NBA 1990-91 : THE NBA / MARK HEISLER : Just a Second, Laker Fans: Dunleavy’s System Takes Time

Another season is upon us, posing its peculiar questions:

--Is this the one when Michael Jordan, the greatest ever to lace ‘em up, actually wins something?

--Is Paul Westhead, like the troops, trying to get home by Christmas?

--Did that razor company tell Vlade Divac it was OK to grow his beard right back?

--Maybe shaving it was what messed up Vlade’s exhibition season?

And then there’s the local biggie: Where will Vlade’s Laker Brothers finish?

Answer: second to the Portland Trail Blazers in the Pacific Division.

Terry Teagle and Sam Perkins have upgraded the roster, but sorry, Laker fans, this team’s task is to get ready for the playoffs. Now there are too many uncertainties, starting with Divac and the adjustment to Coach Mike Dunleavy’s new system. The Lakers shot 43% in exhibitions compared to last season’s 49%, a consequence of the fumbling around.

Of course, any team that starts Magic Johnson and James Worthy could finish first. On the other hand, given everyone else’s presumed improvement and anything less than optimum development, it could finish third, too.

Portland got Danny Ainge; Utah got Jeff Malone; San Antonio got Paul Pressey, and Phoenix got a year older.

The Lakers, themselves, are concerned . The exhibition season ended with a 30-point massacre by the Golden State Warriors and victories over the woeful New Jersey Nets in which the Lakers scored 103 and 94 points.

“At this point in time, we have a lot of catching up to do,” Laker General Manager Jerry West said. “Of course, veteran teams don’t always gear it up in preseason. I’ve talked to a lot of people who love their teams and they haven’t beaten anyone, and we’ve beaten people (the Lakers were 6-2). It’s partly our expectations.”

Or as Johnson said of the uncertainty: “It’s exciting.”

This season for the Lakers, the excitement arrives early.

Add Michael: In Chicago, Bull Coach Phil Jackson said he’d like Jordan to shoot less.

“A lot of people mentioned to me that you really can’t expect to have a leading scorer in the league on a championship team,” Jackson said.

Responded Jordan, obviously thrilled: “He’s the coach, and I’ll follow his scheme, but I don’t plan to change my style of ball because I’ve been successful with it. I’m sure everything will be fine as long as we’re winning. If we start losing, I’m going back to shooting again.”

Note: The 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were the only NBA team with a scoring champion to win a title.

Last add, unselfish: Jordan said the chances he will come out for the Olympics are “slim.”

NBA Notes

More predictions: Atlantic Division, Philadelphia; Central, Detroit; Midwest, San Antonio; rookie of the year, Gary Payton, Seattle; comeback player of the year, Byron Scott, Lakers or Kenny Smith, Houston. . . . Trouble? Utah won one exhibition and, because of its trip to Tokyo to play Phoenix, starts with 19 of 25 days on the road.

Harmony, it’s great: The Boston Celtics’ backcourt now has a pulse, with Brian Shaw and rookie Dee Brown. Coach Chris Ford wants to run again, but Larry Bird is skeptical, either out of experience or preference. Commented Kevin McHale, in another of the duo’s long series of messages to each other through the media: “It takes five guys to run. If four guys run, the fifth guy is just a free safety out there. If everyone’s not doing what’s best for the team, we might as well pack it up and go home.” Robert Parish, 37, asked if he can keep up: “To half court, yes.”

And you wonder why referees blow calls? Warrior players who didn’t bellow as if fouled upon any contact were required by Coach Don Nelson to run laps. . . . Dallas prodigal Roy Tarpley says his goal is to make it through the season without “posing for any police pictures.” . . . That’s promotion: Miami and New Jersey sold 22,831 tickets in Syracuse’s CarrierDome but came without former Orangemen Derrick Coleman (unsigned) and Rony Seikaly (home with a sprained ankle).