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Show produced by the The Salt Lake Tribune/Deseret News, Sunday, October 28,2001 Time League Michael Jordan. Of course, the game’s greatest defensive player, Bill Russell, only made the team once,the final season ofhis career, but that was alsothefirst year they started selecting an all-NBA team.Jerry Sloan was on the inaugural first team, the first of his four first-team and two second-team selections. Meanwhile, Payton was the subject ofoff-seasontrade talks, but potential takers were w: ‘ary because ofreports that he would seek a new contact. With four NBA head coaches replaced atthe endoflast season — John Lucas for Randy Wittman in Cleveland; Rick Carlisle for GeorgeIrvine in Detroit; Mo Cheeks for Mike Dunleavy in Portland; and Doug Collins for Leonard Hamilton in Washington — there have been 140 NBA coaching changes since Jerry Sloan succeeded retired Frank Layden on Dec. 9, 1988. Sloan is one of six to coach 1,000 games with the same franchise; Red Auerbach (Boston 1,192); John MacLeod (Phoenix 1,122); Red Holtzman (Knicks 1,097); Al Attles (GoldenState 1,075); and Gene Shue (Bullets, 1,027). Sloan has coached 1,017 games in Utah and could pass three men ahead of him this season. The Mailman starts the season just 159 free-throw attempts shy of Wilt Chamberlain's record of 11,862 and should become the third player to top 50,000 career NBA minutes. Jabbar (57,446) holds the record and Elvin Hayes, a fellow Louisianian, retired with 50,000. Malone is 2,497 away. With 12,105 field in from Portland to feed him the ball. Playoff Projections: According to the Tuner’s crystal ball, the only Westem Conference first-round playoffupset has No. 6 seed Utah knocking off No. 3 seed Sacramento. The topseeded Lakers easily get by No. 8 seed Phoenix, No. 2 seed San Antonio downs No. 7 seed Houston, and No. 4 seed Dallas squeaks by No. 5 seed Portland. In the East, No. 5 sed Charlotte surprises No. 4 seed Toronto, but top-seed Milwaukee blitzes No. 8 seed Indiana. No. 2 seed Philadelphia polishes off No. 7 seed New York, while No. 3 seed Orlando eliminated No. 6 seed Miami. Utah loses to San Antonio in the Western Conference semifinals, while the Lakers advance by sweeping Dallas.In the East, Milwaukee eliminates Charlotte again, with Orlando upending Philly. The Bucks reach the NBA Finals for thefirst time since the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar days by outlasting Orlando. So, we come down to the Finals, and the Lakers have enough to threepeat, although the Bucks force a Game Seven. Only one of the five players taken immediately ahead of Kukoc blossomed into a player ofsimilar quality. Elden Campbell, taken two picks earlier by the Lakers, has tumed into a solid big man. None ofthe other four picks worked out nearly as well. Golden State selected Les Jepsen with the 28th pick. The three picks before Campbell included Dwayne Schintzius (24th), Alaa Abdelnaby (25th), and Lance Blanks (26th). By waiting on Kukoc, the Bulls added another key element to their second run of three straight titles. As you can see from the names taken before and after him, it’s unlikely any ofthe aforementioned players, besides Campbell, would have contributed much or even made their team. Ofcourse, anyone can identify somebusts taken ahead oflatedraft gems. Any player taken at this stageofthe draft is a risk. So why not gamble on someone with a big upside? The Kings also weighed the wait vs. immediate help decision in the 1996 draft. Since they held the 14th pick, their situation differed somewhat from the previous ones. They took Yugoslavian swingman Predrag of some solid college players like Tony Delk goals, he should pass second- and John Wallace. Stojakovic was under contract place Wilt (12,681). With 23,122 field goal attempts, he should pass John Havlicek (23,930) and Hayes (24,272) THOUSANDS behind Jabbar (28,307). The latter feat is amazing since Malonetookjust 16.6 shots last year, his fewest since 12.5 as a rookie. A year ago, Patrick Ewing in thelast year ofhis contract, said “I want to finish my