espn.com Ali Contest
Page 2's Bill Simmons has so much to say about KG, Slick Nick, Carmelo and the upcoming season that it'll take three days to get it all said. The Sports Guy's three-part series starts with a look at the "Why Couldn't We Be In the East?" teams . . . those Western Conference have-nots who might be playoff contendors anywhere else.
SIMMONS: A SEASON UNLIKE ANY OTHERS




ESPN TOOLS
 
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Maybe this marriage can be saved, after all. For the time being, Shaq and Kobe appear to have buried the hatchet somewhere besides in each other's back. But how? Page 2's Graham Hays eavesdrops on the critical session with a Couples Counselor that finally smoothed things over in La-la Land.

Daring Young Woman LeDaily LeQuickie
They promised to be gentle, but they had Whitney Casey screaming in ecstasy, anyway. (Not that kind of ecstacy.) We're talking about the flying trapeze, and what it taught Whitney about herself.
 How big is LeBron James' NBA debut? It's so big that we're presenting a special-edition, All-LeBron LeDaily LeQuickie. Here it is: the endorsements, the hype, the bandwagon. 'Le-Q' it up now.

THE DAILY QUICKIE
Didn't get enough Quickie with our LeBron Edition? Here's today's regularly-scheduled version, including Trader Jack's fall from grace a year from now. Plus, the first head rolls in Yankee-dom.


The expectations are there. Now all LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Darko Milicic have to do is live up to them. Shouldn't be tough, right? But even at their very best, will they measure up to the young stars on our list of the best NBA rookies ever??
10]  Shaquille O'Neal, Orlando Magic, 1992-93
At 20 years old, Shaq became the first rookie to be named Player of the Week in his first week in the NBA, and he was the first rookie to start the All-Star Game since Micheal Jordan in 1985.
9]  David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs, 1989-90
The Admiral came into the NBA after two years in the Navy. The layoff didn't hurt. He finished in the league's top 10 in scoring (24.3 points per game), rebounds (12) and blocked shots (3.89).
8]  Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers, 1979-80
Any other rookie point guards you can think of who could take over for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at center in the Finals and score 42 points and grab 15 rebounds? Didn't think so.
  • GET THE FULL LIST


NFL FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG O/U
Sunday Giants 2 Jets 47½
Sunday Bucs 8 Saints 39
Sunday Cowboys 3½ Redskins 37½
Monday Broncos 2 Patriots 36
NCAA FOOTBALL FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG O/U
Saturday Michigan 4 Michigan St. NL
Saturday USC 11 Wash. State NL
Saturday Ohio State 7½ Penn State NL
Saturday Oklahoma 16 Oklahoma St. NL
Saturday Miami 7½ Virginia Tech NL
Saturday Texas 6½ Nebraska NL


 
Got a comment about something you've seen on Page 2? Here's your chance to sound off to the editors and columnists. Plus, if you'd like to send an e-mail to The Sports Guy, here's your direct link to Bill Simmons.



SMART MOVES
Does Jack McKeon make the list of greatest coaching or managing in one game, series or tournament?

KNUCKLES VS. KISSES
Forget those fall cleanup projects. Page 2's Eric Neel has 20 reasons he'll be tuning in to the NBA.

THE LIST
Kobe, lecturing people on handling situations gracefully? "The List" finds that hard to fathom.

THE HOT LIST
With the regular season ready to tip off, here's what's sizzling and fizzling in the NBA.

AT LONG LAST
The Red Sox and Cubs were denied, but at least the Marlins' long drought has finally ended.
If your favorite writer isn't on Page 2 today, click here to check out our full roster of columnists.


It's Detroit Lions QB Joey Harrington and the new-look Brawny Paper Towel guy. Page 2 has received 12 requests for this match, none from Chuck Long. Browse our archives of past pairs or click here to submit a future duo.


College Football: Boise State at BYU
7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Boise State put up 77 last week.
 
NHL: Philadelphia at New Jersey
8 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Brodeur sucks Flyers into swamp.
 
NBA: Denver at Houston
8 p.m. ET, TNT
You saw LeBron, now spy Carmelo.
 
• Complete TV Listings


If you missed Page 2 over the last week, check out our back issues:
• Tue., Oct. 28: Rack 'em Up!
• Mon., Oct. 27: Hot in Herre
• Fri.., Oct. 24: Apocalypse Now
• Thur., Oct. 23: Office Space 2

Other featured content:
• What the Heck Were They Thinking?
• All-Time World Series Rankings
• Baseball's Most Painful Losses
• 100 Greatest Home Runs of All Time
• Ballpark Tour: Final rankings
• Ultimate Scorecard: 101 best uniform numbers
• The most underrated athletes of all time
• The most overrated athletes of all time
Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2003
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