It's little solace, but Miami is no longer alone in its misery in the Atlantic Division. While the Knicks search for their misplaced defense, the Magic faces another season without Grant Hill and the struggling Sixers seek balance in an offense too often dominated by Allen Iverson.

Hill's future is iffy after a third ankle surgery last week. He has played a combined 18 games over two years after signing a seven-year, $93 million contract.

Although Orlando's team doctor said he expects Hill to be ready for next season, his surgeon, Mark Myerson, said, ``The long-term prognosis has to be guarded, because we still do not know how rapidly the bone defect is going to heal and whether or not it heals at all.''

Without Hill, the Magic's goal becomes just making the playoffs, rather than advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. ``There's going to be a lot of people out there shooting Grant down, shooting the Magic down, saying you wasted all this money,'' PG Darrell Armstrong said.

What the Magic didn't expect was to lose SF Tracy McGrady for at least two games because of a lower-back strain. ``It's frightening,'' GM John Gabriel said.

Assuming McGrady -- and his 26-point average -- return shortly, the offense will be adequate, with Mike Miller thriving as Hill's replacement at SF.

But there's not enough defense, rebounding or toughness -- which were all issues even when Hill was healthy. When coach Doc Rivers moved rookie Steven Hunter to the bench last week, Rivers replaced him with journeyman Andrew DeClercq instead of decaying Patrick Ewing.

PF Horace Grant, averaging about six points and six rebounds, said he will retire after the season. ``Everything hurts at 36,'' he said. ``I thought we had a chance to do something here with Grant and T-Mac, but I don't have one regret.''

The Magic has missed ace rebounder Ben Wallace and bench spark plug Chucky Atkins, both dealt to Detroit in the sign-and-trade for Hill. Orlando cannot apply for an injured player's exception to replace Hill because the Dec. 1 deadline has passed.

In Philadelphia, coach Larry Brown complained about his team's defense and threatened to bench starting SF Matt Harpring. The Sixers badly miss George Lynch, dealt to Charlotte in the Derrick Coleman trade.

And Brown suggested Iverson is shooting too much instead of creating opportunities for Dikembe Mutombo and Coleman, in particular. ``We could have Michael Jordan out there, and if he spotted up, I doubt he would get the ball,'' Brown said.

After Iverson missed a practice Thursday, Brown said, ``We had everybody but Allen, which is typical.''

Even so, the Magic and Sixers still have a better long-term outlook than the Heat. Both have franchise players (McGrady and Iverson), which the Heat lacks.

And with the popular Rivers leading the charge, the Magic might have an edge in luring Tim Duncan or other top free agents when both Miami and Orlando clear substantial cap space in the summer of 2003.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Friction has grown between Pacers coach Isiah Thomas and Jalen Rose, who was shifted back to SF because of Jamaal Tinsley's emergence at PG. Rose's scoring and minutes have dropped, and Thomas has grown frustrated with his lack of defense and rebounding.

In a general rant about his team's lack of grunt work, Thomas said, ``You ain't owed [expletive]. Your money is guaranteed, but your minutes aren't. I've said that from day one. It's not, `I've been in the league eight years and I'm owed.' ''

Not coincidentally, Rose is in his eighth year in the league. ``I love being here, and I will just do what I'm asked,'' he said.

Warriors C Adonal Foyle, on being dropped from coach Brian Winters' rotation: ``It [stinks]. The coach told me, barring injuries, I won't be playing for about 15 games. It's horrible, certainly a vote of no confidence in me as a player. I don't want to sit on the bench. I've paid my dues.''
Still, most Warriors players were pleased to see Winters replace Dave Cowens, who was criticized for being unprepared and running unproductive practices.

Knicks C Marcus Camby wants to play fewer minutes so he can rest his sore foot, but coach Don Chaney said he doesn't agree. . . . The Hawks expect to have C Theo Ratliff (hip) back by mid-January.

Bucks PG Sam Cassell, who has complained bitterly about his six-year, $22 million contract, which expires in the summer of 2003, is considering signing a maximum three-year, $17 million extension. The alternative is becoming a free agent at 34.

Seven of the Hornets' first 10 home games drew fewer than 10,000. Before this season, Charlotte never drew fewer than 11,600 to a game. No wonder the Hornets opened 3-7 at home. ``We're going to lose the few fans we've got,'' G David Wesley said.

Celtics coach Jim O'Brien, after F Antoine Walker missed all 11 three-pointers Monday against Philadelphia: ``I will never ever tell him to stop [shooting]. If he does, he's going to hear from me.'' Walker has shot 50 percent or better from the field just twice this season.
The Celtics have among the worst shooting percentages in the league, partly because they lead the NBA in three-point attempts.

Weekly rant from Bulls F Charles Oakley: ``I don't want to be here. You pick up bad habits losing. I haven't had bad habits in 17 years. It's like a lot of rock stars -- a lot of them go to drugs or alcohol.''

The Blazers management was livid after G Bonzi Wells told Sports Illustrated, ``We're not going to worry what the hell the fans think about us. They really don't matter to us.''
The Blazers issued an apology on behalf of Wells. Said GM Bob Whitsitt: ``To have any player say something like that is inexcusable.''

Nets coach Byron Scott, on PG Jason Kidd ranking fifth among guards in the first release of All-Star balloting: ``People are crazy. You have to be damn near blind to have him fifth.'' Kidd ranks behind Iverson, Jordan, McGrady and Ray Allen, even though Jordan is playing small forward.
There's no differentiation between PGs and SGs in voting. Denver PG Nick Van Exel has stewed about being ranked seventh in Western Conference balloting.

Sonics F Vin Baker insists he's not soft: ``Other than Shaquille O'Neal and Karl Malone, no one gets deeper in the paint than I do.'' But Baker too often settles for jumpers.

Jordan says the key to the Wizards' turnaround is teammates are no longer ``sitting around and watching me.'' G Richard Hamilton, much improved defensively, led Washington in scoring six times during a recent eight-game stretch.
``What I'm seeing now is exactly what I wanted to see happen,'' Jordan said. ``I'm going back upstairs [to the front office eventually]. These guys are going to have to know how to win. What I wanted to do is kick-start the whole process. The expectation was Jordan was going to carry this team. That was my past life. I'm more in a teaching mode, more of a sidekick.''

Raptors coach Lenny Wilkens, asked if he's fearing for his job: ``I'm not hearing footsteps. Why would I?'' . . . Mavs coach Don Nelson is playing second-year F Eduardo Najera ahead of $105 million man Juwan Howard late in games. . . . Duncan says he will not play in the 2004 Olympics in Greece because he doesn't want to risk injuring his knee, which was operated on two years ago.

Rockets F Maurice Taylor will have to serve his five-game substance-abuse suspension when he returns next season. ``I abused marijuana,'' he said. ``It will never happen again.''

The Spurs were only somewhat pleased to see popular Nuggets G Avery Johnson, who played the last seven years for San Antonio. ``He was yelling out all our plays,'' Spurs G Antonio Daniels said.

Although he put his jersey on backward before a recent game, Bucks second-year G Michael Redd has been a good find, shooting 14 for 19 in a recent stretch. Coach George Karl preferred signing Hersey Hawkins, but said ``Michael is cheap, and he'll listen.''