THE NBA / MARK HEISLER : To Each His Own Greatest Team Ever

OK, let’s get this best-team thing settled once and for all.

There is no best team ever.

Or there are as many as there are people who feel like naming one. It’s unprovable and an entirely personal choice, based on one’s criteria and preconceptions.

Bill Sharman thinks the 1971-72 Lakers he coached would beat this season’s Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan, the star of this season’s Bulls, plays pretend games and “somehow we always win.”

There are a few things we might consider:

--The best team isn’t the one with the most stars.

Adding up matchups has no predictive value, as we learn every spring. The best teams blend players, not just stack them atop one another. The ‘68-69 Lakers with Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor were great on paper but had rifts--Baylor-Chamberlain, Coach Butch van Breda Kolff-Chamberlain--and lost to the ancient Boston Celtics.

--One can argue teams should be judged against their own eras but today’s players are demonstrably bigger, suggesting modern clubs would have an edge.

In 1972 when the Lakers won 69 games, the NBA had 17 teams and nine 7-footers, three of whom started. Now there are 29 teams and 40 7-footers, 19 of whom start.

What would Bill Russell be like today? People who played him say there has never been anyone like him. However, he was a 6-9 1/2, 220-pound center. That’s light for a power forward now.

Here are the contenders:

1964-65 Celtics--My personal choice. They were 62-18, 14 games ahead of the field, the second-greatest spread ever. There were only nine teams in the league, but they played Chamberlain’s Philadelphia 76ers 10 times and went 5-5. They had five Hall of Fame players, the nucleus of the dynasty that won 11 titles in 13 seasons.

1966-67 76ers--Chamberlain decided to pass instead of shoot that season and was No. 3 in the league in assists at 7.8 a game. There was a fearsome front line with 6-8, 240-pound Luke Jackson--power forwards then went 6-5--Chet Walker and Hall of Famer Billy Cunningham. They scared people to death.

1971-72 Lakers--Sharman got a fading Chamberlain to play defense, a la Russell. West was aging but he was still West. They weren’t awesome--journeyman Pat Riley was the sixth man--but the parts fit.

1982-83 76ers--Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, Mo Cheeks and Bobby Jones. They won 65 and went 12-1 in the playoffs. They didn’t last, but they were hell for a season.

1984-85 Lakers--Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Byron Scott with Michael Cooper and Bob McAdoo off the bench. High-water mark for a franchise that won five titles in the ‘80s.

1985-86 Celtics--The deepest front line ever with future Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Bill Walton. They could have won a title with Beavis and Butt-head at guards. High-water mark for a franchise that won three titles in the ‘80s.

1991-92 Bulls--They were 67-15, 10 games ahead of the field. In ’93 they became the first back-to-back-to-back champions in 27 years. In postseason play those three seasons, they went 45-13. If Jordan hadn’t quit, they might be working on six in a row.

1995-96 Bulls--Terrific season, so far, but it’s a down year. Seattle may win 65, for heaven’s sake. The Bulls are only eight games ahead of the field--a figure topped by four teams and equaled by four more.

WEEKLY ANALYSIS OF LATEST LAKER PRATFALL

Magic Johnson was right--when he apologized. Of course, barely a week went by before his teammates were haranguing another officiating crew during a loss--imagine that--at San Antonio and the same old bull was heard again.

“A veteran referee would handle it better.”

Veterans are good--since no one would have dared jump in the face of Jake O’Donnell or Earl Strom or, heaven help them, Mendy Rudolph. Mendy would have paralyzed them with a ray from his eyes and then ejected them.

“The referees have attitudes too.”

Well they should. They’d be dead meat without them. Picture the game through their eyes.

The center is trying to back the defender through the basket support. The defender clings to him like an octopus. Every so often, someone swan dives, uttering a guttural OOOOF! or AWWWWW! as if he’s been assaulted. Former coach Don Nelson, a Barrymore as a player, said he would fine anyone who didn’t make appropriate noise upon contact.

A player takes a 20-footer. As all eyes go to the rim, the defender jabs him in the solar plexus.

Or the defender gets too close and the shooter nicks him with one leg and goes down in a heap, looking for a foul call.

Or a player drives and a defender jumps in front of him, takes the hit and flops, bellowing and snapping his head back as if hit by a rhino, trying to pick up the charge.

