Scoring in the NBA is down sharply from last season, with teams averaging only 91.5 points through the first 138 games.

Nowhere is the dropoff more pronounced than in Toronto, where the Raptors have had point totals of 56, 60, 64, 75, 77 and 79. With an average of 77.5, Toronto is on pace to break the record low of 81.9 points by the UnwatchaBulls of the lockout-shortened 1999 season.

Only the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers entered this weekend averaging more than 100 points.

Denver defeated San Antonio 80-72 on Oct. 29 in a game in which both teams shot below 30 percent from the field.

``It's a trend I'm afraid is here, and is going to continue to a degree,'' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. ``Defenses are getting more sophisticated every year and I think NBA players are underrated in their knowledge of the game and their knowledge of defense.''

Scoring actually picked up over the second and third weeks of the season, with the leaguewide average going from 90.3 points after the first 40 games, 90.8 after 89 games, and 91.5 through Monday's games.

After the first 140 games a year ago, the average was only 92.9. It eventually rose to 95.1.

There are several plausible explanations for the dropoff.

After the busiest offseason of coaching changes in the league's history, there are 11 teams (12 now with Johnny Davis taking over for Doc Rivers in Orlando) trying to learn the intricacies of offensive systems employed by their new coaches.

Also, veterans were kept out of the first three days of training camp under terms of an agreement reached last winter between the league and the union that allowed for the expansion of the first round of the playoffs from best-of-five to best-of-seven.

Many players and coaches also cite a general leaguewide deterioration of shooting skills, while others point to the scouting enhancements that have become possible through technology.

``You get to see people more,'' Raptors coach Kevin O'Neill said. ``I know I probably watch 10 to 12 games per night, so you get to see a lot of things and prepare for teams better. I think that has a lot to do with it.''

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FAT-FREE BAKER:@ Vin Baker's is leaner than he's been in a decade, and opponents and fans can't help but comment when they see how much weight he has lost.

``Skinny Vinny. That's the nickname, and I don't really mind because I'd rather be on this end of the scale than the other end,'' said Baker, a recovering alcoholic who has shed at least 15 pounds since the end of last season and is currently weighs in around 240.

Baker's body is noticeably thinner, especially his face.

Averaging 14.8 points and 7.1 rebounds for Boston entering the weekend, Baker's production is at levels he hasn't reached since 1997-98 _ his first season in Seattle after four years in Milwaukee.

``It's been a while, probably since I was a rookie, when I played at this weight,'' he said. ``I worked five hours a day conditioning, lifting weights. I started in June and went all the way to the season.''

Baker, renowned in NBA circles for his cooking skills, has cut down on his meat consumption and is no longer eating fried foods, preferring pasta, chicken and fish.

``I've really turned the corner. My metabolism won't allow me to put (weight) on,'' he said. ``You get infatuated with the scale, looking and seeing that you're dropping weight. ``I remember I got to 243 one day and I said 'Wow, I'm right where I need to be,' and then it kept dropping on me.''

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RETRO JERSEYS:@ The Atlanta Hawks will be wearing green, the Golden State Warriors will glitter in gold, the Los Angeles Lakers will be fashionably blue and the Orlando Magic will be back in black.

Those teams will be wearing retro jerseys between Thanksgiving and early February, with the NBA expanding its ``Hardwood Classics'' schedule from eight to 12 games.

Among the retro uniforms:

_ The Indiana Pacers will wear replicas of their home uniforms from the 1972-73 season _ when they were an ABA team _ for their nationally televised game against New York on Thursday.

_ The Magic will wear the black road uniforms they used during their expansion season of 1988-89 in their Christmas matchup with Cleveland.

_ The Philadelphia 76ers will wear replicas of the 1965-66 home blue-and-white uniforms Feb. 5 against the Lakers.

_ The Sacramento Kings will wear their 1975-76 home whites _ back when home was Kansas City _ the following night against San Antonio.

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THIS 'N THAT:@ How pathetic is the Atlantic Division? Orlando entered the weekend just 4{ games behind first-place Boston despite its 10-game losing streak. ... With 14 rebounds Wednesday night against New York, Karl Malone passed Robert Parish for sixth place on the career rebounds list with 14,720. Moses Malone is fifth with 16,212. ... Lakers coach Phil Jackson would like to do away with the disqualification rule, commonly known as fouling out. He would tack on an additional penalty of some sort for every foul beginning with a player's seventh. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban would like to see the 24-second clock countdown begin at the start of an inbounds play, rather than after the ball is inbounded. ... Vince Carter isn't so dismissive of Tracy McGrady's recent comments that he might retire soon. ``If he wants to, he will,'' Carter said. ``He's said it to me once or twice. This is even before the season started.'' What would McGrady's next career move be? ``He can play baseball. He's a pitcher and this kid has an arm, he has a hell of an arm,'' Carter said. ... Entering the weekend, there were only two Western Conference teams, Phoenix and Golden State, with below-.500 records.