European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday May 18, 198b the stars and stripes Page 25 Moe named Aba coach of year Bojoh Mossman Denver a coach Doug me who in his typically self deprecating manner insisted he was just along for the ride on the Denver nuggets Best Ever Aba team monday was named the National basketball association s coach of the year. Despite injuries to Calvin Natt and Wayne Cooper that kept both players sidelined for the bulk of the season Moc guided the nuggets to the Midwest Divi Sion title with a 54-28 record i hair Best Mark since entering the Aba in 1976, and 17 More victories than last season. We be had a terrific team this year which i guess made this almost automatic Moe said. I could t have had More fun being with a team. This is without doubt the easiest team i be Ever been around and if you want to use the word  Moe received 41 votes from the 80 member voting panel of Media members. Pat Riley who coached the los Angeles lakers to their fourth consecutive 60-Victory season and a league Best 62-20 record was second with 25 votes and Doug Collins of chicagoan Mike Schuler of Portland each got five votes to tie Tor third. Moe 49, called pm \ his selection a Ter Rifle  Dong Moe winning the coach of the year award is kind or uncomfortable for a Guy who likes cutting people up and getting Cut up he said. I really do appreciate it it s Nice that people Don t think i m a Complete  Moe whose fryc Lance helter shelter passing offence is unique in the Aba said his selection shows that our style has been  Moc was an All Star during three of his five seasons As a player in the Ameri can basketball association. He served As an assistant coach with the Aba s Carolina cougars and with Denver and won two division titles in four seasons As head coach of the san Antonio spurs before becoming the nug gets head coach 31 games into the 1980 81 season. Moe achieved his 500th Aba Victory on feb. 27 with a 120-104 Triumph Over Philadelphia becoming the 12th Aba coach to reach that plateau. His eight years with the nuggets give him the Long est tenure of any Aba coach with his present team. Moc insisted he does t know what constitutes a Good coaching Job. You just go out and do your Best he said. I m an emotional Type of coach. We be got a lot of Guys who have been in our system a Long time and we do the same things Over and Over so there s not that much coaching to  not Only was Denver the top scoring team in the Aba this season with an average of 116.7 Points per game but the nuggets also led the league in steals and committed the fewest turnovers. They Defeated Seattle in the first round playoff series and were tied at 2-2 going into tuesday night s fifth game with Dallas in the Western conference semifinals. I be enjoyed this year so much Moc said. We be got 12 enjoyable players. It s been a great season and we re looking Forward to playing together a lot longer. Wife s focus on when Nof if Guerrero would race again photo race Driver Roberto Guerrero. With son at earlier Triumph Ballan Lowenkron Indianapolis a the wives of race Drivers live on the Fine Edge of Pride and  Guerrero says that even when he reality of the sport s constant danger was brought Home by her husband s near fatal crash last fall her first thought was when not if he would drive again. Roberto Guerrero hit the Wall at the Indianapolis motor Speedway after his car s suspension broke on a Cool Down Lap following a Day of tire testing last sep tember. A tire broke Loose Ana struck his helmet Caus ing serious head injuries. For 17 Days Katie Guerrero sat at nearby methodist Hospital watching As her Hus band lie in a coma. Doctors offered Little encourage ment that he would recover."1 never really thought about him not racing she said. "1 was worried about losing my husband and when knew that was t going to happen we just began working for him to regain his strength to resume driving. The Guerreros had their second son last month but Katie is Back in her usual spot at the Speedway timing her husband s laps from the pits during practice for the May 29 Indianapolis 500."i knew what Roberto did when i Mam cd him said Katie who lives with her husband at san Juan Capistrano calif., when they re not on the indy car circuit. I know racing is his passion and 1 would never deprive him of it or try to get him to give it up. Yes i have fears. All the wives do. But what happened to him last year was a real Freak thing. A Quarter of an Inch and he would have come out of it without a , 29, a native of Medellin Colombia has been one of the most consistent Drivers at the Speedway since arriving in 1984. He s had a pair of seconds a third Anda fourth in four starts