NEW YORK, October 29, 2004 -- Think of it as a rough draft. Most of the characters are in place; themes have been established; potential plot lines identified and explored -- only, the story won’t officially begin until Nov. 2. It’s called preseason, and as you know, they don’t hand out championship trophies and MVP awards before the drama even begins. But, there have been several noteworthy performances during the preseason that deserve mention.

Jeff McInnis (Cleveland) When the Cavaliers acquired Eric Snow, many assumed he’d be taking over as the team’s starting point guard. Paul Silas prefers McInnis – 14.1 points, 4.7 assists, 62 percent shooting in the preseason – with Snow anchoring the second unit. Cleveland was a much better team with McInnis last season, and struggled when he went down late.

Stephen Jackson (Indiana) The Pacers’ need for additional perimeter scoring was evident in the Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit. So, the team traded for Jackson, who averaged a career-high 18.1 points last season. He’s been sharp in preseason, averaging 16.3 points on 48 percent shooting.

ZaZa Pachulia (Milwaukee) Terry Porter plans on taking the center-by-committee approach this season, splitting it up between Dan Gadzuric, Daniel Santiago, Zendon Hamilton and Pachulia. Preseason injuries to Gadzuric and Hamilton have opened up minutes for Pachulia, who’s averaging 9.8 points and 6.0 rebounds.

Josh Howard (Dallas) Don Nelson said his plan was to turn Jerry Stackhouse into his sixth man. It’ll be hard to keep Howard off the floor if he continues to progress the way he has since the Mavericks snagged him with the last pick in the first round in 2003. Howard is averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists in preseason play.

Earl Boykins (Denver Nuggets) If you’re seven-feet tall, you have to prove over and over again that you can’t play. When you’re 5-5, you must continue to show you can play – and that’s what Boykins has done. He’s split time with Andre Miller during the preseason, averaging 13.8 points and 4.8 assists. Miller will get the majority of the minutes when the regular season begins, with Boykins ready to change the pace.

Wally Szczerbiak (Minnesota) Seems hard to believe Szczerbiak was an All-Star two seasons ago. Injuries are mostly to blame, while the Timberwolves have also added depth at his position. Still, Flip Saunders understands the value of a quality shooter – and Szczerbiak has had an excellent preseason, averaging 15.0 points on 46 percent shooting.

Chris Wilcox (L.A. Clippers) After appearing in 46 games as a rookie, Wilcox developed into a valuable reserve in 2003-04, averaging 8.6 points and 4.7 rebounds. With Chris Kaman out to start the season, Wilcox – who’s averaging 11.0 points during the preseason – could start alongside Elton Brand on the front line.

Tierre Brown (L.A. Lakers) Rudy Tomjanovich had him as an undrafted rookie in Houston in 2001-02, and it appears Brown has won a roster spot in Los Angeles with his strong preseason play (10.1 points, 4.4 rebounds). He could begin the season as a backup to Chucky Atkins.

Quentin Richardson (Phoenix Suns) Whether he starts or comes off the bench remains to be seen, but Richardson will make an impact in Phoenix. He’s averaging 15.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in preseason. Mike D’Antoni has experimented with a small lineup that features Richardson, Steven Nash, Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire.