THE NBA / 1993-94 SEASON PREVIEW : WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW : Key Trades Give SuperSonics a Window of Opportunity

Coach George Karl of the Seattle SuperSonics thinks he has three years to win an NBA championship or look for a new job.

After coming within one victory of reaching the NBA finals last season, the SuperSonics acquired All-Star forward Detlef Schrempf from the Indiana Pacers and guard Kendall Gill from the Charlotte Hornets.

And Karl hopes they will keep him off the unemployment line.

“This puts us in a situation where we’ve got to produce,” Karl said. “We’ve opened up a two- to three-year window to contend for the championship. If we don’t win a championship in two to three years, we should be scrutinized very closely.”

With the addition of Schrempf, who averaged 19.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and six assists last season, and Gill, who averaged 16.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists, the SuperSonics might be able to overtake Phoenix to win the Western Conference title.

The Suns, who posted the NBA’s best record last season and came within two victories of winning the NBA championship, gave Charles Barkley two new teammates, signing former Laker forward A.C. Green and free-agent center Joe Kleine.

“Our minimum goal is we hope to win the championship,” Sun Coach Paul Westphal said. “We won’t be happy if we don’t win it, but that doesn’t mean we’re not realistic about the fact that it’s conceivable that we won’t. There’s a lot of great teams.

“I don’t even consider ourselves the favorite. I say there’s five teams in the West--Seattle, Portland, Houston, San Antonio and Phoenix--who, if you put them in a bag and pull out one, you have as good a chance of being right as anyone.”

A team-by-team look at the Western Conference, in predicted order of finish:

PACIFIC DIVISION1. SEATTLE SUPERSONICS

* Coach: George Karl (third season).

* 1992-93 Record: 55-27.

* Outlook: After coming within one game of reaching the NBA finals last season, the SuperSonics think they can contend for the NBA title this season after making two key trades. First, the SuperSonics acquired Gill from the Charlotte Hornets for forward Eddie Johnson and guard Dana Barros in September. Monday, Seattle acquired Schrempf from the Indiana Pacers for forward Derrick McKey and swingman Gerald Paddio. Gill, who was nearly traded to the Clippers for Danny Manning on draft day, will start at shooting guard, moving Ricky Pierce, who has led the team in scoring the last two seasons, back to the bench, where he has flourished as a sixth man. Schrempf, the NBA’s sixth man of the year in 1991 and 1992, averaged a career-high 19.1 points last season and is expected to replace McKey at small forward, joining Shawn Kemp and former Laker Sam Perkins in the front court. Kemp averaged 17.8 points and 10.7 rebounds last season as the SuperSonics posted the second-best record in team history.

2. PHOENIX SUNS

* Coach: Paul Westphal (second season).

* 1992-93: 62-20.

* Outlook: If Charles Barkley’s back holds up, the Suns could be back in the NBA finals this season. “The Barkley scare was a little bit overblown nationally,” Westphal said. “He got thrown out (of an exhibition game in Atlanta last month) so things are back to normal.” Barkley, who averaged 25.6 points and 12.2 rebounds en route to winning the MVP award, said the Suns could win 70 games this season. They probably won’t, but if point guard Kevin Johnson can avoid injuries and Barkley has another strong season, the Suns have a chance to win the Western Conference title again. With forward Richard Dumas in drug rehab, the Suns, who didn’t re-sign free agent forward Tom Chambers, added muscle by signing Green and Kleine.

3. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

* Coach: Rick Adelman (sixth season).

* 1992-93: 51-31.

* Outlook: Center Kevin Duckworth helped the Trail Blazers reach the NBA finals twice in three seasons, but he became disgruntled last season after losing his starting job and was traded to the Washington Bullets for forward Harvey Grant. With the addition of Grant and free-agent center Chris Dudley from the New Jersey Nets, the Trail Blazers could post their fifth consecutive 50-victory season. If Clyde Drexler, who sat out 33 games last season because of injuries, can stay fit, Portland has a shot at reaching the Western Conference finals for the fourth time in five years.

