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Los Angeles Lakers
Head Coach:
Phil Jackson
Internet Site:
http://www.nba.com/lakers/
2000-01 Record:
56-26 (1st place, Pacific Division)
Team Outlook:
For the two-time defending champs, it’s almost a situation of “the rich getting richer” as
they upgraded their bench in the offseason by picking up Lindsay Hunter and Mitch Richmond. After losing
just one game in the playoffs a season ago, about the only question regarding this year’s team is whether
Shaquille O’Neal or Kobe Bryant will be the league MVP. They’re scary good.
Key Performers:
#34 C Shaquille O’Neal
Say what you will about that guy wearing #3 on
the Sixers, but Shaq must be considered the most
dominating player of his generation. His sheer bulk
allows him to simply outmuscle 95% of the play-
ers in the NBA, and his low-post skills are enough
to outplay to other 5%.
#8 SF Kobe Bryant
No longer second-fiddle to Shaq, Bryant took the
jump last year from above-average player to
superstar. His 28.5 ppg was fourth best in the
NBA, and he continues to be perhaps the most
electrifying player in the game today. So long as
he and Shaq continue to play well together, cham-
pionships should follow him around.
Memphis Grizzlies
Head Coach:
Sidney Lowe
Internet Site:
http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/
2000-01 Record:
23-59 (7th place, Midwest Division)
Team Outlook:
Not only did the Grizzlies change countries in the offseason, but they also completely
revamped the face of the team. The club added flair with dynamic point guard Jason Williams and a couple
of “polished rookies” in Shane Battier and Pau Gasol. If Stromile Swift continues to develop, and if
Lorenzen Wright can hold his own in the middle, there’s no reason to believe this club can’t improve on
last year’s victory total.
Key Performers:
#2 PG Jason Williams
If you had to make an all-highlight reel team, this
guy is your first-team point guard. He can do
things with a basketball that’ve never been seen in
the NBA. Fans pay to see the showmanship, but
the Grizzlies’ best chance to win may lie in how
well he can settle into being a consistent PG.
#4 PF Stromile Swift
Taken with the #2 overall pick in 2000, the now 21-
year-old was eased into action in his first season.
Expectations are for him to arrive as an NBA force
as early as this year. He’s strong in the low post, is
ferocious on the offensive glass, and could develop
into an Antonio McDyess-type player.
Miami Heat
Head Coach: Pat Riley
Internet Site:
http://www.nba.com/heat/
2000-01 Record:
50-32 (2nd place, Atlantic Division)
Team Outlook:
After blitzing their way to the #3 seed in the East last season, Miami was upset by Charlotte
in three games. They’ll be looking for retribution this time around. Eddie Jones and Brian Grant are still
solid performers, and a healthy Alonzo Mourning is about as good as it gets in the middle, but the Heat
may need to count on their bench more than ever this year if they’re going to keep up with Philadelphia
and Toronto in the East.
Key Performers:
#33 C Alonzo Mourning
A perennial All-Star, Mourning played just 13 games
a year ago, but he’s still a difference-maker every
time he steps on the floor. He remains one of the
best low-post scorers in the game, and his rebound-
ing and shot-blocking abilities make him the most
complete center in the Eastern Conference.
#6 SG Eddie Jones
Maybe the best all-around shooting guard in the
game, Jones is long on talent yet short on recogni-
tion. He’s been a regular on the NBA’s All-Defensive
Team, recording 100 or more steals for seven con-
secutive seasons. For good measure, he led the
Heat in scoring last year at 17.4 points per game.
Houston Rockets
Head Coach:
Rudy Tomjanovich
Internet Site:
http://www.nba.com/rockets/
2000-01 Record:
45-37 (5th place, Midwest Division)
Team Outlook:
For the first time since 1984, Houston fans will not see a fella named Olajuwon roaming the
paint for their club. The Rockets must hope that diminutive scorer Steve Francis can grab the torch from
Hakeem and become the heart and soul of the franchise. He and Cuttino Mobley provide a good 1-2 scor-
ing punch in the backcourt, but players such as Kenny Thomas and rookie first-rounder Eddie Griffin will
need to prosper down low if this team is to contend for a playoff berth.
Key Performers:
#3 PG Steve Francis
The 6’3” Francis came into the league as a show-
man and hasn’t disappointed. His incredible leaping
ability makes him one of the league’s great dunkers.
Aside from the flash and flair, Francis has become a
first-rate point guard as well, averaging nearly seven
rebounds and seven assists per game.
#5 SG Cuttino Mobley
Little was expected from this former second-round
pick, but Mobley’s first three seasons have seen
him blossom from bench fodder to NBA Sixth-Man
Award runner-up to starting shooting guard. His
19.5 points per game last year merely hint at his
big-time ability.
Los Angeles Clippers
Head Coach:
Alvin Gentry
Internet Site:
http://www.nba.com/clippers/
2000-01 Record:
31-51 (6th place, Pacific Division)
Team Outlook:
What’s this we hear? Actual, genuine optimism coming from the Clippers? Believe it - this
year’s Clippers club is seen by many to be the most likely to see their win total increase by double-digits.
The draft-day trade to acquire power forward Elton Brand was pure genius, and as young front lines go,
the future trio of Brand, Lamar Odom and Darius Miles is dynamite. Good times are definitely ahead.
Key Performers:
#42 PF Elton Brand
He may not be the flashiest player in the game, and
he doesn’t show up on the highlight shows making
incredible plays every night. All he does is score 20
points a night a pull down 10 rebounds. He’s solid,
and on a team loaded with young, unpredictable
players, Brand will be a rock of consistency.
#7 SF Lamar Odom
It’s hard to believe that a guy six-feet, ten-inches
tall can be so smooth handling and distributing the
ball. Odom is developing into one of the best
young inside/outside players, and creates matchup
problems wherever he plays. He should join Brand
as a 20-point per game scorer very soon.
Indiana Pacers
Head Coach:
Isiah Thomas
Internet Site:
http://www.nba.com/pacers/
2000-01 Record:
41-41(4th place, Central Division)
Team Outlook:
On paper, the 2001-02 Pacers seem to have all the ingredients to make one more big play-
off push. They have talented scorers in Reggie Miller and Jalen Rose, fast-rising youngsters in Jermaine
O’Neal, Al Harrington and Jamaal Tinsley, and a coach that wears two championship rings from his playing
days. The Pacers were doomed by a mediocre regular season last year, but they look to be one of those
teams you’d definitely want to avoid come playoff time this year.
Key Performers:
#31 SG Reggie Miller
It’s easy to use terms like “veteran warhorse” when
describing Miller. Though he still lacks the champi-
onship ring he covets, the 14-year vet can still light
up the scoreboard in stretches with his long-range
bombing. He’s remarkably durable as well, missing
just four regular season games in the past five years.
#7 C Jermaine O’Neal
For his first four years in Portland, O’Neal never
averaged more than 4.5 ppg. Since coming over to
the Pacers, his statistics have roughly tripled across
the board, leading many to believe that he has the
potential to develop into one of the top three centers
in the Eastern Conference as early as this season.