
obvious (that Duncan fellow in San Antonio) to the electric (Allen Iverson
and his semi-legal crossover); from the sublime (Kevin Garnett, every night,
in Minnesota) to the, well, free-throw line (Shaquille O'Neal's nightly death struggle at the free-throw line continues. While Shaq started the preseason nine of 41 from the stripe, Phil Jackson noted that 75-year-old Tex Winter was working with O'Neal on his form. Said Phil, "Tex is a couple of generations removed from Shaq." Like Ben Franklin is a couple of generations removed from the automobile.).
Oh, and there'll be 80 fouls called per game, in a league where free-throw shooting percentage is dropping faster than Pamela Anderson's bra
size. Enjoy!
There are other ominous signs on the horizon. If voters don't approve
an arena referendum Nov. 2 in San Antonio, the future of the Spurs in that
city is up in the air. And it certainly looks like the Grizzlies won't be in
Vancouver much longer. The last thing this league needs is franchise
roulette. And if you think only six guys out of 120 tested positive for
marijuana, you're smoking something.
Everything old is new again. Like the 76ers of the '70s, Paul Allen's
Blazers are the best team money can buy. Bill Russell is back with the
Celtics, and he's still the best center on the roster.
The Western Conference is ascendant: good, veteran teams like Houston
and Utah will be hard-pressed to do better than make the seventh or eighth
playoff spots. (Although Steve Francis will be spectacular.) The Lakers look
like they'll need a year or so to learn the triangle. Amazingly, they need a
few more players. The Kings will show that last season was no fluke; Darrick
Martin, who'll back up Jason Williams, may be one of the best pickups of the
offseason. Phoenix will score 140 points on somebody this season. And you'll
still shoot 40 percent against the Spurs.
"We've just scratched the surface of what we can do," said David Robinson, which is frightening.
The East? Many buds, few flowers. Come back in two years and see what's going on in Toronto, Milwaukee and Cleveland. Now? Charlotte has a great mix of vets and youth, and a coach in Paul Silas who'll confront anyone who doesn't get with the program (this means you, Mase and D.C.). Baron Davis
may be starting at the point before too long, and rookie points don't
usually take you far in the playoffs. But the kid is that good. If Eddie Jones can reverse his postseason funk, the Bugs could be playing in front of Ahmad and Friends in June.
The Knicks' soap opera continues. Does anybody think that Jeff Van
Gundy, Marcus Camby and Latrell Sprewell will last together through the All-Star break? And when Patrick Ewing comes back, who loses their shots? And how will they feel about that? The weird thing is, the Knicks could run the table again with their ability in the open floor. The Pacers aren't quite dead yet, but if they couldn't rebound with Antonio Davis on the
floor, can they possibly do it with Al Harrington? They say they'll listen to Larry Bird even though he's a lame duck, and they probably will; they're pros. But I wonder. And I wonder if that core group -- Reggie Miller, Mark
Jackson, Chris Mullin, Rik Smits -- will be around next season.
Anyone seen Brian Williams? Phil Jackson would like to have lunch with
him, and not Bison Dele. Incredibly, Jax said that Williams/Dele was "one of
the best students I ever had." Both guys have apparently retired from the
Pistons, which may retire Detroit's postseason hopes.
When it's all said and done, I wouldn't sleep on the Spurs, with one
big caveat: if Robinson's back holds up under a full load. Even though they
never really replaced Sean Elliott's all-around game, they added a lot of talented guys. Terry Porter has a lot left. Samaki Walker does, too. And did
I mention that Duncan fellow? I know the Blazers are two deep at every
position, but I just wonder how Mike Dunleavy can possibly keep everybody
happy. Maybe they're so talented it won't matter. And having Steve Smith in
the locker room won't hurt.
So, I'll put a foot in the water.
San Antonio over Portland in the West.
Charlotte over Miami in the East.
San Antonio over Charlotte in the Finals.
And in June, I'll deny all of this. | |
ALSO SEE
NBA Preview 99
Preview '99: NBA from A to Z
ESPN experts' picks for 1999-2000
Atlantic Division: Heat, Knicks to battle
Central Division: Improved Hornets take over
Midwest Division: Only voters can stop Spurs, Duncan
Pacific Division: Pippen, Portland ready to rule
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