David Turning Spurs Into a Goliath : Pro basketball: San Antonio lost 61 games last season, but Robinson has quickly turned a loser into a winner with his dominating presence.

Port o’ call, NBA: He’s already a cinch to be named rookie of the year, will make the Western Conference All-Star team as a reserve and--if the San Antonio Spurs and their so-called first-year center continue at this pace--probably will get some votes for most valuable player.

The scary thing for opposing centers is that David Robinson, after two years of Navy duty, leaves the impression that so much of this one-man destruction derby is the result of raw talent, and that he should improve after gaining more NBA experience--like a full season.

It has taken him just half a season, starting with the 23-point, 17-rebound performance in San Antonio against the Lakers on opening night, to reach this level. Ahoy, superstar status.

So, was it worth the wait?

“You know he is already up there as one of the best centers,” said Houston’s Akeem Olajuwon, who, along with Patrick Ewing of New York, has dominated the position in recent seasons. “There is no question about his ability. I say the sky’s the limit.”

Which is a big reason Larry Brown left the University of Kansas after the Jayhawks won the NCAA championship. Sure, Brown got big money, and probably had those change-of-address forms handy anyway, but the main incentive to return to the NBA was a player he wouldn’t even see for a season.

“I came here because of him,” Brown said. “I got to coach Danny (Manning) and David Thompson and Bobby Jones, so I know what it’s like to be with class acts. I knew David was like that.”

And still is, by all indications. His popularity in a town with one major league team is already reaching George Gervin-like proportions, which is saying something since the Iceman won four NBA scoring titles. Stories abound about Robinson’s graciousness, such as the time he agreed to a phone interview with a couple of high school journalists, then called and invited them to a postgame in-person session. Forty-five minutes later, Wayne Witt, the Spurs’ public relations director, found them in the stands and reminded Robinson of an early start to a trip the next morning.

“Yeah,” Robinson said, “I probably should get going.”

Robinson said his appreciation of the game increased during his two years between graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy and joining the NBA. He likens his situation to that of the Clippers’ Manning, who missed nearly 11 months with a knee injury and returned with a heightened sense of enjoyment after being able to watch only from afar. Different circumstances, same effect.

Robinson watched, too. He had international and armed forces tournaments, but such spotty play is no preparation for the NBA. When he didn’t have to watch anymore, instincts kicked back in.

“It makes you appreciate it a lot more,” he said. “Sometimes, practices are tough and you’re playing all the time. But sometimes when I’m frustrated and tired, I think I could be behind a desk doing civil engineering.”

That was Robinson’s area of expertise in the Navy, which included about 2 1/2 months of postgraduate schooling at Port Hueneme. He remains a member in good standing of the defense department. Only this one has more to do with protecting the lane and rejecting orange ballistics fired at the basket.

It’s quickness that makes him so devastating. He anticipates plays well, too, and is able to sweep across the lane with dexterity more suited to a forward, or to Olajuwon. No shot, slam dunk or otherwise, goes unchallenged within his reach.

But who could have anticipated this?

Surely not Brown, who said: “I thought it would take some time for him to play at the level he is now.”

Or teammates such as guard Willie Anderson, the rookie-of-the-year runner-up last season, who said: “He’s had some games where he has struggled. But you look at the numbers and you can’t tell. He’s going to get those numbers every night because he is so talented.”

Maybe not even Robinson, who said his season is going about as expected, but in the same breath acknowledges that his confidence was hurt by the layoff: “I have no idea what I should be doing. I just know we should be winning if I play well. That’s my only gauge.”

Robinson gets much of the credit for the Spurs’ showing this season, but there other factors--the addition of veterans Terry Cummings, another quality inside player, and Maurice Cheeks in off-season trades; the continued good play of Anderson and the double-digit scoring of Sean Elliott, the No. 3 pick in the draft.

Brown, too, has played a big role in the turnaround. Anderson, who had an oft-strained relationship with Coach John MacLeod last season, said Brown has “settled down a lot and is very low key.”

It’s a notion that Brown, who said in March he wouldn’t be surprised to be fired at the end of the season, doesn’t dispute.

“Last year was more than an adjustment (after Kansas),” he said. “Last year was a nightmare. Coming from my experience before, it was a hell of an adjustment. Dealing with losing, it seemed, like every night. Sixty-one times . That’s as many games as I lost all of my college coaching career, and I didn’t feel like I was getting through to the team. That was the worst part, because I love the coaching and teaching aspect of my job.

“Now that it’s over, I wouldn’t trade the experience. I feel bad for Red (McCombs, the owner) and the franchise because of what they all went through. But me, personally, I learned a lot.”

Said Anderson: “It’s so much different. We talk about winning. That’s the main talk in the locker room. We never talk about losing, and that’s the main difference. Last year, we talked a lot about losing.”