WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF ROSTERS

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1 4 Internet site DoTheReview.com LOS ANGELES LAKERS 8 Kobe Bryant G Derek Fisher G Rick Fox F Devean George G A.C. Green F Ron Harper G Robert Horry F Travis Knight C Shaquille O'Neal C Glen Rice F John Salley C Brian Shaw G WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF ROSTERS SACRAMENTO KINGS 25 Nick Anderson G Jon Barry G Tyrone Corbin F Tony Delk G Vlade Divac C Lawrence Funderburke F Darrick Martin G Scot Pollard C Predrag Stojakovic F Chris Webber F Jason Williams G Corliss Williamson F MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 5 William Avery G Terrell Brandon G Kevin Garnett F Dean Garrett C Tom Hammonds F Bobby Jackson G Sam Mitchell F Radoslav Nesterovic C Anthony Peeler G Malik Sealy G Joe Smith F Wally Szczerbiak F PHOENIX SUNS 12 Toby Bailey G Corie Blount F Todd Day G Anfernee Hardaway G Kevin Johnson G Jason Kidd G Randy Livingston G Luc Longley C Shawn Marion F Oliver Miller C Clifford Robinson F Rodney Rogers F PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS 50 Greg Anthony G Stacey Augmon F Brian Grant F Gary Grant G Jermaine O'Neal F Scottie Pippen F Arvydas Sabonis C Detlef Schrempf F Steve Smith G Damon Stoudamire G Rasheed Wallace F Bonzi Wells G SAN ANTONIO SPURS 33 Antonio Daniels G Derrick Dial G Tim Duncan F Mario Elie G Sean Elliott F Jaren Jackson G Avery Johnson G Jerome Kersey F Terry Porter G David Robinson C Malik Rose F Samaki Walker F SEATTLE SUPERSONICS 42 Vin Baker F Brent Barry G Lazaro Borrell F Emanual Davis G Greg Foster C Horace Grant C Rashard Lewis F Jelani McCoy C Ruben Patterson F Gary Payton G Chuck Person F Shammond Williams G UTAH JAZZ 10 Howard Eisley G Armen Gilliam F Jeff Hornacek G Adam Keefe F Quincy Lewis F Karl Malone F Greg Ostertag C Scott Padgett F Olden Polynice C Bryon Russell F John Stockton G Jacque Vaughn G

2 Do the Review! Shop at a Just store: DoTheReview.com/shopping.html BW 5 NBA Western Conference 1st Round Playoffs Preview 1 - Los Angeles Lakers vs. 8 - Sacramento Kings A.C. Green F Chris Webber Glen Rice F Corliss Williamson Shaquille O Neal C Vlade Divac Kobe Bryant G Nick Anderson Ron Harper G Jason Williams Lakers won the regular season series 3-1. Phil, Shaq, & Kobe front court depth Chris Webber rebounding team defense Shaq s foul shooting versatility late game execution half court offense transition defense transition offense J.Williams decision making individual defense defending quick passing skills transition defense / team defense guards X - Factor: perimeter shooting X - Factor: 3 point shooting Player(s) to Watch: Glen Rice Player to Watch: Nick Anderson Chris Webber has to dominate his match up with A.C. Green. Webber must score efficiently in the low post as well as from the perimeter. He needs to make good passes out of the Lakers double teams, also. Rice s outside shooting will be key in stretching the Kings defense from collapsing on Shaq. Williamson needs to score on Rice in the low post and make Rice work for his shots on the perimeter. EDGE: Slightly to the Kings. Green s job is to make Webber work for his points while providing any garbage baskets himself. Vlade will have to score from the perimeter because neutralizes Vlade s post up game. Shaq needs to avoid foul trouble and make a decent (60 %) of his free throws. If Shaq can stay out of trouble, he can name his point and rebound totals against Vlade. EDGE: Solidly to the Lakers. Kobe Bryant must stay in the framework of the Triangle Offense. His defense on Jason Williams will be a big key because it s unlikely Ron Harper will spend much time defending Jason because Jason is much quicker than Harper. Nick Anderson s outside shooting will be a big factor. Since Nick no longer attacks the basket, his perimeter shooting must be on in order to give the Kings any points. Williams needs to make good decisions which means making the right pass at the right time and squaring up on his jump shot. If the Kings let him, Ron Harper can still score. EDGE: Solidly to the Lakers. Robert Horry is a big key to this series. He may be the defender the Lakers have to defend Chris Webber. Horry must make Webber work for his points as well as rebound and hit the occasional perimeter shot. Peja Stojakovic, Jon Barry, Tony Delk, Scot Pollard, and Tyrone Corbin must play well. Peja needs to provide a big scoring punch off the bench whether it s scoring from the outside or attacking the basket. Brian Shaw and Derek Fisher need to a good job running the Lakers offense; limit their mistakes; and shoot well from the perimeter. Rick Fox must continue his steady performance despite the possibility he may miss the birth of his child during this series. EDGE: Solidly to the Kings. Peja Stojakovic s shooting will be a big factor. Phil Jackson, despite his psychological ramblings, is a great coach. He ll have the Lakers ready and focused to deal with the maddening style the Kings like to play. Rick Adelman has to be smart about sitting Williams down when he begins to get too wild on offense. EDGE: Solidly to Phil Jackson. PREDICTION: Lakers in 4. Though the regular season match ups were close, don t be surprised if the Lakers sweep this series.

