ESPN.com - What's hot, not at NBA's midseason

ESPN.com: Page 2

Thursday, February 7, 2002
Updated: February 12, 10:48 AM ET
What's hot, not at NBA's midseason

By Dan Shanoff
Special to Page 2

Beyond the dunks (it's a weak field, anyway) ... beyond the 3-point frenzy (where's Dell Curry?) ... beyond the three-on-three exhibition (see my column from earlier this week) ... NBA All-Star Weekend wouldn't be the same without a look at What's Hot and What's Not in the league at midseason.

Check this out, and have some interesting talking points when you aren't judging the slam-dunk contest.

What's Hot 'n' Not at NBA All-Star break
Category	Hot	Not
Draft camp, schmaft camp	Pau Gasol	Steven Hunter
Pre-NBA seasoning	International experience	College experience
Scouts' favorite 2002 NBA No. 1 overall draft pick	High school junior LeBron James	Duke point guard Jason Williams
Kings lineup	Sans Webber	With Webber
Second-wind vet	Popeye Jones	Patrick Ewing
What-are-you-thinking? acquisition	Derrick Coleman	(It's always Derrick Coleman)
Contract joke	Calvin Booth	Todd MacCulloch
Prep worth props	Tyson Chandler	Dasagana Diop
Is it a contract year, Donald Sterling?	Elton Brand	Michael Olowokandi
Trade bait	Jalen Rose	Nick Van Exel
Arena music	Petey Pablo	Ja Rule
On-court fashion trend	Calf-sleeves	Sweatbands everywhere
Skill for wannabe 10-day-contractors	Rebounding (see Leon Smith)	Knowledge of NBDL cities
NYC-bred rookie point guard	Jamaal Tinsley	Speedy Claxton
UNC guy not in dunk contest	Vince Carter	Jerry Stackhouse
Michigan State growth stock	Jason Richardson	Zach Randolph
Jersey	Any European player's jersey with a weird number	Latrell Sprewell
Violation	Criticizing referees	Defensive three seconds
Lakers' tenuous grasp	Chemistry	Match-up advantages where it counts
Role player	Three-point marksman	Big man with six fouls to give
Laughingstock strategist	Jerry Krause	Kevin McHale
Nearest Laker competition	East Rutherford, N.J.	Sacramento
NBA Finals MVP candidate	Jason Kidd	Antoine Walker
Needs more pub	Quentin Richardson	Steve Nash
Owner's hangout	Dairy Queen	Locker room
Friend-wowing fantasy-draft pick-up	Jonathan Bender	Mitch Richmond
Goal of defensive-specialist midseason acquisition	Stop MJ	Stop Kobe
Frustrated star	Nick Van Exel	Steve Francis
"Pau"-man's Gasol	Andre Kirilenko	Hanno Mottola
Soothing team presence	Tim Hardaway	Anthony Mason
Compression sleeve on ...	Full calf	Nonshooting arm
Hair style	Let it grow out	Bald
Requisite scoring punch	Unstoppable jump-shooter	Slasher
Fun to watch	New Jersey Nets	Los Angeles Clippers
Air or Heirs?	Still Air	Still Heirs
The writer told you so	The dominance of MJ's Wizards	Predicting 70 Wiz wins (still mathematically possible!)

Dan Shanoff is a regular contributor to Page 2. Agree or disagree with what's hot? Want to send in your prediction of what will be "in" in 2002? Send Page 2 your comments.