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Technically speaking, it is not really the end of the year for the NBA,
which only uses the New Year as an excuse for a break.
|  | | Kobe and Shaq put their differences aside last season ... and won a title. |
But in keeping with the rest of the traditional media world, I feel it's
the cliched duty of somebody to look back at some things we just saw in 2000
-- or at least the last four months of 2000 -- and look ahead to some things
we might see in 2001.
For instance, I noticed thus far:
The Sacramento Kings are even more fun to watch now that they play
defense. I hope Chris Webber recognizes this.
It may not happen this season, or even next, but at some point this whole
Shaq-Kobe thing in L.A. is going to get ugly.
I get the feeling that when I'm 45, we're all still going to be saying,
"How long can Stockton and Malone keep doing what they're doing?" Incredible.
Why don't the Sonics and Blazers just trade Vin Baker for Shawn Kemp and
get it over with?
Is it just me, or does Pat Riley look like a better coach when he has a
bunch of underpaid underachievers than when he has a bunch of guys making the
max?
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| Penny |
Penny Hardaway NEVER, EVER is going to be the player he once was. And he
NEVER, EVER was the player he thought he was.
Don't look now, but the Los Angeles Clippers already have won 10 games
this season. They won only 15 all of last season.
Here's a few stats for Derrick Coleman: Before he returned to the Hornets
this week, the Hornets were 33-9 when he doesn't play and 59-58 when he does.
Antawn Jamison finally is becoming the player many of us thought he would
become.
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| Nash |
I have to give the Dallas Mavericks credit; they are much better than I
thought they would be, especially Steve Nash.
The fact that the Denver Nuggets are in 10th place in the Western
Conference is something of a miracle, especially with all that's gone with
Dan Issel.
Two players who may have made the worst business decisions in the NBA
reside in Houston: Shandon Anderson and Walt Williams.
What would David Stern think if Allen Iverson made it to the NBA Finals?
Would the Sixers have to wear turtlenecks so kids couldn't see Iverson's
tattoos?
Enough Little Ricky. Enough.
Enough Abe. Enough.
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| McGrady |
Tracy McGrady isn't going to like it very much when Grant Hill comes back
next season and wants some of the 35 shots he's become accustomed to taking.
I love New York. They are 17-12, in third place in the East, and every
paper in the Big Apple is saying they should not have traded Patrick. What am
I missing?
I may have misconstrued something, but it seems like the luster has worn
off Vince Carter.
I feel badly for Zydrunas Ilgauskas, as well as Cleveland. They both
deserve better.
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| J.O'Neal |
In two or three years, Jermaine O'Neal may be the best center in the East.
I have to give George Irvine props; most of the Pistons' 13 wins are
because they play harder than every team in the league. It used to be like
that in Orlando.
If George Karl doesn't chill, he's not going to be around to enjoy any of
the contract that Sen. Kohl wants to bestow upon him.
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| Wally |
When did Wally Szczerbiak become a punk?
All anybody can say about Crumbs Krause is that he got exactly what he
wanted.
Around The West
There is some talk up in Vancouver that Sidney Lowe already has lost some
of his players, the reason they have swooned to an 8-20 record after an
impressive start.
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| Bibby |
The general consensus is Dick Versace is going to have to make some
change, and it does not seem as if it is going to be Lowe.
Mike Bibby's name has come up on several occasions, but Versace may nuke
the whole thing and even deal Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Abdur-Rahim has proven to
be a weak link in the fourth quarter of games and is not super enamored with
the city.
One thing is certain: There is too much talent there to be so many games
under .500.
With Donnie Nelson taking over in Dallas for his father, who is getting
treatment for prostate cancer, it makes one wonder who the next coach of the
Mavs is going to be.
It certainly was a classy move by Del Harris to step aside because he was
not comfortable with Don Nelson's system -- which is a loosely used term,
since Don does not ever seem to have a "system" per se, but rather goes with
gut instincts.
A lot of Dallas' management future could rest on how well Donnie does in
the next 20 games, though. Donnie was the one that went to owner Mark Cuban
when Cuban took over the club and told him not to consider him the team's
next head coach.
Now, though, if he does well....
Speaking of Cuban, he may now be starting a war with fans.
Cuban was writing a point-counterpoint article on another Web site when he
wrote: "Fans only know what they read. Period. End of story."
Many of those fans took offense that they did not have the insight or
intelligence to make their own decisions or judgements, and sounded off on
Cuban in chat rooms.
Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan can empathize with Rasheed Wallace. Sloan
already has 13 technical fouls in 29 games.
"They (the referees) have a job to do -- a tough job -- and I understand
that," Sloan said. "But sometimes they don't seem to understand I'm a fairly
competitive guy and some of the things that happen out there drive me crazy."
Sloan has already been ejected twice this season. Sloan was also fined
$7,500 by NBA vice president of operations Stu Jackson for "verbally abusing
the officials and failing to leave the court in a timely fashion" for his
outburst in Philadelphia.
"I'm not happy with myself when things transpire like that," Sloan said.
"When I go home, I have every intention of not doing it again. I tell myself
that. But then they throw the ball up and I guess I go a little crazy
sometimes."
Perhaps a little Zoloft will help.
Frank Hughes covers the NBA for the Tacoma (Wash.) News-Tribune. He is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.
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