SPORTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1993-1994
      NBA
      PREVIEW
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      NBA,
      now
      that
      Michael
      Jordan
      has
     
    

    
     
      hung
      up
      his
      sneakers
      in
      Chicago
      to
     
     
      retire
      from
      the
      game
      of
      basketball,
      as
      he
      has
     
     
      nothing
      left
      to
      prove
      or
      accomplish.
      The
      torch
     
     
      has
      been
      passed
      to
      stars
      like
      Shaquille
      O’Neal
     
     
      and
      Larry
      Johnson
      to
      keep
      the
      league
      going
      for
     
     
      the
      next
      decade
      and
      a
      half.
      In
      addition
      to
      Jor-
     
     
      dan’s
      departure,
      shooting
      guards
      Reggie
      Lewis
     
     
      of
      Boston
      and
      Drazen
      Petrovic
      of
      New
      Jersey
     
     
      both
      tragically
      died
      this
      summer,
      leaving
      large
     
     
      voids
      for
      both
      the
      Celtics
      and
      Nets
      as
      well
      as
      for
     
     
      their
      fans.
      This
      may
      also
      be
      the
      last
      season
      for
     
     
      last
      year’s
      MVP
      Charles
      Barkley,
      who
      has
      said
     
     
      that
      he
      is
      ‘‘99.9%
      sure’’
      that
      this
      will
      be
      his
      last
     
     
      season
      in
      the
      NBA.
      Barkley
      wants
      to
      go
      out
     
     
      with
      a
      championship
      ring,
      his
      one
      unachieved
     
     
      goal,
      to
      cap
      a
      Hall
      of
      Fame
      career.
      His
      Phoenix
     
     
      Suns,
      with
      free-agent
      signing
      A.C.
      Green,
      seeem
     
     
      likely
      to
      win
      it
      all
      this
      year,
      even
      with
      the
     
     
      possibility
      that
      last
      year’s
      rookie
      gem
      Richard
     
     
      Dumas
      may
      not
      play
      due
      to
      a
      drug
      suspension.
     
     
      This
      week
      I
      will
      look
      at
      the
      teams
      from
      the
     
     
      Eastern
      Conference.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ATLANTIC
      DIVISION
     
    
   
   
    
     
      T
      he
      93-94
      season
      will
      be
      one
      ofchange
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      With
      Jordan
      out
      of
      the
      way,
      Partick
      Ewing
     
     
      and
      the
      New
      York
      Knicks
      hope
      to
      wear
      this
     
     
      year's
      NBA
      crown.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1)
      New
      York
      Knicks:
      With
      Jordan
      no
      longer
     
     
      in
      competition,
      the
      Knicks
      could
      finally
      make
      it
     
     
      to
      the
      finals
      with
      the
      deepest
      talent
      pool
      in
      the
     
     
      NBA.
      Patrick
      Ewing
      (24.2
      ppg,
      12.1
      rpg)
      is
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      top
      three
      centers
      in
      the
      league,
      and
      John
     
     
      Starks
      (17.5)
      is
      now
      the
      most
      exciting
      2
      guard
     
    
   
   
    
     
      18/X-Press/November
      4,
      1993
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Predicting
      the
     
     
      winners
      and
     
     
      _
      losers
      in
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      NBA's
      Eastern
     
     
      Conference
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      the
      East.
      Pat
      Riley’s
      philosophy
      of
      defense
     
     
      and
      a
      fundamental
      offense
      led
      the
      Knicks
      to
      an
     
     
      Atlantic
      Division
      championship
      last
      year
      with
      a
     
     
      60-22
      record,
      2nd
      best
      in
      the
      league.
      The
     
     
      Knicks
      have
      an
      outstanding
      front
      line
      of
      6°10
     
     
      Charles
      Smith,
      6’9
      Anthony
      Mason(10.3ppg
     
     
      7.9
      rpg
      as
      the
      6th
      man),
      and
      6’9
      rebounder
     
     
      Charles
      Oakley.
      The
      only
      weakness
      is
      at
      the
     
     
      point
      where
      the
      duo
      of
      Greg
      Anthony
      and
      Doc
     
     
      Rivers
      is
      too
      inconsistent,
      but
      this
      team
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      headed
      to
      the
      NBA
      Finals.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2)
      Orlando
      Magic:
      Shaquille
      O’Neal
      knows
     
     
      rapping,
      endorsing,
      pulling
      down
      backboards,
     
     
      dunking
      and
      rookie
      success.
      With
      the
      third
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      overall
      pick
      Anfernee
      Hardaway
      added
      to
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Magic,
      this
      will
      be
      the
      season
      that
      Shaq
      learns
     
     
      about
      winning
      and
      possibly
      gets
      an
      MVP
      award
     
     
      to
      go
      with
      last
      season’s
      rookie
      of
      the
      year
     
     
      trophy.
      This
      team,
      even
      with
      Shaq
      (23.4,
      13.9),
     
     
      three-point
      shooter
      Dennis
      Scott
      (15.9),
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nick
      Anderson
      (19.9,
      6.0),
      is
      still
      too
      young
      to-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      win
      more
      than
      fifty
      games-
      but
      witha
      few
      years’
     
     
      seasoning,
      Hardaway
      alley-ooping
      to
      O’Neal
     
     
      will
      be
      the
      most
      often-seen
      play
      in
      the
      NBA.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      3)
      Miami
      Heat:
      Like
      Orlando,
      this
      recent
     
     
      expansion
      team
      is
      too
      young
      to
      be
      anything
     
     
      more
      than
      a
      pretender,
      rather
      than
      a
      contender,
     
     
      to
      the
      crown.
      The
      Heat
      have
      major
      talent,
     
     
      though,
      in
      young
      guards
      Steve
      Smith
      (16,
      4.1,
     