4. CLIPPERS

* Coach: Bob Weiss (first season).

* 1992-93: 41-41.

* Outlook: If Danny Manning and Ron Harper, who become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, have good seasons, the Clippers could make the playoffs for the third season in a row. Loy Vaught will replace Ken Norman as the Clippers’ starting power forward. Center Stanley Roberts, who lost 35 pounds this summer, gained some of the weight back before training camp opened and sat out much of training camp because of a back injury and a blister. The Clippers strengthened their bench by acquiring Mark Aguirre, who was waived by the Detroit Pistons, and free-agent forward Tom Tolbert.

5. LAKERS

* Coach: Randy Pfund (second season).

* 1992-93: 39-43.

* Outlook: In the 1980s, former Laker coach Pat Riley was frequently asked whether he thought the Lakers had a shot at winning the NBA title. But it has come to this in the 1990s: Can the Lakers even make the playoffs? “I think you have to look at the fact that a year ago I was fielding a team with Magic (Johnson), Byron (Scott), A.C. Green and Sam Perkins and a year down the road this is a much different team,” Randy Pfund said. “I never want to deny a group of guys an opportunity to achieve a whole lot if they develop a work ethic. I think we have a legitimate shot.” After finishing below .500 for the first time since 1975-76, the Lakers will continue the youth movement they began last season. If he’s fit, Doug Christie, who played 23 games as a rookie, figures to start in place of James Worthy, while Anthony Peeler, the Lakers’ No. 1 draft pick last season, replaces Scott as the starting shooting guard. Rookie Nick Van Exel could supplant Sedale Threatt as the starting point guard.

6. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

* Coach: Don Nelson (sixth season).

* 1992-93: 34-48.

* Outlook: Nelson said before training camp opened that he was looking forward to this season the way a kid looks forward to Christmas. Now he must be as disappointed as a kid who gets a chess board instead of a Nintendo game. Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway, Sarunas Marciulionis and Billy Owens were on the court at the same time for 2 1/2 minutes last season. They won’t play together at all this season. Hardaway and Marciulionis are out for the season and Mullin will sit out the first six weeks. The Warriors mortgaged their future to acquire Michigan forward Chris Webber, the first player selected in the NBA draft. But Webber missed the first two weeks of training camp because of a contract dispute and an emergency appendectomy and now has a sprained ankle. “We don’t want to overwhelm Chris Webber,” Nelson said. “He’s only 20. But he has to take up a lot of the load.”

7. SACRAMENTO KINGS

* Coach: Gary St. Jean (second season).

* 1992-93: 25-57.

* Outlook: Not even Bobby Hurley, who helped Duke win back-to-back NCAA titles, can help the Kings make the playoffs for the first time in eight years unless they avoid the injuries that plagued them last season. Guard Mitch Richmond was out 35 games because of a broken thumb and swingman Walt Williams was out 23 because of a broken hand. “Last year, myself and Don Nelson were the two directors of the Northern California MASH unit,” St. Jean said. “I don’t care what team you are, if you’re hit with that many injuries, you’re not going to reach your level of expectation.”

MIDWEST DIVISION1. HOUSTON ROCKETS

* Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich (third season).

* 1992-93: 55-27.

* Outlook: The runner-up to Barkley in MVP balloting last season, Hakeem Olajuwon, who averaged 26.1 points, 13 rebounds and 4.2 blocked shots, could get more recognition with Michael Jordan’s retirement. “I was really disappointed in seeing the MVP voting,” Tomjanovich said. “I’m not disputing that Barkley had a great year, but we weren’t on TV much and that hurt (Olajuwon). I do believe there’s going to be a void with Jordan gone, and Hakeem is one of the favorites.” The Rockets set a team record for most victories last season and came within four points of advancing to the Western Conference finals. “I think we’ve got to be a contender in this league,” Tomjanovich said. “We beat Chicago twice last year and we split with Phoenix and we played New York tough. I think we’re right in the game with all those teams.”

