Atlantic Division

Sporting News, The, Oct 9, 2000

BOSTON CELTICS: The team is 1-10 in the 11 games G/F Paul Pierce has missed in the last two seasons. If he is unable to play early, which likely will be the case in the preseason after he was stabbed last week, coach Rick Pitino has several options. Last season, Pitino moved SF Adrian Griffin to guard and started PF Eric Williams at small forward. He also could keep Griffin at small forward and start either G/F Chris Carr or G/F Calbert Cheaney in the backcourt. One thing the Celtics have in abundance is swingmen. --Peter May

MIAMI HEAT: While the addition of PG Rick Brunson pales in comparison to other Heat offseason additions--such as SG Eddie Jones, PF Brian Grant and SF Anthony Mason--it does help change some of the team dynamic. Brunson is expected to fill the same type of third-string point-guard role for the Heat he did last season for the Knicks, this time playing behind starter Tim Hardaway and reserve Anthony Carter. Brunson, a lefthanded ballhandler, is adept at running halfcourt sets and has improved his shooting. He's a quality ballhandler against pressure, an area where he may be an upgrade over Carter. --Ira Winderman

NEW JERSEY NETS: Perhaps the most interesting player in camp will be C Somali Samake, the team's second-round draft pick. A native of Mali, the 7-footer played no college ball. He spent three seasons in Slovenia before spending last season with the Cincinnati Sting of the International Basketball League. Thin as a pipe cleaner, Samake led the IBL in blocked shots (2.7 per game) while averaging 9.7 points and 7.6 rebounds. The Nets chose to gamble on a player who would appear to be at least a few years and dozens of pounds away from being a contributor, but they like his athleticism and ability to run the floor. --Don Burke

NEW YORK KNICKS: The Knicks spent most of the summer hoping to add a second Olympian to their roster, and they did. But instead of four-time All-Star PF Vin Baker, the Knicks wound up with Australian C Luc Longley, a feeble replacement for Patrick Ewing. To make matters worse, Longley hurt his knee at the Olympics and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks. He isn't much, but he will be missed. Longley can hit a variety of mid-range jumpers, put back errant outside shots and confound defenders with his knack for finding an open man--far more effectively, in the latter case, than Ewing did the past few seasons. --John Brennan

ORLANDO MAGIC: SF Grant Hill played his first five-on-five basketball in nearly five months last week. He's still running without pain on the ankle he injured last May, but his timing in a full-court game is a little off. He has moved slowly through rehabilitation with the ankle because there was no pressing need to rush back. He passed on the Olympics, though he probably could have played. He did little more than shooting drills the past few weeks while his teammates played pickup on the court next to him. Hill still is not pushing himself much, but his skills certainly haven't declined. --Bill Fay

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: When the team selected 5-11 SG Craig "Speedy" Claxton of Hofstra with the No. 20 pick in the draft, the choice raised eyebrows. The team pointed to a number of factors, among them Claxton's ability to create his own shot and break his man down off the dribble, his 37-inch vertical leap and his lightning quickness on defense. But just before the start of summer league camp, Claxton revealed he had a quad contusion and would not be able to play. Until he gets on the Court and demonstrates not only that he that is healthy, but that he can make a contribution to a team that already is overloaded in the backcourt, the success of the pick is mere conjecture. --Jon Marks

WASHINGTON WIZARDS: In trading SF Tracy Murray, the team lost 10 points a game off the bench, slack that will have to be picked up by new PF Popeye Jones, SF Dennis Scott and second-year SG Richard Hamilton. Even if they don't fully replace Murray's offense, the Wizards are glad to be rid of him. Not only did he upset team boss Michael Jordan by demanding a trade through the news media, Murray's teammates were fired of his constant complaining. Murray has admitted some of his teammates did not trust him because he kept himself at arm's length. --Steve Wyche