COMMENTARY : One Man’s List of the Best of the Best in the NBA

The regular season culminates in about 10 days, and with it comes the hue and cry about MVP honors and other superlatives. Here are just a few of the more uninformed choices:

--Most Valuable Player: Charles Barkley, Philadelphia. Although Rick Mahorn’s presence has given Barkley more freedom to roam, Sir Charles has lifted his game yet another notch. All of the five players ahead of him in scoring average (Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Tom Chambers, Dominique Wilkins) take more than 19.6 shots a game; Barkley gets it done with a much more economical 14.8. He has also become a wily veteran whose emotions stay on the same plane, though he’ll give his teammates a verbal jolt when they need one.

You won’t be committed if you voted for Magic Johnson. Byron Scott is subpar, and his scoring up front, other than James Worthy’s, has been sporadic. Johnson has put Los Angeles on his back and the Lakers have the league’s best record. There is a correlation.

And several others: Jordan, Chicago; Malone, Utah; Akeem Olajuwon, Houston; Ewing, New York.

--Coach of the Year: Pat Riley, Lakers. Riley’s psychological efforts never have been more needed. His team still is playing at an unbelievably high level, and someone other than the players has to keep their interests razor-sharp. And no team plays better zone defense (oops, can’t say that) in the playoffs. Riley’s made a cottage industry out of never being coach of the year. That should change.

You wouldn’t be committed if you voted for Rick Adelman, Portland. His quiet but sturdy leadership has melded a talented but selfish bunch into a strong team that’s right on the Lakers’ heels. A fellow named Buck Williams has been a godsend too.

And several others: Chuck Daly, Detroit; Jim Lynam, Philadelphia; Cotton Fitzsimmons, Phoenix; Phil Jackson, Chicago.

--Rookie of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio.

There will be no further discussion on this matter.

And several others: Tim Hardaway, Golden State; Sherman Douglas, Miami; Dana Barros, Seattle; Pooh Richardson, Minnesota.

--Most Improved Player: Rony Seikaly, Miami. On an expansion team, where there’s nowhere to hide, Seikaly has developed into a solid pivotman. His offense is much more polished (16.8 points per game), and he’s become a quality rebounder (10.5 rebounds per game). If the Heat drafts Derrick Coleman or a similar power forward to give him some help next season, Miami could take a big leap up.

You wouldn’t be committed if you voted for Tony Campbell, Minnesota. He’s always said that he can score in this league if given the chance, and he has. But the guess here is that Campbell’s 23.4 average is more a result of lots of playing time in Bill Musselman’s half-court offense.

Others: Hersey Hawkins, Philadelphia; Rik Smits, Indiana; Charles Smith, Los Angeles Clippers.

--Best Sixth Man: Ricky Pierce, Milwaukee. Every season, Pierce seems to take over more and more of the Bucks’ offense. He’s become the focal point this year, at a 23.3 points-per-game clip. He’s added to his offensive arsenal with 43 three-pointers, after making only 19 in his first seven seasons combined. Without him the Bucks have no chance.

You wouldn’t be committed if you voted for Walter Davis, Denver. His jumper is as deadly as ever, and he’s been the stable one on the Nuggets this season. He made a seamless transition from starter over the past couple of years.

And several others: Detlef Schrempf, Indiana; John Williams, Cleveland; Vlade Divac, Lakers; Dennis Rodman, Detroit; Craig Ehlo, Cleveland; Kevin McHale, Boston. All have been starters for a good portion of the season so it wouldn’t be fair to consider them.

--Defensive Player of the Year: Olajuwon. Think about it this way. Take Rodman off the Pistons. You still could have Joe Dumars, John Salley, Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer and James Edwards on the floor, a pretty good defensive unit. Take Olajuwon off the Rockets, and what do you have? Sure, Rodman can defend anyone individually. But Detroit’s defense comes from a team concept, in which everyone helps everyone else. Olajuwon is a one-man swat team. He leads the league in rebounding. He leads the league in blocked shots. Anyone fool enough to come down low finds out how good he is, quickly.

You wouldn’t be committed if you voted for Rodman. The above stated, Rodman is still the league’s best at shutting down a guy anywhere on the floor. His near-manic approach to the game may flame out at any time, but while the fire burns, he is chaos.

And several others: Ewing; Jordan; Dumars; Manute Bol, Golden State.

--All-NBA: First team: Barkley, Malone, Ewing, Jordan, Johnson. Second team: Larry Bird, Boston; Chambers, Phoenix; Olajuwon; John Stockton, Utah; Clyde Drexler, Portland. Third team: McHale; Terry Cummings, San Antonio; Robinson; Fat Lever, Denver; Reggie Miller, Indiana.

--Honorably Mentioned: Kevin Johnson, Phoenix; Xavier McDaniel, Seattle; Dumars; Jeff Malone, Washington; Scottie Pippen, Chicago; Mark Price, Cleveland; Worthy; Chris Mullin, Golden State.

--You’d-love-10-of-these-guys-on-your-team: Darrell Walker, Washington; Mahorn; Larry Nance, Cleveland; Rolando Blackman, Dallas; Buck Williams, Portland.