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.

	Jason Kidd deserves the love.

1. Who is the NBA's Most Valuable Player?
I've been really torn between Nets point guard Jason Kidd and Spurs big man Tim Duncan. It's difficult to make a selection because in doing so, I feel like I'd be slighting the player I didn't pick, and I don't want to do that at all -- they are both deserving of the award.

But I had to choose one, so I chose Jason Kidd. Kidd has done so much -- he has affected, effected and infected his club in a positive way all season long. In terms of hustle, effort, defense and attitude, it doesn't get much better than Kidd.

When a player has that much of an impact, and is the true personality of a team, he deserves to be named the MVP.

2. Who is the NBA's Coach of the Year?
Like MVP, Coach of the Year is a tossup. Detroit's Rick Carlisle didn't have much talent to work with but put together a winning team. New Jersey's Byron Scott had more talent -- but it's often just as hard to coach a talented team where there are lots of competing egos. Boston's Jim O'Brien has also done an outstanding job -- he did a lot at the beginning of the year to enhance his team and make them play better together. If I could split the award right down the middle, I'd give half of it to Carlisle and half to Scott -- call it a push.

3. What (or who) has been the season's biggest disappointment?
The Milwaukee Bucks have been the season's biggest disappointment. A lot of people picked them to not only win their division but maybe even go to the Finals. Instead, the Bucks have self-destructed. They haven't played anywhere near their expectations.

4. Should Pat Riley the team president have Pat Riley the coach step down?
Pat Riley the president shouldn't make Pat Riley the coach step down, but Pat Riley the president should tell Pat Riley the coach to change Miami's style of play. Players don't like the tug-of-war style anymore. Players want to get up and down the floor -- they want some action and they want to have fun. They want freedom and creativity in their play -- they don't want everything to be controlled by the coach. Riley needs to let his players play.

5. Of the Bucks, Raptors and Pacers, which team will be squeezed out of the East's playoff picture?
The Pacers. When they traded Jalen Rose and Travis Best to Chicago it became clear that Indiana was concentrating on their future, not their present. They have too many inexperienced players to succeed in the playoffs -- they don't know enough about playoff competition and how to deal with the stretch run.