THE NBA / MARK HEISLER : Tark Must Go to School on the Pros

Welcome home Tark: What kept you? The Spurs’ hiring of Jerry Tarkanian was a surprise, possibly even to owner Red McCombs, who did it. He kept referring to Tarkanian at the news conference as “Tarkington.”

Tark was born to be a pro, even if he spent his life in semi-pro ball at Nevada Las Vegas proving that: 1, junior college kids are as good as anybody, and 2, NCAA enforcement powers are overrated.

He clearly overstayed his welcome. Perhaps confusing his program with a pro franchise, he took on the president of his school, an unbecoming example of college sports gone wrong, the tail wagging the dog.

Now on to the big time.

On one hand, he’s a fine coach, a fun guy and popular with his players. All three of last year’s seniors, chosen within 12 picks in the draft--Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony--wear No. 2, Tark’s college number, in tribute.

On the other hand, he is 61. Could McCombs have been enchanted to hear him say he knew he would join the NBA “near the end of my career?”

Tark will have to learn the NBA, which will take him a season. When the Boston Celtics approached Duke golden boy Mike Krzyzewski, the Detroit Pistons’ Chuck Daly said his trainer was better equipped to coach in the NBA.

Plus Tark has personnel problems.

These are the Spurs not only of David Robinson and Sean Elliott, but problem child Rod Strickland, over-the-hill Terry Cummings and two-ton Antoine Carr. Their days of unlimited promise are over. Now they’re merely another good West team that hasn’t reached the conference finals.

Note: The last college coach who jumped to the NBA without pro experience was Dick Vitale in Detroit in 1978.

This has to turn out better than that.

THE ICONOCLAST AWARDS:

Our annual we-don’t-care-what-anyone-else-thinks awards:

MVP--Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls. Who else?

Defensive player of the year--Dennis Rodman, Pistons. He edges David Robinson, a devastating force helping out and blocking shots. Rodman is the greatest straight-up defender there ever was.

Rookie of the year--Larry Johnson, Charlotte Hornets. When the college season ended, so did Dikembe Mutombo’s.

Most improved player--Kevin Willis, Atlanta Hawks. Pervis Ellison was great, but he’s a young player and you could see him coming last season. Willis was a seven-year veteran who suddenly improved his career scoring average by five points and doubled his rebounds.

Sixth man--Dan Majerle, Phoenix Suns. Edges Detlef Schrempf because he’s such a good defender and because Schrempf won last season.

All-NBA--Jordan; Tim Hardaway, Golden State Warriors; David Robinson, Spurs; Karl Malone, Utah Jazz; Chris Mullin, Warriors.

The only hard call is Mullin over Scottie Pippen. Mullin wins because he’s the man who has to carry his program.

John Stockton runs the floor better than Hardaway--or anyone else post-Magic Johnson--but Hardaway is unstoppable.

Charles Barkley, an annual first-teamer, gets this season off. He was of immeasurable value to this column, considerably less to the Philadelphia 76ers.

COACH OF THE YEAR: THE ENVELOPE PLEASE . . .

Not so fast.

In a league in which 16 of 27 teams make the playoffs, it’s wrong to vote at the end of the regular season as the NBA does.

Take the Pat Riley follies.

Riley won four championships without ever being coach of the year. In 1988, he clearly deserved it, booting his aging Lakers past the Pistons to their last NBA championship. Instead, of course, it went to Daly.

Riley finally won in 1990--when the Phoenix Suns knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs in five games. Riley received his award between defeats in Games 4 and 5, with his team in virtual mutiny.

Or the Don Chaney follies:

He was coach of the year last season after the Rockets had won 52 games.

They won none in the playoffs and Chaney was a dead Duck within 10 months.

The voting should be moved to late May, before the finals.

Regardless, here are the finalists, in alphabetical order.

Larry Brown, Clippers--Not only did he launch the Clippers into the sunlight, he was doing a good job at San Antonio before he quit/was fired. With his point guard unsigned for six weeks, he kept the Spurs in position for a run at the division title. It shouldn’t be assumed that his Clipper days will be as uniformly wonderful as these, but if you ever doubted his gift, he has proven it once more.

Mike Dunleavy, Lakers--Even getting near the playoffs was remarkable. If the Bulls lost Jordan for the season, Pippen for the last two months and Horace Grant for the last month, would they make the playoffs? It’s not likely.

Phil Jackson, Bulls--Sixty-seven victories is nothing to sneer at. The same team turned on Doug Collins and unseated him. Despite all the carping about favoritism to Jordan, and Mike’s “my supporting cast” references, the Bulls have admirable chemistry.

