Adding Jerry Stackhouse, the Washington Wizards now have a double-edged sword that will be hard for opposing teams to contain.

With Jordan playing small forward and Stackhouse playing the two, teams will have a tough concentrating on one player when they are on the floor together. Plus, Stackhouse is entering a contract season and will be motivated to put out a strong performance.

The Wizards' success, however, will depend more on how their big guys develop. Popeye Jones, who was their most consistent and productive big man, is an unrestricted free agent and has yet to sign with anyone. He could return if he fails to find a suitable offer. But the Wizards need second-year players Kwame Brown and Brendan Haywood to step up and be counted if the Wizards hope to make the playoffs.

While he is consistent, Christian Laettner is unlikely to improve on his modest numbers. Jahidi White is recovering from knee surgery and may not be back until December or January. Therefore, the play of Brown and Haywood will be significant. If they make contributions, the Wizards could have a solid team. If they don't, the Wizards, like last year, will struggle to qualify for the playoffs.

For the Detroit Pistons, Hamilton is an improving player who can flat-out score. He reached 20 points a game last year and is a better percentage shooter than Stackhouse. While Stackhouse has a tendency to dominate the ball, Hamilton is likely to score points out of the offense.

With Hamilton instead of Stackhouse, the Pistons should be about as good as they were last year. However, they outdid themselves under Rick Carlisle, who was deservedly named NBA Coach of the Year. While no one was predicting them as a playoff team, they had an incredible season, winning 50 games and the Central Division title. Because the Pistons have less talent than other teams in their division on paper, I'm not sure they can duplicate last year's success.

The Pistons are a tough, gritty team of defenders, role players and those dedicated to team play. But when Boston knocked them out in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the players grumbled about Carlisle's rotation. Unless the Pistons can cleanse themselves, any carryover from the playoffs could be destructive and prevent another successful season.

Dr. Jack Ramsay, a Hall of Fame coach who won an NBA title with Portland in 1977, is an NBA analyst for ESPN.