October 28, 2002 | Volume 97, Issue 17

One high-scoring guard was sent packing and another, younger one arrived, but the heart of the team—stultifying defense—hasn't changed

Ben Wallace is the first Piston since Bob Lanier in 1974-75 to finish in the top 10 in both rebounding and shot blocking.

"They traded Jerry Stackhouse because he was going to demand maximum money, and they feel—as I do—that he's not a max player. If you forget about the contract issue, it was a lopsided trade. You...

[Tough D]CURRY[Tough D]ROBINSON[Tough D]WALLACE[Tough D]BILLUPS[No D]HAMILTON

There's a new, tough-minded running mate in the nation's capital, and he's eager to soften up foes so that His Airness can swoop in for the kill

Michael Jordan has more fellow Tar Heels as teammates this year (Brendan Haywood, Jerry Stackhouse) than he did in his Bulls career.

"They're better with Michael Jordan coming off the bench. At his age it's better for him to play against second-line players or first-line players who are a little winded. Plus, he'll be a big...

[Fair D]OAKLEY[No D]STACKHOUSE[Fair D]HAYWOOD[Fair D]JORDAN[No D]HUGHES

With Glenn Robinson gone, Tim Thomas has a chance to prove that he's worth his big contract—and that he can fetch more wins than Big Dog

Three Bucks—Ray Allen, Michael Redd and Tim Thomas—share the NBA record for most three-pointers made in one half (eight).

"Glenn Robinson was a proven 20-point scorer, and you don't find a lot of them. He wasn't as bad a defender as he's been made out to be, and he was a tough player who was willing to take the shot...

[No D]THOMAS[Fair D]JOHNSON[Fair D]MASON[Fair D]CASSELL[Fair D]ALLEN

A questionable trade for an underachieving big man puts more pressure on a franchise that would love to reach the Eastern finals a second straight year

Last season Paul Pierce (210) and Antoine Walker (222) became the first teammates to each hit more than 200 three-pointers.

"They are going to be weaker. Kenny Anderson gave his best performance in four or five years, and he's gone. His backup, Erick Strickland, is gone, sixth man Rodney Rogers is gone, and I have...

[No D]E. WILLIAMS[Fair D]BAKER[Fair D]WALKER[Tough D]DELK[No D]PIERCE

In trading for sharpshooter Keith Van Horn, the team gets a much-needed second scorer—at the expense of some of its vaunted grit

For the third straight year Allen Iverson's average (31.4 points) more than doubled that of the Sixers' No. 2 scorer (Derrick Coleman's 15.1).

"When I think of the team that went to the Finals two years ago, I think of a club that was tough defensively and that mentally beat you down. I just don't see them having that kind of energy...

[No D]COLEMAN[No D]VAN HORN[Fair D]IVERSON[Fair D]MACCULLOCH[Tough D]SNOW

With a new forward and a healthy center, the front line is packed with promise—but not enough to make good on the guarantee of a playoff berth

In two seasons Lon Kruger has failed to make the playoffs. No Hawks coach has gone three years and not reached the postseason.

"They're going to make a run at the playoffs, even though the backcourt is thin and highly questionable. They want Jason Terry to play the point, but it's complicated: They need his scoring,...

[Fair D]ABDUR-RAHIM[Tough D]RATLIFF[No D]ROBINSON[Tough D]NEWBLE[No D]TERRY

Thinner in the wallet but still hefty in the waistline, Shawn Kemp seems ill-equipped to carry this center-starved franchise

Since Grant Hill signed with Orlando, the Magic's record in the regular season is 8-10 (.444) with him in the lineup and 79-67 (.541) without.

"This is a feast-or-famine team. If Orlando can keep Grant Hill healthy and Darrell Armstrong fresh, then it could really make a move, because how many teams have the talent of Hill, Armstrong and...

[No D]GARRITY[Tough D]GRANT[Tough D]HILL[Tough D]MCGRADY[Fair D]VAUGHN

When Vince Carter went down last season, Toronto's fortunes went up. Now he's healthy—and he'll take the fall if this team fails

Before the '01-02 Raptors, only the 1976-77 Bulls and the '96-97 Suns had made the playoffs after losing 12 or more games in a row.

"Vince Carter doesn't have to score 30 to prove that he's back, because everyone knows he can do that. What's going to define Carter in a positive way is if he works to play defense and deny every...

[Fair D]PETERSON[Fair D]MONTROSS[Fair D]DAVIS[Tough D]WILLIAMS[No D]CARTER

How the mighty have fallen: Pat Riley is forced to turn to a rookie—Caron Butler of UConn—to lead his team

Top pick Caron Butler needs to rack up more than 13.4 points per game to become coach Pat Riley's most prolific rookie scorer.

