THE NBA / MARK HEISLER : Those Going and Those Who Should

We bid a fond farewell to:

Cotton Fitzsimmons--This is the heartwarming story of a survivor who became an institution. He made the most of opportunities with low-power programs (Buffalo, Atlanta, Kansas City) and found a home in Phoenix his second time around, rescuing the drug-tainted program. Garrulous and colorful, he is one of the game’s spokesmen and his rasping repartee is imitated wherever NBA writers meet.

Paul Westhead--The Jerry Brown of basketball gets in trouble again with his new age ideas. Westhead didn’t destroy the Nuggets, who melted themselves down before he arrived, but his attempt to transplant his Loyola Marymount system to a team wholly lacking in ability and depth was ill-fated. He’s a very nice, bright guy with a weakness for innovation. Hopefully he’ll get another college job where he can fire up the system.

Frank Hamblen--The career assistant wanted to be a head coach, but all he got was 65 games with the so-far-beyond-the-hill-they-they-can’t-find-it-in-their-rear-view-mirror Bucks. Milwaukee now has openings for a general manager, a coach and 12 new players.

Charles Barkley--Just in case 76er owner Harold Katz wanted to switch scapegoats at the last minute and fire Coach Jim Lynam, Barkley outflanked him, saying he would play only for Lynam. Katz has been backed into a corner; he can no longer insist on making a good deal for Charles and will have to take the best one that comes along. (Won’t he?)

Larry Bird?--There’s speculation he will pack it in. Back surgery got him only a 45-game season. He will see how the playoffs go (and what Magic Johnson decides?)

We also recommend the departures of:

Bill Fitch--There’s speculation The Last of the Old School will resign and walk out with his head high after the playoffs, which should be soon. He should, because Net management has already undercut him and Net players are bent on finishing him off. Talk about your civil wars, this is like Bobby Knight coaching 2 Live Crew. After Derrick Coleman and Chris Morris refused to enter games, Fitch said every Net had pulled that trick at one time or another. Said Sam Bowie: “That’s a situation that has been going on and I don’t see it ending.”

Chris Morris--Another Auburn Tiger-from-Hell. If you were paying their salaries, you would be tempted to tie him and Coleman together and drop them off a bridge. Coleman is immensely talented, so you have to give your next coach (the hot name is Doug Moe) a chance to salvage his head. Morris is merely talented. Cut him loose and enjoy the extra room under the salary cap.

Charlie Thomas--The Houston owner vilified Hakeem Olajuwon, but in case you missed the Rocket choke, Hakeem was the only gun firing at the end. The problem all along has been management’s inability to bring in supporting personnel for Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe and Ralph Sampson. Remember Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins before Sleepy Floyd and Vern Maxwell? A real coach would help, too, but since Fitch ground down his welcome, they have gone the friend-of-the-players route. They would be a lot better without Thomas than Olajuwon.

RIP CITY REVISITED:

For those awash in Portland stereotypes, including my own cheap shots at what I once called “this rain-sotted fishing village,” the times are a’changin’.

This is assuredly still the most manic city in the NBA. Before the present Laker-Trail Blazer series, the Oregonian put out a two-section, 32-page preview in addition to its normal sports section.

If the Trail Blazers make the finals, the Oregonian will presumably hire more staff.

Players are still such demigods that a high percentage of those who ever play here settle here (hello, Mychal Thompson). Referees are still regarded as agents of a scornful Establishment (read: Lakers and Eastern co-conspirators).

On the other hand, self-awareness is emerging.

This, for example, was the Oregonian’s Dwight Jaynes on Danny Ainge’s “Us Against the World” T-shirt:

“This is a can’t-miss item because it not only takes advantage of the paranoia of the team’s fans, many of whom still stupidly stick to the proposition that their team never gets its proper due, but also strikes a chord with Portlanders’ small-town inferiority complex.”

The Oregonian’s Terry Frei, making playoff predictions:

“Los Angeles pulls off the upset in Game 1. . . . Many Portland maniacs point out that Los Angeles shot 32 free throws to Portland’s 31 which shows the refs still have it in for Portland. . . .

“(After series victories over the Lakers and Suns) For the first time in the postseason, a Portland television sportscaster will slip . . . and actually use a Portland player’s last name.

“(After victory in the NBA finals) The President doesn’t call.

“The Hall of Fame doesn’t immediately induct (Clyde) Drexler.

“US News & World Report does not use a picture of a Portland player on the cover. . . .

“So they’ll still be saying Portland doesn’t get enough credit.”

