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.

1. Why does Chris Webber settle for jump shots?
That's been a knock on Chris Webber for a long time. For a supposedly physical power player, he doesn't play that physical of a game. Webber is more of a finesse player. Down in the post, he may give the Kings a few jump hooks at most per game. He doesn't want to take that physical pounding in the lane. By taking jump shots, Webber is taking that area away from the perimeter players who are jump shooters. He goes out to their area to shoot, but they can't go into his area and shoot. Webber needs to stay down there and pound away. The Dallas Mavericks are a soft defensive team, so if he's physically tough enough, Webber should back that ball right to rim level. If he did that, he'd help the Sacramento Kings win. But if Webber continues to shoot jump shots, look for Dallas to win the series.

	Shaquille O'Neal was limited to 19 points and seven rebounds in Game 2 against San Antonio.

2. Can the Spurs really beat L.A.?
I was really surprised by the Los Angeles Lakers' back-to-back lackluster performances against the San Antonio Spurs the first two games. But head coach Gregg Popovich had his team really prepared to get a win in L.A. You have to like the way the Spurs are playing. David Robinson will help San Antonio even more. Robinson not only gives the Spurs a weakside defender and shot blocker, but also another body to put on Shaquille O'Neal. That's so important and it will help the Spurs a great deal. Still, the Lakers have yet to play their best game -- look for that to come in San Antonio.

3. Is the Robinson/Walker feud just getting started?
The Antoine Walker-Clifford Robinson feud is a darn good one. I like that battle going on. It's good to see players compete with one another almost to the point of blows. And if it goes to blows and a hockey game breaks out, we like that, too. Without an inside game, the Detroit Pistons need to find a way to score. The Boston Celtics are third in the league in defensive field-goal percentage and don't give up quality shots. The Pistons' perimeter play tells me Boston won't give up quality shots -- they shot only 32 percent in Game 2. Meanwhile, Boston is first in the league in steals and second in forcing turnovers. With Detroit's inability to compress the defense, they're likely to turn the ball over or take bad shots. Their outside-in perimeter game plays right into Boston's hands.

4. How can the Hornets bounce back in Charlotte?
Paul Silas' name was not mentioned for coach of the year, but he has really done a fantastic job with the Charlotte Hornets. What's unfortunate is that the Hornets, who have been outstanding all year, get no support from the fans. In fact, if it were possible, they'd probably be able to sue their fans for lack of support. Meanwhile, the Hornets continue to play hard and compete. A much better road team, they must win at home to get back in the series. I would love to see the fans come out and show support. If the fans show up, I like Charlotte to even the series. If they don't, it will be too tough for them to get by the New Jersey Nets.

5. Where the Nets' Jason Kidd and Byron Scott snubbed?
Jason Kidd did a great job of igniting and leading the Nets. Unfortunately for him, Tim Duncan had a great year too -- maybe even better in a much stronger Western Conference. But that's not to understate Kidd's accomplishments; he had an outstanding year. You can make a case for either one winning the MVP, and both arguments would be equally strong. If I were voting, I would have played King Solomon and split the award right down the middle. I would've given each of them a piece of the MVP trophy. I was really surprised by Nets coach Byron Scott's comments when he didn't win Coach of the Year. Scott had a great year, and he should have followed that up with more class.