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Thursday, January 4, 2001
Fred's Points: Sixers, Jazz are good
ESPN.com
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What's the first thing you notice when you see ESPN's Fred Carter on NBA 2Night or SportsCenter? Of course, he points at you. It's his way of saying hello. So we've asked NBA expert Fred to greet us and make some points for ESPN.com each week. Enjoy.
|  | | Are Iverson and his Sixers for real? Fred Carter says they are. |
1. Are the 76ers the best team in the East? Could they represent the conference?
Defensively, the Sixers certainly are the best team in the East. They help out, the weak-side defense is good, their athleticism and quickness are good. Larry Brown has done a great job of getting his team to understand that their best chance of winning is on the defensive end.
Offensively, they stay in games because they have the little guy. Allen Iverson will keep you in ballgames all by himself. Are they the best? Maybe. Right now they're 5-0, playing well and they absolutely could represent the conference in the Finals.
2. The Lakers and Blazers certainly don't look like 60-win teams so far. Did they just have bad first weeks?
You think about the Lakers and the Blazers and the seasons that they had last year, the Lakers already have three losses and the Blazers have three. The Blazers may be the team that's in real trouble. I figured they would come out of the embarrassing loss to the Lakers in Game 7 last year with a vengeance, ready to fight. They came out for their first game this season at home flat and passive, and have continued that way. I don't know that this team, as they stand now, can win the NBA Title.
The Lakers are the Lakers. They know how to rev it up, they know how to get there. I can't question them. I doubt the Portland Trailblazers' ability to excel.
3. Karl Malone is 37. John Stockton is 38. The Jazz have yet to lose. Is this team for real? And, can you imagine performing at this level at that age?
Karl Malone and John Stockton are amazing. These two guys have been playing for so long that when they retire they could move right into wheelchair basketball, and you'd still see Stockton to Malone. These guys are executing and winning with defense. John Starks has picked up right where Jeff Hornacek left off. And give the credit that's due to Jerry Sloan. Players go there, extend their careers and the team never misses a beat. The Jazz will never win it all, but they'll always be close while the big two are still playing.
4. Between Danny Fortson and Travis Best, which role player's great start has surprised you the most and why?
Travis Best did a great job in last year's playoffs. The diminutive lefty was a scorer in high school and Georgia Tech. He knows how to execute the pick-and-roll and get to the basket. He has a great knack for finishing the layup and he shoots the three tremendously well. He's a great role player, yes, but he's a great offensive player outright. This year, with no Mark Jackson and Jalen Rose out, he got 55 points in two games.
Danny Fortson really isn't a surprise. He's doing a great job of rebounding the basketball. His only limitation is that he needs to be put in the position where he is not fighting a bigger man on his team. His numbers would go down. He's rebounding well right now, an ability he had earlier in his career and has found again.
5. How long do you think the Magic can survive without Grant Hill? Is Tracy McGrady up to the task?
The Orlando Magic were right there competing for a playoff spot at the end of last year without both Hill and McGrady. Doc Rivers is an outstanding coach. He will keep this team together, they'll keep plugging and scratch out wins. When Grant Hill finally does return, McGrady won't be asked to log so many minutes and this team will really hit its stride.
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