November 01, 1999 | Volume 91, Issue 17

How We Rank 'Em

We ranked the NBA's players from 1 (the best) to 406 based on our projections of their statistical production this season. The categories considered were points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocked...

STARTING FIVE4 Stars

For the Second consecutive season San Antonio set a record for lowest opponents' field goal percentage since that stat has been kept. In 1997-98 Spurs' opponennts shot 41.1%; last year they shot 40.2%

Only whining over minutes will keep this band of All-Stars from winning it all

STARTING FIVE5 Stars

Portland newcomers Scottie Pippen, Detlef Schrempf and Steve Smith have played in 11 All-Star Games among them. No member of the 1998-99 Trail Blazers had ever made an All-Star appearance.

STARTING FIVE4 Stars

Phil Jackson has the highest career winning percentage (.738) of any NBA coach (minimum 400 games), and his new employer's alltime record of 2,440-1,551 (.611) is the best among the 29 current teams.

Too old, too slow? You can say so, but Utah's vets will just say you're wrong

STARTING FIVE3½ Stars

Between them, Karl Malone and John Stockton have a spot among the alltime NBA leaders in nearly every major statistical category. But the only one in which they're both in the top 10 is turnovers...

The re-signing of Terrell Brandon and Joe Smith brings stability and depth

STARTING FIVE3½ Stars

The Timberwolves' road to .500: Their 18-7 record at the Target Center was tied for seventh-best among home records in the NBA last season, but their mirror-image road mark of 7-18 was tied for...

STARTING FIVE4 Stars

The King were the only team to average 100 points per game in 1998-99 The 1st time only one team averaged triple figures was 1954-55, that season the Celtics (101.4), like the Kings, also allowed...

Rocky (Over the) TopTennessee running back Jamal Lewis takes the air route past Alabama's defensive line in the second quarter of the Volunteers' 21-7 victory in Tuscaloosa (page 194).

STARTING FIVE4½ Stars

Phoenix led the NBA with an average of 25.0 assists despite having only one player—Jason Kidd—hand out more than three per game. Kidd was the only player to lead his team in assists in every game...

A team seeking harmony says its new floor leader, little Stevie, is a wonder

STARTING FIVE3½ Stars

On March 25 Houston's alltime record reached .500 for the first time in the franchise's 32-year. The Rockets went 12-10 for the remainder of the season, leaving their won-lost mark a t 1,297-1,295.

If Vin Baker exacts vengeance for last season, this micro lineup won't be soft

STARTING FIVE3½ Stars

Seattle had to win three of its final four games to balance its record at 25-25. Though 1986-87 was the Sonics' last losing season, they have now finished at an even 500 three times in the 1990s.

Happy to leave Boston, Ron Mercer is even happier to show his stuff to Denver

STARTING FIVE3½ Stars

The Nuggets were one of only two teams last season (the Grizzlies were the other) to have a losing record when scoring 100 or more points in a game. Denver won just nine of the 19 games in which...

STARTING FIVE3 Stars

Over the Grizzlies' four-year history, their home record is 39-109 (264), making them the NBA's alltime worst home team, The Next biggest home court disadvantage? The Providence Steamrollers'...

STARTING FIVE2½ Stars

John Starks's 13.8 points per game was the second-lowest team-leading scoring average in NBA history. Only Bobby Wanzer's average of 13.1 points for the 1954-55 Rochester Royals was lower.

Little talent, no draft help. So it goes in Big D, where the rebuilding is perpetual

STARTING FIVE2½ Stars

The Mavericks have the longest current playoff drought, having missed the postseason for nine years. The Clippers hold the record by failing to make the playoffs in 15 straight seasons, from...

STARTING FIVE2½ Stars

Though they had one more victory than Vancouver, the Clippers were last seasons most overmatched team. Twice L.A. endured five consecutive double-digit defeats en route to a league-high 24 losses...

Even with Tim Hardaway healthy, will Miami have enough offense to win it all?

STARTING FIVE3½ Stars

With Miami's finish atop the Atlantic last year, Pat Riley's team now have earned 15 division titles in his 17 seasons as a coach. Only one Riley-led team, the 95-96% Heat (512), has won fewer...

