8902140140
DETROIT FREE PRESS
891102
Thursday, November 02, 1989
METRO FINAL
7B
MITCH ALBOM; DREW SHARP;
SPECIAL SECTION;NBA '89
Copyright (c) 1989, Detroit Free Press
PREDICTIONS
Mitch Albom
Two things can happen once you taste a championship. 1: You get hungry for
another. 2: You get fat. I think the Pistons will experience a little of both
this season, but in the end, they'll be there. In the finals. And win. Over
LA. Or Utah. Or Phoenix. Unless they get fat.
Charlie Vincent
The Pistons will repeat as Eastern Conference champions because they are so
good, because Cleveland enters the season with debilitating injuries, because
Chicago has too many young players and a new coach, because the Hawks are the
Toronto Blue Jays of the NBA and because, even with Larry Bird back, the
Celtics are not the Celtics of old (John Bagley starting at point guard!?). To
win back-to-back titles, though, the Pistons will have to buck a 20-year-old
trend in the NBA.
Drew Sharp
Come playoff time, the Bulls will provide the Pistons with their stiffest
competition in the East. But when June arrives, it will be the Pistons and
Lakers once again for the title. It will be a great seven games, but the
Lakers take the crown this time.
Corky Meinecke
Forget all that stuff you have been hearing about the Chicago Bulls and the
Cleveland Cavaliers being the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference. The
Bulls have depth, but they're still too young. The Cavs have talent, but
they're still not tough enough. For the third straight year, it will be the
Pistons and the Lakers in the NBA Finals. And this time, they'll get it right.
No ankle or hamstring injuries to Isiah Thomas or Magic Johnson or Byron
Scott. A classic is what it will be. And Pistons repeat.
ALL-EVERYTHING TEAMS
Pistons writer Drew Sharp makes his pre-season picks in the usual categories
-- and a few unusual ones as well.
All-NBA team
NAME TEAM
Karl Malone Utah
Charles Barkley Houston
Magic Johnson LA Lakers
Michael Jordan Chicago
* MVP: Jordan.
All-rookie team
NAME TEAM
Randy White Dallas
Tom Hammonds Washington
David Robinson San Antonio
Sean Elliott San Antonio
Glen Rice Miami
* ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Robinson.
Coach of the year
Larry Brown San Antonio
All-defensive team
NAME TEAM
Dennis Rodman Detroit
A.C. Green LA Lakers
Akeem Olajuwon Houston
Joe Dumars Detroit
Alvin Robertson Milwaukee
* DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rodman.
All-underpaid team
NAME, TEAM SALARY
Dennis Rodman, Detroit $550,000
Winston Garland, Golden St. $375,000
Jerome Kersey, Portland $580,000
Ron Anderson, Phila. $385,000
Mark Eaton, Utah $880,000
All-overpaid team
NAME, TEAM SALARY
Jon Koncak, Atlanta $2,500,000
Benoit Benjamin Clippersa $1,800,000
Danny Schayes, Denver $1,425,000
Dennis Hopson, New Jersey $920,000
Kelly Tripucka, Charlotte $1,050,000
Glantz-Culver odds to win the NBA title:
TEAM ODDS
Detroit 3-1
LA Lakers 5-1
Phoenix 5-1
Cleveland 6-1
Chicago 8-1
Boston 10-1
New York 10-1
Utah 10-1
Atlanta 15-1
Seattle 15-1
Milwaukee 20-1
Golden State 25-1
Houston 25-1
Philadelphia 30-1
Denver 35-1
Dallas 40-1
Portland 40-1
San Antonio 60-1
Washington 60-1
Indiana 80-1
Sacramento 80-1
LA Clippers 125-1
New Jersey 125-1
Charlotte 250-1
Miami 250-1
Minnesota 2000-1
Orlando 2000-1
THE CROWDS
Top ten teams in home attendance for the 1988-89 season.
TEAM G TOTAL AVG.
Charlotte 41 950,064 23,172
Detroit 41 879,614 21,454
New York 41 746,851 18,216
Chicago 41 736,964 17,975
Cleveland 41 730,925 17,827
LA Lakers 41 717,349 17,496
Milwaukee 41 700,984 17,097
Dallas 41 695,056 16,953
Houston 41 680,728 16,603
Sacramento 41 677,197 16,517
TEAM;LIST;FORECAST;START;END;SEASON;NBA;BASKETBALL;
STATISTIC;DFREEPRESS