Detroit News East Preview

[wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Steve Blake props....
Monday, October 27, 2003
Chris McCosky breaks down the East
By Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

 MVP candidates
Tracy McGrady, Orlando: Best player in the Eastern Co.ference. 
Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana: Durability is the only question mark. 
Jason Kidd, New Jersey: Best point guard in the game. 
Allen Iverson, Philadelphia: He will lead the league in scoring again. 
Ben Wallace, Detroit: Controls the game from the defensive end. 
Rookie of the year
LeBron James, Cleveland: He's going to play a ton of minutes, take tons of shots and he already leads the league in hype. 
Dwyane Wade, Miami: Mentally strong and athletically gifted, learning point guard on the fly. 
Chris Bosh, Toronto: Long, tall and talented, Marcus Camby with heart. 
Jarvis Hayes, Washington: Big-time scorer ready for big minutes. 
Steve Blake, Washington: Surprising everybody, could start at point. 
Coaches on hot seat
Tim Floyd, New Orleans: With a 49-190 career record, he needs a fast start to prove worthy of a second chance. 
Don Chaney, New York: Contract extension aside, the Knicks can't endure another miserable season. 
Jim O'Brien, Boston: Is he really Danny Ainge's guy? 
Bill Cartwright, Chicago: The expectations are higher this season. He can't withstand another collapse. 
Doc Rivers, Orlando: He won't be fired, but he might leave by his own choice. He's very much in demand. 
Old faces, new places
Alonzo Mourning, New Jersey: Spurned the Mavericks to play with Jason Kidd. 
Scottie Pippen, Chicago: OK, it's a familiar face brought back after Jerry Krause was shown the door. 
Glenn Robinson, Philadelphia: Good luck sharing with Allen Iverson. 
Scot Pollard, Indiana: Former Piston adds real physical presence to rival Pacers. 
Raef LaFrentz, Boston: From contender (Dallas) to pretender. 
Teams ascending
Cleveland: Nowhere else to go but up, right? 
Miami: Dwyane Wade and Caron Butler, start of something special. 
Chicago: Still no playoffs, but Bulls start knocking on the door. 
Teams descending
Boston: Trade of Antoine Walker a signal that they are breaking it down and starting over. 
Philadelphia: Can't see this mix working. 
Milwaukee: Down and out. 
Rising stars
Eddy Curry, Chicago: Been talking about a breakout for two years. It's time. 
Mehmet Okur, Detroit: Big-time talent, could be Sixth Man of the Year. 
Drew Gooden, Orlando: Gained a lot of confidence in playoffs last season. Needs to play harder defensively. 
Michael Redd, Milwaukee: He will get all the shots he wants now. 
Al Harrington, Indiana: Versatile, high-energy player just needs consistent minutes. 
Fading stars
Reggie Miller, Indiana: They say he's healthy, but he's at best a part-time player. 
Glenn Robinson, Philadelphia: His act, and game, grew old years ago. 
Antonio Davis, Toronto: Needs a change of scenery badly. 
Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Atlanta: Was he ever a star? No, only paid like one. 
Allan Houston, New York: Still a great shooter, but being asked to carry too heavy a load.