What's the first thing you notice when you see ESPN's Fred Carter on NBA 2Night or SportsCenter? Of course, he points at you. It's his way of saying hello. So we've asked NBA expert Fred to greet us and make some points for ESPN.com each week. Enjoy.

1. Kenyon Martin has improved greatly on the court this season, but he's also showing tendencies you'd see in the WWF. Is Martin, who has been suspended twice, in danger of getting a reputation as a thug?
Kenyon Martin's actions were surprising. Sometimes people make mistakes or do something out of character, but when Martin did it twice, people can become suspicious. Referees and fellow players may now look at Martin with a jaundiced eye, which could damage his reputation. It hard to say if Martin just made a few missteps, or if he really is a thug. But I think his reputation is facing a baseball analogy right now: one more strike, and he's out.

	Brand

2. The Clippers are off to a solid start, but a load of road games awaits this young team. Do you see the Clippers staying above the .500 mark much longer, especially with the injuries to Elton Brand and Lamar Odom?
The Clippers are such an up and down team because they really lack an interior presence. Without a true inside game, it's tough to win on jump shots and layups every night. Teams are really able to pound the boards on the Clippers without an inside game. With what they are already lacking, then considering the tough road schedule, I don't see this young Clippers' team staying above .500.

3. The top scoring rookies in the league are both on Memphis in Pau Gasol and Shane Battier. Between the two of them at this point who do you choose for Rookie of the Year and which player's future do you like better?
It's too hard to pick a Rookie of the Year at this point in the season. In addition to Gasol and Battier, Jamaal Tinsley has made an impact for the Pacers, Andrei Kirilenko in Utah looks good, Brendan Haywood is beginning to come on strong for the Wizards -- a lot of rookies are having sensational seasons. It's too close to call right now, but it doesn't just boil down to Gasol and Battier. In the future, the upside for Pau Gasol is greater because he's a big man -- big guys play longer than little guys in the NBA. He doesn't pack a lot of weight right now, but Gasol's talent is definitely there. Gasol handles the ball well, he can shoot, he can post up, he can run the floor. He already has a lot of different aspects to his game, and I only expect those to increase.

4. The date for potential trades to be permitted is approaching, and Golden State Marc Jackson is on many teams' wish lists. Which needy team would Jackson fit best with, and do you think he'll be traded?
If he hadn't been injured, Marc Jackson could have been the rookie of the year last season. The Knicks, Clippers, Rockets, Wizards and Suns could all use a guy like Jackson -- a power forward who can score inside is a very hot commodity. However, it makes more sense for the Warriors to trade someone else and keep Jackson for themselves, and that is what I expect to happen.

	Finley

5. A week ago Dallas had won nine straight and was surging, but a few losses and a Michael Finley injury later and the team is slumping. Which direction do you see the Mavs heading?
The Mavs losses are somewhat a function of Finley's injury. Dallas is a high-powered offensive team. Dirk Nowitzki could be the league MVP, and Steve Nash is playing very well. Don Nelson has them all on the same page as they fight Minnesota for the fourth home-court playoff spot. The Mavs upside is far greater than their downside -- they will turn their losing streak into a winning streak sooner than expected -- and just in time to face the Timberwolves at the end of the season.