Eastern Conference

Sporting News, The, April 2, 2001

Atlanta

SICK OF LOSING: The worst thing that can happen to a bad team continues to happen to the Hawks. Injuries and illnesses have ravaged the club, preventing coach Lon Kruger from having a full roster to deploy against superior competition. And so the losing continues. They were unable to follow up on a big win over the Lakers last Monday, instead getting hammered at home by the Spurs and at Toronto. ... With SF Chris Crawford (ankle) done for the season, rookie SF DerMarr Johnson gets another shot to develop. He needs it. The team, while saying it is convinced Johnson will emerge into a star player, has to be disappointed in what it has seen from its first-round draft pick. He has had several opportunities to win consistent playing time, but he still seems overmatched.... Crawford's injury could not have come at a worse time for him. He was showing effort and the ability to finish strong drives and hit the open jump shot the team has sought for three years.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: The 27-point loss to the Raptors was the team's worst since 1986. To make matters worse, the Raptors rejected 23 Hawks shots, an NBA record. Getting shots blocked always is a danger for the Hawks, who start 6-2 SG Jason Terry and 5-10 PG Brevin Knight. When Terry shoots 3-for-18, the Hawks don't have much of a chance to win. --Curtis Bunn

Boston

SCORING BINGE: SF Paul Pierce was the league's hottest player last week. He completed an impressive five-game stretch with a career-high 44 points against the Nets. In recent weeks, he has taken his game to new heights and believes he could one day become the top scorer in the league. Not only that, he has been making smarter decisions when defenses attempt to trap him. Even when hot, Pierce has been looking for teammates who are open for better shots.... The Celtics are preparing themselves for a playoff race that could come down to the last week of the season. Coach Jim O'Brien recently reminded his players that "fatigue is a state of mind," emphasizing the team cannot rest for the remainder of the season.... SF Walter McCarty and PG Milt Palacio have provided a lift off the bench. But little has been heard from SF Eric Williams lately.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: The Celtics are playing their best basketball since their six-game winning streak in late January and early February. They were helped by a four-day break they used to fine-tune their play. They are displaying solid on-court chemistry that was evident when they rang up 30 assists against the Nets. On defense, they have been adept at selectively returning to the press to add surprises to their repertoire. The press has helped the Celtics establish an impressive turnover differential. --Shira Springer

Charlotte

STANDING PAT: Coach Paul Silas says the Hornets will go with the roster they have for the rest of the season. The team discussed signing PG Khalid El-Amin after he was waived by the Bulls, and it also has been watching ex-Hornet SF Scott Burrell while he has been rehabbing his injured knee in Charlotte. Neither player will join the team. The only move the Hornets are considering is bringing PF Derrick Coleman off the injured list. A team official says he would bet against Coleman playing again this season, given the way the Hornets have played without him--a 32-9 record heading into last weekend.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: The backup point guard issue has been a thorny one for Silas all season, and his worst fears might be coming true. Silas has gone with a three-guard rotation much of the season, starting David Wesley at shooting guard and using him as Baron Davis' backup at the point. Now, Wesley and Davis are both worn out. Silas has been in a Catch-22 situation all along. He never had confidence in Eldridge Recasner, and G.M. Bob Bass steadfastly refused to get him help at the point. But look at it this way: Had Silas not played Wesley and Davis all those minutes, the Hornets probably would have lost several games they wound up winning, and they might be struggling just to make the playoffs. --John Delong

Chicago

SLOWLY BUT SURELY: Coach Tim Floyd is enjoying a nice harvest for the way he brought PG Jamal Crawford and SF Marcus Fizer along slowly and kept their confidence from being crushed. Both rookies are playing their best basketball of the season. Floyd has been playing Crawford more often, especially late in games, to speed his development. Starting PG Bryce Drew (hamstring) has been hurt anyway, and Crawford's superior mobility has been an asset in tight games. Still, his lack of experience frequently is exposed in his erratic play.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Are the Bulls more interested in getting the highest lottery pick possible or in finishing the season with positive winning momentum? The answer will be reflected in the way Floyd plays leading scorers PF ELton Brand and SG Ron Mercer for the rest of the season. They want to play every game if they're healthy. But Floyd must give generous playing time to Crawford, Fizer, Dragan Tarlac, Dalibor Bagaric, A.J. Guyton and possibly even Jake Voskuhl to determine who is worth retaining. C Brad Miller and G/F Fred Hoiberg each has earned another season. Rookie PG Khalid El-Amin already has been released. Expect either Voskuhl, Tarlac or Dalibor to be traded or released next because Floyd doesn't want to carry the same four centers into next season. -Lacy J. Banks