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Show 1 THE UNIVERSITY JOURNAL. SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY. MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1996 NB A PRE v1E w n71 Shaqless Magic shouldn't have much clout By 1HE ASSOCIATED PRESS A capsule look at the NBA for the 1996-97 season, in predicted order of finish. Eastern Conference ATLANTIC DIVISION New York Knicks LAST SEASON-47-35. Eliminated 4-1 in second round by Chicago. COACH-Jeff Van Gundy, 1st full season with Knicks; 13 -9 last season. CHANGES-ADDED: F Larry Johnson (trade with Charlotte), G Allan Houston (free agent, Pistons), G Chris Childs {free agent, Net s), G Scott Brooks (free agent, Mavericks). F Buck Williams (free agent, Trail Blazers), F Joh n Wallace (draft, 18, Syracuse), F Dontae' Jones (draft, 21, Mississippi State), F Walter McCarty (draft, 19, Kentucky). LOST: F Anthony Mason (traded to Charlotte), G Derck Harper {free agent), G Hubert Davis (traded to Raptors), F J.R. Reid (free agent), F Willie Anderson (free agent), C Brad Lohaus (traded to Charlotte), G Gary Grant {free agent). STRENGTHS-After undergoing major offseason makeover, Kn icks are younger and have more offensive weapons than last season. Houston (19. 7 ppg, 4 1 percent on 3 -pointers) replaces John Starks as starter. Trade for Johnson (20.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg) will be a stea l if his back holds up and Patrick Ewing (22.5 ppg, 10.6 rpg) remains solid. WEAKNESSES- Mason's departure robs Knicks of their best defender. Harper's leadership will be missed as point guard job goes to Childs, who parlayed a good half-season with the Nets into $24 million, six-year deal. Il\T FIVE WORDS OR LESS-Still can't get past Chicago. ft, Buftets Washington Bullets LAST SEASON-39-43, missed playoffs. COACH- Jim Lynam, 3rd season with Bullets, 60-104. 10th season overall, 306-368. CHANGES- ADDEB: G Rod Strickland (trade with Trail Blazers), F Harvey Grant {trade with Trail Blazers), G T racy Murray {free agent, Raptors), C Lorenzo Williams (free agent, Mavericks), G Ronnie Henderson (draft, 55, LSU ). LOST: G Brent Price (free agent), G Mark Price (free agent), G Robert Pack (free agent), G Mitchell Butler (traded to Trail Blazers), F Rasheed Wallace (traded to Blazers), C Jim Mcilvaine (free agent). STRENGTHS-Chris Webber (23.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg) returns from shoulder surgery that sidelined him for 67 games last season, and Juwan Howard (22.1 PP&, 8. 1 rpg) returns after league voided his freeagent deal with Miami. Gheorghe Muresan (14.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.26 bpg) was voted league's Most Improved Player last season. Strickland (18. 7 ppg, 9 .6 ppg) will be an improvement at the point. Bullets set NBA record for 3-point accuracy last season (40.7 percent). WEAKNESSES-Aside from Strickland's history of run-ins with his coaches and the law, Bullets also will have to worry about Webber's history of injuries and ability of newcomers to gel with holdovers. Must win close ones if they want to end eight-year streak of missing playoffs. IN FIVE WORDS OR LESS- Want to see improvement? Watch. Orlando Magic LAST SEASON-60-22, eliminated 4-0 by Chicago in conference finals. COACH-Brian Hill, 4th season, 167-79. CHANGES-ADDED: C Felton Spencer {trade with Jazz), F Derek Strong (free agent, Lakers), F Gerald Wilkins {free agent, Grizzlies), F Brian Evans (draft, 27, iana), C Amal McCaskill (draft, 49, Marquette). LOST: C Shaquille O'Neal {free agent), G Anthony Bowie {free agent ), G Brooks Thompson (traded to Jazz), C Joe Wolf {free agent). STRENGTHS- Still have Eastern Conference's best point guard in Penny Hardaway {21. 7 ppg, 7.1 apg), still have two outstanding 3-point shooters in Nick Anderson {39 percent) and Dennis Scott (43 percent) and still have Horace Grant {13.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg) at power forward. When O'Neal was hurt last season, Magic was 17-5. Hardaway, who will be asked to pick up the scoring slack, is capable of increasing his average to 27 or 28 points. WEAKNESSES-Obviously, O'Neal can never be replaced. Spencer is adequate defensively, but he has never averaged double figures in points or rebounds in his six-year career. The loss of Bowie, who signed in Europe, weakens the already slim ben ch, IN FIVE WORDS OR LESS-Lakers at Magic, March 23. Miami Heat LAST SEASON-42-40, eliminated 3-0 by Chicago in first round. COACH-Pat Riley, 2nd season, 42-40. 