George Karl, Seattle SuperSonics--Half-season or no, he turned the program 180 degrees, as he did with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Warriors. Now he has to prove he can do it over the long haul as he failed to with the Cavaliers and Warriors.

Don Nelson, Warriors--The man who made the center position irrelevant is the rarest of coaches, a true innovator. Key questions: Will he ever go for broke to get a big center or has he fallen in love with doing it his way? Did he burn out his smurfs chasing the Trail Blazers?

Pat Riley, Knicks--Even with the late-season slide, he was everything he was supposed to be. Now to see if he can avoid his Laker pitfalls.

FACES AND FIGURES

It’s probably only coincidence but: The winner of the agents’ derby for Shaquille O’Neal is Leonard Armato. Armato once worked for L.A. Gear--which had a $250,000 contract with Louisiana State Coach Dale Brown. . . . More on Brown’s late-season announcement that he was advising O’Neal to turn pro: Orlando center Stanley Roberts, once an LSU teammate, says O’Neal told him two months ago he was turning pro.

Cotton Fitzsimmons, after his sliding Suns were torn apart by the charging SuperSonics at Seattle: “Talk to me after Seattle has won 50 or more games four years in a row. Then we’ll talk about the difference in franchises. Then we can compare the two teams.” . . . NBA general managers and scouts, gathered in Orlando for the annual college all-star tournament, weren’t pleased that none of the projected top 16 picks attended.

Agents are locking up their clients up earlier and earlier, resulting in shaky drafting--and lost wages. Dikembe Mutombo lasted until the fourth pick last year because David Falk wouldn’t let anyone see him. Had Mutombo gone first or second, he would have commanded an extra $500,000 annually. . . . Magic Johnson on the Lakers’ fall: “I’m sure the fans of Los Angeles will get behind the Clippers if we don’t make it.” Perhaps permanently.

Last tango in Philly: The Philadelphia Inquirer asked various 76ers their opinion of Charles Barkley’s performance. “You can’t win when your superstar is selfish and that’s what we’ve got,” one said. “He says things that hurt people. He just keeps ragging on people and it gets old,” another said. . . . Barkley, recognizing General Manager Gene Shue in another anonymous quote, called Shue “a clown whose only ambition is to caddie for (owner) Harold Katz.”

No need to listen to any more laments about the attention Clyde Drexler doesn’t get playing in Portland. Sports Illustrated was going to do a major profile, but Drexler kept putting the writer off. The magazine scrubbed the story. . . . Early candidate if the Sacramento job comes open: Del Harris. The former coach of the Milwaukee Bucks isn’t flashy and the numbers say his program decayed under him. Fellow coaches say he’s one of the most underrated sharp guys. The miracle is the aging Bucks lasted.

With the Kings closing with a heady 9-6 flurry, players are making a late pitch for interim Coach Rex Hughes. Clipper fans may remember how impressive the Clippers used to look every April. . . . Wayman Tisdale, after the Kings ended their three-year, 17-game losing streak to the Lakers: “You know they’re hurtin’ right now and they’re down, their morale is kinda down . . . but let’s kick ‘em anyway!”

Correction: The New Jersey Nets were trying to dive to No. 8 in the East because they owe this season’s No. 1 pick to Denver to complete the Cadillac Anderson-Terry Mills deal--if they finish among the bottom 12 teams. Since the Nets finished No. 6, the Nuggets will probably get the pick--giving Denver two of the top 10.

Nugget prospects are actually decent. Not only did they get Mutombo, but Mark Macon has possibilities and second-year man Marcus Liberty showed something in the second half. . . . Not likely to be around for the turnaround, however, is Coach Paul Westhead. General Manager Bernie Bickerstaff is insisting privately that he hasn’t made a decision--but doesn’t deny he’s thinking about firing him.

Castle in the sand: Don’t expect the Net renaissance to last. Coach Bill Fitch saved his job, but lame ducks fly low and slow. He and sulky superstar Derrick Coleman are at it again, having exchanged heated words at halftime of a key game at Miami last week. With 6:48 left, Coleman told Fitch: “Let’s see you win this without me,” and took himself out. Coleman’s sub, Mills, scored eight points in the fourth quarter and the Nets rallied from eight points down in the last four minutes and won. Said Coleman: “I was tired.”

Sacramento General Manager Jerry Reynolds, on the possibility of new owner Jim Thomas, of Brentwood, moving the Kings to Anaheim: “There’s a better chance pigs will fly. Although I did see a couple trying to lift off the ground the other day.”