3 6 Internet site DoTheReview.com NBA Western Conference 1st Round Playoffs Preview 4 - San Antonio Spurs vs. 5 - Phoenix Suns Tim Duncan / Samaki Walker F Clifford Robinson Sean Elliott F Shawn Marion David Robinson C Luc Longley Mario Elie G Penny Hardaway Avery Johnson G Randy Livingston Regular season series tied 2-2. half court offense perimeter shooting versatility injuries David Robinson perimeter defense Scott Skiles perimeter shooting interior defense athleticism interior defense experience transition offense X - Factor: Tim Duncan s knee Player to Watch: Antonio Daniels X - Factor: Jason Kidd s ankle Player(s) to Watch: Cliff Robinson will defend Duncan if Tim s knee allows him to play. Shawn Marion will go against Sean Elliott which means Marion will have youth and athleticism on his side; but, Elliott will have the experience. If Sean isn t in great condition, then Marion should try to run Sean ragged. Cliff must be a big factor on the offense and do a decent job defending Duncan as well as being a force on the glass. EDGE: Solidly to the Spurs. If Tim s knee isn t healthy, then slight edge to Phoenix since Samaki Walker would be subbing for Tim. Luc Longley is no match for Robinson. Luc will probably get into early foul trouble forcing Phoenix to play Oliver Miller or Corie Blount. Both players are probably better defenders than Longley. As long as David makes good decisions out of the Suns double teams, he won t have any problems getting his points. EDGE: Solidly to the Spurs. Without Jason Kidd, Penny will have to score a lot of points because Livingston is not a scoring threat. Mario Elie is no longer a top notch defender; so, he may have problems guarding Hardaway. The Suns will dare Avery Johnson to beat them from the perimeter when they double down on Duncan and Robinson. Avery must make his open shots as well as run the Spurs offense efficiently. EDGE: Slightly to Phoenix. Right now, Penny is playing well enough to win this match up by himself. If Jason Kidd plays in this series, he won t be in basketball shape; but, he could do a good job backing up Livingston. Rodney Rogers must score in double figures throughout the series. Oliver Miller must be a defensive presence against Duncan and Robinson. Todd Day is a streaky outside shooter who will need to do more than just shoot from the outside in order to be a positive factor. Terry Porter will play shooting guard for the Spurs while Antonio Daniels will play the point. Porter s outside shooting will be a big factor in the series. Samaki Walker and Jerome Kersey must rebound and make the open mid range shot. EDGE: Slightly to the Spurs. If Rex Chapman, Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd are healthy, then the edge goes to the Suns. Gregg Popovich has the experience advantage over Scott Skiles; however, Skiles has worked wonders keeping the Suns on the winning track despite the numerous injuries they ve suffered all season. EDGE: Slightly to Popovich. PREDICTION: Spurs in 4. Duncan s health is an obvious factor. If Jason Kidd plays in the series, Spurs in 5.

