For the second consecutive year, the Toronto Raptor's superstar Vince "Air Canada" Carter, known for his breath-taking above the rim antics, topped all NBA players with 1,717,867 fan votes, in the final tabulation for 50th NBA all-star game to be played on February 11 in Washington.
Carter's cousin and former teammate, Tracy McGrady of the Orlando Magic will be reunited, after half a season apart, in the starting lineup of the 2000-2001Eastern Conference All-Star team. McGrady's ascension to prominence has been spectacular, bounding from a role player during his three year tenure in Toronto, to the seventh leading scorer in the NBA at 26.6 ppg. Philadelphia 76ers guard, Alan "The Answer" Iverson joins McGrady in the backcourt.
Despite being out for the season, Alonzo Mourning of the Miami Heat and Grant Hill of the Magic, were elected as starters for the All-Star game, demonstrating both their immense popularity and the watered down talent pool in the Eastern Conference.
On Tuesday, the 29 coaches in the NBA elected the reserves. Stephon Marbury (Nets), Anthony Mason (Heat), Antonio McDyess (Nuggets) and Theo Ratliff (76ers), will all make their All-Star debuts and Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson (both from Bucks), Allan Houston (Knicks) and Jerry Stackhouse (Pistons), round out the eastern squad. Later today, commissioner David Stern will select two players to replace the injured Mourning and Hill on the east's roster.
The tale of two teams
With no player scoring more than 19 points a game and with Mourning done for the season, casual observers might say that the Heat could not possibly be a playoff contender. However, as of the late, the Heat have been on a tear and have upped their record to a startling, 27-18.The Heat's first half success can be attributed to a few factors. First and foremost is the coaching of Pat Riley. Riley seems to get the most out of his teams wherever he goes. He guided the Lakers to three NBA titles before packing it up for New York, where he took a great center and a bunch of role players to the 1994 finals. Now with the Heat, this miracle man known for his tough demeanor, has somehow bandaged together his wounded team and made them one of the NBA's first half Cinderella stories.
This is not to say that the Heat don't have any high caliber players. In fact, all Riley's off-season acquisitions are paying off. Eddie Jones, Brian Grant and Mason who were all brought to Miami over the summer, and are all averaging at least 15 points per game. With the consistent Tim Hardaway also adding 15 points per contest, the Heat have a well balanced attack.
Look for the Heat not only to make the playoffs, but also to give some teams trouble in the early rounds and perhaps even sneak into a conference final match-up with the Knicks or 76ers.
The story of the Indiana Pacers is an example of the opposite phenomenon. Coming off a tremendous season, in which they embarrassed the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals before falling to the Lakers in the championship, the Pacers have taken a gigantic downturn. Their downward spiral may be attributable to the replacement of Larry Bird with Isiah Thomas at head coach, and an assortment of other dubious off-season maneuvers.
As if his pointless drivel as an analyst on NBC wasn't enough for NBA fans to endure, now Pacer fans must suffer with another hands-off coach whose most animated sideline gesture is taking a sip of water. Thomas doesn't have a clue and it shows in the Pacers 19-23 record.
Coaching is not entirely to blame for the disappointing play of the Pacers, however. The Pacers took some bad off-season hits. The worst loss for the Pacers was Mark Jackson. Jackson, one of the best of a dying breed of pass first point guards, was lost via free agency to the Toronto Raptors. Sharp-shooting center Rik Smits' ailing feet forced him into an early retirement, and the Pacers sorely miss his consistent touch and defensive presence down low. Additionally, tenacious defender and defensive stalwart Dale Davis was traded to the Portland Trailblazers for the tremendously talented but previously untested Jermaine O'Neil.
Despite these losses, the Pacers still have the always reliable Reggie Miller. Miller, however, clearly misses the crisp passing of Jackson, as he now must work more to create his own shot. Although point guard Travis Best is scoring 13 points a game, his 6.3 assists per game does not compare to Jackson's nearly ten per contest.
While all five Pacer starters are scoring in double figures in points, the chemistry of last season just isn't there, and Thomas has been unable to spark his young team. The Pacers appear to have a lot of hope for the future, but they may have to hire a fourth head coach in nine years to achieve that potential. Look for the Pacers to fade away from the 200-2001 playoff picture.
