THE NBA /MARK HEISLER : Finally, a Deal Is Working in Favor of the Clippers

New Jax City: In case you haven’t noticed, according to the latest returns on that Mark Jackson-Stanley Roberts for Charles Smith-Doc Rivers deal, the Clippers are winning.

There’s nothing harder to find than a center or a point guard and they’ve found one of each.

Roberts, a $3-million, 310-pounder when the deal was made, has slimmed down and re-emerged as that rarity, a young, talented 7-footer.

Jackson represents something even more rare, a real point guard. In this post-Magic Johnson era of the “shooting ones,” there are only two big-time, old-fashioned, pass-first playmakers left, John Stockton and Jackson.

This also represents a comeback for Jackson, who arrived with a reputation as a sub-par shooter and defender, and headstrong, besides.

“You have to understand, New York City is like no place else,” says Jackson, a New York native. “They have to have something to write about. They have to have something to talk about day in and day out. It’s the media capital of the world. And they found some things.

“I come in, I’m rookie of the year. Second year, I’m an all-star. Coach (Rick) Pitino leaves. We were so close and the general manager (Al Bianchi) had a problem with Coach Pitino, obviously. I don’t know what started it, but I know the general manager wasn’t a big fan of mine from the beginning. I know he brought in guys (Rod Strickland, Maurice Cheeks) he wanted the coaches to play.

“Cocky? No. I enjoyed the game and I loved the game. The things I did on the court were instinctive. You can say the shake (his new vibrating celebration, often performed in tandem with Gary Grant) is cocky, but it’s not. I don’t do it to make anybody look bad. I’m just getting excited.

“One thing I remember as a youngster, a second-year guy, Magic coming up to me when people were talking about me doing different things, whether it was finger-pointing, shaking my finger after plays or things like that. He said, ‘People say you’re acting but they said the same thing about me and here I am, nine-10 years down the road, doing the same things I did when I was a rookie. So keep on being yourself and you’re going to be all right.’ That meant a lot. That really meant a lot.

“If I didn’t do the things I do, high-five guys, hug guys, I wouldn’t be the player I am. To be quite honest, I’m not as gifted naturally--running, jumping, doing the things that the other guys do on the basketball court. So I have to rely on my emotions. I play on fire, will, determination, desire.”

If the Knicks have any more headstrong players who can’t shoot or play defense, the Clippers are interested.

TWILIGHT TIME

It’s that magic time again when the NCAA tournament starts and the NBA season hits the dog days and the entire league sinks out of sight for a month.

There is nothing wrong in this. It’s nature’s way of giving everyone a well deserved rest from Charles’ latest antic and Michael’s latest controversy and the newest staple of every telecast, Shaquille’s commercials, before the playoffs when everyone gets crazy.

Almost unnoticed in the gloaming, the board of governors has instituted a long-discussed new rule that will change the game as we have known it recently. It’s known as “aggregating.”

Until now, teams over the salary cap--which was almost everyone except the Dallas Mavericks, who have nothing to trade--have had to deal “slot for slot,” for players within 15% of each other’s salary.

This made older, expensive players all but untradable. Even a marketable player such as Sam Perkins, 31, making $3 million, was hard to move. If the Lakers wanted a player under 27 for him, they had their choice of three: Shaquille O’Neal, Derrick Coleman and Danny Ferry.

Under the new rule, you can now trade Perkins for two $1.5-million players or three at $1 million, breaking up the logjam of the last two years. There are teams all over sitting on problem players--Danny Manning, Dennis Rodman--who will have room to maneuver. And there are teams, such as the Lakers, out to move veterans for young players, who will be back in the game.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW

(FIRST IN A SERIES)

Things in the West are settling down nicely and here’s how it looks:

No. 1 Phoenix vs. No. 8 Clippers--No walkover for Charlie’s angels. The Clippers have beaten them twice and played another close game in Phoenix. They’re bigger, more physical and as deep. On the other hand, they have to find someone to guard a sure-to-be-inspired Charles Barkley.

No. 2 Houston vs. No. 7 Lakers--No walkover, either. The Lakers win all those road games because they know how and they have been overturning the Rockets for years. If this Rocket revival isn’t the real thing, if their guards go back to launch mode at the first invitation, the Lakers will show them some ghosts from their past.

No. 3 Seattle vs. No. 6 Utah--You never like the Jazz without the home-court advantage . . . but ask Seattle Coach George Karl if this isn’t harder than the team with the fourth-best record in the league should have to work in a first-round series.

No. 4 San Antonio vs. No. 5 Portland--See Seattle-Utah.

Things in the East are more fluid, but if it ended today:

No. 1 New York vs. No. 8 Indiana--This is the preferred Pat Riley scenario, let the Chicago Bulls have the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round. So far, Riley has a slight lead but the Bulls are through on the West Coast and the Knicks are coming out for a four-game trip, starting in Phoenix on Tuesday. Miami, 11-3 since the All-Star break, has cut five games off the lead in two weeks. .

