First Quarter Review

Sporting News, The, Dec 20, 1999

Atlanta

Rider emerges as threat; Mutombo takes advantage

WHAT WENT RIGHT: C Dikembe Mutombo emerged as more of an offensive threat because of Isaiah Rider and Jimmy Jackson's effectiveness and his offseason work on a drop step in the low post. With Mutombo scoring inside and Rider and Jackson scoring from the perimeter and on drives, the offense proved more diverse. Mutombo's play and Rider's effectiveness have helped counter the losses of Jackson (knee surgery) and Roshown McLeod (groin).... With Rider's personal issues apparently resolved, he has performed better than anyone in the league the past few weeks. More important, he is giving the team an emotional charge nearly every night.

PROBLEM TO SOLVE: Someone other than Rider and Jackson needs to establish himself as a true scorer. McLeod and LaPhonso Ellis are injured. PG Jason Terry, the No. 10 pick in the draft has been inconsistent. He was expected to be the starter, but he has been outplayed by Bimbo Coles. SF Chris Crawford lacks the confidence. C/PF Lorenzen Wright has had his moments, but the Hawks expected a bigger impact than they've received. They're glad he's in shape, which was a problem in the offseason, but too often he has bad rebounding position--getting too far under the basket--and he remains foul prone. --Curtis Bunn

Boston

Griffin provides immediate impact with his versatility

WHAT WENT RIGHT: The biggest surprise has been the play of rookie SF Adrian Griffin. He won the starting job in camp and has kept it with versatile, smart, nerveless play. He's among the team leaders in minutes, rebounds, assists and steals, and he has made two clutch, late-game defensive plays to preserve close wins.... The team has shown it can be an offensive machine when it moves the ball unselfishly. It put up a 42-point quarter against Milwaukee and has had two 60-point halves.... The emergence of F/C Tony Baffle off the bench has been a big plus. Coach Rick Pitino has been hoping for consistency from Battie. He's the team's best shot blocker and also can rebound.

PROBLEM TO SOLVE: The Celtics are still a weak man-to-man defensive team, and that will be Pitino's ongoing challenge this season. He has cut back dramatically on his team's pressing because the first unit doesn't do it well, and the second unit doesn't score enough to get into the press. So he's working hard on getting the team to play better defense in the halfcourt. PF Danny Fortson should be ready at the end of the month or early in January. He'll have to come off the bench because Antoine Walker is starting. Fortson doesn't like to come off the bench. But maybe his presence will push Walker to play better. --Peter May

Charlotte

Wesley, Davis combine for solid point play

WHAT WENT RIGHT: PGs David Wesley and Baron Davis have complemented each other well. Wesley, the more polished veteran and a better outside shooter, got off to a good start, and that has allowed Davis to develop slowly without pressure. Lately, Wesley has slumped, and Davis, a far more explosive and quicker player, has been there to pick up the slack and ignite the team.... G/F Eddie Jones continues to elevate his game and is becoming a bona fide star. Jones has become the go-to guy in the clutch and has taken over games in stretches. He has led the team in scoring all season, and he continues to be the team's best perimeter defender, leading the league in steals. That's a surprise because the new rules were supposed to hamper him defensively.

PROBLEM TO SOLVE: The Hornets need better chemistry. They had perfect chemistry late last season, but with the return of PF Derrick Coleman and SF Anthony Mason, and the addition of Davis, they're still slowly feeling their way along this year, trying to get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses. Mason Seems totally frustrated at times and is still trying to figure out his role. Sometimes his talents seem wasted at small forward, although he continues to play hard every night Coleman has played much better since moving into the starting power forward role. --John Delong

Chicago

Brand is only bright spot in dismal season

WHAT WENT RIGHT: The Bulls wasted no time giving rookie PF Elton Brand all the playing minutes and responsibility he could handle in an effort to expedite his development as the team's new star. They went to him as the first offensive option from the start, even though they still had F Toni Kukoc, the team's best player, in harness. Brand has responded well. He has worked hard, regularly arriving early, staying late and even coming back for middle-of-the-night private workouts. He wins good position in the box to score but needs to finish better. He has shot just 42 percent from the field.... Coach Tim Floyd has handled the losing season well. He has kept his cool and remained positive with the players.

PROBLEM TO SOLVE: Just about everything that could have gone wrong for the Bulls in the first quarter did. Management committed itself to running the complicated triple-post offense, which was a mistake because Floyd and his staff were obligated to teach it to players who will have no need for the system after this season. As a result, the offense has been the worst in the league. It didn't help that the team suffered injuries to Kukoc, PG B.J. Armstrong, G Fred Hoiberg and G Hersey Hawkins. To improve, the Bulls need to get healthy and master the triple-post offense. They must continue to play gritty defense and get better players. --Lacy J. Banks