|  | | The stars are out in Texas with Duncan, Nowitzki and Yao. |
That's quite a Big Three they have in Texas. No, not Nash, Finley and Nowitzki. We're talking about the Mavericks, Spurs and Rockets. With unbeaten Dallas, San Antonio's twin towers and the emergence of Houston's Yao Ming, it'd be wise not to mess with Texas, writes Marc Stein in his weekly NBA report.Chat wrap: Senior NBA writer Marc SteinAn award's comeback? | Kings' royal pain
| COAST TO COAST |
 File this idea away for future reference: Avery Johnson, coach of the Dallas Mavericks. It won't happen next week, or even next season. Assuming, though, that the Mavericks can win a tug-o-war with San Antonio for the Lil' General's post-playing services, Johnson is starting to look like the strongest in-house contender not named Donnie Nelson to succeed Don Nelson down the road. Especially since Donnie is also Dallas' president of basketball operations and has repeatedly said how much he enjoys that new job. Big Nellie has no in-stone plans to coach beyond this season, but says he's open to staying on the bench at least through 2004 and maybe longer if that's what Mark Cuban wants. Whenever he reaches his X-and-O limit -- Nelson turns 63 in May -- he's contracted to move upstairs into a Red Auerbach-style role as Cuban's most weighty basketball voice ... Click for more on who's going for Olympic gold on Team USA, the whereabouts of Khalid El-Amin and Shaq's surgery.
|
| STAT OF THE WEEK |
.375 It would be a nice batting average, but instead it's the stat that represents the only downer in Indiana's Reggie-less 10-2 start. That's the combined winning percentage -- .375, on a 39-65 record -- of the Pacers' victims. After losing at home Saturday to Detroit, Indy will thus be looking to announce itself on Thanksgiving night against Dallas, which could arrive at Conseco Fieldhouse with a 14-0 record if the Mavs can subdue the Pistons on Wednesday. Indy has dropped its only two games to .600 teams, New Jersey and Detroit.
|
| STAT OF THE WEAK | 39 That's how many shots Pau Gasol has attempted in five games under Hubie Brown, barely eight per game. Which explains why more than Pau's hand is hurting. Hey, Hubie: Shouldn't Pau be getting the ball more than that?
|
| SPEAK OF THE WEEK |
 "There's no reason to save it for next year."
—Washington's Michael Jordan, not surprisingly fuming after the Wiz became the first team to lose to Hubie Brown's Memphis Grizzlies, suddenly sounds ready to sacrifice what's left of his knees -- and maybe his Sixth Man Award campaign -- by taking on more minutes. Another shocker, huh?
|
Marc Stein, the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com, writes "The Stein Line" every Monday during the season. To e-mail him, click here.
| |
| STEIN SIDELINES |
SLAMS AND DUNKS
 Now that Denver's on a 25-win pace, which will apparently include 12 or 13 wins at the buzzer, the Nuggets will be glad to be reminded that there's a downside for all those teams putting all their hope in the idea of winning the LeBron James lottery. Even if James shows up as good as Kobe Bryant was in 1996, Kobe needed four seasons (and Shaquille O'Neal) to win his first title. And Phil Jackson. And, worse yet, James will arrive with more scrutiny than Yao Ming faces now. And if you think any of that will deter the Nugz or anyone else from lusting over this guy ...
More Slams and Dunks
WHAT A SCOUT SAYS
 About Orlando's Tracy McGrady, who squares off with Kobe Bryant in Wednesday's Lakers-at-Magic matchup on ESPN ... assuming T-Mac's back cooperates:
"Everybody wants to compare these guys and ask who you would rather have. It's a fine line, but I'd have to say Tracy right now. Either one would be unbelievable, but Tracy seems like a tougher cover to me. Kobe gets it done at the defensive end, and the thing I admire about him is that he plays so hard, but Tracy is making it look effortless. His points are more consistent throughout the game now, instead of just through the first three quarters. Last year, it seemed like (Magic coach Doc Rivers) went to Tracy at the end of every game with a middle isolation at the top of the floor -- and McGrady went right almost every darn time. Now there's more of an element of unpredictability to it. I wasn't sure he could hit that end-of-game shot, but I'm sure now. He seems to have a bottomless resevoir of upside. He keeps getting better every year, adding different looks and wrinkles to his game. This year, it's his decision-making and passing out of double teams. No one knows if or when Tracy will level off."
MAILBAG
 Any chance of Blazer-style bickering erupting in Indiana in the future? Maybe not now when they're winning, but when they actually lose a couple of games later on? Or when they get older in a couple of years?
It'll be a challenge for Coach Isiah to keep everyone satisfied. But I know the Pacers believe that the five-man nature of their offense creates PT opportunities for everyone (even when Reggie Miller returns) because the new offense de-emphasizes specific positions ...
More Mailbag responses
|
|
|
|
|
