The NBA Season Lifts Off

by David Yeung

The Knicks

Patrick Ewing is so old that the once formidable center couldn't even make a game-tying lay-up in Game 7 last year against Indiana. Derek Harper is so "experienced" that he is as a matter of fact the oldest point guard in the entire league. John Starks is nothing close to commendable.

O ffensively, Ewing and Starks were supposed to be the one-two punch for the Knicks; but it is becoming more likely that they are becoming the one-two flop.

Oakley was the ironman in the line-up, used to command the board, dive for every loose ball, and was the nucleus of the Knicks' suffocating defense. But even the Oak-man slipped. He was so enamored with his jump-shots that in many pla yoff games last season , he actually had more shot attempts than Starks did (Don't forget, Starks is a shooting guard while Oakley is a power forward).

W hen your main rebounding guy is out there taking some erratic shots, who is going to take care of the offensive board? Oh, don't even mention the name of Charles Smith. Not only does the man sting, he stings in an embarrassing and ugly fashion. It is a p ain to watch him play. In fact, I think Smith probably had more turnovers than his rebounds, points, assists, and blocks combined.

The Knicks have neither sharp offense nor tough defense. Their offense is so predictable that it takes more time to guess what Mason's next hair cut will be than to guess what they are going to do with the ball.

Don't expect too much from their new head coach Don Nelson either. His coaching in Golden State had been everything but successful. If his running-game philosophy were really that great, the tremendously talented Warriors would not have winded up in the s econd-last place in their division two seasons ago.

To tell you the truth, Nelson is overrated by the New York media. But the unfortunate thing is: he actually thinks he is that good.

However, if there is anything that makes them less of a contender than the previous couple seasons, it is neither the coaching nor their offense. It is their loosening defense that hurt them the most.

The Knicks' suffocating defense was their signature during the Pat Riley's era. It was what brought them to the NBA Finals two years ago. Last year they gave up around 95 points per game. Not a bad number. But when your team is only able to score 97-99 points a game, you know they are not going to win too many ball games .

Nelson is well-known for his running game, ditto his sloppy defense as well. But if the Knicks were to play poor defense, they could be in real deep trouble.

Team-Do-Nothing

In an off-season when almost every title-contender did something to improve its team, the only thing the Knicks did was re-signing small forward Anthony Mason. As talented and versatile as Mason is, lets not confuse him with a Scottie Pippen. Admit it, th e guy can't shoot. His free throw percentage is so lousy that even Shaquille O'Neal could probably top his number.

Putting him in a position called point forward is even more laughable because the guy has neither speed nor court vision. If there are anything in Mr. Mason's arsenal deserve some credit, they are his rebounding and defense.

However, if you are expecting Mr. Mason to make some earth-shaking impact after he re-signed the Knicks, sorry, buddy, you are definitely going to be disappointed. For the over-the-hill Knicks this season, anything beyond second round of the playoff seems unlikely and irrealistic.

The Magic Touch

Forget about the Knicks, the center of attention in the East this year are unanimously going to be the Chicago Bulls and the Orlando Magic. Both teams are being dubbed the team of th e 90s; the only difference is that the Bulls are pro bably the team of the early 90s, while the Magic could become the team of the late 90s. Their contest for this name will probably be decided this year as both teams have the firepower to win it all.

The addition of Jon Koncak (or Jon "Contract") to Orlando and Dennis Rodman to Chicago means that both teams will be more well-armed and better-prepared.

Led by Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway last season, the Magic silenced all skeptics by reaching the Finals after getting past the Air Jordan-led Bulls and the surging Indiana Pacers.

With Penny taking the point, 3-point specialists Dennis Scott launching long-range bombs beyond the arc, severely underrated 2-guard Nick Anderson being the unexpected killer, plus the veteran Horace Grant establishing himself as the team's leader and cat alyst, Shaq's Orlando Magic are ready for real Showtime.

Critics like to mention that championship teams have got to have deep benches, but the addition of the former Atlanta Hawk Koncak, alongside with sixth man Brian Shaw and backup Anthony Bowie, the bench is no longer a worry for the Ma gic.

Don't be surprised if this young and hungry Orlando Magic team go all the way and bring home their first of the many championship trophies awaiting them.

The Bulls, again.

As formidable as the Magic are, it doesn't mean they can dominate the East with no sweat. In fact, two Herculean obstacles are awaiting the Magic in the Eastern Conference. They ar e the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers, the two te ams the Magic elimina ted last year during the playoffs. With Air Jordan (who else?) coming back in Bulls uniform for a full season, the versatile Pippen as always being the best 3 (small forward) in the entire league, and Toni Kukoc being more used to the competitive level in the NBA, Chicago is already good enough to compete with anybody in the league.

Even when they lost to the Magic last season in the second round of the playoffs, they weren't really outplayed by the Magic. The Bulls were still a great team.

However, during the off-season, the shrewdness and acumen of Chicago's front office make the Bulls once again become the greatest of all. With the best off-guard in MJ, the best small forward in Pippen, the Bulls add another ace to t heir already daunting line-up by acquiring the owner of four consecutive rebounding titles-- Dennis Rodman., who arguably is the best power forward in the league.

Never get your vision blurred by all the extra-curricular activities Rodman engage in, after all, the man was a key member of the Detroit Pistons when they won the NBA titles in 89 and 90. He was also the man who single-handedly tur ned around the San An tonio Spurs and led them to the best record in the NBA last season.

