NBA NOTES : Suddenly, Defense No Longer a Dirty Word in the NBA

The popular conception of the National Basketball Association is a lot of gifted, free-lance players running up and down the floor at breakneck speed and scoring points faster than the play-by-play man can record them.

But nothing could be further from the truth. Compared with such collegiate jackrabbits as Loyola Marymount, Nevada-Las Vegas and Arkansas, who regularly score 100 points in 40-minute games, the pros are tortoises.

Defense no longer is a dirty word in the NBA. Playing defense has become fashionable, as teams model themselves after the defending champion Detroit Pistons, the stingiest team in the league, allowing an average 97.4 points, or little more than a field goal a minute.

“Detroit won because of its defense,” said Laker star Magic Johnson. “They discourage guys from running free through the lane. There is a lot more body-checking now, and guys are just bigger and more physical.”

Four teams -- the Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves -- are averaging fewer than 100 points. Overall team scoring has dipped in a season from 109.2 to 106.6.

Four seasons ago, there were only three games in which a team scored fewer than 80. Twenty-six such games had been played this season, prior to Tuesday night’s Games. In a road game against the Utah Jazz Nov. 29, the Nets managed only 68 points.

Everyone seems to have a theory on what has caused the drop in scoring.

“A lot of it is due to expansion,” said Cleveland Cavalier General Manager Wayne Embry. “Talent is diluted, and a lot of teams have definite offensive weaknesses.”

“Teams are better prepared now,” said Atlanta Hawk Coach Mike Fratello. “Teams can now videotape games they had difficult access to in the past. That helps you break down tapes and prepare for an opponent in a short time.

“Also, there are a lot of coaches in the league today--myself, (Miami’s) Ron Rothstein and (the Dallas Mavericks’) Richie Adubato--who are disciples of Hubie Brown, who was ahead of his time as a defensive coach when he was with New York (during 1982-86).”

New Jersey Coach Bill Fitch said the scoring decline is because teams take more time off the 24-second clock and because of a change in rules.

“You used to be able to isolate two men on a side and play basically two-on-two,” Fitch said. “Now, you have to have three men involved, or it’s an illegal offense. So it’s easier to score one-on-one than three-on-three.”

Boston Celtic forward Kevin McHale has a different theory.

“When I came in the league in 1980, there was a lot more individual defense,” he said. “But I think we made teams change because with myself and Robert Parish, we had a very strong low-post offense, and teams were forced to double-down or play a helping defense against us.”

Musical chairs: If you are looking for a job with security, forget coaching in the NBA. Only five current coaches have stayed with the same team five or more years.

The Denver Nuggets’ Doug Moe, in his 10th year, tops the list. Pat Riley has spent nine years with the Lakers. Chuck Daly is in his seventh year with the Pistons, but reportedly is ready to quit to join NBC’s broadcasting team next season. Fratello’s seven-year reign in Atlanta is in jeopardy. Bernie Bickerstaff is completing his fifth year with the Seattle SuperSonics.

More Bark-ing: The Philadelphia 76ers’ Charles Barkley makes a strong case for why he should be the Most Valuable Player this season:

“Magic Johnson is a 6-foot-9 guard; he’s supposed to be sensational. Michael Jordan is a 6-6 shooting guard. Same with him. But I’m a 6-5 forward. I’m not supposed to do all the things I do, especially rebounding.

“I thought I deserved it a couple of times, but I didn’t win because I’m too controversial. If I don’t win this time, they’ll come up with another excuse.”

Overcoaching: Adubato’s wife, Carol, on her husband: “One night, I woke up, and he was palming my head. I asked him what he was dreaming about. Richie said he dreamt he was in a slam-dunk contest, and my head was the ball. I knew he was dreaming, because he’s too short to dunk.”

House-hunting: The SuperSonics, unhappy with their arrangement at the Seattle Coliseum, keep threatening to move. The latest rumor has them heading south for San Diego, a city that twice has failed to support pro basketball.

Small ambitions: Even though his Indiana Pacers got off to 19-9 start, Coach Dick Versace said he never envisioned them winning more than 39 games this season. “I analyzed, dissected, inspected and rejected the schedule, and 39 victories was the maximum.” But after a long slump, the Pacers have turned things around and need only four wins in their last 11 games to surpass their coach’s expectations.

Foreign look: Dallas center James Donaldson said there is a definite difference in style between the American-bred pros and the recent foreign imports. “Most of the Europeans are good shooters, because they really work on it,” he said. “But, as far as instinctive, run-and-gun, dunking, blind-passes and having-fun basketball, there are not too many guys in the world who can match the Americans.”

Rick Adelman, who led the Trail Blazers to a team-record 10 wins in a row and a 13-4 record during March, has been named the NBA’s Coach of the Month.

The 13 victories tied a team record for most victories during any month and the Trail Blazers set a club record with six road victories in a row.