and was running at the end of each race completing 798 of a possible 800 laps. He says he knows of no secret to his indy  Don t do anything different than at other tracks or the team does t do anything different Guerrero said. It s amazing that i be been Able to finish every race that i be entered Here. After All it is 500 Miles and the Chance of just finishing one arc very Small. I be had a competitive car every  began driving for car owner Vince Gra Natilli last year. He won two races and was battling for the Lead in the indy car Driver standings when he was  Guerreros said Granatelli s support was Villa to Roberto s recovery. I grew even fonder of him Gran Aielli after the Accident because he was unbelievable through the whole thing Guerrero said. He never lost one bit of Faith in me at All. He was definitely More optimistic than any  the doctors were saying it probably would be two or three years he was saying hell he in the car in january and i was in the car in  that weighed very heavily in his recovery mrs. Guerrero said of Grant Coli s support. To could thave res med Vince if he looked for anti her Driver but he just kept telling Roberto you re my Driver that meant so much to  could have gone the Safe Way and gone with somebody else if it did t work Oul and lie did t even think about that and i really appreciate that said Guerrero who with his wife has been greeted enthusiastically by fans at the  cheered last tuesday when Guerrero turned a practice Lap at 215.930 Mph. They groaned and screamed when he lost control in the first turn later that Day and lagged the Concrete Wall. But Guerrero walked away from that one without injury and  capped his indy comeback on saturday when he qualified on the outside of Row 4 at 209.633. And Katie was Able to breath  indy fans have been  she said. We received More than 2,000 cards and letters sup porting us during his ordeal in the Hospital. We were so impressed with the thoughts that we made sure to answer each and every card and  Melido Perez Aims at 20 wins for White sox by James litre Chicago a Chicago White sox Rookie Melido Perez does t have the Blaz ing fastball the Eye widening curve and his Forknall won t Roll Olta table. But one thing the 22-year-old native of the dominican Republic does t Lack is Confidence. And that seems to be enough tomake Perez 3-0, one of the big surprises in the american league this season. Surprised no said Perez a rail thin 6-foot-4 right hander. When i came Here i have worked hard and 1 already have everything the five pitches the fitness the time i put in in Winter Ball. I Tell people already i want to win 20 games. And he added with an easy laugh i will do  Heady Stu stuff for a player with Only four seasons of minor league Ball and just 10.1 innings of major league work until this season. Perez came to the White sox As part of a four Pitcher package the Kansas City royals assembled in a Trade for left hander Floy Bannister who led Chicago in wins 16starts 34complete games 11 and tied for  2 in 1987. But he has Good bloodlines. Melido s older brother Pascual 30, is the noted free spirit and sometimes masterful right hander now working for the Montreal expos. His younger brother Vladimir is in the new York mets organization. Confidence seems to run in the family. I Don t know about that laughed while sox pitching coach Don  Melido has poise he can keep it together under pressure. Young pitchers tend to get All revved up when they first go out there and a lot of them get so excited they can t find their control. Me Lido s not like  that s not to say that Perez has been without his problems or More accurately his ups and Downs. In his first Outing april 8, he gave up two runs in seven innings against Seattle but walked away without a decision. But against Baltimore earlier this month he allowed seven runs in just 3 i innings then got off the Hook when the so rolled up an 11-7 Cote from behind win. Then against Toronto Friday night Perez gave up just three hits in the first Complete game of his big league career. It might have been his first big league shutout As Well had he not lost his concentration and fed Fred Mcgriff a Lazy change up which Mcgrift promptly de posited into the right Field  hit it hard said Perez wincing at the memory. It s not so different therefrom the minor leagues the same game but Here you must concentrate More be cause each Guy is so  pleased with himself Perez slings a gym bag Over his shoulder and Heads for the locker room exit then turns Back. Ill have to remember that he said. Am sports radio basketball Aba playoffs Chi Cago at Detroit 2 06 in. Thursday. Hockey Stanley cup finals Boston at Edmonton joined in Progress after Aba game