European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 04, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday. Now Nief 4i. 1993 sport the stars and stripes Page 29 suns Charles Barkley is still looking for an Aba championship ring. Rockets Akeem Ola Jowo also has Lea foe championship aspirations. Wild and woolly Battle sex by Cutton brow the new York tines everything is More wide open out West from the style of play to the race for the top spot. At least four teams have legitimate title  Barkley of the suns wants a championship ring to scratch his Bald head , a Superb defensive team returns even deeper and hungrier. The Portland Trail blazers Are ticked off at those who have written them off. And Houston s Hakeem Olajuwon still has a championship  team from the West has won the championship since the 1988 lakers. Will this be the year perhaps but just getting through the conference finals will take a heavy toll of the survivor. The suns Are the favorite but they could get burned. Bar Klevs training Camp col lapse raised questions about whether his Back an Overall health will hold up through the playoffs. Phoenix will miss Small Forward Richard Dumas who sin drug rehabilitation. Have the suns really improved enough defensively to Stop people consistently when i counts will . Green and Joe Kleine add enough toughness remember the suns came within an eyelash of being knocked out by the lakers in the first round last  who scoffs at the suns Center tandem of Mark West and Kleine should talk co the bulls and Pis tons. Chicago and Detroit have won the last five championships without a dominant  Barkley stays healthy the suns can return to Ishin top regular season priority. Not having the Home court advantage might have been the Only thing that kept Seattle one Victory away from beating the suns in last season s conference  is hard to name a roster deeper or More versatile than Seattle a with Shawn Kemp. Sam Perkins Rick Pierce detlef Schempf. Gary Payton Nate Mcmillan. Michael Cage and Kendall Gul George Karl can t Possi Bly put a bad team on the floor. And How Good is the supersonics defense they Lethe league last season in steals turnovers created and Point differential. Their biggest concern is outside shoot ing. They also Don t have a designated go to player in the dutch although Pierce Kemp Perkins and Gid Are the most Likely candidates. The supersonics can play any Aba West style on anyone s court. If they can generate a few More Points they May be playing in june. The feeling outside of Portland is that the Trail Blaz ers blew their opportunities in 1989 and 1991, when they lost in the finals. The blazers Don t buy it i be been Reading a lot the publications and predictions and everyone has sort of written us off said port land coach Rick Adelman. If we play solid defense and stay healthy we feel we have As Good a Chance As  a warning sign went up last week however when Clyde Trexler skipped a practice because he wanted his contract extended. Portland s management refused. Or exr re turned and deferred contract negotiations. He must have a big year for the Trail blazers to win anything. Healthy again after last season s knee Trou Bles Drax scr is one of the game s most multidimensional talents. He will also play Small Forward allowing Adelman to use Terry Porter and Rod Strickland to Gether in the backcourt. Chris Dudley gives the Trail blazers what they did thave last year a shot blocking and rebounding Cen Ter. Grant gives them a Forward who can  Williams Cliff Robinson and Jerome Kersey give them front court depth. But getting past Pacific division rivals Phoenix and Seattle is an imposing task. It could add up to another season when Portland is Good but not Good enough. Playing in the Midwest division perhaps the league s weakest is an advantage for Houston. Win Ning the division would make the rockets second seeded in the conference playoffs. That Means an easier first round opponent. That also Means an easier Pashto the second round the conference finals or beyond. Last season Houston s Rudy Tomjanovich finished second to Pat Riley for coach of the year honors. Any team with Olajuwon last season s first team All league enter is dangerous. Houston plays like a prototype Low Post team fro the East pounding the Ball inside to Olajuwon and Otis Thorpe and relying on a Hal court offence. Playing with Olajuwon gives Vernon Maxwell and Kenny Smith All the open jumpers a guard could want. But Maxwell and Smith do not make enough jumpers to keep the de sense  san Antonio and Utah would like to think of themselves As contenders. Dennis Rodman s Londhair belly Button ring and Tattoo covered body is enough to make anyone take  while David Robinson Rodman and Antoine Carr should have a rebounding Field Day who other than sleepy Floyd will provide outside offence for that matter will the spurs Ever acquire a first rat Point guard to run their offence things look about the same in Utah. Karl Malone will score a ton of Points. John Stockton will hand out a ton of assists. Jeff Malone will make a ton of  that Trio has never been enough to carry Utah into the finals so Why should that change Mark Eaton Luther right and Felton Spencer at Center Are not enough. The conference s last two playoff spots Are up for grabs. Season ending knee injures to Tim Hardaway and Sarunas Marciulionis crushed the warriors Hopes of contending. Chris Mullin Billy Owen and Chris web Ber might be enough to get them into the  Progress of Young players like Anthony Peeler Doug Christie Nick Van exec and Elden Campbell will determine if the lakers make the Post season. Keep an Eye on the Denver nuggets who Are quietly building a Strong Young nucleus around Dike be Mutombo. Laphonso Ellis Reggie Williams Mahmou Abdul Rauf formerly Chris Jackson and Bryant Stith All know where the Basket is. Denver has a shot at the playoffs if it matures quickly. The clippers Are Strong in the backcourt with Mark Jackson and Ron Harper. Meanwhile Danny Manning has not been traded yet and there is a Chance the dip pers will sign him to a Long term Deal. But that still leaves other problems. Stanley Roberts came to lamp out of shape and the clippers signed Gary Grant and Mark Aguirre this wee because they were concerned about their depth. Even if Ike the playoffs the clippers do not figure Tohang around Long. Bobby Hurley will help Sacramento but the Kings Lack proven Center or depth to complement Mitch Richmond Lionel Simmons Walt Williams and Wayman  laettner Chuck person Doug West. Mich Eal Williams and or. Rider will give Minnesota an improved offence but the Bench is weak. The Tim Ber wolves Are still at least pne Good player from .500.Center is also a problem in Dallas. First year coach Quinn Buckner has enough in emerging Star Jimmy Jack son. Jamal Mashburn Derek Harper and fat lever to sur pass last year s embarrassing 11-Victory season