Easier to Bounce Coach Than Team

It’s hard to be a Saint in the city: Let’s get this straight. The Sacramento Kings make the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, the star feuds publicly with the general manager, the team under-performs and they fire . . . the coach?

What, you thought Geoff Petrie, whose quarrel with Mitch Richmond shook the Kings, was going to take this fall? That isn’t how they drew it up at GM school.

Instead, Garry St. Jean--”Saint” to his friends--did what coaches and turkeys have been doing since the dawn of time. He took one in the

neck for the greater good.

This is the NBA way and never as much as in the ‘90s, when the youngest players have leverage never before dreamed of, starting their pro careers only three years away from unrestricted free agency.

Commissioner David Stern tossed this fillip into the collective bargaining agreement, as a sop to the union for accepting a rookie cap, perhaps without thinking it through. Young players are not only younger than ever, more hyped than ever, but more powerful than ever and, surprise, dizzier than ever.

Someone has to pay and who better than management’s front-line troops, the coaches? Seven teams have changed coaches this season.

“I think it already has taken a toll,” says Indiana Pacer President Donnie Walsh. “If you look at players like [Chris] Webber and [Penny] Hardaway, they’ve certainly had an impact on their coaches.”

And it wasn’t all positive, either.

The record for coaches getting fired, forced out or quitting is 13, set in 1991-92, and it appears well within reach as the remaining wretches try to grease out another day on their sidelines.

Here’s how it looks:

DEAD MEN WALKING

Rick Adelman, Golden State--A nice guy in a franchise that imploded under Don Nelson. This job required a taskmaster, a magician or, preferably, both.

Johnny Davis, Philadelphia--Another nice guy whose players were as inexperienced as he was.

Dick Motta, Denver--Bernie Bickerstaff not only put him in charge when he gave up coaching and went back upstairs, he gave him a contract for next season. Bernie since has left the building and the Nuggets have quit, having lost 16 of 19.

Richie Adubato, Orlando--Despite his success (14-5), widespread reports say the owning DeVos family wants a big name, like Chuck Daly.

HAVE LOOKED BETTER

Jim Cleamons, Dallas--As an old Celtic teammate said, Nelson has put together the kind of team only he can coach. Even if Nellie doesn’t, Cleamons probably won’t either, for long. The Mavericks don’t have much talent, cap room or help coming. Several coaches may have to make the ultimate sacrifice in Big D.

P.J. Carlesimo, Portland--Despite his 11-0 run since reports surfaced that he would be fired, reports have persisted. General Manager Bob Whitsitt didn’t hire him and has always kept his distance.

HAVE GUNS, WILL TRAVEL

Larry Brown, Indiana--He’s in his fourth season. In Larry years, that’s like 50. Walsh, an old friend, is grateful for what Brown did for the franchise and won’t stand in his way. Given the situation, he should get offers.

Phil Jackson, Chicago--His tug of war with management surfaced last summer when owner Jerry Reinsdorf sided with General Manager Jerry Krause. Jackson returned on a one-year deal at $2.5 million, figuring he’d try to win another title while waiting to see what opens up. From the look of things, many may.

BOSSES ON A LARK

Gregg Popovich, San Antonio--The Spurs’ general manager might not have offed Bob Hill just as David Robinson was coming back if he’d known the Admiral would get hurt again. After going 13-36, Popovich must be ready to go upstairs and never, ever come back down.

Note: Popovich was an assistant under Brown with the Clippers and they’re still friendly.

Stu Jackson, Vancouver--Compared to the Grizzlies’ general manager, who has gone 4-23, Popovich’s record looks OK. Jackson can’t even claim his players were all hurt, just disorganized.

SHOULD BE OK (THIS YEAR)

Mike Fratello, Cleveland--They can’t fire him after his teams overachieved so mightily, but management is alarmed by dwindling attendance. If someone wants him, they might let him go.

Chris Ford, Milwaukee--The Bucks’ lie-down disappointed itchy-fingered owner Herb Kohl. However, they quit on Mike Dunleavy too, suggesting coaching isn’t the problem.

