The Week at a Glance
Posted: Monday May 17, 1999 02:36 PM
What we know, what we don't Matchups to Watch | Storylines | The Bandwagon
By Dan Shanoff, CNN/SI
Check back every week for "The NBA at a Glance."
We know that any hoops fan outside of Salt Lake City wanted to
see the Kings drop the Jazz.
We don't know if Kings clutch performer Jon Barry's new nickname
-- "Barry Chocolate" -- will catch on.
We know Pat Riley should go back to the drawing board.
We don't know if the Jazz spend practice time on flopping, but
they do it very well.
We know that Allan Houston has never
-- and likely will never -- hit a bigger shot.
We don't know if the Lakers can match up with Tim Duncan. We also
don't know if the Spurs can match up with Kobe Bryant.
We know that the Knicks earned embattled coach Jeff Van Gundy the
equivalent of a 10-day contract.
We don't know if anyone was paying attention to the Hawks-Pistons
series.
We know Charles
Barkley won't retire with a balloon salary payment due this summer.
We don't know why people have complaints about Corey Maggette
making himself eligible for the NBA Draft, but don't mind when the local
high school pitcher or hockey star go straight to the pro minor leagues.
We know that the NBA player most Jordanesquely predisposed to
playoff clutchness is Allen Iverson.
The Glance revises its Top 10 NBA draft
prospects:
1. Lamar Odom , F, Rhode Island
2. Steve Francis , G,
Maryland
3. Corey Maggette , G, Duke
4. Richard
Hamilton , G, UConn
5. Elton Brand , F, Duke
6.
Wally Szczerbiak , F, Miami (Ohio)
7. Andre Miller , G,
Utah
8. Baron Davis , G, UCLA
9. Alek Redojevic ,
C, Barton Co. (Kans.) C.C.
10. Ron Artest , F, St. John's
| Matchups to Watch |
Spurs (1) vs. Lakers (4)
Why you should care:
Shaq eats up the Admiral, but which Laker can stop Duncan?
Matchup to watch: Spurs G Mario Elie vs. Lakers G
Kobe Bryant |
Pacers (2) vs. Sixers (6)
Why you should care: Savvy Indy vets
try to contain helter-skelter Philly
Matchup to watch:
Pacers G Mark
Jackson/Travis
Best vs. Sixers G Allen Iverson |
Hawks (4) vs. Knicks (8)
Why you should care: You still can't believe that New York got this
far
Matchup to watch: Hawks C Dikembe Mutombo vs.
Knicks C Patrick Ewing
|
Blazers
(2) vs. Jazz (3)
Why you should care: If Utah thought
the Kings were loose cannons....
Matchup to watch: Blazers G
Damon Stoudamire vs.
Jazz G John Stockton
| |
| Storylines We'll Be Following |
Playoffs march on
It's down to two teams -- for NBC execs, at least. They
must be cringing knowing that the fate of Finals ratings is in the hands of
the erratic Lakers, playing the West-best Spurs, and the emotionally spent
Knicks, which seemingly left everything in Miami. Utah-Indiana is no
"Noah's Ark," but then again, it's no Bulls four-play. |
Lottery
fever
Forget Powerball or "Scratch 'n Win." The poor team's
playoffs -- the NBA Draft Lottery -- is Saturday, providing most of the 13
teams excluded from the playoffs with the only glimmer of excitement
they'll have all month. Plus, we want to see if Jerry "Players don't win
championships" Krause makes a cameo TV appearance as the Bulls' rep. Watch
three playoff-quality teams, with Lottery picks from earlier trades:
Toronto, which holds the fourth-best chance at the No. 1 pick (from an
earlier trade with Denver); Minnesota, which holds the fifth-best chance
(from an earlier trade with New Jersey); and Phoenix, which holds the
eighth-best chance (from an earlier trade with Dallas) |
|
|
The Bandwagon |
| Vlade Divac |  | Toughest
post matchup in NBA |
| Blazers | | Rested
and ready for spent Jazz |
| Pat Riley |  | Any other
coach would be fired |
| Allen Iverson | | Chuck
"Jordan Rules" Daly couldn't stop Answer; how can Coach Bird? |
|
|
