Neck and Neck
The Los Angeles Lakers are the two-time defending NBA champions,so it would be silly to think anyone could knock them from their throne.The Lakers have the most dominant player in the game, Shaquille O'Neal,and one of the most talented players in guard Kobe Bryant. Some nights,it doesn't seem fair to put these two on the same team.
But there are weaknesses to this team, which is what the restof the league will have to count on to prevent a three-peat. First, O'Nealand Bryant could easily regress to the bickering that hurt their team lastyear. Also, the Lakers lost Horace Grant in the off-season, which meansthey are weak at the power forward spot. Will Smith look-alike Robert Horryis penciled in as the starter, but he can't guard the top power forwardsin the league. In the Lakers' run to the title last season, Grant had toguard Rasheed Wallace, Chris Webber, and Tim Duncan - no way Horry cando that.
But if the Lakers start to fall - still a Shaq-sized if - theSacramento Kings should be there waiting. The Kings made two importantmoves in the off-season, signing Webber to a long-term deal, and tradingpoint guard Jason Williams for Mike Bibby. Webber is the MVP of this team,and as flashy and exciting as Williams is, he's not a good point guard.Bibby will bring consistency to the position, and will be able to distributethe ball to scorers like Webber, Pedrag Stojakovic, and Vlade Divac.
Fantasy Stars
The two biggest stars are in LA, where Shaq averaged 28 pointsper game (ppg) and twelve rebounds, while Kobe chipped in 28 points a nightlast season. Up the coast in Sacramento, Webber was one of the top powerforwards in the league, averaging 27 points and 11 rebounds a night. Anotherstar forward, but with even more attitude than Webber, is Portland TrailblazerRasheed Wallace. But Wallace's numbers (19 points and seven rebounds anight) were disappointing last season.
If you're looking for points, look no further than Phoenix Suns'point guard Stephon Marbury, who hasn't met a shot he didn't like. Marburycame over from the New Jersey Nets in a trade for Jason Kidd, bringinghis 23 ppg with him. The Los Angeles Clippers have a trio of youngtalent, any of whom could break out for a superstar year. Power forwardElton Brand (20 ppg), small forward Lamar Odom (17 ppg), and reserve DariusMiles (9 ppg) will look to take the exciting Clip Joint to the playoffs.
Moving Around
The Lakers lost Horace Grant and Isaih Rider, but brought in SamakiWalker, Mitch Richmond, and Lindsey Hunter...the Kings dealt Williams forBibby... the Suns and Nets exchanged point guards... the Blazers lost SteveSmith to the San Antonio Spurs but replaced him with the Spurs'Derek Anderson... the Seattle Sonics were able to keep point guardGary Payton, and were glad to see Patrick Ewing leave for Orlando...
Questions Abound
The question on everyone's mind is: Can the Lakers three-peat? To answerthat, they might have to answer a few other questions. Can Kobe and Shaqco-exist? Can Shaq possibly play center and power forward ? Can RobertHorry and Samaki Walker fill in for Horace Grant? You get the feeling thoughthat the answer to all those questions is yes, because coach Phil Jacksonmakes it so.
It seems as though every other team in the division has a few questionmarks as well. The Kings need to know if Mike Bibby is the answer at pointguard, and if he is, can they figure out a way to stop Shaq?
The Blazers have a new coach in Maurice Cheeks, but Cheeks hasto wonder if his star player, Wallace, can keep his cool and live up tohis super-star billing. The Sonics are wondering how bad it can get, andhow they ended up with Vin Baker. And Clippers fans are wondering if thiswill finally be the year they return to the playoffs.
And the Award Goes to...
MVP: This is a no-brainer. Shaq is the most valuable player onhis team (that's right, Kobe), in the division, and in the league. Andfor all the Shaq-haters out there, he may not be the most talented playerto come along, but when you find someone who can guard him, then you canstart talking.
Coach of the Year: You hate to see all the awards going out West,but Phil Jackson is the best coach in the NBA. People say that he's beenlucky to inherit such talented teams, but luck has very little to do withit. He turned the Bulls from a good team into a championship team, andhe has done the same with the Lakers. Plus, he has to figure out a wayto squeeze into a locker room cluttered with the egos of superstars.
Rookie of the Year:Golden State Warriors: Shootingguard Jason Richardson from Michigan State has the chance to be in thestarting lineup fairly soon. The coaches are excited about his athleticability, and coaches in Golden State don't have a lot to get excited about.Richardson could see a lot of shots this year.
