The NBA / Sam McManis : 76er Players Hear You, Mr. Katz, but It Doesn’t Seem to Be Helping Much

Harold Katz, the Philadelphia 76ers’ quotable and often controversial owner, was trying mightily to keep his anger and disappointment to himself after watching the 76ers’ unimpressive 117-113 victory over Golden State last Wednesday.

But when a local sportscaster spotted Katz milling in the locker room and asked for a brief interview, Katz could hold it back no longer. He unleashed a blistering attack on his players that one long-time observer rated near the top of his famous blowups.

Before proceeding with Katz’s criticisms, some background is in order.

The 76ers (6-7) were coming off a loss to Washington, who was playing without injured center Jeff Ruland. So when the 76ers had to struggle to hold off Golden State, playing without injured center Joe Barry Carroll, Katz clearly had reason to worry.

But did the 76ers deserve a tongue lashing as severe as this?

“I’m not happy with the win,” said Katz, getting angrier as he went along. “There wasn’t any enthusiasm. Maybe I overestimate the talent on this team. Certainly, we didn’t show it tonight. This is not a good team now, not a pretty team. Not a good team to watch.”

Anything else, Harold?

“This was a really tainted victory (over Golden State). I’m not happy and I’m losing patience. And I’ve been pretty patient so far. I sit there and people behind me from New York (apparently there to watch Chris Mullin) made more noise than our fans. The fans and the players aren’t showing any enthusiasm.”

What specifically about the 76ers’ play is bothering you, Harold?

“We’re playing slow-motion basketball,” he said. “We want to play fast-paced but we’re not.”

So, who to blame?

“I’m not blaming Matty (Coach Matt Goukas),” Katz said. “I don’t know if any coach could play at pace we should with these guys playing like this. If we walk the ball up the court, it’s terrible.

“I’ll be speaking to the players. They’ll be hearing from me. A shakeup? I don’t know if they care about being here.”

Judging by the reaction from several Philadelphia players, they do care--about Katz’s comments.

Forward Charles Barkley, quoted in the Philadelphia Daily News, said: “Why don’t he (Katz) coach? The only thing I’m going to do is go home, pretend I didn’t hear all that and read in the paper tomorrow that we won the game.

“It don’t take no Rhodes Scholar to know when we’re playing bad. He doesn’t have to tell us.”

Philadelphia is 0-2 since Katz’s outburst, having lost to Boston at the Garden and to Detroit at home.

Some pep talk, huh?

Katz and General Manager Pat Williams are trying to put their words into actions. But with only $205,000 left to work with under the salary cap after trading Clint Richardson to Indiana, the 76ers have yet to improve their lineup.

More than anything, they need a big forward. 76er officials have contacted free agent Bob McAdoo, but the former Laker apparently wants more money than Philadelphia can offer.

The 76ers aren’t exactly deep at guard, either. Andrew Toney is said to be at least six weeks away from returning after undergoing surgery for stress fractures in both feet and removal of two bone spurs in his left foot.

Toney may be the only 76er Katz can excuse for being slow-footed.

Terry Tyler wasn’t exactly eager when he signed his offer sheet with Sacramento last week. Before signing, Tyler’s agent called the Denver Nuggets and a few other teams and tried to sell them on an offer.

But the price Detroit wanted to waive its right of first refusal--a first-round draft choice--was too high for any team other than the Kings.

Every week, it seems, there is something new about the NBA’s shortest player, 5-5 1/2 Spud Webb; tallest player, 7-7 Manute Bol, and the one who traveled the farthest to play, Bulgarian import Georgi Glouchkov.

The latest on Webb: The Atlanta Hawks, who have staged several poster nights in honor of their players, soon will have a Spud Webb postage-stamp night. No joke. The Hawks will give away stamps with Webb’s picture on them.

The latest Glouchkov story: After scoring only seven points and picking up five fouls in his NBA debut, Glouchkov said, through his interpreter: “I am not at all pleased. I did not do anything. For which I should be hung or beaten.”

And Bol: The former Sudanese Dinka tribesman recently disclosed that his grandfather had 20 wives, a practice the tribe has since outlawed. “You’ve got to have only one now,” he said. “They get mad at each other and they don’t get along.”

Clipper forward Marques Johnson, averaging 23.5 points a game after dropping to 16.4 last season, recently received high praise from Don Nelson, his former coach at Milwaukee.

“He’s playing like he did when he was an All-Star,” Nelson said. “I’m really glad to see that. He’s got his whole life straightened out. I don’t even mind him playing that well against us. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Denver’s Alex English had the NBA’s best performance of the week--maybe the season--when he scored 54 points last Tuesday night against Houston.

Throughout his career, English has been counted on to score. But with Kiki Vandeweghe in his second season at Portland and Dan Issel raising race horses in Kentucky, English is the Nuggets’ major scoring threat.

“It may be necessary for me to score more,” English said. “Our offense dictates that I put up a lot of shots. I know my teammates are counting on me, and I appreciate that.

“What I appreciate is, as much as I shoot, there’s just not the animosity here that some teams have toward players who shoot a lot. In some situations, it’s tough. There’s jealousy toward the player who shoots a lot. But it’s not that way here.”

Quipped Coach Doug Moe: “I don’t mind if he shoots 40 times. When I get concerned is when he shoots five times.”

How long will this vow from Darryl Dawkins last?

“Personally, I’m going to talk a lot less and produce more,” Dawkins said. “From now on, ‘Double D’ means dreadfully dull.”