"Opponents should be able to win most of their matchups against these guys, who are going to have more trouble scoring than ever. I wouldn't be surprised if they have a game in the 50s....

[Fair D]ELLIS[Fair D]C. BUTLER[Fair D]BEST[Tough D]JONES[Tough D]GRANT

Youth will be served in the Windy City, where a rookie takes charge of a club on which half the players are under 24

Marcus Fizer's 427 boards were the lowest team-leading total since rebounds became an official statistic in 1950-51.

"They've got three young, talented guys, which means they should be good someday. But not now. They brought Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Jay Williams and Trenton Hassell to the Utah summer league,...

[No D]CURRY[Fair D]ROSE[No D]CHANDLER[No D]WILLIAMS[No D]HASSELL

With the addition of Antonio McDyess, the season looked shaky at best; with his loss, it looms as a disaster

Last season Allan Houston (20.4 points per game) became the first Knicks guard to average 20 since Ray Williams (20.9) in 1979-80.

"The only thing keeping the Knicks from being the worst team in the East is their experience. The starters are all veterans, and Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell and Kurt Thomas are capable of...

[No D]WEATHERSPOON[Tough D]SPREWELL[Tough D]THOMAS[No D]HOUSTON[Fair D]WARD

An off-season makeover brought in a potential breakout player, but playoff contention remains Miles away

The Cavaliers haven't deployed the same opening day lineup for two consecutive seasons since 1977-78 and '78-79.

They have big trouble at point guard. I don't love Andre Miller as much as some people do, but he's one of the best. You pair him with Zydrunas Ilgauskas and you've got a strong combination that...

[Fair D]MILES[Fair D]ILGAUSKAS[Tough D]HILL[Tough D]PALACIO I[No D]DAWIS I

They've done fine without Chris Webber, and they can make do without Mike Bibby—at least until they get another shot at the world champs

The Kings were one of two teams with a winning record (18-17) last season when allowing 100 or more points. (Dallas was 26-20.)

"Their fourth-quarter collapse against the Lakers won't affect them until they're in the same situation again next spring. If Peja Stojakovic had been healthy, he might have put them over the top....

[Fair D]STOJAKOVIC[Fair D]DIVAC[Fair D]WEBBER[Tough D]CHRISTIE[No D]BIBBY

Even after Shaquille O'Neal returns from an injury, the champs will rely on the leadership of the increasingly Michael-like Kobe Bryant

The Lakers have been led in scoring by Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O'Neal in 240 of their last 244 regular and postseason games.

"It's about time Phil Jackson got credit for being one of the alltime great coaches. Defensively, the Lakers last season held opponents to the lowest field goal percentage and three-point...

[No D]WALKER[Tough D]BRYANT[Tough D]FISHER[Tough D]O'NEAL[Fair D]FOX

There's not a lot more that a franchise can ask of reigning MVP Tim Duncan—although his coach still sees room for improvement in one crucial area

In his 835 NBA games guard Steve Kerr has yet to foul out. Only Wilt Chamberlain went more games without being disqualified (1,045).

"The Spurs shot about 45 percent in the fourth quarter during the regular season, but it was close to 33 percent in their second-round playoff series against the Lakers. They didn't have guys who...

[Tough D]DUNCAN[Tough D]BOWEN[Fair D]PARKER[No D]SMITH[Tough D]ROBINSON

For all the fun in run-and-gun, the Mavs learned that there's no substitute for strong defense. Can these guys get serious about clamping down?

In 2001-02 the Mavericks set a record for fewest turnovers; average of 12.1 lowered the '96-97 Pistons' mark of 12.7.

"I see them improving just because Dirk Nowitzki keeps getting better. You can't stop him—he can score inside and out—so you just ask your defender to be physical with him and not give him any...

[Fair D]BRADLEY[Fair D]LAFRENTZ[Fair D]FINLEY[Tough D]NASH[No D]NOWITZKI

Physical EducationAmerica's Best Sports Colleges (Oct. 7) is interesting and insightful. However, I disagree with your basis for giving the nod to Texas over Stanford. To me it is obvious that the...

LETTERS

One of the game's deepest benches got deeper, but with no leading man to complement a talented supporting cast, the result could be deep trouble

Scottie Pippen is 26 steals behind ex-Blazers star Clyde Drexler (fourth alltime) and 129 behind his coach, Maurice Cheeks (third).

"If character wasn't an issue, I'd put their talent right up there with the Lakers. In any case they ought to be in that second tier with San Antonio and Dallas....

