European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 31, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 22 a the stars and stripes thursday october 31, 1991 Aba preview Pace quickens for downsized Aba by Bill Barnard a basketball writer six years ago twin towers were the rage in the Aba. Ralph Sampson and Akeem Olajuwon in Houston. Robert Parish and Bill Walton in Boston. Patrick Ewing and Bill Cartwright in new York. Mike Gminski and Darryl Dawkins in new Jersey. Moses Malone and minute Bol in Washington. This year after the 1991 Success of the Chicago bulls and fact that the three teams with the Best centers won a total of one playoff game Speed is As Many As 40 seven footers will be on the rosters when the Aba begins its 46th season on Friday night but that does no to mean coaches did no to take note of the Way Golden state used Small Quick players to oust David Robinson and the san Antonio spurs from the playoffs. Portland a Cliff Robinson Danny ferry of Cleveland and the a Nicks Charles Oakley Are among the forwards who Are getting work at Center. None is taller than 6-10. A when i came into the league there were 12 teams five Good centers and five Good Point guards a Sacramento coach Dick Motta said. A now 22 years later there Are 27 teams and still five Good centers and five Good Point guards. There certainly Are More flyers today rather than Blue Collar new Jersey coach Bill Fitch Aid teams have to learn to win without an outstanding big Man simply because they done to have one. And the teams with the Best centers a the kicks with Ewing Houston with Olajuwon and the spurs with Robinson a have faltered without a perimeter game to support them. A there Haven to been a lot of Power centers coming out of College a Fitch said. A a there sewing and even Olajuwon and Robinson have Power Forward like skills. Olajuwon could have been the greatest Power Forward in history. And the 3-Point shot has Given More space for the Little players to Miami s Kevin Loughery who joins Pat Riley of the kicks Jimmy Rodgers of Minnesota and Allan Bristow of Charlotte As new coaches this season said that the game had to change because of the emphasis on big men. A a few years ago most of the scoring was coming Oil the Post but defences became More sophisticated and started heavy Dou ble teaming of the Post players a Loughery said. A that made it very difficult to score inside so we re seeing an emphasis now on Speed and the key to the bulls Success based on Speed and quickness was Michael Jordan but they needed seven years to build a winning team around him. For most of those years the Detroit pistons were administering hard lessons in defense lessons the bulls took with them to a championship. Only twice in 17 playoff games did the bulls allow More than 100 Points As Jordan Scottie Pippen Horace Grant John Paxson and Cliff Levingston swarmed the opposition. The next thing the bulls must learn from the 19870and 1988 lakers and the 1989 and 1990 Champion pistons is How to do it again. _ Chicago expects Tough challenges from within the Central division especially the pistons who made Little secret of their dislike for the flashy bulls even before Detroit was shut out on the olympic team while Jordan and Pippen were selected. But the pistons will have to contend with the losses of key players James Edwards and Vinnie Johnson. A it remains to be seen How their replacements Darrell Walker Orlando Woolridge Brad Sellers fit in a coach Chuck Daly said. A we have to do More in the open Daly remains optimistic however especially if the pistons can get injury free seasons from Isiah Thomas Dennis Rodman Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer. The defending Atlantic division Champion Boston celtics for years a team that relied on the inside prowess of Robert Parish and Kevin Mchale and the All around skills of Larry Bird still have that Trio although Mchale wont be ready for the opener because of of season ankle surgery. Bird is coming off Back surgery but has played Well in preseason. But the celtics too Are Riding the trend toward Speed. Dee Brown a Rookie last season impressed everyone with his quickness in the playoffs relegating starter Brian Shaw to the shadows. New York and Philadelphia also Hope to contend in the East with Riley bringing a new attitude to the kicks while the 76ers Welcome Point guard Johnny Dawkins who missed All but four games with a knee injury last year and Charles Shackleford the starter at Center replace Chicago a Michael Jordan serves As the Speed player prototype for the up Tempo Aba ing Rick Mahorn. The kicks have a revamped front line with Ewing and Oakley joined by Xavier Mcdaniel acquired from Phoenix. In the Pacific division the Portland Trail blazers had the Aba s Best record 63-19 and dethroned the los Angeles lakers from the division Crown for the first time since 1981, then lost to them in six games in the Western conference finals. The blazers boast one of the most talented starting fives in the Aba with Clyde Drexler Terry Porter Buck Williams Jerome Kersey and Kevin Duckworth but have displayed a tendency in the last two playoffs to come unglued when officials Calls go against them. A a we re a very emotional team and the officials have distracted us at times a coach Rick Adelman said. A a it a something we have to work on and focus on. But that Wasny to what beat us against the lakers. Magic Johnson Byron Scott and James worthy Are what beat burning questions awaiting opening of season no. 46 by Scott Howard Cooper the los Angeles times the eight month warm up period for the olympics begins Friday when the Aba begins its 46th season wondering a if Larry Bird Kevin Mchale and Robert Parish Are peaking too soon in their careers and wont have anything left when they reach their prime in 2004. A if a season will be without Jack Simu for the first time since 1976-77, Darrell Griffith for the first time since 1979-80 and Vinnie Johnson for the first time since 1978-79. All Are available. A if the top three draft choices a Larry Johnson of the Charlotte hornets Keniv Anderson of the new Jersey nets and Billy Owens of the Sacramento Kings a will sign in time for the openers. A if the league s stars tired of unproven Talent coming in and immediately out earning them will join the owners in demanding a Rookie wage scale. A if the Seattle supersonics in the West and the Indiana pacers in the East Are really the up and Comers they seemed to be at the end of last season. No team is More intriguing than the supersonics who have the Talent to make Waves in the Pacific. A if Chris Mullin will have another season of being a too slow to succeed in the Aba and average Only 25 Points or More for a fourth consecutive season. A .if1pon Nelson win find Guys Cut from a Junior High school team put them in the starting lineup and still reach the second round of the playoffs. A if Jerry West will bilk another general manager and make it seem like the los Angeles lakers have a rollover contract to reach the Aba finals. Sedale i Threatt Lor the Loose change of three second round picks a if fans will Start to feel sorry for the Detroit pistons if their demise becomes official this the 11th , hornets close Charlotte . Apr no. 1 draft pick Larry Johnson was on the verge of signing with the Charlotte hornets team president Spencer Stolpen told the Char Lotte observer and soc to on tuesday night. Stolpen would not reveal terms of the proposed lose Brown Boston up a Dee Brown of the Boston celtics sutured torn cartilage in his left knee in practice tues Clivy and will be out an indefinite period. Brown a speedy second year guard and the a bad a sum Dunk Champion will undergo arthroscopic surgery wednesday to repair torn lateral meniscus cartilage in his knee. 6blazers Cut Davis. 9re�?~ Walter Davis a six time h a m-7m one be a bad a leading scorers since the ate 19/os, was placed on waivers tuesday by the Portland Trail blazers. The team also waived free agent Stuart Gray and put guards Ennis Whatley and Lamont Strothers on the i limit Reserve t0 reach the leagues 12-Man roster. Pav is 21st on the a bad a career scoring list and seventh among Active players with 19,064 Points. He has averaged 19.3 Points per game in a 14-year Aba career