4 Do the Review! Shop at a Just store: DoTheReview.com/shopping.html BW 7 NBA Western Conference 1st Round Playoffs Preview 2 - Utah Jazz vs. 7 - Seattle Supersonics Karl Malone F Rashard Lewis / Vin Baker Bryon Russell F Lazaro Borrell / Rashard Lewis / Ruben Patterson Olden Polynice C Horace Grant Jeff Hornacek G Shammond Williams / Brent Barry John Stockton G Gary Payton Regular season series tied 2-2. Karl Malone consistent 3rd scorer Gary Payton lack of size up front Jerry Sloan athleticism versatility Vin Baker s inconsistency team defense athleticism rebounding experience transition offense over reliance on GP half court offense X - Factor: bench production X - Factor: consistent production from anyone besides GP Player to Watch: Bryon Russell Player to Watch: Vin Baker Bryon Russell must shoot well from the perimeter. Karl Malone can t be stopped or even contained by Seattle. Borrell, Lewis, and Patterson are inexperienced in the playoffs; but, each is capable of filling his roll. Borrell is a good defender and low post scorer. Lewis can shoot with range; rebound; defend; and run the floor. Patterson is a good defender and a strong finisher. If Baker starts, he can t get into early foul trouble. Vin is Seattle s best low post scorer besides Gary Payton. EDGE: Solidly to Utah. Malone stands head shoulders above every other forward in this series. Polynice is a good shot blocker and defender. He s a decent scorer when he concentrates on finishing. He is, however, a horrible free throw shooter. Grant has knee tendinitis; but, he s still a solid defender with a very reliable jump shot. He ll probably have to defend Malone. EDGE: Gary Payton is the MAN. Stockton nor Hornacek can stop him. Payton will score, pass, rebound, defend, whatever is necessary to help his team. If Williams starts, he ll have to adjust to the mind games Stockton will play.hornacek is playing on one good knee; but, he still can shoot and score on those runners in the paint. Stockton may have to score more points in this series; but, he s quite capable of doing so. EDGE: If Baker and Barry don t start, then Seattle has a very potent bench. Baker has to relax and have fun. If he can, then he can provide much needed scoring for Seattle. Barry is a stand still 3 point shooter. Patterson is active on defense and a great finisher in transition. Person and Davis may not be healthy enough to contribut in this series for Seattle. Jelani McCoy is a young, active big man who can block shots and dunk. Armen Gilliam, Howard Eisley, and Greg Ostertag make up Utah s core bench. Eisley runs the offense and is much better off the dribble than Stockton. Gilliam can score in the low post and Ostertag, when motivated, can be a force on defense. EDGE: Even. Too many unknowns on both teams. Which ever bench plays better, will lead their team to the next round. Jerry Sloan is a no nonsense coach; but, his players are always prepared. Paul Westphal is much more laid back in his approach. Westphal must trust his young players (Lewis, Williams, and Borrell) enough to succeed when called into action. EDGE: Solidly to Sloan. PREDICTION: Utah in 5. This series should be very entertaining and competitive. Vin Baker must be a huge factor for Seattle to win.

5 8 Internet site DoTheReview.com NBA Western Conference 1st Round Playoffs Preview 3 - Portland Trail Blazers vs. 6 - Minnesota Timberwolves Rasheed Wallace F Kevin Garnett Scottie Pippen F Wally Szczerbiak Arvydas Sabonis C Rasho Nesterovic Steve Smith G Malik Sealy Damon Stoudamire G Terrell Brandon Regular season series tied 2-2. quality depth no go to guy KG lack of size at center veteran leadership inconsistency ball movement lack of free throw attempts versatility perimeter defense coach Saunders rebounding playoff experience athleticism X - Factor: focus / intensity X - Factor: perimeter shooting Player to Watch: Rasheed Wallace Player to Watch: Anthony Peeler Garnett must win his match up with Rasheed decisively; however, doing so, is much easier said than done. Rasheed is long and athletic just like Kevin. Rasheed is a more physical low post scorer than KG and the Blazers should maximize that advantage. Pippen should use his experience and teach Szczerbiak what playoff basketball is about. However, if Scottie begins roaming around on defense, Wally has to make the open perimeter shots which Pippen will dare him to make the entire series. EDGE: Solidly to Portland. Wally s lack of playoff experience against Pippen could be a big factor. Rasho idolizes