Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
January 25, 2002, Washington Post

A Whole New Ball Game

Believe it or not, we are almost halfway though the National Basketball Association (NBA) season. The big story in the NBA, of course, has been the return of Michael Jordan. Jordan has been spectacular for the Washington Wizards, but he has not been the only story. Let's take a look at some of the other headlines and headliners from this year's basketball season.

Surprise teams. Don't look now but the best team in the Eastern Conference is the New Jersey Nets. That's right, the Nets. They've been bad almost as long as the Wizards. But this year, the Nets have a new point guard, the amazing Jason Kidd. Kidd is an unusual player. He's a lousy shooter (for a pro), but he does everything else really well. He passes, rebounds, steals the ball and plays hard-nosed defense. And, most important, he makes his teammates better. Kidd has the Nets playing like champs.

The Nets are not the only team with a new point guard. The Sacramento Kings traded flashy Jason Williams for steady Mike Bibby. Now the Kings are not just looking good, they're winning games. The Kings look ready to challenge the Los Angeles Lakers for the top spot in the tough Pacific Division.

Disappointments. Last year the Philadelphia 76ers lost in the finals to the Lakers. This year, the Sixers will be lucky to make the playoffs. Allen Iverson is still scoring lots of points, but even The Answer doesn't have all the answers for the Sixers' slide.

At the beginning of the season, the Orlando Magic looked ready for the big time. The plan was for superstar Grant Hill to come back from an ankle injury and help high-scoring Tracy McGrady become a winner. The plan hasn't worked. Hill is hurt again, and the Magic and McGrady are losing half their games.

The Portland Trail Blazers have lots of big-name players: Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, Shawn Kemp, Damon Stoudamire, Bonzi Wells. But the big names don't win games. The Blazers look like flameouts this season.

New stars. Sure, everyone is talking about Michael Jordan, but there are plenty of new stars in the NBA.

You like scorers? Paul Pierce is pumping in 27 points a game for the Boston Celtics. Ray Allen is scoring almost as many for Milwaukee with his silky-smooth jump shot.

Or how about good, young big men? Check out Elton Brand. The former Duke star is now scoring 18 points and grabbing more than 10 rebounds a game for the up-and-coming Los Angeles Clippers. And there's another O'Neal starring in the league. Not Shaq, Jermaine. He's the next big thing for the Indiana Pacers.

And there are several emerging stars from Europe, including Dirk Nowitski (Germany), Predrag Stojakovic (Yugoslavia) and Pau Gasol (Spain). These guys can play in any language.

But seven-footer Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves may be the best all-around player in the league. Garnett can score, rebound, pass and block shots. Believe me, "KG" can do it all.

Just like Michael Jordan.

Fred Bowen is the author of sports novels for kids.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company