Eastern Conference

Atlanta

SNEAKING UP: The Hawks have an eye on the Eastern Conference's eighth playoff spot--they were only two games behind the Magic entering last weekend--which says a lot about how far the team has come and how much its psyche has changed. PG Brevin Knight might make the difference. He still is working to get into condition and to learn the Hawks' scheme, but his speed and ability to distribute the ball give the offense more life. The club thinks a quicker pace will create scoring opportunities that weren't there early in the season. Teams respect Knight's ability to break down a defense with penetration, so his presence alone is a factor. He still must improve his jump shot.... SF Roshown McLeod's mentality is to consider every possession as a scoring chance, which puts pressure on defenses. At the same time, he seldom forces the action. McLeod must see the floor better and become a better passer, but his play as a starter has fortified the team and has been almost equally as important as Jason Terry's emergence at shooting guard.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: F/C Lorenzen Wright seems intent on forcing coach Lon Kruger into a tough decision when PF Alan Henderson gets healthy. Henderson's left shoulder still is not 100 percent, but eventually he'll be ready to re-take his job as the starter. Henderson has played well since coming off the injured list. He contributed 12 points in 17 minutes off the bench last week against the Warriors. Wright has showed he plays better as a starter, but Henderson has not been a reserve. If Wright and the team continue to play well, the decision on Henderson might be dicey. --Curtis Bunn

Boston

INJURIES ALL AROUND: It looks as though the injury bug will be hanging around for a while. PF Tony Battie (ankle) is not expected back until after the All-Star break. It could be March before PG Chris Herren returns from shoulder surgery. And PG Kenny Anderson (ankle) will miss at least another week.... G/F Bryant Stith's offense has tailed off because of a damaged finger on his right hand that makes catching and shooting painful. It's a nagging injury, but with the number of minutes Stith has been playing, it hasn't gotten better.... The shooting woes continue for SF Eric Williams, who went 0-for-6 against the Raptors last week despite several wide-open shots. He must get back on track offensively to help make the bench stronger.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: So far, the watchword of the Jim O'Brien era is "simplified." The interim coach has taken many, of the bells and whistles out of the Rick Pitino defense--the players now focus on executing just a few fundamentals correctly. One point of emphasis has been keeping opponents out of the paint and making sure everyone follows the ball on defense. There also has been less trapping and pressing as players have been asked to play more straight-up defense. Once the players do a few things well, more complicated schemes will be added. The simplified game plan calls for most of the offense to go through PF Antoine Walker and SF Paul Pierce, which actually keeps the duo from trying to do too much. They have fewer things to think about, and that allows them to focus on how to beat opposing defenses and adjust their games to the different challenges they see each quarter. --Shira Springer

Charlotte

HALF FULL, HALF EMPTY? These days, how the team is doing depends on how one chooses to look at things. A pessimist would say the Hornets have lost nearly all of the chemistry, cohesion and confidence they had in winning 15 of 18 games in November and December. Their most recent wins entering last weekend were over the Clippers and the Bulls, and those games were struggles. The optimistic view is that the team has been able to keep afloat despite going without Cs Elden Campbell (elbow) and Jamaal Magloire (foot) and SFs Eddie Robinson (hip) and Jamal Mashburn (knee) for significant stretches. The Hornets miss Mashburn the most when he is out of the lineup.... PF P.J. Brown is in another shooting slump, going 6-for-28 from the field in five games before the weekend. His rebounding is down, too. His presence and personality always will make him valuable, but the bottom line is he is struggling.... Despite all the team's injuries, PF Otis Thorpe rarely plays anymore. He hasn't scored since putting up 10 points January 1 against the Blazers.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Coach Paul Silas clearly adheres to the old philosophy of playing to tie at home and playing to win on the road. In a 102-95 win in triple-overtime over the Bulls last Tuesday in Charlotte, the team attacked the basket every time it was tied or down two points late in the game. But in an 86-85 win last Friday at Chicago, Silas rolled the dice with the Hornets in possession and trailing, 85-83, and PG David Wesley hit a 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left to win the game. --John Delong

Chicago

RED FLAG: It is obvious the team needs a veteran center who is a solid rebounder and defender and can shoot well. PF Elton Brand and F/C Michael Ruffin are the team's best defenders. But playing the poor-shooting Ruffin makes it easier for opponents to double-team Brand. Brad Miller's 16-point effort last Friday against the Hornets was the best offensive effort this season from any of the team's four natural centers. Miller might be the answer if he doesn't get injured again and produces consistently. But until that happens, coach Tim Floyd will continue to rotate Brand and Ruffin as starting centers. Brand dearly needs help. Ruffin provides rebounding help but little else, meaning Brand faces constant double-teams--even when he gets the ball out of the box. Still, Brand has broadened his offensive game and is scoring as many points off face-ups and dribble-drives as he is off back-to-the-basket, post-up plays.... SF Ron Arrest continues to defend well, but he is an inconsistent rebounder and is turnover-prone.... Floyd and his staff have been doing better job of matching up and rotating defensive and offensive specialists late in close games. But the players must take it from there and get the job done.