Eastern Conference

Sporting News, The, Dec 23, 2002

Atlantic Division

BOSTON CELTICS Seventh year PG Tony Delk is a natural shooting guard, but his play in place of PG Kenny Anderson, who was traded in the offseason, has been a revelation. Delk's 43.1 percent 3 point shooting is 10.2 percentage points better than his career average and is among the league's best. His averages of 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists are career bests, and he's committing just 1.3 turnovers per game ... The Celtics are fifth in the league at forcing turnovers, with 17.5 per game, though they aren't considered a great defensive team. Boston has been outrebounded and outshot by its opponents this season, but its high-energy play pays off when other teams make mistakes.

MIAMI HEAT The team was pleasantly surprised when PG Travis Best was available as a low-priced free agent in September. But the Heat has learned what the Pacers, Best's old team, seemingly knew for years: Best is not a starter, in and out of the lineup this season, Best struggles with the team's offense and has trouble making jumpers. He is chastised by coach Pal Riley for making too many pump fakes.... Rookie SF Caron Butler entered last weekend with at least one steal in 17 straight games. The team expected an immediate contribution from Buffer on offense but not on defense. He can be beaten one-on-one, but the steals allow him to make use of his open-court skills.

NEW JERSEY NETS The team traded for C Dikembe Mutombo last offseason to provide a physical presence inside, but Mutombo was slow to learn the motion offense and then tore a wrist ligament that will keep him out until late in the season. Playing just 25 minutes per game, 11.2 fewer than his career average, Mutombo has career-low averages in scoring (7.1), rebounding (7.3), blocks (2.0) and shooting (41.4).... In an effort to replace the offense that was lost in the Mutombo trade--PF Keith Van Hum and C Todd MacCulloch both were better offensively than Mutombo--PG Jason Kidd has increased his scoring average to a career-high 20.6. That's 5.9 more points per game than last season.

NEW YORK KNICKS As the team's third point guard last season behind Mark Jackson and Charlie Ward, Howard Eisley had a miserable year in which he played in only 39 games and shot 33.7 percent, including 24.1 percent from 3-point range. But when Jackson was traded, it opened up more playing time, and when Ward missed eight games with a leg injury, Eisley's confidence and production soared. In his first 14 games as a starter, Eisley averaged 8.6 points, 7.5 assists and just 2.1 turnovers. His shooting percentage is up to 39.0 percent, including 34.7 percent from 3 point range.... The Knicks won six of their first 12 games after the return of SF Latrell Sprewell from a hand injury. Without Sprewell, the team started 1-7.

ORLANDO MAGIC Few outside the organization knew how much animosity existed between PF Horage Grant and the team before the Magic decided to release him. Grant, who played in only give games this season as he recovered from knee surgery, had run afoul of coach Doc Rivers. The fact that a power-starved team would give up on Grant exposes the level of rancor.... PG Jacque Vaughn's streak of consecutive games played ended at 221. The Magic expected when it added Vaughn in the offseason that he could reduce the minutes of PG Darrell Armstrong, but Vaughn's 38.0 percent shooting and 0-for-5 start from 3-point range has made him an offensive liability.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS an offseason afterthought, F/C Brian Skinner proved to be a necessary contributor during the early seared absence of PF Derrick Coleman (knee). Skinner leads the team in blocked shots and plays key minutes behind C Todd MacCulloch, who gets limited playing time because of chronically sore feet. With finesse players such as Coleman and PF Keith Van Horn at the top of the power rotation, Skinner offers a much needed balance of toughness and defense.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS The season has been an unceasing series of surprises for PF Kwame Brown. In early November, be was the toast of the roster, a 20-year-old who had come of age in his second season out of high school. But when SG Michael Jordan decided to start, the lineup took a veteran twist, with PF Christian Laettner replacing Brown, who now is providing inconsistent production in inconsistent minutes.... Larry Hughes never will be a true point guard, but he entered last weekend with five straight double-doubles. Instead of racking up double figures in assists, his streak was built with rebounds, which shows Hughes is a multidimensional talent.

Central Division

ATLANTA HAWKS Last season, PF Alan Henderson was rotting away on the bench, hoping for a trade. Now healthier than he has been in some time, Henderson has re-established himself as an essential reserve, perhaps inspired by the addition of his old high school rival, SF Glenn Robinson.... The Hawks are averaging 19.0 turnovers, and it's costing them dearly. Robinson is the worst offender, but the strategy of playing a natural shooting guard, Jason Terry, at the point might be the real culprit. The Hawks force 13.5 turnovers per game, so the negative ratio is an obvious hurdle.