Sabonis; but, he can t let Sabonis dictate and dominate this match up. Sabas is much bigger than Rasho; so, he may post up Nesterovic as much as possible. As a result, Rasho needs to stay out of foul trouble. Since he s younger and much quicker than Sabonis, Rasho needs to utilize his quickness and beat Sabas up and down the floor and score some baskets in transition. EDGE: Solidly to Portland. Sabas will be asked to score much more than Nesterovic. Steve Smith will probably post up Malik Sealy whenever the Blazers offense bogs down. Sealy has to shoot well from 15 to 20 feet on the open looks he should get from double teams on Garnett. Terrell Brandon will have to average about 19 plus points a game as well as set up his teammates while Damon Stoudamire cannot force the action and make bad decisions or he ll be replaced by Greg Anthony. EDGE: Slightly to Minnesota. Brandon s great play of late gives them the edge. The Blazers bring quality players off the bench in waves. Greg Anthony at the point; Bonzi Wells at big guard; Detlef Schrempf or Stacey Augmon at small forward; Brian Grant at power forward; and Jermaine O Neal at center. The Blazers bench is versatile enough to handle any situation the Wolves could present. Anthony Peeler must shoot well for Minnesota. Dean Garrett has to avoid foul trouble. Bobby Jackson must avoid costly turnovers while running the offense. Sam Mitchell needs to make the open jump shot and keep the younger players focused if and when the Blazers go on a big scoring run. EDGE: Solidly to Portland. Mike Dunleavy has a tendency to over coach. He doesn t allow the players to react on the court. He s always calling plays from the sidelines which bogs down the Blazers offense. Flip Saunders, on the other hand, has a great feel for his team. Minnesota s success in close games is a tribute to Flip and his play calling down the stretch. EDGE: Slight edge to Saunders. PREDICTION: Blazers in 4. If the Blazers stay focused, their depth will wear Minnesota down.

6 Do the Review! Shop at a Just store: DoTheReview.com/shopping.html BW 9 EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF ROSTERS CHARLOTTE HORNETS 25 Chucky Brown F Elden Campbell C Derrick Coleman F Baron Davis G Ricky Davis G Todd Fuller C Eddie Jones G Anthony Mason F Brad Miller C Eldridge Recasner G Eddie Robinson F David Wesley G MILWAUKEE BUCKS 34 Ray Allen G Rafer Alston G Sam Cassell G Vinny Del Negro G Darvin Ham F Ervin Johnson C Danny Manning F Glenn Robinson F Tim Thomas F Robert Traylor F Mirsad Turkcan F Scott Williams C DETROIT PISTONS 30 Jud Buechler G John Crotty G Michael Curry G Grant Hill F Lindsey Hunter G Christian Laettner F Terry Mills C Eric Montross C Mikki Moore C Jerry Stackhouse G Loy Vaught F Jerome Williams F INDIANA PACERS 24 Jonathan Bender F Travis Best G Austin Croshere F Dale Davis F Mark Jackson G Derrick McKey F Reggie Miller G Chris Mullin F Sam Perkins C Jalen Rose F Rik Smits C Zan Tabak C MIAMI HEAT 12 Bruce Bowen F P.J. Brown F Rodney Buford G Anthony Carter G Duane Causwell C Tim Hardaway G Dan Majerle G Jamal Mashburn F Alonzo Mourning C Mark Strickland F Otis Thorpe F Clarence Weatherspoon F NEW YORK KNICKS 9 Rick Brunson G Marcus Camby C Chris Childs G Chris Dudley C Patrick Ewing C Allan Houston G Larry Johnson F Andrew Lang C Latrell Sprewell F Kurt Thomas F John Wallace F Charlie Ward G PHILADELPHIA 76ERS 11 Ira Bowman G Matt Geiger C Tyrone Hill C Allen Iverson G Jumaine Jones G Toni Kukoc F George Lynch F Todd MacCulloch C Aaron McKie F Kevin Ollie G Theo Ratliff C Eric Snow G TORONTO RAPTORS 14 Muggsy Bogues G Dee Brown G Vince Carter F Doug Christie G Dell Curry G Antonio Davis C Tracy McGrady F Charles Oakley F Michael Stewart C John Thomas F Alvin Williams G Kevin Willis C

7 10 Internet site DoTheReview.com NBA Eastern Conference 1st Round Playoffs Preview 1 - Indiana Pacers vs. 8 - Milwaukee Bucks Dale Davis F Darvin Ham Jalen Rose F Glenn Robinson Rik Smits C Ervin Johnson Reggie Miller G Ray Allen Mark Jackson G Sam Cassell The regular season series was tied 2-2. versatility overall athleticism Big 3 interior defense quality depth focus ball movement lack of low post offense Reggie Miller perimeter defense transition offense rebounding Jalen Rose rebounding perimeter shooting inconsistency X - Factor: rebounding Player to Watch: Rik Smits X - Factor: rebounding Player to Watch: Tim Thomas Jalen Rose can score from the perimeter; on the move; and off the dribble. Glenn Robinson is not a great defender nor rebounder. Glenn