[Tough D]WALLACE[Tough D]PIPPEN[Tough D]DAVIS[Fair D]WELLS[No D]STOUDAMIRE

For a leaner, hungrier Houston team, the future is Yao, with a new offensive system designed to take advantage of the center's lofty view of the court

The 2001-02 Rockets forced the fewest turnovers per game (12.0) since the league began keeping track of the stat in 1970-71.

"They're a chaotic team. They break off a lot of their plays and end up going one-on-one. That matches the style of their two stars, Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley....

[No D]RICE[Fair D]TAYLOR[Fair D]YAO[Tough D]FRANCIS[Fair D]MOBLEY

While the seasoned point guard sits injured on the sideline, it will be up to his live-wire young replacement to try to keep things moving on offense

Kevin Garnett became the first player since Larry Bird in the early '80s to average 20 points, 10 boards and five assists three straight years.

"There's no doubt Kevin Garnett is an elite player, but he's hit a ceiling in terms of making his teammates better. I love his emotional leadership, but there are times when your best player must...

[Tough D]GARNETT[Fair D]NESTEROVIC[Fair D]SMITH[Fair D]HUDSON[Fair D]SZCZERBIAK

As the tandem of Karl Malone and John Stockton makes (perhaps) its last stand, the Jazz considers variations on an old theme at shooting guard

Andrei Kirilenko last season became the first Jazz player since Karl Malone in 1985-86 to make the All-Rookie first team.

"Utah was second in turnovers (16.5 per game) behind Golden State, which was a big surprise because John Stockton prides himself on protecting the ball. I saw him forcing passes he used to make...

[Fair D]COLLINS[Tough D]MALONE[No D]STEVENSON[Tough D]STOCKTON[Tough D]KIRILENKO

High-flying, hardworking Desmond Mason gets a shot at forming a dynamic backcourt with Gary Payton and perhaps becoming the team's next star

Brent Barry made more threes last season (164) than any player who has shot better than 50% from the field. (He shot 50.8%.)

"With Vin Baker gone they are going to try to clear out the middle to make room for their scorers to run cuts and pick-and-rolls. Trading Baker [to the Celtics] was necessary: There was a bad aura...

[Fair D]BOOTH[Tough D]PAYTON[Fair D]LEWIS[No D]BARRY[No D]DROBNJAK

The ever-revolving door brought in Andre Miller, another young star left to wonder: How long can this team keep it together?

Last season Elton Brand became only the fifth player to average 15 points (he had 18.2 per game) and five offensive boards (5.0).

"Owner Donald Sterling let another summer go by without locking any of his players into long-term deals. This is his one chance to have a really good team, and the fans are showing their support,...

[NO D]ODOM[Tough D]MILLER[Fair D]OLOWOKANDI[Fair D]BRAND[NO D]PIATKOWSKI

The franchise player here is new boss Jerry West, who is trying to re-create the magic (and Kareem) he possessed with the Lakers

Last season Shane Battier (3,097) and Pau Gasol (3,007) became the first rookie teammates to each log 3,000 minutes.

"It looks like Jerry West's philosophy is to accumulate as many good players as he can and then make some moves. The strength of the team is forwards Pau Gasol, Shane Battier and Drew Gooden,...

[Fair D]WRIGHT[Fair D]BATTIER[No D]GASOL[No D]WILLIAMS[Tough D]DICKERSON

Just as fate brought them together last season, Johnson and Johnson are linked in the team's drive to regain its playoff form

The 2001-02 Suns set an NBA record with just 19.9 free throws per game; Seattle's 20.4 in '01-02 was second-lowest alltime.

"I can see them moving Stephon Marbury to shooting guard and having Penny Hardaway handle the point. Marbury did a better job of trying to involve his teammates last year, but it doesn't come...

[Tough D]OUTLAW[Fair D]MARION[Fair D]JOHNSON[Fair D]TSAKALIDIS[Fair D]JOHNSON[Fair D]MARBURY

An enthusiastic rookie coach is loaded with fresh ideas. It's just that he lacks the on-court talent to execute them

The Warriors were the only team in the bottom five last year in field goal (42.9%), free throw (72.2%) and three-point (32.2%) shooting.

"If they'd had any luck in the lottery, they would have gotten the first or second pick and used it to address one of their major weaknesses—point guard and center....

[No D]DAMPIER[Tough D]RICHARDSON[Fair D]ARENAS[No D]MURPHY[Fair D]JAMISON

A massage room, yoga lessons, a new coach and a lot of tall, young talent won't be enough to avoid another miserable year

Last season 560 of the field goals attempted by the Nuggets were blocked, the most since the Nets were rejected 582 times in '93-94.