STARTING FIVE3½ Stars

In the final game last season Heat backup center Duane Causwell became the only player to foul out against the Knicks last year. In contrast, a league-high 29 players out against the Jazz-1998-99.

Al Harrington doesn't want to be snubbed again come prom—er, playoff—time

STARTING FIVE3½ Stars

Indiana had the NBA's most stable starting lineup last season: Dale Davis, Reggie Miller and Chris Mullin started every game, and the other two starter. Rik Smits and Mark Jackson, missed just one...

STARTING FIVE4 Stars

Eddie Jones, second in steals last year, has finished in the NBA's top 10 in each of his first five seasons, a feat achieved only by future Hall of Famers Maurice Cheeks, Magic Johnson and Isiah...

STARTING FIVE3½ Stars

The 79ers hit an NBA-low 26.2% of their shots from three-point range last season, and their 371 three-point attempts were the fewest in the league. Allen Iverson (199) was the only Sixer to shoot...

Now that Sam Cassell is healthy, the question is: Will he dish or shoot?

STARTING FIVE3 Stars

The Bucks made a habit of playing close games last season. A league- high 35 of Milwaukee's 50 games were decided by single digits; in 10 of those games the margin of victory was two points or fewer.

After a high-risk makeover, Atlanta enters a critical year with fingers crossed

STARTING FIVE3½ Stars

No team in NBA history yielded fewer points per game than the Hawks did last season. Atlanta lowered the record of 85.4 points per game, set by the 1996-97 Cavaliers, by a field goal.

Antonio Davis got his wish: a new home with the league's fastest-rising squad

STARTING FIVE3½ Stars

In their four seasons the Raptors have had two players , Damon Stoudamire and Vice Carter, win the Rookie of the Year Award. Six franchises have never had a rookie so honored, and 11 more have had...

STARTING FIVE3 Stars

In the 34 games last season that forward Christian Laettner missed because of injuries, Detroit's record was 16-18. With a healthy Laettner in the lineup, including during the playoffs, the...

STARTING FIVE3 Stars

Keith Van Horn (fifth) and Stephon Marbury (eighth) were the Only pair of teammates to finish in the top 10 in scoring last season. The last duo to do so was the Warriors ' Chris Mullin and Tim...

The dullest offense in the league is now vowing to run. Thank goodness.

STARTING FIVE3 Stars

The Cavs' NBA-low 35.8 boards per game was 4.3 fewer than they averaged in '97-98 and 3.0 worse than second-to-last Milwaukee's. The return of a healthy Zydrunas Ilgauskas (career 8.8 rpg) should...

Lots of very expensive talent just doesn't add up to a very talented team

STARTING FIVE4 Stars

Washington hasn't won a postseason game since May 4, 1998, the longest current such streak in the league. The Clippers hold the alltime record: 15 season without a playoff victory from 1976-77...

STARTING FIVE3 Stars

Rick Pitino is in danger of becoming the first coach in the Celtics' 54-year history to suffer three straight losing seasons. Boston's current streak of four playoff-less seasons is already the...

STARTING FIVE2 Stars

Only two current Magic players, Darrell Armstrong and Ben Wallace, ranked among the top 50 in the league in a major statistical category last season. Armstrong placed that high on five lists,...

He lacks flash, but big things are still expected of Air apparent Elton Brand

STARTING FIVE1½ Stars

If the Bulls miraculously make the playoffs, they'll be in good shape: The alltime leader in postseason three-point shooting is B.J Armstrong (45.1%) Among active players, Hersey Hawkins is the...

THE NFLHolmgren gets Seahawks on trackReenergized RamsChargers' Leaf simply doesn't get it

To assess Mike Holmgren's sudden impact on the Seahawks, just look at the standings

1. Enough is Enough

Even though the Rams keep blowing people out week after week, they still haven't convinced everyone that they're for real. The Oct. 10 game against the 49ers was going to be their big...

Down and OutMike Tyson's latest fiasco was one more nail in the fight game's coffin

The Mike Tyson and Prince Naseem Hamed fiascos were each preceded by superb undercard bouts. In Detroit undefeated WBC super bantamweight champ Erik Morales was much more impressive in taking a...

