October 29, 2001 Table Of Contents

Author:
SI Staff

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Catching Up With...

Frank Thomas, Outfielder JULY 28, 1958

By Tim Alan Smith

As old rivals and young guns line up to duel with MJ, one thing is certain: It's going to be fun to watch

By Ian Thomsen

Ready To Rumble COMING OCTOBER 30, 2001 WELCOME RINGSIDE, ER, COURTSIDE FOR ANOTHER KNOCKOUT SEASON! ON THIS CARD YOU'LL FIND THE GREATEST MATCHUPS, DUELS AND CONFLICTS IN THE NBA

By L. Jon Wertheim

Iverson vs. The New Zone THE NEW RULES, WHICH ALLOW MORE DOUBLE-TEAMING, MAY WELL SPELL DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR THE 76ERS' STAR

By Phil Taylor

Pau Gasol vs. European History THE GRIZZLIES HAVE BET THEIR FUTURE THAT PAU GASOL IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF FOREIGN STAR

By Chris Ballard

Scouting Reports

1 Orlando Magic No question, this is now Tracy's Team. But with Grant Hill back, the question is, Who's going to stop them?

By Chris Ballard

2 Milwaukee Bucks This up-and-coming bunch came within a game of the conference title last season. Can it take the final step?

By Marty Burns

3 Philadelphia 76ers Scoring? Check. Defense? Check. Coaching? Check. All that's left is for injuries to heal and the jellin' to start

By Jack McCallum

4 Toronto Raptors Surrounded by a young and deep supporting cast, Hakeem can dream about another shot at a championship

By Pete McEntegart

5 New York Knicks Bulked up but still bothered by injuries, Marcus Camby remains the center of attention on a thin front line

By Ian Thomsen

6 Washington Wizards Can Jordan pull off his greatest act of wizardry by carrying this mediocre crew to the postseason?

By Ian Thomsen

7 Charlotte Hornets It's a team on the move, maybe deep into the playoffs this season, perhaps to a new city by the start of the next

By Ian Thomsen

8 Miami Heat The crew that failed in the postseason is gone. Now comes a younger team that might not even make it that far

By Chris Ballard

9 Atlanta Hawks Thanks to an infusion of frontline talent, the playoffs no longer seem to be such a tall order

By Chris Ballard

10 Indiana Pacers Summer school is over; it's time for Jonathan Bender and Al Harrington to show the world what they learned

By Daniel G. Habib

11 Boston Celtics Has Antoine Walker finally learned that victories, and not a slew of showy stats, are the real measure of a star?

By Ian Thomsen

12 New Jersey Nets The mending of fractured legs and of a fractious locker room offers hope that the worst is over for a hard-luck team

By Pete McEntegart

13 Cleveland Cavaliers A franchise that has been continually hobbled by bad feet needs, more than anything, to keep its big men vertical

By Daniel G. Habib

14 Detroit Pistons Yes, they have Stack, but the rebuilding of this franchise has a foundation named Ben Wallace

By Daniel G. Habib

15 Chicago Bulls The good news for a team that won 15 games and is banking on two teenagers? There's nowhere to go but up

By Marty Burns

1 Los Angeles Lakers It may take time to work in the new cast members, but this show will have a familiar ending: a parade in June

By Jack McCallum

2 San Antonio Spurs This club is still stinging from a nasty playoff sweep by the Lakers. Will that make the Spurs better, or worse?

By Jack McCallum

3 Sacramento Kings In the skilled--and well-scrubbed--hands of Mike Bibby, the league's most explosive offense will be even better

By Phil Taylor

4 Dallas Mavericks With an imposing 10-man rotation headed by the league's top trio, Mark Cuban's club is ready to light it up

By Jack McCallum

5 Minnesota Timberwolves The signing of an above-average Joe can't hide the fact that this squad still has a gaping hole in the middle

By Daniel G. Habib

6 Portland Trail Blazers A rookie coach is seeking to bring a little Mo harmony to the team that lately has led the league in T's and turmoil

By Phil Taylor

7 Utah Jazz A tried-and-true gang of veterans will try to pick-and-roll the West's young guns....(Stop us if you've heard this one before)

By L. Jon Wertheim

8 Los Angeles Clippers It might look like a college team, but this erstwhile laughingstock is finally starting to play like a pro power

By L. Jon Wertheim

9 Phoenix Suns A series of bold off-season moves might not produce more wins, but it should win back some fans

By L. Jon Wertheim

10 Houston Rockets Life without Hakeem begins with an outstanding duo manning the backcourt but a void to fill at the pivot

By Jack McCallum

11 Golden State Warriors When is it wise to use a gunner with no playmaking experience at the point? When you've tried everything else

By Phil Taylor

12 Seattle Supersonics As preparations are made for the Rashard Lewis era, no one expects Gary Payton to go out quietly

By Phil Taylor

13 Denver Nuggets There's a new leader on hand in Avery Johnson. Too bad there's such a scarcity of talent at his command

By L. Jon Wertheim

14 Memphis Grizzlies New digs, a flashy point guard and two talented rookies still won't end the woes of this success-starved franchise

By Chris Ballard

I Don't Hate to Say, "I Told You So" How do I feel about saying way back in March that Michael Jordan would make a comeback?

By Rick Reilly

Departments

Not Crying the Blues After being junked by St. Louis, goalie Roman Turek has set the Flames afire

By Kostya Kennedy

Books College football: Famous rivalry and famous team seen through partisan eyes

By Charles Hirshberg

Modern Maturity Landon Donovan, 19, emerged as the Man as San Jose won the MLS title

By Grant Wahl

Snap Judgments Because Arizona's Trey Junkin can make a hike, he hasn't had to take a hike

By Franz Lidz

Leading Off

Gear Keeping track of how far and fast you're running, plus ways to ensure you're on the right track

By Mark Beech

Renaissance Man After faltering badly, Ricky Rudd is again a driver to be reckoned with in NASCAR

By Kristin Green Morse

Letters

Something Extra SI's e-mail newsletter tells the story behind the story

By Bill Colson, Managing Editor

Scorecard

By Stephen Cannella; Albert Chen Edited by Albert Kim and Mark Mravic

Faces in the Crowd

Edited by Albert Kim and Mark Mravic

Rink Think

Edited by Albert Kim and Mark Mravic

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