LAKERS: LAST HURRAH

Human nature being what it is, only champions go out amid any good feeling at all.

Everyone else loses their last series and their last game and departs to catcalls, second guesses and analyses of their shortcomings.

This brings us to the Lakers, whose demise should be forthcoming.

Their tenacity in the face of an avalanche of bad fortune was remarkable. It’s not even arguable whether they were better off in the lottery, but for pride’s sake they passed up the opportunity.

Several deserve special mention:

Sedale Threat--”Everyone knew he was good,” Sacramento General Manager Jerry Reynolds says, “but we didn’t know he was this good.”

A.C. Green--Two years ago, L.A. fans ballot-stuffed him into the All-Star Game. He deserved it more this season when he played like a demon.

Byron Scott--After James Worthy went out, he and Green were the last links to the glory that was the Lakers. Like everyone else, his numbers went down but he stood up at the end.

Terry Teagle--He kept saying he needed 30 minutes a game. Guess what? He was right.

Mike Dunleavy--He’s had two seasons: impressive and more impressive.

FACES AND FIGURES:

Now it can be told: Charles Barkley went on his postseason radio wrapup--and announced he had almost become a Laker: “I spent the whole month of January talking to Jerry West,” he said. “I had my bags packed and I was history. It was James Worthy and Elden Campbell for me. The Sixers should have made the deal. I was very disappointed when they didn’t.” One little problem: The 76ers were more interested in the Clipper offer, but backed out, concerned with Charles Smith’s knee injury. . . . Barkley’s list of cities he would like to go to, in order: Phoenix, Portland, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Seattle. He didn’t say which L.A. was which. . . . Sounds like an interesting off-season coming, doesn’t it? Top NBA honchos say privately that “aggregating” will go through--meaning a team can finally trade a $1 million player and a $2 million player for a $3 million player. . . . The salary cap will go up $1.5 million, from $12.5 to $14 million, and they will put it in effect in early July, rather than August. The increased flexibility may end the two-year logjam.

Machiavelli takes the weekend off:: Longtime Don Nelson-watchers were flabbergasted when the wily Nelly beat the rough, tough SuperSonics in the regular season finale--meaning the Warriors would have to play them again in the playoffs, rather than walkover San Antonio. . . . No more Mr. Nice Guy: Longtime Pat Riley-watchers were not flabbergasted to see he had moved his West Coast playoff rituals East. Riley stopped shaving for that lean-and-haggard look he favors in the spring and took the Knicks to Charleston, S.C., where they practiced twice a day. . . . Characteristically, Riley says the Knicks’ fold was his fault--for being too soft. “I really feel like I let them down by letting up on them,” he said. Everyone else thinks reality set in. Aside from Patrick Ewing, Knick firepower is negligible. The Pistons were making no secret of their first-round game plan: double-team Ewing, see if anyone else can make a jump shot. . . . Riley’s new press corps can’t be deemed wholly supportive. Said a postseason new York Daily News headline: “Knicks Second-Rate.” Wrote USA Today’s Pete Vecsey of Camp Riley: “That noise you just heard was the ghost of Magic Johnson’s and Byron Scott’s hamstrings snapping.”

The Bulls vs. the NBA: Not since 1971 has a team finished 10 games ahead of the pack. . . . Silver lining: Piston Coach Chuck Daly on the Bulls: “They’re in a prime position to repeat. The only thing that can derail them is an injury. But I saw the Lakers come into our building looking like they were going to run away with the NBA title (in 1989 when they went 11-0 in the opening rounds). In the first practice, Scott goes down. In the second game, Magic goes down. Strange things can happen.” . . . Welcome to the extremely big time: Golden State’s Tim Hardaway averaged 23 points and 10 assists, becoming the sixth 20-10 player, after Oscar Robertson, Nate Archibald, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas and Kevin Johnson. . . . Coach Richie Adubato hangs by a thread in Dallas. Owner Donald Carter’s ruling committee is wondering publicly if Adubato can turn the program over to his young players. . . . More from the choke of the decade: After the Rockets lost their season finale at home to the Suns, after losing twice within 10 days to the Mavericks, only two players stuck around to watch the Laker-Clipper game that would decide their fate: Kenny Smith and Avery Johnson. Said backup center Tree Rollins: “It’s probably the most talented team in NBA history not to make the playoffs.” . . . Detroit’s John Salley, on the mid-season trade that would have sent him to Portland for Kevin Duckworth: “It would have been a good trade for Kevin because restaurants are open later here. In Portland, the 24-hour McDonald’s closes at 10 p.m.”