is a great mid range jump shooter who should try to score on Jalen in the low post. Darvin Ham is 6 6 while Dale Davis is Davis can post up Ham at will. Ham and Davis are good rebounders; but, Davis is a much better defender. EDGE: If Rik Smits feet and back are healthy, he can name his score against Ervin Johnson. Though Johnson is a good defender, he doesn t match up very well against the taller Smits. The Pacers need to maximize Smits advantage by giving him a lot touches in the low post. Ervin is a garbage man for the Bucks. He ll rebound; block shots; and score on dunks or put backs. EDGE: Solidly to Indiana. If Rik Smits is healthy, this series could be a sweep. Ray Allen s injured left knee may not be healthy for another month; but, he ll play in the series. He ll probably have problems chasing Reggie Miller through all the screens. Whether Ray s knee will affect his outside shot remains to be seen. Sam Cassell has to have a big series. He ll have to score 18 plus a game as well as average 9 plus assists. He can t get into foul trouble or bitch about the officiating. Reggie Miller has always been a big time playoff performer. This series should be no different. Mark Jackson s job will be to run the Pacers offense efficiently and knock down the occasional open perimeter shot. EDGE: Slightly to Indiana. Ray s injured knee gives the Pacers the edge. The Pacers have quality depth at every position. Travis Best at point; Derek McKey is a defensive stopper; Sam Perkins defends big low post scorers and scores from the perimeter; Austin Croshere is the scoring and athletic big man off the bench; and, if necessary, Chris Mullin can provide timely perimeter shooting. Tim Thomas can break down defenses and also score from the perimeter. He s also versatile enough to defend any position. Scott Williams must be a force on defense and the glass as well as make open jump shots. If called upon, Rafer Alston, cannot make careless mistakes while running the offense. Vinny Del Negro may also run the Bucks offense. Danny Manning may play in order to provide some points up front. EDGE: Solidly to Indiana. Larry Bird was a better player; but, George Karl is a better coach. Unfortunately for Karl, Larry has the better team. EDGE: Solidly to George Karl. Staff versus staff would be about even. PREDICTION: Pacers in 4. Bucks improve by one from last season; but, that s all.

8 Do the Review! Shop at a Just store: DoTheReview.com/shopping.html BW 11 NBA Eastern Conference 1st Round Playoffs Preview 4 - Charlotte Hornets vs. 5 - Philadelphia 76ers Derrick Coleman F Tyrone Hill Anthony Mason F George Lynch Elden Campbell C Theo Ratliff Eddie Jones G Allen Iverson David Wesley G Eric Snow Charlotte won the regular season series 3-1. front court inexperienced bench Allen Iverson consistent 3rd scorer athleticism avoiding mismatches Larry Brown foul shooting ball movement foul shooting team defense shot selection rebounding inconsistency versatility X - Factor: perimeter shooting Player to Watch: David Wesley X - Factor: Iverson s health Player to Watch: Toni Kukoc Anthony Mason and Derrick Coleman should post up George Lynch and Tyrone Hill as much as possible. Mason has done a great job in his role as the Hornets point forward. Though Coleman is a decent three point shooter, he should not spend too much time behind the 3 point line. He needs to be on the low block as much as possible drawing the double teams and then passing out of them. Hill and Lynch are Philly s garbage men. Plays are rarely run for them; but, they managed to produce double figures in points as well as play tough defense. EDGE: Solidly to Charlotte. The Hornets post up game is a big key to their success. Theo Ratliff must score well from the perimeter in addition to the low post. Ratliff is also a great help side shot blocker. Campbell is a good scoring threat and a decent defender when he s focused and motivated. Ratliff is a better athlete than Campbell. EDGE: Slightly to Philadelphia. Iverson has to be healthy enough (sore elbow, broken tow, sore shoulder) in order to score for Philly. If he can t the Sixers are doomed. Eric Snow must continue his efficient and effective job of running Philly s offense. He ll also have to shoot well from the perimeter. Eddie Jones and David Wesley may take turns defending Iverson. Jones is a great individual defender as well as a great defender playing the passing lanes. Since Mason is point forward, Jones and Wesley are mainly scoring guards. Wesley is a streak shooter who needs