Page 10 Portland Observer, October 19,1963
Sport Talk
by Ron Sykes
Sports Editor
The N B A .. .Today
Pacific Division Outlook
This it io remind you that around
the corner lurk* the beginning o f the
1983-84 N B A »eaxon And here’»
the Otwerver preview:
I.
Lo» Angeles Lakers— This
should hardly come as a surprise to
anyone. The Lakers are clearly the
dominant team o f the West. And
could very well be the most dom i
nant team in all of the N B A And,
no, I haven’t forgotten the past
NB A champion Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers beat a Laker team that
was injury-riddled. W ith a healthy
Bob M cAdoo and James W orthy
you would have seen a different
Laker team and probably a different
N B A champoion. Where you lose
the versatility of a M cAdoo and
W orthy it’s like trying to pole vault
over M t. Everest. The Lakers were
hurt on the boards in the champion
ship series and that shouldn’ t hap
pen this year. The Lakers are a set
team with minimal charges You
don’t argue with success or change
w hat’s been working for you. But
two changes will definitely strength
en coach Pat Riley's squad.
Point guard N orm Nixon, who
enjoyed a roller-coaster season last
year, was sent to San Diego for back
up center. Swen Naler and the draft
rights to first round pick. No. 3
overall, Byron Scott out o f Arizona
State. Nater, a strong rebounder,
will spell Kareem while Scott should
team up with Magic Johnson in the
Laker back court. Curt Rambis, for
reasons unknown here, will probab
ly continue to start in the front
court. But it’s hard to imagine
W orthy being held o ff very much
longer.
W ith W orthy and the relentless
jam all Wilkes on the run the Laker
fast break is awesome and poetic.
Both.
2. Portland Trailblazers— This
pick will undoubetedly raise more
than a few eyebrows. N o, Portland
did not pick up a strong center as
promised. Yes, they don’ t only have
one rookie that is expected to play.
And. no, they haven’ t yet signed
M r Clyde Drexler to a contract.
And, yes, they did finish behind
both Phoenix and Seattle last year.
Then why are they expected to
achieve such a lofty perch this sea
son? I t ’s one healthy Kermit Wash
ington. Washington, 32. 6-8 and 235
pounds, is healed and ready. And
that means that Portland will not be
dominated inside by too many NBA
clubs.
Kenny Carr is coming o ff a
treacherous
season
where
he
chipped in 12 points and 7.5 re
bounds a gamm o ff the bench.
Washington's presence should help
C arr. Kenny will now be able to de
vote more attention to his scoring,
something that he can do well. Then
there's the tenacious one. Calvin
Natt.
N att. 20.4, is the cog in the wheel
that Portland depends most heavily
on. At 6-6 and 225 pounds. N atl is a
small forward who thinks he's a
power forward. And therein lies the
key toi Calvin's success. He can
muscle and hang inside, then step
outside and knock down the 20-foot
jumper.
Natt is a splendid scorer and a
fearless rebounder Portland’s back
court is set with Captain Jim Paxson
and the two dynamo point guards
secong year man Pat Lever and D ar
nell Valentine.
” ln Fat and Darnell we have the
two best point guards in the
league," exclaimed Jack Ramsay.
Valentine and Lever will continue
their bid for the starting position,
both are capable and their friendly
but hot rivalry is a plus for the team
Expect Kermit Washington to
sustain the flow while on the court.
A healthy Washington will not be
bothered by the year's absence, but
will only pound the boards harder.
The added depth up front will
help this Blazer team tremendously.
3. Phoenix Suns— Phoenix didn’t
help its back court by giving away
Dennis Johnson. No matter what
they tell you about Johnson’s inabil
ity to get along, the man can play
the game Kyle Macy, at 6-3, is not
the player DJ is. Macy, a fine shoot
er. lacks the speed and defensive
ability to be a starter in the NB A.
Hock Shop
Buy, Sell or Trade
Anything of value
5600 N E Union
287 5330
i
«
emorial
I, -
Kermit’s final effort: Kermit Washington made a
valiant try to return to the Blazer lineup after re
tirement last year due to Injuries. In Monday
night’s game with Houston, he played 14 minutes
Phoenix will suffer with Macy on
the court. I t ’s reported that free
agent Paul Westphal will step into
D J’s place. Another mistake if true
Westphal is merely a shooter, and at
age 32 has lost a step he could ill a f
ford to lose. Maurice Lucas and
Larry Nance are the mainstays of
this Denver team and anywhere they
go will have to be on the backs of
these two.
In two years Nance has emerged
as a premier player. In fact his mer
curial improvement has shocked the
entire N B A world. James Edwards
and Alvan Adams will continue to
share the load at center where both
are terribly inadequate.