career in Seattle.” The audition for a new deal didn’t take and the gimpykneed center, the 1986 Rookie of the Year over the Mailman and others, is now in Orlando, where he got jersey No. 33, which Shaq couldn’t have (he wore No. 32 there) because someone already had it. He'll play for Doc Rivers, his teammate for two years and six weeks ofa third season in New York. become increasingly common in recent seasons. The success of previous foreign imports has caused this to an extent. However, much also has to do with the abundance oftalent abroad. Continued from Page G-4 tLTULe - Langdon. Detroit Pistons — Somehow scoring power forward, some- Detroit managed 32 wins with thing they haven’t had in years. only one bonafide scoring Atlanta also should see results option, Jerry Stackhouse. Now from the midseason trade of they have two, as veteran forDikembe Mutombo to Philly. ward Cliff Robinson comes to All-star center Theo Ratliff has Motown from Phoenix. New recovered from his wrist sur- coach Rick Carlisle is woefully gery. Nazr Mohammed can back short ontalent, but rookie small up Ratliff or Abdur-Rahim, and forward Rodney White should Toni Kukoc is a gifted offensive help and Yugoslavian 7-foot player who came to Georgia standout Zeljko Rebraca could with a better attitude than was start in the middle. His style expected. Hanno Mottola can reminds observers of Vlade fill in up front. Divac. Having Chucky Atkins Cleveland Cavaliers — The and Dana Barros manning the biggest key for this team is point scared the Pistons into staying healthy. Center Zydru- trading Mateen Cleaves to Sacnas Ilgauskas has spent more ramentofor Jon Barry. time in surgery than an extra on Chicago Bulls — Who thought E.R. Bimbo Coles, Trajan trading Elton Brandto the ClipLangdon andothers have spent pers was a smart move? Then timeon the injured list too. The again, Jerry Reinsdorf and Jerry Cavs steadiest player is point Kraause were the brain surgeons guard Andre Miller, and Cleve- whobroke up the Bulls dynasty. land has recognized that by The latest rebuilding project extending his contract through hinges around two players next season.Miller’s former Ute directly out ofhigh school7-foot teammate Michael Doleacwill small forward Tyson Chandler be playing with Miller again. and 6-11 center Eddy Curry. Doleac will see a lot of time While these kids develop, Chibehind Chris Mihm at center. cago will continue to struggle. New coach John Lucas will Off guard Ron Merceraveraged employ several shooting guards almost20 points per gamea year including Wesley Person and ago and now has Greg Anthony and Mirsad Turkean would be household names by now. Some havetrouble adjusting to a more physical game. Dirk Nowitzki made a rather smooth transition. He went ninth in the 1998 draft to the Bucks and was then dealt to the Mavericks. The Mavs weren’t sure at the time if he’d be able to play here immediately. Fortunately for them, the versatile sevenfoot German joined them at the start of the very next season. By last year, he'd already blosYoung players like DeShawn somedinto a star. Stevenson, right, often look to Talented foreign, players NBAveterans for guidance. available to play hereright away for two seasons with a team in are certainly far moteappealing. elevate Greece. He joined the Kings for That possibility hel the 1998-99 campaign. He Pau Gasol, another Spaniard, all posted 8.4 and 11.9 scoring the waytothe third pick in June. averages in his first two NBA Ofcourse, top-notch European seasons, playing mostly in a players without contract complications are usually long gone reserve role. Last year he when the Jazz make their first exploded for more than 20 draft selection. points per game. He knocked It remains to be seen whether down 144 of 360 three-point Kirilenko and Lopez will join attempts (40.0 percent), becom- the long line of European sucing a feared outside threat to cess stories. They certainly complement Chris Webber. appear promising, but we won't European selections have knowuntil the wait is over. OF CUSTOM WHEELSAVAILABLE! 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