THE NBA : Nuggets Cope With Latest Team Turmoil

Maybe the Denver Nuggets thrive on controversy. Maybe they can turn off the constant flow of internal problems and play with untroubled minds amid the confusion. Or maybe they just don’t read the newspapers--or notice who signs their checks.

How else to explain the Nuggets’ surprising 26-20 record despite a lingering feud between Coach Doug Moe and star forward Alex English, and a dizzying front-office shuffle not seen since the Clippers, circa 1983?

The franchise has been in flux since before the season and, at the halfway point of the regular season, it still is not clear who runs the club.

A recap: Peter Bynoe and Bertram Lee, businessmen from Chicago and Boston, had purchased the club from Sidney Shlenker in the fall, only to have the transaction collapse because of insufficient funds. The sale was revived when Robert Wussler, executive at COM-SAT Video Inc., lent financial support.

Originally, David Checketts was going to be the new general manager, but he was out of the picture by the time Wussler was brought in. Recently, player personnel director Pete Babcock was headed out the door and rumored to be going to Atlanta in a similar position. Babcock’s replacement as chief decision-maker on trades was Jon Spoelstra, who two weeks ago reportedly sent letters to every NBA general manager saying that he, and only he, would field trade offers.

Not long after Spoelstra’s missives were sent out, he resigned, although both the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News reported that he had been forced out. Back came Babcock, but as general manager in name only. Bynoe, whose title is managing general partner even though Wussler is the majority owner, says he is now the decision-maker.

“Basically, I’m the chief executive officer now,” Bynoe told the Rocky Mountain News. “When I get replaced, you all won’t have me to kick around anymore.”

That brought up the question: Can Bynoe, part owner of the Nuggets, be fired as managing general partner, presumably by Wussler?

“Yes,” Wussler said. “But I have no intention of doing that. That’s the farthest thing from my mind. But you asked me a question, and that’s the answer.”

Apparently, executives of NBA teams have been told to contact Bynoe with trade requests before the Feb. 22 deadline. They may have trouble finding him, however. Bynoe leaves this week for a meeting in Paris.

“They have telephones in Paris,” Bynoe told the Denver Post. “When George Bush goes to Moscow for a meeting, who runs the country?”

Does that mean Babcock, at least temporarily, will be the Nuggets’ version of Dan Quayle?

Babcock says he is slightly confused about his role in the organization. Just a few weeks ago, Babcock was close to negotiating a buyout of his four-year, $400,000 Nugget contract so he could replace Stan Kasten in Atlanta.

“The limbo period, to be honest with you, was difficult,” Babcock said. “I didn’t know what was happening, if I was staying or going. I’m still feeling my way through this. I’m not really sure. Something doesn’t register right.”

English, in the final season of a contract, can probably relate. Through agent Ted Steinberg, English has twice suggested a trade as a solution to the widening schism between Moe and English. Bynoe served as peacemaker when the rift began. He says he will not intervene again in a player-coach conflict.

“There’s only one relationship I feel I’m responsible for,” Bynoe said. “That’s me and my wife.

“I think the real issue is not just Alex. The real issue is what’s best for the Denver Nuggets at this point in time. Alex is the team captain; he’s the leader. Unfortunately, all that has been in the paper the last couple of months has been Alex talking about Alex, not about the team. I’m worried about the team more than anything else.” Perhaps Bynoe worries needlessly.

If the Nuggets have survived this long, a little more controversy and confusion probably will not faze them.

Perfection always eludes Larry Bird, just as it does everybody else. This season, though, more than any other, Bird has proved that he’s human--vulnerable, even--on the court.

The Boston Celtic forward has made only 46% of his shots, was stripped of his status as three-point shooting king in the All-Star contest and has received unprecedented public criticism from unnamed teammates.

Yet, Bird’s quest for perfection has led him to the free-throw line. Going into tonight’s Celtic game at Houston, Bird has made 68 consecutive free throws. The NBA record is 78, set by the Rockets’ Calvin Murphy in 1981. Bird has not missed a free throw since Dec. 18, when he made five straight against Milwaukee after missing his first two attempts.

“I shoot too many free throws in practice to get nervous,” Bird said. “I think if I want to do it, I can do it.”

Murphy, now the Rockets’ shooting instructor, has showed his support. “If anybody can do it, Larry can,” Murphy said. “But it gets a lot tougher around 70.”

Bird has shown his customary confidence. Before a recent game against Charlotte, a Boston Globe columnist approached Bird and said he was writing about his free throw streak.

“I’ve probably jinxed you,” the columnist said.

“Nah,” Bird said.

Bird shot only two free throws in that game. After making the first, he turned toward the press table, winked and pointed at the columnist, then sank the second free throw.

The usual names--Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Akeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone--already have been tossed out for the league’s most-valuable-player award consideration, but Philadelphia Coach Jim Lynam is lobbying for Charles Barkley.

“When you look at where we are, you can point to the acquisition of Rick Mahorn and Johnny Dawkins and an improved defense in general,” Lynam said. “But you have to start with Charles. He’s doing everything--scoring, rebounding, stealing the ball, blocking shots--and he’s doing it every night. I sense a certain . . . I don’t know if it’s maturity. Commitment might be the word.

“But there’s a certain purpose to him now, and I have to say it bothers me when I don’t see him being mentioned as MVP. To me, he’s clearly put himself right up there with the elite players in this league, and he makes everybody on our team better at both ends.”

Barkley ranks eighth in the league with a 24.6 scoring average, first in field goal percentage at 61.7%, fourth in rebounding at 11.7 and 14th in steals at 2.02.

NBA Notes

Don Chaney, coach of the Houston Rockets, said he is not concerned by Akeem Olajuwon’s recent trade request, seen by many as a cry for a better supporting cast. Said Chaney: “I’m not concerned with Akeem’s attitude at all. He comes to play every night, and I like what he’s doing. A person’s personal thoughts are his personal thoughts. If it bothered the team in practice or in performance, I’d address it. These guys are no different than they were three games ago (before Olajuwon’s comments).”

Roy Tarpley, the Dallas Maverick forward who twice has been hospitalized for drug treatment, recently turned on his television in a Sacramento hotel room to watch a talk show. On the screen was actress Drew Barrymore, talking about her substance-abuse problems. Next to her was Dr. David Lewis, director of the ASAP treatment center in Van Nuys, which handles all of the NBA’s drug cases.

Said Tarpley: “I was watching that and I was thinking, ‘I’m glad (Lewis) was on there with somebody other than me.’ ” The ASAP clinic has a network of drug counselors in each NBA city to check in with outpatients on each visit.