May 18, 2000 SportsLine.com staff

L.A. LAKERS	PORTLAND
Kobe Bryant	Steve Smith

1999-00 Stats G PPG RPG APG STL BLK 66 22.5 6.3 4.9 106 62	1999-00 Stats G PPG RPG APG STL BLK 82 14.9 3.8 2.5 71 31
Playoff Stats G PPG RPG APG STL BLK 10 24.4 4.1 3.5 16 10	Playoff Stats G PPG RPG APG STL BLK 9 16.2 2.3 2.9 12 3

Has the all-around game to die for and he's only 21. The big improvement this year was on the defensive end, where he was an NBA first-team defender. He also fine-tuned the offensive game, staying under control and extending his shooting range, keys to him making his first All-Star start.	One of the great shooting guards in the past decade, Smith is another Blazer that can calmly drain the big shot with the game on the line. He was the second-leading scorer for Portland during the regular season, shooting an outstanding 47 percent from the field (the best of his nine-year career) and 40 percent on 3-pointers. He leads the team in scoring during the playoffs.
Breakdown: Bryant has an extreme advantage in quickness and hops over Smith (you might be able to slide a legal pad under his jumper). But the 6-8 Portland shooter is a good post-up player and knows all the tricks in squeezing off shots against more athletic players. If Bryant cheats too much off him on defense, Smith will make him pay.

Edge: L.A. Lakers

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