All This Carr Is in Need of Is Jump Start

Wednesday afternoon, the latest in a series of great imported hopes strolled up a jetway and into the only airport frequented by the NBA that looks as though it might have popped from a box of Cracker Jack. Antoine Carr gazed at the miniature place through a pair of Gargoyle wraparound sunglasses, smiled and told the TV cameras he was delighted to be in Sacramento.

For those of us who know the charms of the Valley, Carr’s elation may not ring quite true--until we consider that what Carr is going through is the equivalent of John Goodman trading “Roseanne” for a dinner theater in Poughkeepsie.

But sometimes, if you’re going to play the lead, you have to make some sacrifices. For Carr, that meant abandoning his supporting role on a playoff perennial for the promise of actively shaping the uncertain future of a team that is going on its fourth consecutive 50-loss season.

As Carr told the Atlanta Journal earlier this year, “To tell you the truth, it doesn’t matter where I play as long as I get the chance to do it.”

Accordingly, after 5 1/2 seasons as an NBA part-timer, Carr saw Sacramento’s long, desolate stretch as the land of opportunity. Here was a team that has gone begging for help under the basket, recently united with Dick Motta, molder of Hall-of-Fame forwards, and the guy they coveted was him.

I know, I know. They say Sedric Toney was a vital ingredient in making the trade that sent Kenny Smith and Mike Williams to Atlanta work. Again Wednesday, player personnel boss Jerry Reynolds expended uncommon energy on stressing that point.

But it looks like the Kings sent Smith to the Hawks for the 6-foot-9, wide-bodied Carr and a second-round pick. Then, to keep the height balance on both teams, they exchanged Williams and Toney.

In fact, if Carr winds up providing something close to LaSalle Thompson numbers--15 points, eight rebounds--for four to six years, the Kings will consider the trade a success even if Sir Sedric decides to go sell real estate tomorrow.

Anyway, Carr--referred to frequently as ‘Twan, as in swan--arrived eager to get on with the rest of his career, the career he figures he should have had when he stepped out of Wichita State as the No. 8 draft pick in 1983, the career he never had in Atlanta, where one columnist referred to him as “the eternal tease.”

He’ll turn 29 this summer, and that’s too old to keep hauling around other’s misconceptions. That’s how he sees it, anyway.

For instance, there’s his reputation for carrying too much weight. Now, Carr likes his 9 a.m. ice cream cones as much as the next guy. But while some say it’s just rotten metabolism and others say it’s a lack of playing time that makes him look a little fleshy, Carr points out that Charles Barkley--the Round Mound of Rebound--looks like a Jenny Craig “before” picture.

“Everybody said the guy’s just too big,” ’Twan said. “He turned around and proved to them: I got the minutes, I can do my thing.

“I wasn’t getting the minutes, and as big as I was, they were saying, ‘He’s out of shape.’ ”

Motta plans to carve out a 35-minute niche for Carr, double his Atlanta quota. With that, all will soon know whether he’s genuinely overweight and underconditioned, or if he’s one of those healthy guys with natural padding.

It’s also up to Carr to disprove his reputation for underachievement and coach-baiting. Again, he’s sure the answer is the magic elixir, minutes.

Thirty-five wonderful, healing minutes a night will create a miraculous transformation, Carr says. “It’ll give me time to show some of the things I’m capable of doing. We’ll have to see what their judgment is after I get to play here some.

“It’s kind of hard to be good in 18 minutes, especially when those 18 minutes come in four-minute spurts. Just watch and see what I can do.”

The Kings have their fingers crossed. Carr, says Reynolds, has too much untapped potential to be ignored. “I’m not saying we’ll go out and win 77 straight, but it’s a good trade for us.”

Maybe, but it’s hard not to consider the new guy one big enigma.

Finally, Tuesday, it came. A reprieve. A chance to start anew.