2. SAN ANTONIO SPURS

* Coach: John Lucas (second season).

* 1992-93: 49-33.

* Outlook: Dennis Rodman, who arrived at training camp sporting a blond Mohawk and more tattoos than Axl Rose, may be the NBA’s biggest eccentric, but he has also been the league’s best rebounder the last two seasons. Rodman, who overstayed his welcome in Detroit, figures to help the Spurs, the league’s worst offensive rebounding team last season. “He showed up at our first scrimmage with blond hair, but that was fine,” Lucas said. “He has been nothing but positive for our team. He’s really challenged David Robinson to work hard. I don’t think any other player that has been on our team has ever said that to David.” Although the Spurs gave up Sean Elliott to acquire Rodman, Lucas says Dale Ellis, Willie Anderson and Lloyd Daniels can make up for the loss of Elliott, the Spurs’ No. 2 scorer. Besides Rodman, the Spurs’ other key acquisition was free-agent guard Sleepy Floyd. “In losing Sean we obviously lost a great scorer, but we got a great defensive creator in Sleepy Floyd,” Lucas said.

3. UTAH JAZZ

* Coach: Jerry Sloan (sixth season).

* 1992-93: 47-35.

* Outlook: The loss of center Mark Eaton, sidelined indefinitely because of a back injury, will hurt the Jazz, who acquired Felton Spencer from Minnesota. Rookie Luther Wright, who sat out training camp after suffering chest pains while lifting weights, and free agent Tom Chambers will back up Spencer. Karl Malone and John Stockton appeared worn out after playing for the Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics, and last season turned into a bad dream for the Jazz, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. However, Malone and Stockton should be well rested this season.

4. DENVER NUGGETS

* Coach: Dan Issel (second season).

* 1992-93: 36-46.

* Outlook: One of the NBA’s best young teams, the Nuggets added center Brian Williams from the Orlando Magic. He will spell Dikembe Mutombo. Wake Forest forward Rodney Rogers is the No. 1 draft pick. Although Williams, who suffered from chemical depression, passed out during several workouts last season, the Nuggets say he’s fit. Point guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (formerly Chris Jackson) changed his name, but the Nuggets hope he hasn’t changed his game after being voted the NBA’s most improved player last season.

5. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

* Coach: Sidney Lowe (second season).

* 1992-93: 19-63.

* Outlook: The least successful of the NBA’s four most recent expansion teams, the Timberwolves, who have averaged only 19 victories over the last two seasons, don’t figure to be much better this season. But Lowe hopes to alter the Timberwolves’ mentality. “We try not to be concerned about the past,” Lowe said. “We don’t want to go out there with the thought in mind that we’re only in our fifth year. I told my team on the first day of camp that we’re no longer an expansion team.” But unless Lowe can make peace between forward Christian Laettner and forward Chuck Person, Minnesota will struggle again this season. Nevada Las Vegas guard Isaiah (J.R.) Rider, the last first-round pick to sign, may not contribute until the second half of the season.

6. DALLAS MAVERICKS

* Coach: Quinn Buckner (first season).

* 1992-93: 11-71.

* Outlook: Buckner, who moves from the TV studio to the bench, faces a Texas-sized challenge as he tries to rebuild the Mavericks, who had the league’s worst record last season. The Mavericks will build around Kentucky forward Jamal Mashburn, their No. 1 draft pick, and guard Jim Jackson, last year’s No. 1 draft pick. “Our lack of experience doesn’t bother me as much as it may bother most people,” Buckner said. “I think you can use it as a crutch and give yourself a reason for not being successful. But I don’t have any unrealistic mindset. At times this is going to be difficult.” At least he knows what he’s getting into.