to maintain focus. EDGE: Slightly to Charlotte. An injured Iverson gives Charlotte the edge. Toni Kukoc is not a great defender which means he ll have trouble against Mason or Campbell. Aaron McKie must score from the perimeter especially if Iverson s nagging injuries affect his minutes. Matt Geiger must be a physical presence on the boards for the Sixers. Baron Davis can t make silly turnovers and must utilize his quickness against Philly. His outside shot is still very shaky. Chucky Brown must knock down the open perimeter shots he ll receive as a result of Philly double team the low post. Eddie Robinson and Brad Miller must be active on the boards as well as score on put backs. Robinson is very athletic; so, he needs to run the floor and score in transition. EDGE: Solidly to the Sixers. Philly s experience off the bench could be huge. Larry Brown is one of the best coaches in the league. Paul Silas has done a great job keeping his team together despite all the off court turmoil and tragedy. Brown is a great tactician while Silas is a great motivator. EDGE: Solidly to Larry Brown. Brown s coaching experience may be a big factor in close games. PREDICTION: Charlotte in 4. Charlotte is a match up nightmare for Philly; but, the Hornets must play up to their potential.

9 12 Internet site DoTheReview.com NBA Eastern Conference 1st Round Playoffs Preview 2 - Miami Heat vs. 7 - Detroit Pistons P.J. Brown F Christian Laettner Jamal Mashburn F Grant Hill Alonzo Mourning C Terry Mills Dan Majerle G Jerry Stackhouse Anthony Carter / Tim Hardaway G Lindsey Hunter Regular season series tied 2-2. Pat Riley consistent 3rd scorer Hill & Stackhouse interior defense Alonzo Mourning guard depth athleticism rebounding team defense turnovers transition offense finishing games past playoff failures pick and roll turnovers X - Factor: Tim Hardaway s health X - Factor: rebounding Player to Watch: Anthony Carter Player(s) to Watch:Hunter / Laettner If Grant Hill is healthy enough to play effectively, then Miami has no answer for him. Hill can beat Mashburn off the dribble anytime he wants. Laettner and Brown cancel each other. Both have had disappointing seasons this year. Both get into early foul trouble. Laettner must be focused and be much more of a factor and threat on the offense. Mashburn has a tendency to settle for jump shots instead of attacking the baskets. With no Hardaway, Mashburn would play more of the point forward role. EDGE: Slightly to Detroit. Slightly only because of Hill s uncertain health status. Terry Mills is no match for Alonzo Mourning down low. Zo can score on Mills all day. To that end, Detroit will swarm Zo as much possible forcing him to read the defenses and make the proper passes. Mills main purpose on offense is to score on open perimeter shots as a result as of penetration and passes from double teams. EDGE: Overwhelmingly to Miami. Lindsey Hunter s right elbow continues to bother him thereby affecting his shooting. His on the ball defense could cause Anthony Carter fits if Hardaway can t start. Jerry Stackhouse should not settle for perimeter shots. He can beat Dan Majerle off the dribble almost at will. Majerle is a streaky 3 point shooter who is now a decent defender who struggles against quicker big guards. EDGE: Slightly to Detroit. If Hardaway plays, then slightly to Miami. Tim s presence frees up the rest of the Heat to make plays. If Hardaway starts, the Heat s bench is in good shape. If not, then rookie Rodney Buford may back up Carter at point guard. Otis Thorpe is a decent low post scorer and defender. Clarence Weatherspoon is a good low post scorer with a good mid range jump shot. Bruce Bowen is Miami s best on the ball defender. Jerome Williams and Mikki Moore are the energizers for the Pistons. Williams is a great rebounder and Moore is Detroit s only shot blocking threat. Michael Curry and Jud Buechler may see more minutes if Grant Hill s left foot bothers him. Buechler is a 3 point threat while Curry has a good stand still shot. John Crotty is a good defender with a decent 3 point shot. The Pistons offense runs much better when he s in the game. EDGE: Slightly to Detroit. Hardaway s health and Moore s inexperience are could be big factors. Pat Riley has much more coaching experience than George Irvine. Riles has to get the most from his players if Hardaway is unable to play. EDGE: Solidly to Riley. PREDICTION: Pistons in 5. This series hinges on players health. If Tim can t play, Detroit should win. If he can, then Miami should win.

