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San Antonio Spurs
Head Coach:
Gregg Popovich
Internet Site:
http://www.nba.com/spurs/
2000-01 Record:
58-24 (1st place, Midwest Division)
Team Outlook:
Many forget the fact that San Antonio had the best regular season in all the NBA last sea-
son. Now just two years removed from an NBA championship, the Spurs will be looking to unseat the
Lakers in the West. To do so, San Antonio will need continued improvement from point man Antonio
Daniels and will need newly acquired Steve Smith to step up big as a perimeter threat come playoff time.
Key Performers:
#21 PF Tim Duncan
For years this was David’s team, but it appears now
that Duncan is the star attraction. He has excellent
scoring and rebounding ability, great agility for his size,
and is perhaps the smartest player in the game today.
Now that he’s improved his free throw shooting, it’s
impossible to spot a single weakness in his game.
#50 C David Robinson
“The Admiral” saw his scoring average dip to a
career low 14.4 ppg last year, but don’t be fooled into
thinking he’s on his last legs. Robinson remains one
of the most intimidating defenders in the game, and
his mere presence virtually guarantees that the Spurs
will be contenders in the West again this year.
Seattle Sonics
Head Coach:
Nate McMillan
Internet Site:
http://www.nba.com/sonics/
2000-01 Record:
44-38 (5th place, Pacific Division)
Team Outlook:
The Sonics still have enough talent to beat any team on any given night. Point guard Gary
Payton has been one of the best at his position for more than a decade and shows no sign of letting up.
The team can count on solid contributions from veterans such as Vin Baker and Brent Barry, but if this
team is to make a return to the playoffs, players such as Rashard Lewis and Desmond Mason will need to
transfer their enormous potential into results.
Key Performers:
#20 PG Gary Payton
"The Glove” has been a member of the NBA All-
Defensive Team for an astonishing eight consecutive
seasons, yet on top of that, in the last two seasons he's
posted the two highest per game scoring averages of
his career. Payton is the unquestioned leader of his
club, and can carry the team on his back if need be.
#7 PF Rashard Lewis
After jumping to the NBA directly out of high
school, Lewis was tentative in his first few sea-
sons. Last year, he emerged as a starter and aver-
aged nearly 15 points and 7 rebounds per game.
This year, the Sonics hope he can increase those
numbers to around 18 and 9.
Toronto Raptors
Head Coach:
Lenny Wilkens
Internet Site:
http://www.nba.com/raptors/
2000-01 Record:
47-35 (2nd place, Central Division)
Team Outlook:
The Raptors consider themselves to be one of the frontrunners to win the Eastern
Conference this season, and who’s to argue? High-flying Vince Carter has matured from simply an explo-
sively talented leaper into an all-around terrific basketball player. Antonio Davis and new acquisition
Hakeem Olajuwon provide big-time ability in the paint, and Morris Peterson is a banger whose stock is on
the rise. If things come together, Toronto will be in the mix come playoff time.
Key Performers:
#15 SG Vince Carter
Talk of an MVP trophy may be premature, but as
he proved in his classic battle with Allen Iverson in
the playoffs last year, Carter can flat out carry a
team on his back and single-handedly take over
ball games. His scoring average of 27.6 points per
game a year ago could easily top 30 this year.
#33 PF Antonio Davis
Davis found a home as a starter in Toronto, estab-
lishing career highs in scoring, rebounding, assists
and blocked shots, and earning a starting spot on
East All-Star Team. His size enables him to muscle
his way into easy baskets down low, but he can
also step out and drain the baseline jumper.
Phoenix Suns
Head Coach:
Scott Skiles
Internet Site:
http://www.nba.com/suns/
2000-01 Record:
51-31 (3rd place, Pacific Division)
Team Outlook:
Health is really the only obstacle between the Suns being merely a better-than-average club
or being a threat to advance deep into the playoffs. Here come the “ifs” - if Penny Hardaway can stay
healthy, if Tom Gugliotta can come all the way back, if Shawn Marion continues to develop into a top-flight
scorer, and if Stephon Marbury can run the offense through his many talented teammates, this club will go
a long way, as in a VERY long way.
Key Performers:
#3 PG Stephon Marbury
Marbury has been instant offense through his first
five NBA seasons. In fact, his scoring average has
improved in each of those five years, ultimately
reaching a 23.9 clip a year ago. Amazingly, he’s
still been able to average more than eight assists
per game.
#31 SF Shawn Marion
In just his second season, the 6’7” Marion aver-
aged a double-double (17.3 points, 10.7
rebounds), and impressed NBA insiders with his
nose for the ball. It’s not out of the question to see
Marion, Marbury and Hardaway forming the high-
est scoring trio in the NBA.
Sacramento Kings
Head Coach:
Rick Adelman
Internet Site:
http://www.nba.com/kings/
2000-01 Record:
55-27 (2nd place, Pacific Division)
Team Outlook:
The Kings feature just about every piece of the puzzle necessary to have a championship-
caliber club. Point guard? Check. Mike Bibby steps in to provide a calming influence at the point.
Superstar? Check. Chris Webber is the unquestioned go-to guy. Presence in the middle? Check. Vlade
Divac is still a top-flight center. A good supporting cast and bench? Check and check. Guys like Predrag
Stojakovic and Doug Christie help round out a squad that appears loaded with the tools to make a big run.
Key Performers:
#4 PF Chris Webber
“C-Webb” can do just about everything, and set a
career high in scoring last year at 27.1 points per
game. Webber makes frequent appearances on the
highlight reel, yet has developed into something of a
workmanlike player. No matter how you break it
down, he’s one of the best players in the game today.
#10 PG Mike Bibby
After finishing well out of the playoffs in his first
three years, Bibby now joins a team looking for
leadership at the point to help get them over the
hump. He seems poised to deliver, as he finished
in the top ten in assists a year ago and averaged
nearly sixteen points a game as well.
Portland Trail Blazers
Head Coach:
Maurice Cheeks
Internet Site:
http://www.nba.com/blazers/
2000-01 Record:
50-32 (4th place, Pacific Division)
Team Outlook:
Portland certainly qualifies as one of the most enigmatic teams in the NBA. They have a
dynamite floor general in Damon Stoudamire, an All-Star down low in Rasheed Wallace, a couple of scor-
ing swingmen in Derek Anderson and Bonzi Wells, a six-time All-Star in Shawn Kemp, and one of the 50
greatest players in NBA history, Scottie Pippen. If this team can play together, they could pose a threat to
the Lakers in the West.
Key Performers:
#30 PF Rasheed Wallace
Wallace rates as one of the top two or three most
dominating power forwards in the league. He led
the Blazers in scoring, rebounding and blocked
shots a year ago, and found himself on the All-Star
team for the second consecutive year. He definitely
rates as one of the league’s most fiery competitors.
#3 PG Damon Stoudamire
“Mighty Mouse” may not be the scorer he was
early in his career, but he’s developed into a pure
point guard, and has taken on more of a leader-
ship role in Portland. Don’t be fooled, though -
Stoudamire can still bury the open jumper or take
the ball to the rim with the best of ‘em.