     
      5.6),
      three-point
      threat
      Glen
      Rice
      (19.1)
      and
      the
     
     
      aptly
      nicknamed
      ‘‘Baby
      Jordan’’,
      ’93
      Dunk
     
     
      champ
      Harold
      Miner
      (10.3).
      Rony
      Seikaly
     
     
      (17.1,
      11.8)
      will
      anchor
      the
      front
      line
      with
      7’0
     
     
      John
      Salley.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4)
      New
      Jersey
      Nets:
      Even
      with
      the
      tragic
     
     
      death
      of
      Drazen
      Petrovic,
      the
      Nets
      still
      have
      a
     
     
      blossoming
      star
      in
      PG
      Kenny
      Anderson
      (16.9,
     
     
      4.1,
      8.2
      apg)
      and
      a
      possible
      All
      NBA
      Power
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Forward
      in
      Derrick
      Coleman
      (20.7,
      11.2),
      who
     
     
      was
      their
      best
      player
      even
      when
      they
      still
      had
     
     
      Petro.
      Coleman
      turned
      down
      an
      eleven-year,
     
     
      sixty-nine
      million
      dollar
      contract
      in
      the
      offseason
     
     
      to
      see
      how
      much
      he
      can
      command
      next
      year
      in
     
     
      this,
      the
      age
      of
      inflated
      salaries.
      Coach
      Chuck
     
     
      Daly
      has
      talent
      but
      he
      also
      has
      headaches-in-
     
     
      waiting
      with
      Chris
      Morris
      and
      newly
      acquired
     
     
      Benoit
      Benjamin.
      The
      Nets
      will
      be
      a
      middle-of-
     
     
      the-pack
      team.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      5)
      Boston
      Celtics:
      In
      what
      will
      probably
      be
     
     
      the
      worst
      non-Bird
      year
      since
      1978,
      the
      Celtics
     
     
      have
      many
      questions
      to
      answer.
      How
      will
      the
     
     
      team
      react
      to
      the
      death
      of
      scoring
      leader
      Reggie
     
     
      Lewis
      and
      the
      retirement
      of
      Kevin
      McHale?
     
     
      Howlong
      can
      forty-year-old
      Robert
      Parish
      (12.6,
     
     
      9.4)
      keep
      going?
      Is
      Yugo
      Dino
      Radja
      the
     
     
      answer
      to
      the
      void
      at
      power
      forward?
      Can
      first
     
     
      round
      pick
      Acie
      Earl
      make
      people
      forget
      Joe
     
     
      Kleine?
      Who
      will
      fill
      the
      lost
      scoring
      of
      Lewis:
     
     
      Xavier
      McDaniel(13.5,
      6.0),
      Kevin
      Gamble
     
     
      (13.3)
      or
      Dee
      Brown
      (10.9,
      6.4
      apg)?
      How
      low
     
     
      will
      the
      Celtics
      drop?
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
      6&7)
      Washington
      &
      Philadelphia:
      Both
     
     
      teams
      have
      drafted
      centers
      of
      huge
      proportions,
     
     
      Philly
      getting
      7’6
      BYU
      product
      Shawn
      Bradley,
     
     
      and
      the
      Bullets
      nabbing
      7’7
      Romanian
      Gheorge
     
     
      Muresan,
      who
      may
      play
      in
      Italy.
      Neither
      team
     
     
      will
      be
      great
      as
      both
      are
      in
      rebuilding
      years,
      but
     
     
      both
      teams
      have
      talent,
      especially
      Washington,
     
     
      with
      Tom
      Gugliotta
      (14.7,
      9.6,
      3.8)
      and
      Pervis
     
     
      Ellison
      (17.4,
      8.8)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CENTRAL
      DIVISION
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1)
      Cleveland
      Cavaliers:
      The
      Cavs
      may
     
     
      challenge
      New
      York
      for
      tops
      in
      the
      East
      with
     
     
      one
      of
      the
      most
      talented
      teams
      in
      the
      NBA.
      Start
     
     
      with
      center
      Brad
      Daughtery(20.2,
      10.2),
      add
     
     
      point
      guard
      Mark
      Price
      (18.2,
      8
      apg),
      pf
      Larry
     
     
      Nance
      (16.5,
      7.9),
      6th
      man
      Hot
      Rod
      Williams
     
     
      (11,
      6.2)
      and
      2
      guard
      Gerald
      Wilkins
      (11.1)
      and
     
     
      you
      have
      one
      of
      the
      best
      squads
      around.
      Add
     
     
      6’10
      rebounder
      Tyrone
      Hill
      (8.6,
      10.2)
      from
     
     
      Golden
      State
      and
      you
      have
      a
      team
      which
      could
     
     
      play
      into
      June.
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2)
      Charlotte
      Hornets:
      This
      other
      expansion
     
     
      team
      has
      the
      best
      center/power
      forward
      combi-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nation
      tandem
      in
      the
      league
      right
      now,
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Larry
      Johnson
      (22.1,
      10.5)and
      6’
      10
      shot-blocker
     
     
      Alonzo
      Mourning
      (21.0,
      10.3).
      The
      2
      of
      them
     
     
      combined
      have
      3
      years
      of
      NBA
      experience,
      so
     
     
      the
      peak
      of
      their
      careers
      is
      not
      for
      some
      time.
     
     
      The
      move
      to
      acquire
      shooting
      guard
      Hersey
     
     
      Hawkins
      (20.3
      with
      Philly
      last
      year)
      got
      rid
      of