SI's Marty Burns tackles three issues from around the league:

1	Who’s going to get the No. 8 spot in the West?

Penny Hardaway Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty Images A lot can happen over the final months of the regular season (see the Milwaukee Bucks, 2002). But right now it looks like a three-team race for the West’s final playoff spot between the Suns, Rockets and Warriors. As of Thursday, Phoenix and Houston were tied, with Golden State 2 1/2 back. In terms of schedule, none of the three contenders enjoys a clear edge. Phoenix has 10 of its remaining 19 games at home (Houston has 8 of 19; Golden State has nine of 18), but the Suns will face 11 opponents currently over .500. (Houston faces 10; Golden State 12). All three each have five sets of back-to-backs, but Houston has two of them on a five-game road trip next week. Golden State is the hottest team, having won seven of 10, including Tuesday’s home win over Phoenix. The Rockets, meanwhile, had lost 10 of 17 after Wednesday night’s win over the Clippers while the Suns had lost 9 of 13. All three teams are relatively healthy, though the Suns are still working veterans Tom Gugliotta and Penny Hardaway back into the mix. So who’s going to emerge as the winner? The Warriors are probably too young and inexperienced. The Suns seem to be slipping, especially at home. Look for the Rockets, with experienced coach Rudy Tomjanovich at the helm and an improving Yao Ming anchoring the defense, to sneak into the No. 8 spot. Unless, of course, they lose Sunday at home to the Suns. Then all bets are off. .

2	What’s the latest on the new Charlotte franchise?

Robert Johnson Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images They don’t yet have a name, a uniform, a mascot or a coach, but the new NBA franchise in Charlotte -– which will begin play in the fall of 2004 -- is starting to take shape. Owner Robert Johnson, who beat out Larry Bird for the right to pay $300 million for the NBA’s 30th franchise, has hired former Knicks GM Ed Tapscott to run the basketball operations. Meanwhile, the city is building a new $265 million arena uptown that's set to open in the fall of ’05. Tapscott’s first big job will be to hire a GM, something he says he plans to do this summer. While speculation has risen that Michael Jordan –- a friend of Johnson’s –- might be interested in returning to his Carolina roots, it seems unlikely for now. MJ has repeatedly said he intends to return to the Wizards front office next season. Either way, Tapscott says his GM will conduct a coaching search that could last until the spring of ’04. John Lucas, Nate McMillan and Bernie Bickerstaff each have been mentioned as possible coaching candidates. The Charlotte franchise will select 14 players in a dispersal draft in June 2004, with each established NBA team able to protect eight players. Charlotte will also get the No. 4 selection in the ’04 Draft. Unlike the Canadian expansion teams in ’95, which were barred from receiving the No. 1 pick in their first three drafts, Charlotte will face no such restrictions. It will be eligible for the No. 1 pick in ‘05. As for the team’s nickname, an official announcement has been pushed back to June. Johnson will make the final decision, but he is accepting suggestions from fans. Over 2,000 submissions already have been made to a web site for the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission, with the most popular choices being the Cougars, the Royals, the Bankers and, yes, the Hornets.

3	Why did the Pistons re-sign Cliff Robinson now?

Cliff Robinson Fernando Medina NBAE/Getty Images Why wait? This was one of those rare instances when both sides wanted to get a deal done. Detroit didn’t want to lose Robinson on the free agent market next summer, and Uncle Cliffy liked it in Motown -– especially since the Pistons have expressed an interest in keeping him with the organization in some capacity after his playing days. Typically in such cases, one side at least wants to wait and "explore its options." The Pistons, for example, could have decided to wipe Robinson’s $8.4 million salary off its books this summer. With a few additional moves, maybe they could have cleared some $7 million or so in cap room to make a run at a free agent. Apparently Detroit GM Joe Dumars decided Robinson was a better overall fit at two years and $10 million than anybody else out there. Robinson, meanwhile, could have waited to test his value on the open market. As a versatile big man and savvy veteran, he would have had no shortage of suitors. But most teams are over the salary cap, and therefore able to offer at best a contract starting at the midlevel exception, expected to be around $4.6 million. Also, at age 36, Robinson wasn’t likely to get more than three years. This way, the Pistons lock up a key member of their rotation, a 6-foot-10 player who can play a number of positions and roles. They also get the added benefit of a lower cap number ($4.7 million) as opposed to a "cap hold" figure of over $9 million had they waited to re-sign him after the season. Finally, by getting him at a relatively cheap rate, they free up spare cash to pay free agents Richard Hamilton and Jon Barry while staying under the luxury tax. As for Robinson, he comes out OK, too. He gets security now, a chance to play for an NBA title contender, and perhaps a coaching or front office gig with the Pistons after he hangs up his sneakers.