Stretching roles down the stretch

As March nears, most of the NBA's wheat has been separated from its chaff. Barring a Pat Riley-induced miracle in Miami, nine teams already have a ball bouncing in the draft lottery bin--the Heat, Knicks, Hawks, Cavaliers and Bulls in the East and the Rockets, Nuggets, Grizzlies and Warriors in the West.

That leaves 20 teams battling for 16 playoffs spots. From that group, five players must do more down the stretch to make sure their teams enter the playoffs on favorable footing.

Ray Allen, SG, Bucks, Allen's averages--22.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists--are as pretty as his jump shot, but something is missing. During last season's playoffs, Allen began to separate himself from the Bucks' Big Three, which includes Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell. This season, playing on a sore knee, Allen has lost some of the aggressiveness and explosiveness that set him apart. The Bucks are searching for a leader, on the court and off, and if you hear more about The Big Three than Allen as the season winds down, their struggles will continue.

Chauncey Billups, PG, Timberwolves. By the time the Timberwolves announced last week that point guard Terrell Brandon would miss the rest of the season with a leg injury, Billups already had plenty of experience as the team's starter. Billups has been filling in for a banged-up Brandon all season, going 16-7 as a starter. Brandon was 18-10. The combination gave Minnesota the fourth-best record in the West, but now Billups, who probably is a better shooting guard than a point guard, must lead the Timberwolves without a safety net.

Kobe Bryant, SG, Lakers, Step up? Really? Bryant's shooting (47.8 percent) and decision-making (a 2.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio) are better than ever, but someone must take over when sore-toed center Shaquille O'Neal rests or the Lakers will find themselves with an unsightly playoff seed. Selective shooting and nifty passing are nice, but that's not what makes Bryant dangerous.

Jamal Mashburn, SF, Hornets, An abdominal injury that Mashburn suffered in last season's playoffs lingered. After nine subpar games in November, he took time to heal until his expected return this week. With shooting guard David Wesley out with a broken foot, Mashburn's scoring punch arrives just in time for the 25-25 Hornets.

Reggie Miller, SG, Pacers, Miller was lauded early in the season for accepting a reduced role on a team full of young players, but things aren't going so well anymore. Point guard Jamaal Tinsley has hit the rookie wall, Jalen Rose is in a funk, Al Harrington (knee) is out for the season and Jermaine O'Neal (knee, ankle) can't stay healthy. The Pacers started 20-15 but are 5-12 since and have dropped one game off the playoff pace. Miller, 36, still is capable of averaging 20 points. For the first time in a long time, the Pacers need him to prove it.

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