5)
      LA
      Clippers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Will
      this
      team
      ever
      get
      it
      together?
      They
      let
     
     
      forward
      Ken
      Norman
      leave
      LA
      and
      top
      player
     
     
      Danny
      Manning
      (22.8)
      doesn’t
      want
      to
      stay
      in
     
     
      Tinseltown.
      Guards
      Mark
      Jackson
      (14.4,
      8.8apg)
     
     
      and
      slashing
      2
      guard
      Ron
      Harper
      will
      be
      the
     
     
      focus
      of
      the
      offense
      if
      and
      when
      Manning
     
     
      leaves.
      Loy
      Vaught
      is
      a
      likely
      MIP
      candidate
     
     
      with
      the
      extra
      minutes
      because
      of
      Norman’s
     
     
      departure,
      look
      for
      him
      to
      be
      one
      of
      the
      top
     
     
      boardsmen
      in
      the
      league.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      6)
      Golden
      State
     
     
      Warriors
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      paper
      this
      is
      a
      championship
      team,
      but
      on
     
     
      paper
      is
      where
      you
      train
      your
      dog.
      With
      Tim
     
     
      Hardaway
      and
      Sarunas
      Marciulionis
      both
      out
     
     
      for
      the
      year,
      the
      Warriors
      lose
      their
      top
      two
     
     
      guards
      and
      40
      ppg.
      Add
      the
      fact
      that
      all-NBA
     
     
      Chris
      Mullin
      (25.9)
      is
      out
      for
      the
      first
      20
      games
     
     
      and
      you
      have
      a
      team
      headed
      down.
      $75
      million
     
     
      dollar
      man
      Chris
      Webber
      will
      be
      thrown
      into
     
     
      the
      NBA
      head
      first
      and
      expected
      to
      provide
     
     
      miracles,
      his
      play
      will
      either
      keep
      Golden
      State
     
     
      afloat,
      or
      drown
      them.
      Only
      speedy
      recoveries
     
     
      will
      enable
      this
      team
      to
      make
      the
      playoffs.
      *
     
    
   
   
    
     
      7)
      Sacramento
      Kings
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bobby
      Hurley
      may
      be
      the
      point
      guard
      to
      turn
     
     
      things
      around,
      but
      does
      it
      matter.
      The
      Kings
     
     
      have
      3
      great
      players
      in
      allstar
      2-guard
      Mitch
     
     
      Richmond
      (21.9),
      the
      L-train
      Lionel
      Simmons
     
     
      (17.9,
      7.2,
      4.5)
      and
      rookie
      star
      Walt
      Williams
     
     
      (17.0).
      This
      team
      is
      a
      lock
      for
      the
      lottery
      for
      the
     
     
      eighth
      straight
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Midwest
     
     
      Division
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1)
      Houston
      Rockets
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hakeem
      Olajuwon
      (26.1,
      13,
      4.17bpg)
      may
     
     
      finally
      win
      a
      NBA
      MVP
      title
      this
      year
      as
      he
      is
     
     
      the
      most
      dominant
      big
      man
      around
      and
      this
      year
     
     
      should
      have
      a
      good
      supporting
      cast.
      Vernon
     
     
      Maxwell
      (13.8)
      will
      shoot
      from
      anywhere
      he
     
     
      wants,
      and
      Otis
      Thorpe
      (12.8,
      8.2)
      is
      the
      most
     
     
      overlooked
      PF
      in
      the
      game.
      Small
      forward
     
     
      Robert
      Horry
      (10.1)
      may
      be
      the
      key
      player
     
     
      which
      launches
      the
      Rockets
      to
      the
      next
      level.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2)
      Utah
      Jazz
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      the
      Jazz
      don’t
      win
      it
      all
      this
      year,
      they
      will
     
     
      never
      win
      it
      with
      this
      team.
      Karl
      Malone
      (27,
     