Yes, Dennis is a walking bomb who can explode any time, but the talent and enthusiasm he possesses are as valuable as his masterful rebounding. His presence also makes life for Toni Kukoc and Scottie Pippen a lot easier.

K ukoc, an ultimate finesse player, was used at power forward at times to match up with forwards of the opponents. Sometimes, as you saw Kukoc guarding walking mountains like Charles Oakley, Karl Malone or Horace Grant, you almost wanted to beg coach Phil Jackson to take him out of the position. However, the lack of physical players in the Bulls forced Kukoc to play this uncomfortable spot.

With Rodman ruling the board (I mean he rules literally), Jackson can move Kukoc back to his familiar 3 spot, and probably use Pippen as point guard/forward at times.

The second unit is no concern for the Bulls either. Veteran shooting guard Ron Harper, 3-point threat Steve Kerr, and the hard-working Bill Wennington make sure the Bulls have enough depth to provide rest for Pippen and Jordan if nece ssary.

With four aces in the Bulls line-up, this Chicago team is absolutely comparable to the Chicago team that won three consecutive titles. The only weak spot is the center position. Can Luc Longley, Bill Wennington, and new comer Jack Haley hold down the midd le? We have to see.

B ut just as Rodman said when he was introduced to the media the day he became a Bull, "They've already got Kukoc, Pippen and Jordan. That's a winning team as it is. Adding somebody like me in, you know, and it just adds a little cinnamon to the French toa st." Rarely do you see Rodman being that "humble," but I have to agree on what he said.

T he race between Chicago and Orlando could wind up being very close, but I have to go with the team that has four aces. Chicago is my favorite, and my prediction is that the Bulls will blow past all their opponents and win their fourth title in six years!

The Pacers' in the Race

I ndiana, loser of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference for two straight years, is reluctant to be kept at bay any more. Just like what Orlando does, Indiana adds key reserve players to increase the depth and strengthen their bench.

V eteran Ricky Pierce and rookie Travis Best should provide the backcourt consistency that Reggie Miller and Mark Jackson could not give last season. Rik Smits, the hugely improved center, must stay tough in the middle as he was last season.

H istory tells us that all elite shooting guards in the NBA must have at least one brilliant front court player to work with in order to win championships. Miller will not be an exception. As deadly and accurate as his shooting is, he is no better than the Michael Jordan who won three championship rings at the beginning of this decade.

Y et even Michael the Superman had Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant as his teammates in order to win. Then Miller certainly needs a good Rik Smits if he wants to bring the Pacers to another level.

W hile the Bulls, Magic, and Pacers round up the big three in the East (with the Knicks right behind them), the Rockets, Jazz, Suns, and Spurs are ready to rock in the West. Two-time defending champion Houston Rockets "surprised" a lot of people when they beat the best three teams in the West and then swept the top team from the East to defend their title.

The West

This year, with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler once again providing the inside-outside threat for Houston, they are the favorite to win the West. No need for me to explain how am azing Olajuwon is. He is simply the best! His moves a re so smooth, so phen omenal, and so flawless that it is nothing but joy to watch him.

In his two championship runs, he completely ate up the other top centers in the league. Ewing, Robinson, and O'Neal were so thoroughly outplayed by Hakeem that the losses were not just losses for them, they were humiliation and embarrassment.

The Most Valuable Player last season, David Robinson, played so poorly against Olajuwon that people actually asked him to give away his MVP trophy because he did not play like one. If the injury-ridden Drexler and Olajuwon can remain injury-free, the Rock ets are the reasonable choice in the West.

T he major challenges to Houston are from Utah and Phoenix. Utah, the loser to Houston in the first round last season, added versatile forward/guard Chris Morris to solidify the small forward spot.

Led by NBA's golden duo Karl Malone and John Stockton (what's new with Utah anyway), the Jazz are still searching for a strong supporting cast in order to bring Utah an NBA crown.

However, the acquisition of Morris is likely to make Utah a better team, but not one that can defeat big powers like Phoenix and Houston and then reach the Finals.

San Antonio Spurs are in a similar situation. David Robinson has been spectacular most of the time last season, but with the departure of Rodman, can they sustain their competitiveness and retain their best record?

They might need another star player if they were to make a serious championship run this season. That's why Utah and San Antonio would probably be held at bay for another year until they actually add high-profile stars to their line-ups.

Phoenix has been good, but not good enough in the past three season. The only teams they lost to were eventual champions (93 to Chicago; 94 and 95 to Houston). Charles Barkley has been frustrated; so are the other veterans in the teams. They knew they wer e very close to grasping a piece of the championship trophy, it's just that they couldn't pull it off.

Looking at their line-up, especially after the addition of a solid center John "Hot Rod" Williams, you might wonder whether this could be their year. With Sir Charles, Danny Manning, A.C. Green, and Williams in the front court, the Suns have arguably the deepest front line in the NBA.

H aving a brilliant point guard in Kevin Johnson and a talented young off-guard in Wesley Person, Phoenix has as formidable a line-up as any team in the league.

The departure of Dan Majerle is unlikely to hurt the Suns. The only enemy the Suns have to deal with is injury. Up to the pre-season this year, all five starters of the Suns are on the injured list. If they can somehow avoid being plagued by injuries, they may have a shot at their long-awaited championship rings.