The NBA / Sam McManis : This Time Around, Things Aren’t Same for Lakers and Pistons

No friendly Valentine’s Day pecks on the cheek will be exchanged between Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas at half court before the tipoff of tonight’s Laker-Detroit Piston game at the Forum.

Unless, of course, Johnson hobbles out there in street clothes to greet his close friend.

But that will not be the only change when last season’s National Basketball Assn. playoff finalists meet for the second, and last, time in the regular season.

In a mild surprise, neither the Pistons nor Lakers have the league’s best record. The Cleveland Cavaliers resume play after the All-Star break three games ahead of Detroit. The Lakers rank third overall and first in the Western Conference.

Both the Lakers and Pistons have had their share of problems this season, but so far have endured.

The Lakers suffered through an eight-game road losing streak in December and January, and are facing the prospect of being without Johnson, who has a torn left hamstring, for an indefinite period. The Pistons, meanwhile, lost six straight road games at one point, have only a 1-8 record against their top three Eastern Conference rivals and have been rumored for weeks to be seeking a trade.

Although the Pistons’ 31-13 record is three games ahead of last season’s pace, Thomas said they still have not proven themselves to be a “great” team, such as the Boston Celtic and Laker championship teams.

“We aren’t a championship level team right now,” Thomas said. “We still need to improve as a basketball team. We can’t become stagnant. We have very good individuals, but we need to play together and become a team.

“Unless we do that, we won’t get to the level of Boston and L.A. They’ve proven that they have done it. We haven’t proven anything yet. Part of it is expectations. We want to win an NBA championship and we’re pressing the issue. We feel the pressure to have the home-court advantage.”

For the Pistons to finish the regular season with not only the league’s best record but also make a return trip to the championship series, Thomas said changes must be made.

“We’ve got to have some inside scoring,” Thomas said. “We’re a great basketball team now when we’re hitting the ‘J’ (jump shots). But our transition game is not what it seems. When we force teams to shoot only (44.8%), we should be fast breaking more.

“And, in the half-court game, we’re relying strictly on jump shots. When we make it, it’s great. But, when we get in trouble, is when we don’t.”

After last season, the Pistons’ expectations have been heightened, which may be why Thomas and other Pistons are not satisfied despite a five-game winning streak and the NBA’s second-best record.

Coach Chuck Daly has been quoted as saying the Pistons desperately need a post-up player who can score inside to seriously contend for the title.

There has been considerable speculation that the Pistons will trade forward Adrian Dantley for Dallas Mavericks forward Mark Aguirre. A Dallas newspaper recently reported that Daly and Dantley had an argument, though Daly denied it. Aguirre has been quoted as saying that Thomas is pushing for the deal.

Because he is Aguirre’s close friend, Thomas has been caught in the middle of the trade rumors. Speaking to reporters during All-Star weekend at Houston, Thomas said he has had no involvement in the Dantley-Aguirre affair.

“Do I expect anything to happen?” said Thomas, repeating a question. “No.

“Do I want anything to happen?” he repeated again. “No.

“Do we have everything it takes to win the NBA championship?” he repeated. “I don’t know.”

Choosing his words carefully, Thomas said he is not sure such a trade would ensure that the Pistons would win the championship. He also said reports that he and Dantley do not get along are false.

“Mark Aguirre is a friend of mine, so that (speculation) naturally happens,” Thomas said. “Sometimes rumors are true and sometimes not. Even before Adrian Dantley came to the Pistons, people said we didn’t get along--and that was before I even knew him. We’ve seemed to get along pretty good so far.”

Thomas said he would welcome a rematch against the Lakers in the championship series, simply because it would mean the Pistons had once again made it that far.

But he does not place special emphasis on tonight’s game. Nor does he think the Pistons’ 102-99 victory over the Lakers in Detroit Nov. 26 will mean much in the whole scheme of things.

“If we go to L.A. and beat them without Magic, I don’t know what that tells us,” Thomas said. “Because you can beat a team one or two or even three and four times in the regular season, but it doesn’t matter in the playoffs. Timing is everything. When you get in a seven-game series with a team, that’s when you know.”

Clipper guard Quintin Dailey’s recent suspension for being overweight brings to mind the near-legendary Dailey story from a few years ago when he played for the Chicago Bulls.

Dailey was sitting on the far end of the Bulls’ bench during a game when he motioned for a ballboy. Dailey then instructed the ballboy to ask reporter Mark Vancil, then of the Chicago Sun-Times, if he could borrow $10. Dailey then had the ballboy go to the concession stand and purchase a hot dog, popcorn and a soda, which Dailey ate during the game.

Add weighty matters: Dailey isn’t the only player not active because of excess weight. Miami Heat guard Pearl Washington has aggravated a groin strain twice this season, and team officials believe it is because Washington is overweight.

Washington’s injury has healed, but Coach Ron Rothstein said Washington will not be activated until he loses 10 pounds. Washington weighs 213. He is listed at 200 in the media guide.

“It’s a very tender situation for him,” Rothstein said. “Weight has always been a problem, and if he’s going to do anything, he has to learn. What’s the sense of putting him out on the floor with the extra weight so he can pull his groin again?”

Statistic of the week: The Houston Rockets have a 10-0 record against the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. Against the rest of the league, however, the Rockets are 18-18.

Charles Barkley was involved in another controversy on a Philadelphia radio talk show last week, but this time Barkley wasn’t even a guest.

A caller named Mary, a 76-year-old grandmother from Trenton, N.J., told the host that she does not like Barkley because he is “mean and arrogant,” and she would not listen when the host tried to defend Barkley.

It turned out that Barkley was listening to the show, called the station and went on the air to ask Mary to call back. She did not.

Barkley has since contacted the woman and invited her to a 76ers’ game. He said he is paying for her limousine service to and from New Jersey.

Most NBA players stay at home during the four-day All-Star break. But Charlotte Hornets forward Robert Reid planned a trip to Morocco to meet with King Hassan II.

Reid, an ordained minister, traveled there in his capacity as president of the Global Youth Foundation. He was scheduled to meet with King Hassan to discuss plans for the Junior Olympic Games in Casablanca in 1990.

The Houston Post recently polled NBA players (142 of 300 responded) on various best-and-worst items, and both the Lakers and the city of Los Angeles are well represented. A few of the categories:

--Michael Cooper was chosen by the players as the second-best defensive player, behind Michael Jordan.

--Magic Johnson was voted as the “opposing player you’d least like to see take the last shot,” beating out Larry Bird and Jordan.

--Pat Riley won in two categories, “best dressed coach,” and “opposing coach you’d least like to see diagram the last play.”

--Los Angeles is clearly a player favorite. It won for “best city to visit in January,” “best city to visit in April,” “best night-life,” “best restaurants” and “best dressed fans.”

However, the players polled selected Boston as the city with the most knowledgeable basketball fans. Los Angeles finished third.