Around The Rim

Wizards rookie guard Richard Hamilton has wowed new coach Darrell Walker with his offensive skills, but Hamilton's playing time will be limited until he improves on D. "He has to be tougher," says Walker. "I've told him, 'You can't be soft defensively, because I need you out there to score.' " Walker has prescribed some serious weight work for the 6'6", 185-pound Hamilton, but as teammate Rod Strickland says, "He may have one of those bodies—some guys lift and lift, and it never makes any difference."

... 60 Minutes recently did a piece on the crusade by Hawks center Dikembe Mutombo to build a 300-bed hospital in his native Congo, a project to which Mutombo has donated $3 million. The broadcast prompted more than 80 E-mails to the Hawks' offices offering contributions....

As the search for explanations for the Trail Blazers' slump continues—the team had lost four of seven at week's end—keep this in mind: Portland is banged up. Brian Grant has plantar fasciitis in his right foot, Damon Stoudamire had fluid drained from his left knee last week, Detlef Schrempf has a pinched nerve in his neck and Greg Anthony is playing with bone spurs in both ankles that will require surgery after the season....

The tally for Dennis Rodman's 12-game stint in Dallas: three wins, nine losses, 14.3 rebounds per game, six technical fouls, two ejections and one unforgettable TV reference: "It's like that show Lost in Space," Rodman said of the Mavericks. "We're up there, but what the hell are we doing up there?"