NBA Preview
8 Philadelphia 76ers
After a rude welcome, a still-dangerous forward just looks to fit in
15 CHARLOTTE Bobcats
Lots of championship experience--just none at the pro level
Opposites Attract
Infamously flammable Ron Artest would seem to have little in common with Larry Bird, yet the most iconic Hoosier of them all says he sees plenty of himself in his most intense young star
A SHAKY MARRIAGE?
In Antoine Walker, Miami acquired a flashy forward with a penchant for jacking three-pointers and gambling on defense--not exactly what Shaquille O'Neal would have ordered
COMBUSTIBLE INGREDIENTS
Here's why these pairings could strike magical sparks--or send their teams down in flames
Measure of Success
Those stat guys are at it again, and now the Moneyball math of baseball has come to the NBA. Armed with dazzling equations, NBA front offices are finding entirely new ways to quantify a player's talent and judge his real value
A Perfect Team
5 Minute Guide
What contenders need to have happen, what will happen and whom you'd want on your team (real or fantasy)
Scouting Reports
How They'll Finish
1 Indiana Pacers
They still have a tough trio despite a changing of the (shooting) guard
2 Miami Heat
Healed and remodeled, a shooting star will hit the court running
3 New Jersey Nets
To keep up on the boards, they need their center to grow up fast
4 Detroit Pistons
Life after Larry Brown won't be bad, especially for an underused bench
5 CLEVELAND Cavaliers
The full-service superstar gets an assist by recruiting scoring help
6 Washington Wizards
They finally won a playoff series. Can a new guard take them further?
7 CHICAGO Bulls
For the team to improve, a forgotten man must have a year to remember
9 New York Knicks
Despite recent bad reviews, a new coach and center bring star power
10 Orlando Magic
Can a goal-oriented wunderkind inspire a return to the playoffs?
11 BOSTON Celtics
They're counting on their forward of the future to deliver right away
12 MILWAUKEE Bucks
A big man finally arrives, but a winning record is still too tall an order
13 ATLANTA Hawks
It's nice to finally get a top free agent--even if he isn't a good fit
14 Toronto Raptors
The top pick could be a pleasant surprise. The season will not be
1 San Antonio Spurs
Less money, fewer minutes? Sounds perfect, says a Mavericks castoff
2 Denver Nuggets
The key to George Karl's up-tempo offense is no small wonder
3 Phoenix Suns
A star is hurt, but the dynamic offense isn't slowing down for anyone
4 Houston Rockets
With a new point guard to launch the attack, this team is ready to run
5 Dallas Mavericks
Read the writing on the wall: The coach is demanding better D in Big D
6 Sacramento Kings
7 Seattle Sonics
A rugged forward needs to catch, shoot and worry about misses later
8 Memphis Grizzlies
The overhauled roster is older and wiser, but will it be any better?
9 Utah Jazz
A flop in his debut, a leading man is better prepared for Year Two
10 Los Angeles Lakers
Elementary geometry: Can the new big man pick up the triangle?
11 Minnesota Timberwolves
12 Golden State Warriors
They finally have some real selling points, but a playoff berth? Not yet
13 Los Angeles Clippers
Too much of a good thing? That could be the case at point guard
14 Portland Trail Blazers
A turnaround is tied to how quickly all the young players develop
15 New Orleans Hornets
They've already suffered their worst loss, but many more are to follow
SI Players: Life On and Off the Field
Willis McGahee
BILLS RUNNING BACK
Who's Hot / Who's Not
Linebackers Who Lunch
The Pop Culture Grid
THE QUESTIONS
WITH Steve Foley, Chargers Linebacker
Kickin' Back
Going the Distance
The White Sox reached their first World Series in 46 years thanks to a staff that threw four straight complete games and a catcher who seemed to be in the middle of every key play
Baseball
So Close ...
The Astros were on the brink of a pennant before Brad Lidge, the dominant reliever of the postseason, fell victim to Albert Pujols
Pro Football
Adrift on Lake Woebegone
A night of debauchery aboard two yachts is the latest scandal for the Minnesota Vikings, a once proud franchise that has become a rudderless ship