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Taking their toll Injuries to star players could shake up playoffs
Posted: Thursday April 20, 2000 12:46 AM
The injury situation could really change the whole face of the playoffs, because the injuries are to really marquee players. For example, if Tim Duncan is out for the Spurs, I don't think they will get out of the first round. At the same time, if he's healthy, they are the only team that can beat the Lakers. Because of the two big people (David Robinson and Duncan), they could put an aggressive defensive trap on Shaq. They can also take the ball against Shaq and maybe get him in some early foul trouble. In the Eastern Conference, even if everybody plays and everybody is 100 percent, any of the bottom four teams can beat any one of the upper-bracket teams. With all the injuries, it's even more wide open.
Best of the bunchThe most entertaining first-round series will probably be the Knicks and Raptors. Toronto plays New York extremely well, but I would pick the Knicks with their experience to win the series. The Knicks have the experience of big games, and they are a terrific defensive team.Their drawback is their offensive lulls. So the key for their series is how well Patrick Ewing will play and mix in, which he's done pretty well lately. The Knicks need scoring, and if Ewing continues to score, they will do really well. But they go through long dry spells, because they basically go to Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell. If either of them are off, they don't have another option. Kevin Loughery is a former NBA player and head coach. He appears each Sunday on CNN/Sports Illustrated's "This Week in the NBA."
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