15th season overall, 798-339. CHANGES- ADDED: F P.J. Brown {free agent, Nets), G Dan Majerle (free agent, Cavaliers), G Gary Grant {free agent, Knicks), F Martin Muursepp {draft, 25.., Estonia). LOST: G Rex Chapman {free agent), F Chris Gatling (free agent ), F Walt Williams {free agent), F Tyrone Corbin {free agent), C Dan Schayes (free agent), G Tony Smith {free agent). STRENGTHS-Re-signing of Alonzo Mourning (23.2 ppg, I 0.4 rpg) will keep the franchise center in south Florida for the next seven years, plenty of time for him to overcome poor performance in last season's playoffs. Majerle (10.6 ppg) adds a veteran shooter to the lineup. Tim Hardaway {15.2 ppg, 8.0 apg) returns at point guard. WEAKNESSES-Loss of Howard was a devastating blow. Kurt Thomas (9.0, 5.9) figures to start at power forward. Many observers feel Brown (11.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg) was overpaid. IN FIVE WORDS OR LESS-Riley isn't happy, blames Stem. New Jersey Nets LAST SEASON-30-52, missed playoffs. COACH- John Calipari, 1st season. CHANGES-ADDED: G Robert Pack (free agent, Bullets), F David Benoit {free agent, Utah), G Vincent Askew (trade with Sonics), F Tony Massenburg (free agent), G Kerry Kittles (draft, 8, Villanova), F Xavier McDaniel (free agent, Greece). LOST: F Armon Gilliam (free agent), F P.J. Brown {free agent), G Chris Childs (free agent), G Greg Graham (traded to Sonics), G Vern Fleming (free agent), C Rick Mahom (free agent). STRENGTHS: Shawn Bradley (11 .9 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.64 bpg) came on strong in the second half of last season, his third as pro. Once he starts getting respect of referees, his m inutes - and other numbers - will increase. Kendall Gill {14.0 ppg, 5.5 apg) and Pack will form good backcourt. WEAKNESSES: The Nets will miss Gilliam, who was their go-to guy in fourth quarter last season. Benoit ruptured his Achilles tendon early in camp and is ou t fo r the season . IN FIVE WORDS OR LESS-Still the East Coast Clippers. Philadelphia 76ers LAST SEASON-18 -64, missed playoffs. COACH-Johnny Davis, 1st season. CHANGES-ADDED: G Allen Iverson {draft, 1, Georgetown), F Don MacLean {free agent), C Michael Cage {free agent ), G Lucious Harris {free agent ), F Mark Hendrickson {draft, 3 1, Washington State), F Ryan Minor {draft, 32, Oklahoma). LOST-F Richard Dumas (free agent), F Tony Massenburg (free agent), F Ed Pin ckney {free agent), F Sean Higgins (free agent), F Derrick Alston {free agent), G Vernon Maxwell (free agent), G Trevor Ruffin (free agent), G Greg Sutton (free agent), C LaSalle Thompson (free agent). STRENGTHS: Nucleus of Clarence Weatherspoon (16.7 ppg, 9.7 ppg), De rrick Colem an (11.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg), Jerry Stackhouse {19.2 ppg, 3 .9 ppg) and Iverson is good building block for next couple of years, and departure of old coach, John Lucas, and old owner, Harold Katz, gives 76e rs a needed fresh start. WEAKNESSES-Coleman's heart is question mark No. 1, lverson's m aturity is question m ark No. 2. Last season's trade of Shawn Bradley left a hole at center and plugging it with aging Cage shows just how m onumental a m istake that trade may have been. FIVE WORDS OR LESS-How many games for Derrick? Boston Celtics LAST SEASON-33-49, missed playoffs. COACH- M.L. Carr, 2nd season, 3349. CHANGES-ADDED: F Antoine Walker (draft, 6, Kentucky), C Frank Brickowski (free agent, Seattle), F Julius Nwosu (free agent), C St eve Hamer {draft, 38, Tennessee). LOSTC Eric Montross {traded to Dallas), F Doug Smith (released), C Thomas Hamilton {released). STRENGTHS- Some scouts believe the Celtics got the nugget of the first round by m oving up to No. 6 to pick Walker, a forwa rd from Kentucky.. Boston will count on st rong · contributions from returnees D ino Radja {19.7 ppg, 9.8 rpg), Rick Fox (14.0 ppg) and Dana Barros ( 13.0 ppg, 3.8 apg). Brickowski adequately replaces Montross in the pivot. WEAKNESSES-The Celtics n eeded career years from Radja, Fox and David Wesley in order to win 33 games last season . They were b lown out 26 times and scored fewer than 100 points 35 times. Anoth er rebuilding yea r. FIVE WORDS OR LESS-M.L. Carr might not last . |