Bogues Makes Big Impression on Hornet Coach

Two weeks ago, after his Charlotte Hornets were routed by the New York Knicks, Coach Dick Harter was demonstrating to the New York media the problems that Muggsy Bogues, his 5-foot-3 point guard, encountered while maneuvering against Patrick Ewing, the 7-foot Knicks center.

Showing why Bogues did not bother to help pressure Ewing when he got the ball in the low post, Harter got down on his hands and knees, impersonating Bogues, and said, “Will a midget really bother Ewing?”

Then asked why Bogues had trouble scoring, Harter climbed on a chair, stretched his arms over his head and said, “Try shooting over a building when you’re only 5-3.”

But, in recent weeks, Bogues has grown immeasurably in the eyes of Harter.

Bogues was the surprising No. 1 pick of the Washington Bullets in the 1987 National Basketball Association draft, then was claimed by Charlotte the next summer in the expansion pool.

He has been the only consistent player for the struggling Hornets (3-15) this season, ranking fifth in the league in assists (9.9) and fourth in steals (2.78) going into Tuesday’s game against the Lakers. He has averaged 9.4 points, fifth on the team.

“Muggsy was always a tremendously talented player, but he’s playing better than I ever thought he could,” said Harter, who was forced to start Bogues when Michael Holton, a 6-4 playmaker, underwent preseason disk surgery that will keep him inactive until mid-January.

At first, Harter said he was concerned Bogues might be overmatched on defense by big guards and a liability on offense if he failed to hit open shots against a sagging defense.

“He’s got to be able to make that shot,” said Harter. “As soon as he passed the ball, teams would drop off him. Basically, they were playing a zone, four on five.”

Bogues could do nothing about his height, but he worked all summer on his shooting.

He is hitting 50.3 percent of his field-goal attempts, up from 42.6 in 1988-89. In a three-game stretch last week, he averaged 16.7 points on 64 percent shooting.

“Last year, I concentrated on running the team and got a reputation of not being a good shooter,” Bogues said. “If I missed two in a row, I was benched.

“I’ve really had to concentrate this year on hitting the open shot, so teams will play me honestly. In our offense, there aren’t any set plays for the point guard, so I’ve got to take the shots that come to me.”

The Bullets let him go after one season, partly because of Harter’s original fears and partly because they didn’t have the rebounders and wing men to complement Bogues’ fast-break skills.

“My first year was a total rookie experience,” Bogues said. “I had a lot of ups and downs making the adjustment from college, but that’s kind of typical for a rookie.

“But the way the Bullets ran their offense with Moses Malone, I just thought it was best for me to get out of there, and I was thrilled when they didn’t protect me.”

One might think there is not much of a market for 63-inch point guards, but Denver Nuggets Coach Doug Moe, who had Michael Adams, 5-11, as his playmaker, tried to make a deal for Bogues before the Bullets placed him in the expansion pool.

Moe said he admires the way Bogues can break down a defense while dribbling low enough to drag his palm across the floor. He can be just as effective playing defense, seemingly appearing from nowhere to slap the ball away from a big man.

“I try to be disruptive on the court,” Bogues said. “I like to create an up-tempo game. I dream all the time of trying to trick someone. You have to make your opponent be in fear of you, keep him off-balance and thinking, ‘I don’t see him. Where is he now?’ ”

His teammates have capitalized on his passes to pad their scoring averages.

“Muggsy is a fly, but he’s the fastest fly I’ve ever been around,” said Kelly Tripucka, a ninth-year small forward. “He’s like the housefly that you can never catch, and it stays in the house for three days.”

When Bogues played on the same Bullets team as Manute Bol, a 7-6 center, they were viewed as a sideshow.

“Muggsy is no freak,” said Tripucka. “He knows how to use his ability to the fullest. Ask him to wreak some havoc, and he’ll do it. Most people think he’s cute, because he’s a little guy who looks real young. But he is a legitimate NBA player.”

No one seems to know what Bogues’ status will be when Holton returns to action next month.

“I’ve been a starter all my life,” Bogues said. “Whether I start or come off the bench doesn’t affect my game. I’m not worried about whether Holton is here or not. Playing against great guards every night can wear on you, but I’m never going to say I’m playing too many minutes.”

What he seems to be proving is what Pete Newell, who scouts for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has said for years: “Muggsy Bogues is a real basketball player who just happens to be small.”