You might have been wondering what’s with all those winning streaks in the NBA this season.
There must be some really good teams. Sorry. Just so many bad ones.
The hard facts have been coming in all season-from half the teams in the league averaging less than 100 points per game to more winning road teams than at any time in the last decade-and they’re indisputable. The combination of the effects of expansion, the retirement of the great superstars of the 1980s and a rash of deaths and injuries has left the NBA at its weakest in recent times.
Road victory totals are zooming because so many home teams are easy marks. The NBA used to be the hardest pro sports league in which to win on the road, with about a 25 percent league-wide mark. From 1983 through 1988, before the four-team expansion, the average number of teams with winning road records was 2.8 per season. But going into last week, 10 teams had winning road records and this season visitors have won 41.5 percent of the games. They won 32.1 percent six years ago.
The number of poor teams could produce a record 70-victory team among perhaps Seattle, Houston or Phoenix.
“I think all three of those teams could challenge the record,” said Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Jerry West, a member of the 69-victory 1971-72 Lakers. “The way the league is this year, there are so many teams average or below average that there’s not enough good teams to consistently test the top few. With all the poor teams, the good ones are going to have opportunities to run up some big winning streaks. I don’t think 69 wins is out of the realm of possibility at all.”
Checketts likes Grant: New York Knicks President Dave Checketts on WMVP radio on the Bulls and Horace Grant: “I think they’ll lose him. Everyone does things differently, and (the Bulls have) been very successful, but I can’t imagine letting a Horace Grant get to that situation. I’d never let Horace Grant become an unrestricted free agent. There’s a lot of interest in him out there.”
Meanwhile, it hasn’t been all fun for Horace’s twin, Harvey, in Portland: “I was in Washington for five years, and although we lost alot, there were teams I played on there that had more fun than this one,” Harvey says.
At least former De Paul player Rod Strickland, with three games of at least 25 points or more as a starter, is enjoying life with the Trail Blazers. With Clyde Drexler out, he’s averaging almost 20 points and 10 assists in seven games with the team overall, 28 and 15 in games he has started.
“When Chris Dudley and I get healthy, we’ll make our run,” Drexler says.
Going through motion: When Charlotte beat the Bulls and Knicks without Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning, it showed just why coach Allan Bristow is in trouble. Without the two stars, the Hornets actually ran their passing offense and got other players involved.
“On one possession we counted them making 11 passes,” Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. “When Mourning and Johnson are in there, the ball stops. They’re not looking for the down pick. They’re looking for the shot.”
Hersey Hawkins couldn’t agree more: “I thought I’d be getting a lot of open 18-footers (instead, that’s where Johnson and Mourning are).”
As for Bristow, he says the Hornets no longer are playing the passing game. But they haven’t changed their offense. It seems Bristow said there’s too much of a negative connotation connected with the term “passing game,” so he’s telling his team they’re now playing “early offense” or “motion game.”
Sonics soaring: It’s 1-1 this season between the Houston Rockets and Seattle SuperSonics, the teams with the league’s best records, playoff foes last season and hardly best friends.
Says SuperSonics swingman Nate McMillan: “They better pray (Hakeem Olajuwon) doesn’t go down. Without him, I don’t know if they’re a .500 ballclub. Those guys just spot up and shoot. They don’t create. Everything goes through Hakeem. He’s that whole crew.”
Seattle, again with few of its players getting much All-Star recognition, is off to a franchise-record start. It has enough versatility that unpredictable coach George Karl brought Shawn Kemp off the bench in last week’s big victory in Phoenix.
“We don’t get much credit in terms of individual attention,” Karl says, “but I can look at my top seven guys and not one is having a bad year.”
Of course, one should remember why Kemp came off the bench and had 22 points in his fourth game back from a minor injury.
“I should have started him,” Karl admits, “but I was so into the preparation for the game I forgot.”
New King coming: Joking his way into retirement, former Sacramento Kings personnel director Jerry Reynolds offered: “I probably ought to go into politics. As badly as I’ve done this job, I’d fit right into that scene.”
Del Harris, supposedly in line for the job, said: “I’m sticking to what I said.”
When he was hired as an adviser to Kings owner Jim Thomas, Harris had written into his contract he wouldn’t replace coach Garry St. Jean or Reynolds.
But, Harris said: “If someone wakes up and wants a real coach, I’m available. Having a good coach can make a difference, and I’m very proud of what we did in Milwaukee with the most injuries two straight years.”
Around the league: Good thinking from Ron Harper on the staggering Los Angeles Clippers: “We get beat by teams that shouldn’t even be close to us. You don’t want me to be GM of this team. There would be a lot of heads rolling. I just might take my own head and roll it.” . . . Denver’s Alvin Robertson says he’ll retire if he needs fusion surgery for his back, but adds “Don’t bury me yet.”
So welcome back to the NBA, Jack Haley. You have the locker next to Dennis Rodman. “I’ve been (with San Antonio) almost a month now,” Haley said, “and I think he has said hello to me maybe twice. He doesn’t speak to anyone on the team. He walks into the locker room one or two minutes before the game. He walks out when we have the introductions. He will not touch a ball before we play because his theory is he doesn’t get to shoot.” . . . Golden State’s Chris Webber seems to have a lock on rookie of the year. He’s on a pace to become just the fourth player-along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Lanier and David Robinson-to get more than 1,200 points, 700 rebounds, 300 assists, 150 blocks and 100 steals. . . . Orlando is talking to Milwaukee about Frank Brickowski. . . . New Jersey’s Derrick Coleman handed out T-shirts to teammates that read “$69 million” with a slash through it and the words “I don’t think so.” He was outplayed in consecutive games by Milwaukee’s Vin Baker and Miami’s John Salley. Meanwhile, the Nets’ Chris Morris says he can’t play in Chuck Daly’s unimaginative offense and may as well be traded. . . . Denver’s Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf continues to shoot better than 96 percent from the free-throw line. If he continues, he will break Calvin Murphy’s all-time record of 95.8. . . . With Orlando’s Greg Kite and Larry Krystkowiak injured, the Magic is considering activating assistant coach Tree Rollins, age 38. . . . The Denver Nuggets and Clippers are talking about a LaPhonso Ellis for Danny Manning deal.
