THE NBA / MARK HEISLER : Once Mighty Pistons Now Coming Apart at Seems

Parting is such sweet sorrow: You’ve got to give Detroit’s Bad Boys their due.

Well, you don’t have to, but they’re on their way out. It can’t hurt now.

They worked with what was available to them. They weren’t from some chi-chi vacation destination but the frozen heart of slump-bound industrial America. Fate did not deliver Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, yearning to return to the balmy days of his youth, but Bill Laimbeer, yearning only to get out of Cleveland.

They were intelligent, professional, tough-minded and businesslike.

On the other hand, you can’t say they did a lot for basketball as an art form. Their gift to the game was developing techniques to shoot down the stars. After the Pistons’ second title, Dallas Coach Richie Adubato showed his players a highlight reel of Laimbeer taking charges against the Trail Blazers in the finals. If the Pistons had won again, teams might have started signing Sumo wrestlers.

Two years later, they’re an aging, quarrelsome group coming apart at the seams.

The Flint (Mich.) Journal, citing a front office source and two unnamed players, says Coach Chuck Daly has already told the team he won’t be back next season.

The old tug-of-war between Daly and General Manager Jack McCloskey is out in the open.

Piston players, siding with Daly, are incensed that McCloskey signed Orlando Woolridge to a $2.4-million extension but couldn’t find the money to keep Vinnie Johnson or James Edwards.

“Basically, we have a situation here where the general manager doesn’t like the head coach,” Laimbeer told the Journal last week.

“He brings in a guy (Ron Rothstein, Daly’s old assistant, given a $125,000 contract as a Piston broadcaster) to oversee the coaches. . . .

“Why couldn’t (McCloskey) give Vinnie and James a little more money? Vinnie had to get down on his knees and ask Jack for money. All James wanted was to make more money than William Bedford, and they traded him away.

“Our organization has deteriorated to the point where it’s every man for himself.”

Goodby, thanks for coming, don’t let the door hit you in the rear end.

DA BULLS VS. DA REST

Can anyone out there beat the Bulls?

Even if players snicker at their willowy front line and no-big-deal bench, it has been a while since any team dominated as the Bulls have. Their 8 1/2-game lead on the pack starting the weekend is the biggest gap since that of the 1971-72 Bucks.

Moreover, the Bulls are essentially injury free . . . and warm.

Their 39-9 record at the all-star break was best in the league.

Their 23-5 record in the second half is best, too.

This doesn’t mean we have to abandon hope of a competitive NBA finals. But some team is going to have to heat up to give them a run.

Handicapping the contenders:

4-1--Trail Blazers.

I’ve been waiting for these guys to get it together but so far, they haven’t quite. However, as the Suns’ Cotton Fitzsimmons says, it’s hard for anyone in the West to look good with all these 50-game winners beating on each other. Forget the dumb-Blazer jokes; at their best, they’d be all the Bulls can handle. But before the Trail Blazers can even think about that, they have to hack their way through the Wild West.

Second-half record: 22-9.

5-1--Cavaliers.

They aren’t nearly as quick or athletic as the Bulls, but they’re bigger. They need Craig Ehlo, who has sat out five weeks with a knee injury. They hope he’ll be back by the playofs.

Second-half record: 22-9.

8-1--Celtics.

Too old, too creaky. If only they could turn the clock back two years to when Robert Parish was 36, Larry Bird was 33 and Kevin McHale 32. But if Providence grants them six weeks without injuries, look out.

Second-half record: 17-13.

12-1--Knicks.

Pat Riley has already pretty much gotten what he can out of this group. The Knicks are 32-8 against losing teams, 16-21 against winning teams, 1-3 against probable second-round opponent Cleveland.

Second-half record: 18-12.

15-1--Warriors.

A year ago they caught fire in the playoffs, wiped out the Spurs and scared the Lakers to death. They started congratulating themselves a little early, with Run DMC’s pre-Game 3 rap-in that had the Lakers smoldering in their huddle, so they have probably learned that lesson. This is a work-in-progress for Don Nelson, but they are better than they were a year ago. If they catch fire again, someone’s in trouble.

Second-half record: 22-11.

