SI's Marty Burns surveys the NBA landscape every week with his Roundball Roundup. Check back during the week for Marty's columns, power rankings and NBA mailbag. To send a question to Marty's mailbag, click here.
The Wizards might have stopped the bleeding with a big win Sunday over the
Magic, but they're still on a hospital gurney hooked up to IV tubes. Without
Michael Jordan to set up the offense and get those bailout shots, they simply don't have enough firepower. They even got outscored 21-4 by the Bulls during one wretched stretch in a loss Friday night.
Coach Doug Collins wants his players to push the tempo in hopes of getting easy baskets. However, the Wizards all season have been playing a slow-down half-court game designed to make the most of Jordan's abilities and to keep
him fresh. "We told the players, 'Guys, we've got to change our style,'"
Collins admits.
The only way the Wizards hold on is if Courtney Alexander plays like he did Sunday night, when his 32 points scorched Orlando. Considering Alexander is a 42 percent shooter and has a tendency to be a black hole on offense, it ain't
going to happen most nights. Meanwhile, Washington's defense isn't stout
enough without Jordan to generate a lot of steals and fast-break points.
The good news for Collins is that the Wizards at least have picked up on
Jordan's famed competitiveness. Before Friday's game, a virus-ridden Rip
Hamilton sat at his locker in his street clothes looking like he was going to lose his lunch. He not only suited up, he finished with 30 points.
Kobe, Reggie feud could have been avoided
The two-game suspensions handed down to Kobe Bryant and Reggie Miller for their postgame fisticuffs Friday night were fair on both counts. Miller has always been an instigator of the first rank. Still, Bryant deserves his two-game punishment for not being smart enough to walk away and for throwing
the first punch. Meanwhile, the officials deserve a share of blame as well for
letting the game get out of hand. As was the case in Chicago last January,
when Shaq swung at Brad Miller, the refs allowed tensions to boil by not responding immediately to hard fouls and heated words during the course of the game.
Blazers continue to ride Mo-mentum
Who says team meetings don't work? It might be a coincidence, but since
rookie coach Maurice Cheeks challenged his squad after a loss in Atlanta on Jan. 8, the Blazers are a league-best 20-5. Led by a resurgent Damon
Stoudamire, a healthy Scottie Pippen and a bench that goes as deep as any in the NBA, Portland has climbed into the sixth spot in the Western Conference. The Blazers won their ninth in a row Saturday night in Milwaukee, scoring seven straight points in the last 1:31 to tie the game and then winning it on Stoudamire's 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left. Stoudamire says the
atmosphere in Portland is as good as it has been in years.
Raptors at a loss to explain slide
In stark contrast to the Blazers, the Raptors are in free fall. Toronto
dropped its 11th straight on Sunday, falling to the Sixers at Air Canada
Centre. Not even the return of injured stars Vince Carter, Jerome Williams and Hakeem Olajuwon has helped the Raptors get out of their funk. Next up is a five-game road trip that includes stops at Dallas, Miami, Orlando and New Jersey. Raptors GM Glen Grunwald says coach Lenny Wilkens' job is still safe, but the boo-birds are starting to come out in full force. Wilkens has two more years left on his contract after this season, at a reported $5 million per.
McDyess, Crawford make impressive returns
Nuggets forward Antonio McDyess and Bulls guard Jamal Crawford, each of whom underwent offseason knee surgery, made impressive season debuts over the weekend. McDyess had seven points and three rebounds in 19 minutes Friday against Memphis, then followed with 16 points and nine boards Sunday against the Mavericks. Meanwhile, Crawford had 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor in Chicago's loss at New Jersey. Looking slightly bulkier, the
6-foot-5 Crawford moved well and played with poise, though he got winded at one
point and had to ask to be removed from the game.
An opposing team's director of basketball operations gives his take on Sixers
power forward Derrick Coleman, who's averaging 14.8 points and 9.0 rebounds.
"He's always been a highly skilled player. Great shooting touch. Great nose
for the ball. Great hands. Can rebound and block shots when he wants to. The
question with him has always been his commitment. This year he looks to be in
better shape. I think [Sixers coach] Larry Brown has had an influence on him, and he's playing on a good team so he doesn't have to carry the load every
night.
"He's also a good fit for them because he's got Dikembe Mutombo behind
him to cover for him if he gets lackadaisical. When he's on his game, he's
still a force. He's got that turnaround jumper from the box and that soft
touch. Plus, he's a lefty, which I love. I think he could have a big impact
for them in the playoffs. At his age [34], he's running out of chances to win
a ring. He might be more motivated than ever before."
This week's theme: Wilt the Stilt
1. For which team did Chamberlain spend his first pro season after leaving
the University of Kansas in 1958?
a. Philadelphia Warriors
b. Philadelphia 76ers
c. Harlem Globetrotters
2. Against which NBA team did Chamberlain once grab 55 rebounds, setting an
NBA single-game record in 1960 that still stands?
a. Syracuse Nationals
b. Boston Celtics
c. New York Knicks
3. Which former NBA star once made 28 free throws in a game, tying the record
set by Chamberlain in his 100-point game?
a. Adrian Dantley
b. Rick Barry
c. Pete Maravich
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