10 Do the Review! Shop at a Just store: DoTheReview.com/shopping.html BW 13 NBA Eastern Conference 1st Round Playoffs Preview 3 - New York Knicks vs. 6 - Toronto Raptors Larry Johnson F Charles Oakley Latrell Sprewell F Vince Carter Patrick Ewing C Antonio Davis Allan Houston G Tracy McGrady Charlie Ward G Muggsy Bogues Toronto won the regular season series 3-1. playoff experience perimeter defense Carter & McGrady inexperience of Carter and McGrady Jeff Van Gundy inconsistency athleticism over reliance on perimeter shot half court offense rebounding versatility rebounding depth point guard spot trapping defenses point guard spot X - Factor: rebounding X - Factor: outside shooting Player to Watch: Allan Houston Player to Watch: Tracy McGrady The Knicks have no one to defend Vince Carter. LJ is not quick enough which means he ll try and force Vince to score from outside. While Vince will have to prove he can score from the perimeter, he shouldn t settle for only jump shots. Oakley is not the player he once was; but, he can still make an open perimeter shot as well as rebound and be a force on defense. Sprewell has to make Carter work on defense. Latrell can be a factor on offense, then Vince will have to expend energy will trying to defend him. Sprewell has yet to figure out how to defend If Carter; but, Sprewell needs to realize if Carter is making tough shots, that s all he can ask of himself: make Vince earn his points. EDGE: Solidly to the Raptors. It may be Vince against LJ and Sprewell; but, the Knicks haven t stopped him all season. Patrick Ewing has to dominate this match up with Antonio Davis. Davis is at least 4 inches shorter than Ewing which means Patrick should post Davis up as much as possible. Davis, on the other hand, is quicker than Ewing; so, Antonio should face Ewing up and beat Patrick off the dribble. To counter his lack of lateral quickness, Ewing will back off Davis and dare Antonio to score from the perimeter. EDGE: Slightly to the Knicks. If Antonio Davis makes this match up close, the Knicks are in trouble. Allan Houston has been a big time playoff performer in previous years. He ll need to step up his play once again versus McGrady. Allan can t settle for jump shots. He has to attack McGrady off the dribble. Tracy should post Allan up early in the game as well as make Houston play as much defense as possible; however, McGrady cannot take bad shots nor make bad decisions. Charlie Ward can t afford to make mistakes and Muggsy Bogues must knock down the open perimeter shot which the Knicks will give him throughout the series. EDGE: Slightly to the Knicks. Allan Houston is the best guard of the group. He needs to play that way. Chris Childs must direct the Knicks offense efficiently. Kurt Thomas has to knock down the medium range shot. Doug Christie will post up any smaller Knicks guards. Dee Brown and / or Dell Curry must make the open perimeter shots and Kevin Willis has to be a force scoring points down low for Toronto. EDGE: Slightly to the Knicks.Marcus Camby s health is a big factor. If he can make an impact, the Knicks are that much better. If there is a way for the Knicks to slow down Vince Carter, Jeff Van Gundy will find it. Butch Carter s playoff inexperience as a head coach shouldn t be too much of a problem as long as he doesn t complicate the game for his players. EDGE: Solidly to Van Gundy. PREDICTION: Raptors in 5. A legend begins to grow in Madison Square Garden.