18-1--SuperSonics.

The George Karl revolution in action. This is Golden State with bigger players. No one plays harder. Laker coaches says this is the most impressive team they have seen recently. Two nagging questions dog Seattle’s future: What are they going to do with disappointing Benoit Benjamin, who makes $3.4 million a year, and Gary Payton, who makes $2.4 million?

Second-half record: 21-8.

Record since losing Benjamin: 9-2.

18-1--Jazz.

Pulling its annual spring fade. The Jazz thought its bench was better, but lately Coach Jerry Sloan has had to try off-guard Jeff Malone to back up John Stockton.

20-1--Clippers.

I kid you not. It’s very early in the program, but they’ve got youth, talent, desire and momentum going.

Second-half record: 21-9.

25-1--Suns.

When they’ve got it going, they can play with anyone. When they don’t--as now--they look like three guards in search of a front line.

Second-half record: 18-12.

30-1--Pistons.

Experience and perversity get them on the board, but barely.

Second-half record: 17-12.

FACES AND FIGURES:

Behind the Mike Dunleavy-to-Milwaukee rumors: Herb Kohl, the U.S. Senator who owns the Bucks, doted on Dunleavy. Now, with General Manager Del Harris gone and Coach Frank Hamblen about to go, he’d like him back. However , if all Kohl has to offer is a coaching position, he can forget it. Harris offered to move upstairs and let Dunleavy take over two years ago after the Lakers called. Dunleavy preferred the Lakers. . . . Behind the Jerry West-to-Sacramento rumors: New King owner Jim Thomas dotes on West. It was West who told Thomas about the possibility of buying into the Kings. Though no formal approach was allowable because West was under contract, West mused out loud on the possibility of also buying into the Kings. However, Jerry Buss retained him with a declaration of confidence--and a promise to re-do his contract. They are working on it now. . . . Shaquille O’Neal, asked by Dallas writers whom he’d like to play for: “Lakers.” . . . How about the Mavericks?: “Nah.” . . . Reality check: You don’t always get what you want. If they get into the lottery, the Lakers have a 65-1 chance of drawing the No. 1 pick. If someone else gets O’Neal, they have a statistically insignificant chance of trading for him. If you were the Timberwolves and you had the pick, would you trade it for the entire Laker team? Not likely.

Here’s how bad things are with the Bucks: Hamblen called a pregame meeting--and only four players showed up. Hamblen declared they’d be the starters along with the next man through the door, who turned out to be Alvin Robertson. That’s how Steve Henson made his first NBA start in the 97-96 loss to the Clippers. . . . The eight late Bucks all said they had forgotten to set their clocks ahead. . . . Get set for this summer’s closeout sale. Prices marked down on Moses Malone, Jay Humphries, Dale Ellis, Robertson and any other Buck you’d like.

Celtic-speak: The friendly folks who assured you Larry Bird’s back troubles in winter were unrelated to last summer’s back surgery say his present spasms aren’t serious--and are unrelated to last summer’s back surgery. . . . Without Bird last week, the Celtics surprised everyone by beating the Bulls and Knicks and winning at Cleveland. Said Kevin McHale: “You can come out in games like this and do well but water seeks its own level.” . . . Celtic officials suggest privately that Bird will be held out for most of the regular season.

Even when they win, they lose: Willis Reed, general manager of the Nets, says he would like to finish No. 8 and play the Bulls in the first round because “It would be a great learning experience for our young men.” . . . Skeptics think he wants to drop out of the top 14 finishers to keep from having to send this spring’s No. 1 pick to Portland to complete the deal for Drazen Petrovic. . . . Curiously or not, Derrick Coleman missed a key game last week against the Hawks because of a boil on his groin. Chris Morris sat out because of a minor injury and Coach Bill Fitch used Petrovic for two minutes in the fourth quarter. . . . Pat Riley on Danny Manning: “He’s the closest thing to Earvin Johnson in the league. He’s 6-11, can handle the ball, pass, shoot and rebound. The fact he plays forward rather than point guard is the only difference.” . . . Charles Barkley, of the sinking 76ers: “Where’s the strike when you really need it?”