No. 2 Chicago vs. No. 7 Atlanta-- This is a walkover.

No. 3 Cleveland vs. No. 6 Charlotte--Going against Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson and Kendall Gill is a little more than a tune-up.

No. 4 New Jersey vs. No. 5 Boston--Not There Yet vs. Been Everywhere They’re Going.

FACES AND FIGURES

Shaquille O’Neal, linked in the supermarket press with Robin Givens, says it’s not true. “The only woman who’s getting any of my money is my mother,” O’Neal said. “I’m too smart for that. I’m too strong of a man. (Givens) couldn’t tempt me.” In real life, O’Neal is dating Holly Robinson of “21 Jump Street.” . . . To get away from telephone calls on the road, O’Neal registers in hotels under a secret name. Said Shaq: “I will only tell you, it’s half Russian, half African.” Manute Gorbachev? . . . One month away from mellow L.A., mellow Sam Perkins was ejected from a game for arguing. Perkins, with history on his side, says he made only a routine complaint. “I really can’t believe it,” he said. “Can you believe anybody would throw me out?” No.

The Heat is (finally) on: Miami is 19-10 since the return of Steve Smith, who scored seven of the last 11 points in Miami’s first victory ever over the Bulls, then seven of the last 28 in a victory over the SuperSonics. “That’s Earvin,” teammate John Salley said. “That’s Magic Johnson all over again.” Well, maybe not yet. Smith was all over Gary Payton, barking, “You can’t guard me! You can’t guard me! This game isn’t over!” A week later, Payton held Smith to six points in the rematch at Seattle. “Funny thing, he didn’t say a word about me not being able to guard him tonight,” Payton said. “I guess I just learned how, didn’t I?” Overjoyed at the news: The Pistons have Miami’s No. 1 pick, which they got in the deal for Salley. . . . In the wake of Larry Brown’s criticism of his own front office, he met for seven hours last Tuesday with Donald T. Sterling, with Brown’s agent Joe Glass flying in from the East Coast to sit in. Both sides say they heard what they wanted to. . . . Seattle is 17-10 against Eastern Conference teams. “So you don’t like Eastern Conference basketball?” Karl said. “Well, neither do we. I’m not about to say we’re a great half-court team. We’re not, but that doesn’t mean we have to play half-court basketball. We want teams to play our style and that works in the playoffs, too. Our intention is to play pressure defense and run until we’re not playing anymore.” . . . Surprise player of the week: Rumeal Robinson. Barely had New Jersey Coach Chuck Daly finished mourning out loud for Mookie Blaylock, traded to Atlanta for Robinson because he wanted more money, when Robinson led the Nets to a 3-1 West Coast trip and 6-1 a streak. Boston’s Kevin McHale, on rookie Marcus Webb, waived after two assault charges: “Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the career.” . . . Imagine that: Will Perdue, who has been starting at center, on Chicago Coach Phil Jackson’s plan to restore John Paxson and Bill Cartwright to the lineup: “If it goes back to the way it was, there are going to be some unhappy people around here.”

Next time you see one of those graphics showing the slumps of all the Dream Teamers after their exhausting summer, remember Indiana’s Detlef Schrempf. He played more minutes for Germany, stayed in the sweatshop Olympic village rather than a posh hotel, and is thriving. In a recent four-game span, he averaged 46 minutes, 22 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and shot 56%.

Al Davis probably wouldn’t let him do that, either: Steve Beuerlein, visiting the New England Patriots on a free-agent tour, entered a free-throw contest at halftime of a Celtic game, missed his first, then made 20 in a row. . . . Fred (Mad Dog) Carter, 1-5 as Philadelphia 76er coach: “This team has had its butt kicked up and down the East Coast and the West Coast and we’re trying to start over. This is not supposed to happen.” . . . Danny Ainge of Phoenix: “People don’t hate me as much as they used to. I’ve got to do something about that.” . . . Today’s Knick sellout is their 32nd, breaking the franchise record. At their current pace, they will hit 39.

Rocket Coach Rudy Tomjanovich on Hakeem Olajuwon’s four-year, $25-million contract extension: “I’m happy for Charlie (Thomas, team owner), I’m happy for Hakeem and I’m happy for me because it makes my job a lot easier.” . . . Hold the happiness: Otis Thorpe, whose contract runs out in 1995, as Olajuwon’s did, is losing minutes to budding power forward Carl Herrera and isn’t expecting an extension. Said Thorpe: “I can’t see myself being a major piece of their puzzle.” . . . Just in case the happiness doesn’t hold: Olajuwon can become an unrestricted free agent after the 1996-97 season, when he will be 34. Comment: Figure on it.