Or the driver draws contact and throws the ball at the rim, or windmills his arms, as if shooting, while TV commentators remark on what a wily veteran he is.

Or, as in the Nick Van Exel case, things aren’t going well and he’s in a bad mood.

Meanwhile, the coaches are screaming at every call. They know the refs don’t miss them all, they just hope they can wear them down and get a break down the line.

Then there’s the old T theory: Get the ref’s blood boiling, make him give you a technical foul, after which he might make it up to you.

In other words, our heroes are getting better officiating than they deserve and should be grateful for men strong enough, with big enough attitudes, to survive on the job.

“I tell you one thing,” West said of Van Exel’s complaint about referees’ demeanor, “if I was an official, they wouldn’t open their mouth because they’d all get a technical.”

Right on. T ‘em up and flip ‘em out. Send them to Rod Thorn and let him sort through them.

NAMES AND NUMBERS

Can’t we all just get along?: Despite the recent publicity, the NBA remains the least violent of the major leagues. Any day, a pitcher will dust off a hitter and 50 players will swarm over the field in a mini-riot, for which minor fines will be assessed. Every night the NHL has real fights--not merely faceoffs with slaps. . . . Knick president Dave Checketts, irked at Riley’s suggestion he re-sign Jeff Van Gundy: “I signed Pat to a long-term deal. As you know, that deal went through the end of this year. I really had to laugh--Pat talking about loyalty, isn’t that a funny line? Wait a minute. Stand up and show some guts--finish your contract. It was a little bit like asking Nick Van Exel to comment on self-control.” . . . Checketts on rebuilding his team: “I believe we have a franchise that is the envy of the other franchises because we play in a terrific city and a legendary arena. I don’t care what happens, the Minnesota Timberwolves are never going to be the New York Knicks and neither will the Miami Heat.” . . . Who wants to be the Knicks, anyway? They fell out of the No. 4 spot and won’t have home-court advantage in the first round.

Mike Dunleavy, abandoned by Milwaukee owner Herb Kohl four yearsinto an eight-year contract, is expected to get the ax. However, Dunleavy is still well thought of as a coach--and is guaranteed something like $4 million. . . . Other dead men coaching: Butch Beard of New Jersey and Brendan Malone of Toronto. Others in trouble: VanGundy, New York; Alan Bristow, Charlotte; John Lucas, Philadelphia; Bernie Bickerstaff, Denver. In other words, almost 25% of the profession could be goners. . . . However, a stiff or two might slip through: M.L. Carr will recommend to Celtic brass he continue as coach/general manager. “I didn’t really have to prove anything,” Carr said.”There are some doubters but I have no doubts. I’m on a mission.” . . . Juwan Howard, budgeted by agent David Falk for $11 million a year, told friends he’ll stay in Washington if the Bullets/Wizards “step up to the plate.” They’re expected to offer $7 million. Howard likes Coach Jimmy Lynam and wants to play alongside Chris Webber.”I love that man,” Howard said of Lynam. “I’m saying that from my heart. I look forward to playing for him a long time and next year when Chris is back, we’re really going to have some fun.” . . . Falk told the Miami Heat, which has to re-sign his client, Alonzo Mourning, he wants Rex Chapman retained too. Riley, who started rookie Sasha Danilovic ahead of no-longer-sexy-Rexy, is cool.”It’s extremely important to me,” Falk says. “I want to get him [Chapman] situated in Miami as soon as possible.” . . . Translation: Nobody else wants him, so it’s here or Belgium.

General managers are turned off by early draft entries. Portland’s Bob Whitsitt, who tried to trade up for Kevin Garnett, said of Stephon Marbury: “Garnett is an absolute all-star waiting to happen for many, many years. Marbury is a good player but it’s not that way with him.” . . . Says the Warriors’ Dave Twardzik: “I would suggest 99% of underclassmen stay in school. It’s better for their emotional and physical maturity. [Allen] Iverson is definitely in that category.” . . . The bad news is Marbury and Iverson, if he comes out, probably would be top five picks. Imagine how bad the rest of the draft is. . . . Houston’s Sam Cassell on the Lakers: “They’re playing well right now, but the playoffs are a whole different game. Some guys step up in the playoffs and some guys don’t step up. It’s a lot different playing when all the lights get turned on and the pressure’s on. I like to play with every single light turned on.”