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LIKE WHO?
VINCE CARTER
6'7", 208, North
Carolina
Why he's The
Man: Here comes the kiss of death—Carter is the NBA's
greatest hope for filling Michael Jordan's Nikes. The
parallels are startling, beginning with the alma mater, a
knack for on-court showmanship and a spectacular dunking
style that puts fannies in the
seats and eyes on TV screens. Carter was arguably college
hoops' most exciting player to watch since N.C. State's
David Thompson in the early 1970s. When the NBA eventually
re-institutes the Slam Dunk Contest, it will be with Carter
in mind. With great size
for a two-guard and already possessing NBA strength, Carter
is a tough matchup. Like MJ, Carter is a demon on
defense—and will only get better. If critics attack
his inconsistent outside shot, just remember it took
another high-flying Carolina alum
quite a few years to develop his own outside game.
At best, he's the
next: Air
you-know-who.
And if I'm wrong, he's:
Good-dunk, no-shot washout Harold
Miner.
—D.S.
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FILLING OUT
PAUL PIERCE
6'7", 220,
Kansas
Why he's The Man:
With teams concentrating on stopping Raef LaFrentz, Pierce
came into his own in the 1997 postseason. He led Kansas in
scoring in all six tournament games (three Big 12, two
NCAA), averaging 21.8 points and 9.7 rebounds. Though
LaFrentz was touted as a
national-player-of-the-year candidate and possible top pick
in the draft entering this past season, Pierce led the
Jayhawks in scoring at 20.4 ppg. Could be a wing forward,
but he has the athleticism, shooting and ballhandling
ability to be a dominant
2-guard. Tough and physical inside when he needs to
be—can rebound and will be able to post up just about every NBA guard.
At best, he's the next:
Could conceivably turn into Clyde Drexler.
And if I'm wrong, he's:
Lamond
Murray.
—A.L.
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