"They would struggle in the SEC. With a competent point guard, they could win 20 to 25 games; if they stick with what they've got, they're looking at 15 to 20. They seem to like Kenny...

[No D]MCCLOUD[Fair D]CAMBY[Fair D]HOWARD[Fair D]POSEY[No D]SATTERFIELD

The NHL

In Mario He TrustsPlaying on the top line with Mario Lemieux has brought out the best in Pittsburgh's talented Aleksey Morozov

G Mike Vernon 1982-83 through 2001-02 He never won a Vezina Trophy, nor was he ever a first-team All-Star, but his 385 NHL wins rank seventh alltime, and he was the netminder for two Stanley Cup...

Rather Have?

In overtime against the Panthers on Oct. 12, Thrashers second-year sensation Ilya Kovalchuk was penalized for using an illegal stick, an infraction that led to Florida's game-winning goal by Olli...

Welcome BackWideout Cris Carter is coming out of retirement—and not a moment too soon for the injury-depleted Dolphins

TRADING E-MAIL WITH...Cowboys left tackle Flozell Adams

Al Davis used to hate teams like the 2002 Raiders. The Oakland boss once walked into an offensive meeting just in time to hear his coach say, "We're going to take what they give us."

There's a Bill of Rights for U.S. citizens, children, taxpayers, consumers, home owners, travelers, mental patients and animals. Which leaves only one important group without one: sports fans.

For this year's NBA preview issue we constructed Frankenshaq, the perfect center to take on the NBA's reigning monster, Shaquille O'Neal, and it fell to photo editor Marguerite Schropp Lucarelli...

SEPTEMBER 14, 1988

John Wayne, in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, said, "Never apologize, Mister. It's a sign of weakness." And he may have had a point, for Davis Love III did look weak at the Ryder Cup while serially...

In Washington, D.C., home of SI senior writer S.L. Price, this is the season of the sniper

After seven years the MLS is finally winning America's hearts and minds

Last week The Grizzlies unveiled The name of Their new arena, which will open in 2004 as FedExForum, marking The latest in the strange sports Trend of smashing nouns Together and capitalizing the...

241Fans of Oklahoma and Texas who spent the night in the inebriation unit of a Dallas detention center after the Oct. 12 Red River Shootout at the Cotton Bowl.

EscapedFrom Toronto's Woodbine Racecourse and onto a major Canadian highway, Andover Hall, one of North America's top 3-year-old trotters. While in Toronto for a $542,500 race in last Saturday's...

Opened

Sorry I'm late. I was waiting for my ranking from the BCS.

With a master's degree in English history from Harvard, the Hall of Fame coach is one of the most formidable minds to ponder over "Should we go for it or punt?" At 77, and five years out of the...

Thirty-six years after their famous heavyweight title bout, Muhammad Ali and George Chuvalo shared the stage at Toronto's SkyDome on Sunday night at a Parkinson's Society of Canada fundraiser in...

Imagine being Anna Kournikova's personal leg waxer. Oleg Kulik can, but what he is, really, is an artist who spent much of last Saturday installing this piece at Moscow's XL Gallery of...

A woman, seeking to be artificially inseminated, took out a classified ad on a San Francisco website offering to trade World Series tickets for healthy sperm.

RANDY MOSSVikings receiver, on former teammate Cris Carter (80), who left HBO's Inside the NFL to sign with the Dolphins: "I love it. And I think a lot of football teams he's been making comments...

Inspired by his late father, Joe Buck has become Fox's No. 1 voice for both baseball and football

Joe Buck picks the five most memorable moments of his broadcasting career:

A sportswriter describes the Boston Red Sox' long and shameful history of racial prejudice

Two new tomes reexamine the legend of Jackie Robinson and what his breaking the color barrier meant to baseball and America

OCTOBER 25-31

Doing It the Hardaway, Hammond at Home, Wall-to-wall Women

John Besson, LAKE OSWEGO, ORE.MarathonBesson, 90, a retired rear admiral in the Navy, set an American record for the 90-plus age group when he finished the Portland Marathon in 6:48:44. He broke...

In their long-awaited debuts on the sport's biggest stage, both Barry Bonds and the Angels lived up to their billings—and made the Fall Classic a showstopper

Of the 32 pitches that the Angels threw to Barry Bonds in Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, 22 were called balls (68.8%). In his nine plate appearances Bonds swung his bat eight times, hitting...

Tim Salmon is letting loose—so watch out

Penn State coach Joe Paterno is letting loose on refs and letting it rip on offense. Is that any way for a 75-year-old legend to act?