4. San Diego Clippers— So go Bill
W alton, so go the Clippers. Not en
tirely true. Coach Jim l.ynam, first
year coach from Portland, is care
fully putting together a team. L.y
nam is a stern tactician and a teach
er out o f the Jack Ramsay school
San Diego is strong enough at center
where W alton and Jerome White-
head will guard the painted area
Rookie Terry Cummings, 23.7 and
I0.6, returns at power forward
Cummings had some heart prob
lems at the end of last season that he
has apparently overcome. Despite
his problems the 6-9, 228-pound
Cummings was at the top of last
year’s rookie class. The acquisition
on ex-Laker Norm Nixon at point
and shooting guard can only en-
I nee a troubled back court in San
Diego. The back court now boasts
the likes of Craig Hodges, Lionel
Hollins and possibly M ark Radford
And with Nixon, that, too,
should be adequate. W alton, still,
will only play in games that are not
consecutive.
O ttm
Cif ■tÜ'J
’eUm .
hom e«
« A """n '
and acorad 2 pointa. Waahington aaid Tuesday
that hia previous injuries stand In the way of a re
turn to hit basketball caraar
(Photo Dan Longl
5. Seattle Super Sonics— The Son-
ics are a team in transition. Only the
transition is on the down rather than
the up side. First bad thing to hap
pen was the drug problem of one
super guard David Thompson. Then
a trouble Lonnie Shelton, their best
power forward, was sent to Siberia,
or was that Cleveland, or are they
one in the same And if that wasn't
enough had to happen
they went
out and drafted Jon Sandvold in the
first round and most experts believe
he could have been had in round
four. The arrival of Tom Chambers
from San Diego should help.
The Sonics are terribly weak in
the back court. Freddie Brown, 35.
is not the player he once was. but
then who is at that advanced age? It
should be a long, cold winter in Se
attle.
6. Golden State W arriors— The
Warriors finished a lackluster 30-52
last season and should not do any
better this time Sure they had a to
tal of 238 missed player games due
to injury, but that figure is mislead
ing The team obviously lacks tal
ent. So far they've done little to sign
their No. I draft choice, a player
they didn't really need in Purdue's,
6 I0, Russell Cross Joe Barry Car-
roll is a fixture in the middle, Cross
is loo good to be happy backing up
Maybe a trade is in the works. G o l
den Stale needs help at every posi
tion, but least of all at center
O B Hill, president of C C S. b Aaeocietea. presents swards for
their contributions to the growth and survival of Bieck end minority
enterprises to Lillie Welker. Special Control Coordination. State
Dept. of General Services: Dave Wilson. Purchasing Agent. Dept. of
General Services: Multnomah County Commissioner Gladys
McCoy.
(Photo: Richard J. Brown!
Jamaica asks Garvey pardon
The government o f Jamaica has
asked President Ronald Reagan to
grant a full pardon to Marcus G a r
vey. Garvey, a Jamaican, was de
ported from the U .S. in I927 after
serving a prison term for "m a il
fra u d ."
Garvey, who advocated enterprise
and solidarity, had a following of
millions in the U.S.
Prime Minister Edward Seaga
asked vice-president Booth for the
pardon during a ceremony in M on
lego Bay commemorating National
Heroes Day. He said Garvey was
convicted in the U .S. "during a
campaign o f persecution against
h im ."
" I t cannot benefit the memory o f
this great man whom the world ac
knowledges as the father of Black
nationalism, for which he is univer
sally honored, that the record of his
life continues to be tainted with this
stain of dishonor," Seaga said.
Kaiser rededicates complex
P O R T L A N D . O « — Bess Kaiser
Medical Center, 5055 N Greeley
Ave., Portland, marked thecomple
lion of a two-phase, J I5 million dol
lar remodeling and renovation with
a "Rededication to Excellence" cer
emony on Sunday, October I6 ai 2
p m M ayor Francis J. Ivancie pro
claimed the day "Bess Kaiser Medi
cal Center D a y ."
Renovation allowed for the addi
lion o f computerized technology
that did not exist when the hospital
was built. A C T9800 scanner was
the first to be delivered in Portland
of a new generation of sophisticated
imaging machine, capable of pro
viding multiple, clearer pictures in
only seconds. An angiography suite
allows catheterization of heart and
blood vessels to be performed on
site. The expanded radiololgy de
partment includes new ultrasound
equipment for obstetrics and radiol
ogy, as well as traditional X-ray
equipment.
The emergency department was
remodeled and expanded, incorpor
ating cardiac and respiratory moni
toring equipment along with addi
tional exam rooms One of the busi
est in Oregon, the emergency de
partment treated 33,476 patients in
I982. An additional 29,723 patients
who sought care after-hours were
treated in the urgent care clinic.
The neonatal intensive care unit
was expanded and a progressive
nursery installed, so that infants re
ceive the level o f care they need ac
cording to their conditions. The
N IC U is one o f four in Oregon that
share in caring for distressed new
horns from other hospitals through
out Oregon and Southwest Wash
THE BEEPER PEOPLE.
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