SPORTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Wild,
      Wild
      West
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Part
      2
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      18/X-Press/November
      11,
      1993
     
    
   
   
    
     
      WESTERN
     
     
      CONFERENCE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pacific
     
     
      -
      Division
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      IT)
      Phoenix
      Suns/
     
     
      Seattle
      Supersonics
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Last
      week
      I
      thought
      that
      Phoenix
      would
      be
      a
     
     
      veritable
      lock
      for
      the
      NBA
      title,
      this
      week
      they
     
     
      may
      not
      even
      be
      the
      best
      team
      in
      their
      own
     
     
      division.
      The
      reason
      being
      Seattle’s
      acquisition
     
     
      of
      6’9
      allstar
      Detlef
      Schrempf(19.1ppg,
      9.5rpg,
     
     
      6.0apg)
      from
      Indiana,
      adding
      to
      a
      potent
      front
     
     
      line
      including
      the
      explosive
      Shawn
      Kemp
      (17.8,
     
     
      10.7)
      and
      the
      veteran
      Sam
      Perkins.
      Added
      to
      an
     
     
      athletic
      backcourt
      of
      ex-Hornet
      Kendall
      Gill
     
     
      (16.9,
      4.9,
      3.9),
      pg
      Gary
      Payton
      and
      scorer
     
     
      Ricky
      Pierce
      (18.2)
      you
      have
      a
      fast-breaking
     
     
      team
      which
      will
      run
      other
      clubs
      into
      the
      ground.
     
     
      Only
      the
      lack
      ofa
      true
      center
      may
      hurt
      this
      club
     
     
      against
      other
      western
     
     
      teams
      whichemploy
      great
     
     
      big
      men.
     
    

    
     
      Phoenix
      is
      still
      very
     
     
      good
      as
      they
      are
      led
      by
     
     
      °03
      NBA
      MVP
      Charles
     
     
      Barkley
      (25.6,
      12.2,
      5.1)
     
     
      who
      is
      the
      most
      versatile
     
     
      player
      in
      the
      game
      today.
     
     
      Theloss
      ofRichard
      Dumas
     
     
      will
      hurt
      them
      but
      they
     
     
      acquired
      former
      Laker
     
     
      A.C.
      Green
      to
      give
      them
     
     
      rebounding
      and
      playoff
     
     
      experience,
      coupled
      with
     
     
      former
      allstars
      such
      as
     
     
      Dan
      Majerle
      (16.9),
      out-
     
     
      side
      sniper
      Danny
      Ainge
     
     
      (150
      three-pointers
      made)
     
     
      and
      playmaker
      Kevin
     
     
      Johnson
      (16.1,
      7.8
      apg)
     
     
      this
      ‘creates
      a
      team
      which
     
     
      knows
      how
      to
      win
      games.
     
     
      Like
      Seattle
      the
      Suns
      lack
     
     
      a
      true
      inside
      force
      but
     
     
      Oliver
      Millermay
      become
     
     
      the
      most
      improved
      pivot
     
     
      in
      the
      league
      after
      his
      out-
     
     
      standing
      showing
      in
      last
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      3)
      Portland
     
     
      Trailblazers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Blazers
      may
      be
      doomed
      to
      be
      bridesmaids,
     
     
      never
      going
      home
      with
      aring.
      This
      team
      has
      the
     
     
      best
      backcourt
      trio
      in
      the
      league
      with
      perennial
     
     
      allstar
      Clyde
      Drexler
      (19.9,
      6.3,
      5.7)
      returning
     
     
      from
      injury,
      Terry
      Porter
      (18.2),
      and
      pg
      Rod
     
     
      Strickland
      (7.2apg)
      coming
      off
      the
      bench
      to
     
     
      change
      the
      tempo
      of
      the
      game.
      Harvey
      Grant
     
     
      (18.6)
      came
      over
      from
      the
      Bullets
      in
      the
      Kevin
     
     
      Duckworth
      deal
      to
      bolster
      a
      frontcourt
      with
     
     
      6711
      Cliff
      Robinson
      (19.1),
      rebounder
      Buck
     
     
      Williams,
      and
      Nets
      free-agent
      Chris
      Dudley
     
     
      who
      makes
      every
      free-throw
      an
      adventure.
     
     
      Portland
      will
      be
      very
      good
      but
      not
      good
      enough.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4)
      LA
      Lakers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Lakers
      are
      ina
      year
      of
      transition
      going
      from
     
     
      experience
      to
      the
      youth
      which
      will
      carry
      them
     
     
      thru
      the
      ‘90’s.
      Last
      year’s
      rookie
      backcourt
      of
     
     
      Anthony
      Peeler
      (10.4)
      and
      Doug
      Christie
      and
     
     
      draftee
      Nick
      Van
      Exel
      need
      maturing
      which
     
     
      seasoned
      Sedale
      Threatt
      (15.1)
      will
      provide.
     
     
      James
      Worthy
      (14.9)
      is
      on
      the
      backside
      of
      his
     
     
      career
      but
      he
      will
      help
      the
      younger
      players
      such
     
     
      as
      Ist
      round
      draft
      pick
      George
      Lynch
      become
     
     
      accustomed
      to
      the
      rigors
      of
      the
      NBA.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      years
      playoffs.
      The
      win-
     
     
      ner
      of
      this
      conference
      will
     
     
      be
      the
      team
      that
      stays
     
     
      healthy
      and
      plays
      together.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      After
      coming
      within
      a
      John
      Paxson
      three-pointer
      of
      a
      potential
     
     
      championship
      last
      year,
      Charles
      Barkley
      hopes
      to
      lead
      his
      Phoen''
     
     
      Suns
      to
      the
      NBA's
      promised
      land.