With War Emblem and a flock of fleet 2-year-olds entered in the Breeders' Cup, trainer Bob Baffert, like him or not, is the king of his world

At Saturday's Breeders' Cup in Chicago, trainer Bob Baffert plans to saddle not only Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem but also six 2-year-old fillies and colts, including Vindication...

The Eagles' dominant defense is led by cornerback Troy Vincent, who works as hard at making money as he does at making plays

Tampa Bay's offense continues to struggle because Jon Gruden doesn't have the personnel to make his system work

The search for an answer to Shaq continues. Can the latest entry, mammoth Rockets rookie Yao Ming, measure up?

Here's where Yao stands against some of the biggest (and a few of the smallest) names in the NBA

It's not too late to court success and indulge your inner G.M. with our fantasy basketball. Join a league—or run your own—at cnnsi.com/fantasy.

To sign up for SPORTS ILLUSTRATED's free subscriber-only e-mail newsletter, go to http://sicustomerservice.com/siextra.

Staking the future on two raw 7-footers—TYSON CHANDLER and EDDY CURRY—the Bulls hope the growing pains are brief and the payoff is huge

HE WALKS. HE TALKS. HE RULES.

Playing FootsieLos Angeles Galaxy midfielder Cobi Jones (13) goes toe-to-toe with New England Revolution defender Daouda Kante during the MLS Cup 2002, which the Galaxy won 1-0 in overtime (page 30).

He's a solid center and a team leader, but it's in his role as the Kings' body-flopping, lip-flapping court thespian that Vlade Divac really stars

Though it would be too strong to call Vlade Divac a Shaq-stopper, he did slow down Shaquille O'Neal in the memorable 2002 Western Conference finals. Here Divac imparts his strategy when he goes up...

HOW WE RANK THEM

After being swept in the Finals last season, the team brings in a familiar face to help out on defense—while sticking with its trademark motion offense

The Nets became the first team since the 1977-78 Sonics to the Finals after failing to make the playoffs the previous year.

"At first I didn't like the trade for Dikembe Mutombo, but I'm starting to come around. Apparently the Nets felt they really needed to get rid of Keith Van Horn. He had too many nights of 1 for 10....

[Tough D]JEFFERSON[Tough D]MUTOMBO[Tough D]MARTIN[Tough D]KIDD[Fair D]KITTLES

The new fans are revved-up, the top scorer is healthy, and the supporting cast is battle-tested. Any reason this transplanted team shouldn't be a contender?

Of the 127 players who made at least 125 free throws last season, Baron Davis (58.0%) shot better than only Shaquille O'Neal (55.0%).

"This is one of those rare teams that can be effective inside and outside, and it has a decent bench....

[No D]MASHBURN[Fair D]CAMPBELL[Tough D]BROWN[Tough D]WESLEY[Fair D]DAVIS

A young team will lean on a 22-year-old swingman with something to prove—and could go deep into the playoffs or cost the coach his job

Reggie Miller can become the first player to lead the NBA in free throw shooting three straight times since Rick Barry (1977-78 to '79-80).

"If I had to rank Isiah Thomas with the other 28 coaches in the league, I'd put him in the 14-to-20 range. He communicates well, he understands the game, and his team doesn't make glaring...

[Tough D]ARTEST[No D]R. MILLER[No D]B. MILLER[Fair D]O'NEAL[Fair D]TINSLEY

A new book revisits Francis Ouimet's historic 1913 U.S. Open win

Still relentless at 57, Hale Irwin is redefining Senior tour stardom

Tiger Woods has never had more juice than he does in this bear market. While rumors fly that he will host his own Tour event in 2003, this week's Buick Challenge becomes the latest established...

Rock-solid fundamentals in crunch time helped Bob Burns hold off a charging Tiger Woods and earn his first victory at the Disney Classic

With his victory at the Disney, Bob Burns extended a PGA Tour record by becoming the 16th first-time winner in 2002; the 14 first-time winners on the European tour this year are also an alltime...

The start of the downswing is the key to accurate shot making, especially under pressure. The most common mistake golfers make is to fire the right hip and right knee too early, leaving the club...

Following the first round of the Senior tour's SBC Championship last week in San Antonio, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem dropped a couple of bombshells at a closed-door meeting with the...

VOTE AT GOLFONLINE.COM

The LPGA visits South Korea this week, for the Sports Today CJ Nine Bridges Classic, which is only fair, since there are currently six Koreans among the tour's top 34 money winners, and seven more...

In hoops you're nobody without a hip-hop handle. Everyone from his teammates to his prosecutor knows the Sacramento Kings' Chris Webber as C-Webb. The Orlando Magic's Tracy McGrady answers to...

The late-season Disney Classic has become a must-play event for our with members