     
      11.2)
      and
      John
      Stockton
      (15,
      12apg)
      are
      the
      best
     
     
      pf/pg
      duo
      in
      the
      game
      and
      they
      are
      in
      their
     
     
      primes,
      but
      they’1I
      soon
      start
      tapering
      off.
      New-
     
     
      comers
      Tom
      Chambers
      (12.2),
      Felton
      Spencer,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      With
      Jordan's
     
     
      retirement,
     
     
      Hakeem
      Olajuwon
     
     
      may
      be
      the
     
     
      league's
      most
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dominant
      player.
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      7°2
      2801b
      Luther
      Wright
      add
      size
      to
      the
     
     
      biggest
      front
      line
      in
      the
      NBA,
      if
      little
      else.
     
     
      Guards
      Jay
      Humphries
      and
      Jeff
      Malone
      (18.1)
     
     
      will
      help
      the
      scoring
      load,
      but
      it
      won’ttake
      them
     
     
      over
      the
      hump.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      3)
      San
      Antonio
      Spurs
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      acquisition
      of
      Dennis
      Rodman
      (18.3rpg)
     
     
      for
      Sean
      Elliot
      replaced
      scoring
      with
      boards
      and
     
     
      desire,
      but
      will
      Rodman
      help
      the
      Spurs?
      This
      is
     
     
      already
      David
      Robinson’s
      (23.4,
      11.7,
      3.2bpg)
     
     
      team
      and
      he
      will
      be
      the
      prime
      offensive
      focus.
     
     
      Lloyd
      Daniels
      must
      improve
      on
      his
      rookie
     
     
      season
      as
      he
      becomes
      the
      #1
      point
      guard
      with
     
     
      the
      departure
      of
      Avery
      Johnson
      to
      the
      Warriors,
     
     
      ifnotthe
      Spurs
      may
      be
      in
      for
      some
      rough
      nights.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "The
      acquisition
      of
     
     
      Dennis
      Rodman
      for
     
     
      Sean
      Elliot
     
     
      replaced
      scoring
     
     
      with
      boards
      and
     
     
      desire,
      but
      will
     
     
      Rodman
      help
      the
     
     
      Spurs?"
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4)
      Denver
      Nuggets
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Chris
      Jackson
      changed
      his
      name
      and
      the
      Nug-
     
     
      gets
      got
      new
      uniforms,
      but
      they
      will
      still
      be
      left
     
     
      out
      of
      the
      playoffs.
      Jackson,
      now
      Mahmoud
     
     
      Abdul-Rauf,
      scored
      19.2ppg
      last
      yearto
      win
      the
     
     
      most
      improved
      player
      award.
      Besides
      him,
      the
     
     
      rest
      of
      the
      nucleus
      resides
      in
      the
      frontcourt
      with
     
     
      7’2
      Dikembe
      Mutumbo
      (13.8,
      13),
      Laphonso
     
     
      Ellis
      (14.7,
      9.1)
      and
      All-American
      draft
      Choice
     
     
      Rodney
      Rogers
      who
      lead
      the
      ACC
      in
      scoring
      as
     
     
      a
      college
      junior
      last
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      5&6)
      Minnesota
     
     
      and
      Dallas
     
    
   
   
    
     
      These
      two
      squads
      combined
      for
      30
      wins,
      half
     
     
      the
      total
      of
      the
      Knicks.
      The
      Mavericks
      totaling
     
     
      11
      wins,
      second
      worst
      of
      all
      time.
      Dallas
      added
     
     
      Jamal
      Mashburn
      to
      team
      with
      Jimmy
      Jackson
     
     
      (16.3)
      giving
      them
      two
      budding
      superstars,
      if
     
     
      little
      else.
      The
      T-Wolves
      meanwhile
      added
     
     
      Isaiah
      (J.R.)
      Rider
      who
      should
      be
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      highest
      scoring
      rookies
      this
      year
      to
      go
      besides
     
     
      current
      players
      Christian
      Laettner
      (18.2,
      8.7)
     
     
      and
      Doug
      West
      (19.3).
     
    

    
     
      SCOTT
      MACDONALD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      11,
      1993/X-Press/19