11 14 Internet site DoTheReview.com Roundball Review NBA Playoffs Predictions 2000 NBA PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND SCHEDULE: Western Conference: First Round: Best of LA Lakers vs. 8. Sacramento Kings: Lakers, Utah Jazz vs. 7. Seattle Supersonics: Utah, Portland Trailblazers vs. 6. Minnesota Timberwolves: Portland, San Antonio Spurs vs. 5. Phoenix Suns: Spurs, 3-1. Semi - finals: Best of 7. LA Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs: Lakers, 4-3. Portland Trailblazers vs. Utah Jazz: Portland, 4-2. Conference Finals: Best of 7. LA Lakers vs. Portland Trailblazers: Lakers, 4-3. Eastern Conference: First Round: Best of Indiana Pacers vs. 8. Milwaukee Bucks: Pacers, Miami Heat vs. 7. Detroit Pistons: Pistons, New York Knicks vs. 6. Toronto Raptors: Raptors, Charlotte Hornets vs. 5. Philadelphia 76ers: Hornets, 3-1. Semi - finals: Best of 7. Indiana Pacers vs. Charlotte Hornets: Indiana, 4-2. Detroit Pistons vs. Toronto Raptors: Pistons, 4-2. Conference Finals: Best of 7. Indiana Pacers vs. Detroit Pistons: Indiana, 4-1. NBA Finals: Indiana Pacers vs. LA Lakers: Lakers, 4-2. EASTERN CONFERENCE (All times local) Indiana vs. Milwaukee Game 1: 8:30 p.m. 4/23, at Indiana Game 2: 8 p.m. 4/27, at Indiana Game 3: 8:30 p.m. 4/29, at Milwaukee Game 4: TBD, 5/1, at Milwaukee* Game 5: TBD, 5/4 at Indiana* Miami vs. Detroit Game 1: 12:30 p.m. 4/22, at Miami Game 2: 7 p.m. 4/25, at Miami Game 3: 12:30 p.m. 4/29, at Detroit Game 4: TBD, 5/3, at Detroit* Game 5: TBD, 5/5, at Miami* New York vs. Toronto Game 1: 12:30 p.m. 4/23, at New York Game 2: 8 p.m. 4/26, at New York Game 3: 12:30 p.m. 4/30, at Toronto Game 4: TBD 5/2, at Toronto* Game 5: TBD 5/5, at New York* Hornets vs. 76ers Game 1: 8:30 p.m. 4/22, at Charlotte Game 2: 8 p.m. 4/24, at Charlotte Game 3: 8 p.m. 4/28, at Philadelphia Game 4: TBD, 5/1, at Philadelphia* Game 5: TBD 5/4, at Charlotte* * If necessary TBD To be determined WESTERN CONFERENCE (All Times local) L.A. Lakers vs. Sacramento Game 1: 5:30 p.m. 4/23, at Los Angeles Game 2: 10:30 p.m. 4/27, at Los Angeles Game 3: 5:30 p.m. 4/30, at Sacramento* Game 4: TBD, 5/2, at Sacramento* Game 5: TBD 5/5, at Los Angeles* Utah vs. Seattle Game 1: 5:30 p.m. 4/22, at Utah Game 2: 10:30 p.m. 4/24, at Utah Game 3: 5:30 p.m. 4/29, at Seattle Game 4: TBD 5/3, at Seattle* Game 5: TBD 5/3, at Utah* Portland vs. Minnesota Game 1: 3 p.m. 4/23, at Portland Game 2: 10:30 p.m. 4/26, at Portland Game 3: 3 p.m. 4/30, at Minnesota Game 4: TBD, 5/2, at Minnesota* Game 5: TBD, 5/4, at Portland* Spurs vs. Suns Game 1: 3 p.m. 4/22, at San Antonio Game 2: 9:30 p.m. 4/25, at San Antonio Game 3: 3 p.m. 4/29, at Phoenix Game 4: TBD, 5/2, at Phoenix* Game 5: TBD 5/4, at San Antonio* * If necessary TBD To be determined Shop at one of my Just stores online: Located at DoTheReview.com/shopping.html JUST COMPUTERS: You Computer Technology Source JUST GIVIN : The Easy Way to Find the Perfect Gift Just Hoopin : Slam - Dunk Choices for Players and Fans! JUST LISTENIN : All Your Music Needs JUST READIN : Read All About It! JUST SPORTS: From Team Sports to Backyard Fun! JUST TOYS: The Best Toys for Kids of All Ages! JUST WATCHIN : Lights! Camera! Action!