Bill Fitch, Clippers--He has lashed them into a competitive team, at least by current Western standards. However, he’s working for Donald T. Sterling and has already set the longevity record for the team in L.A., beating Don Chaney’s two seasons plus 21 games.

Del Harris, Lakers--With Shaquille O’Neal comes pressure, but, despite talk-show patter and player grumbling about his substitution pattern, he has done a fine job. When Jerry Buss asked him to play Kobe Bryant, insiders say the owner was basically telling the coach the pressure was off, for the moment.

M.L. Carr, Boston--Heaven knows why owner Paul Gaston loves him, but he does. However, Gaston would have to let Larry Bird take charge if Larry wanted it, which would number Carr’s days. Gaston is also keen on Rick Pitino, who wants to run his own show.

WARMING UP IN THE PEN

Pitino, Kentucky--Friends have long predicted his return to the NBA and Lexington is rife with rumors that this is the year. Last spring, he turned down a Pat Riley-type millions-plus-ownership deal from the Nets.

Daly, TNT--Like all coaches, he’s an action junkie, not to mention interested in a $2 million to $3 million gig, even at 66. Proven winner who strikes a great balance between giving orders and relating to players.

Dunleavy, Milwaukee--Idling away in the Bucks’ front office because he couldn’t agree on a contract settlement with Kohl, the former Laker coach is still well regarded.

Paul Westphal, private citizen--Nice run (with Charles Barkley) in Phoenix. Petrie reportedly likes him.

Tim Floyd, Iowa State--Reportedly a Krause favorite if Jackson leaves.

Bob Huggins, Cincinnati--College screamer pros have been eyeing for years.

Roy Williams, Kansas--Could have a lot of jobs if he was interested. Turned the Lakers down before they hired Randy Pfund.

Bob Hill, at liberty--Good Xs and O’s man who went 121-43 with Robinson for two seasons. As dapper as Riley but tenses up when going gets tough, as when Dennis Rodman took off his shoes in huddles.

NAMES AND NUMBERS

Rodman began his wrestling career at the Charleston (S.C.) Coliseum with an unscheduled ring appearance. When Rowdy Roddy Piper attacked Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Rodman’s buddy, Dennis jumped in to strangle Rowdy, who chased Dennis but was restrained by police just in time. In other words, it was like Rodman’s basketball games. Said the Hulk, “He keeps doing as good as he is and he’ll make that pocket change from the NBA look like nothing.”

Back on Earth, Jackson acknowledged that the Bulls are feeling their ages, not to mention travel schedules. “It’s no mystery our team has 33-, 34-, 35- and 36-year-old players out there on the floor,” Jackson said. “[Opponents] have got some kids out there playing ball and they’ve got some pretty lively legs. This is the grinding part of the NBA season. It’s understandable that our legs are pretty dead right now.” . . . The Bulls say Toni Kukoc’s foot problem is day to day. He thinks he may be back by the playoffs. “I’m going to devote one day to practice,” he said. “If it hurts, I then might think about waiting until the playoffs.”

The Mailman doesn’t just deliver to your house, he levels it: On Utah’s seven-game trip, Karl Malone outscored the other power forwards, Antoine Walker, Anthony Mason, Chris Webber, Dale Davis, Tony Massenburg, Christian Laettner and Tom Gugliotta, 226-72, and outrebounded them, 72-51.

The 76ers’ Allen Iverson and Jerry Stackhouse duked it out at a shoot-around but downplayed any ill feelings. “Jerry and I will probably go out tonight,” Iverson said. “I would never let anything that happened on the basketball court carry over into my relationship with Jerry. I’m going to have to look at his face for a long, long time and he’s going to have to look at my face for a long, long time.” . . . Said Stackhouse: “It was a fight between one guy who didn’t know how to fight and another guy who didn’t want to fight.” Said an observer: “It looked like two old ladies swinging their pocketbooks at each other.”