•Stanford (5-2, 5-0) at Washington (4-3, 3-1)The Cardinal has the Pac-10's worst defense and hasn't won in Seattle since 1975, which was pre-Mariners and pre-Seahawks. In other words, prehistoric....

Quarterback hype is high at BYU, but Kevin Feterik is measuring up

I was fascinated by the article on Billy Wagner, but what does his upbringing have to do with his 100 mph fastball?—JERRY SCHWARTZ, Chamblee, Ga.

Letters to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED should include the name, address and home telephone number of the writer. They may be mailed to The Editor, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, Time & Life Building, New York,...

Heard somebody grumble the other day that this year's New York Yankees are hard to hate. That statement is just so ignorant. Always remember this: No Yankees team is hard to hate, even these...

December 21, 1987

Highlights

SportsCenter is amped! The 11 p.m. show on Oct. 20 led off with a guitar riff eerily reminiscent of INXS's Suicide Blonde (even though Melissa Stark's stand-up from the Broncos' complex wouldn't...

If you last cheered for a hooker when you were watching Pretty Woman, then it's time you followed (aided by the Web sites below) the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Since Oct. 1 fly halfs, scrum halfs and...

NBC's feisty Jim Gray wouldn't change a thing about his relentless grilling of Pete Rose

The NBA's new round-the-clock channel has no shortage of programming possibilities

Could a bare-knuckle brawl cure what ails the U.S. male?

He didn't grab his crotch or flip off the fans on Sunday. He just lost. Again. Mike Ditka is 1-5 this year and 13-25 with the Saints, whose suddenly saintly 60-year-old coach is signed through...

46NBA players who are at least 7 feet tall, compared with only nine who stand less than 6 feet.

Oklahoma CrudeA soccer player says she was cruelly hazed by her Sooners coach

Discounted•The penalty meted out to Florida State receiver Peter Warrick for his celebrated department-store scam. Warrick pleaded guilty to petty theft and will do 300 hours of community service...

"My best score against Tiger on the Isleworth golf course is an 81. He gave me 11 strokes, which means he had to shoot a 70. He politely shot a 66.... He played a par-5 from his knees and parred...

The sport is speed skiing—a onetime Olympic exhibition—in which Ludwig Schawill of Austria and other human bullets zip downhill at more than 135 mph. Gear includes Kevlar helmets, curved poles...

Alan Rondi of Dublin, Calif., pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals and was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine after he partially blinded a barn owl with a slingshot—the bird's screeches disrupted his...

MIKE HARGROVEFired Indians manager, asked if he planned to go hunting: "Now is not a good time to put a gun in my hand."

Leaving Josh Gibson off the All-Century team was baseball's error of the year

Candace McNamee, Wheaton, Md.VolleyballMcNamee, a sophomore setter at California, was named Pac-10 female player of the week after she had 11 kills and no errors for a women's school-record .917...

Had enough of Rock and Roll Part II, Start Me Up and We Will Rock You? Join the crowd and get into the latest arena anthem, I Want It All, by Warren G, 28. Despite its PG-13 lyrics, the hit single...

In a title game held before the state freezes over, Wasilla was snowed under

Since colleges started slimming down the football in 1912, there have been other innovations in the pigskin. Here are a couple of recent tweaks to the prolate spheroid that may interest gridders...

A FLAME OF PURE FIREBy Roger KahnHarcourt Brace, $28

Europeans ruled until Cliff Bayer of the U.S. won a World Cup gold medal

Through Sunday's Game 2, the eight scheduled starters in the 1999 World Series had started more than half of all postseason games played since '91 (113 of 212). Moreover, they had accounted for...

After just four years in the big leagues, Derek Jeter is building a postseason record for the ages

Two-time U.S. Open champion PAYNE STEWART turned his game and his life around before the fateful flight that ended that life at 42

Living well was as important as playing well

With sophomore quarterback taking charge, Texas made it three in a row over Nebraska and continued its march back to national prominence

For complete NBA team schedules, stats, rosters and scores, go to cnnsi.com/basketball. Plus, each week SI's Phil Taylor answers your questions in his NBA mailbag.

With the sun having set on the Bulls' empire, the Western Conference is now the land of plenty