Injuries are already a factor this season

Sporting News, The, Oct 25, 1993 by Tim Povtak

The absence of Michael Jordan throws this NBA season up for grabs, giving it the feeling of an NCAA Tournament for the first time in years. There are several legitimate contenders, and after one week of training camp, there is only one consensus: The biggest factor in determining who wins the title will be injuries. No team is good enough to withstand an extended absence of a key player.

And training camps around the league last week showed everyone just how hard it is to keep a team healthy.

Charles Barkley has a bulging disk, a condition that could be a problem through a long season and one that keeps Phoenix from being the favorite in the West. Alvin Robertson has a similar condition in Detroit, and he has missed most of training camp.

Boston's Alaa Abdelnaby will be lost for three months because of surgery on a ruptured disk in his lower back. Larry Johnson has sat out parts of Charlotte's training camp because his recovery from disk surgery this summer was not complete. Is anyone else out there questioning the wisdom of giving a 12-year contract to a guy with back troubles?

In Seattle, Derrick McKey is out indefinitely with a pulled hamstring, a problem that regularly slows Kevin Johnson in Phoenix. Rookie Calbert Cheaney signed quickly with Washington, but he has missed almost all of camp with troublesome hamstrings in both legs. Terrell Brandon won't be helping Cleveland for another six weeks because of mononucleosis. In New York, Anthony Mason already is having shoulder problems. Dennis Scott in Orlando has been slowed by a sprained knee.

Pervis Ellison, who was expected to move to power forward now that Kevin Duckworth has been obtained to play center in Washington, won't move off the bench for another month because he failed to rehabilitate his knees after surgery.

And the season hasn't even started.

You won't need to look at shooting percentages or rebounding statistics to pick the next NBA champion. All you will have to do is look at the injured list.

O'Neal too busy?

The perception around the league, and even on his team, that budding megastar Shaquille O'Neal was too busy making money in the offseason hasn't bothered him in the least. His promotional travels took him to Australia, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Italy and France. A movie took him from Hollywood to New Orleans and Indianapolis. His rap video took him from New York to Los Angeles. A basketball camp took him to Honolulu.

"Next summer, I'll be even busier," he says. "I just hate the thought of waking up in the morning with nothing to do. I'm too young to stay home."

The Magic have asked Leonard Armato, his attorney and adviser, to curtail O'Neal's off-court ventures at least in the month of September next year.

"There is no reason why Shaquille can't be prolific on and off the court," Armato says. "You want a job done right, you hire a busy man. He enjoys all this."

O'Neal, whose promotional earnings this year easily will exceed his $3.9 million basketball salary, arrived in camp with a Superman logo tattooed on his biceps.

"The Hornets-Magic rivalry, (Alonzo) Mourning and O'Neal, is going to be like the Lakers and Celtics of the '80s," O'Neal says. "We're both young, but it's only a matter of time before we win a title."

Free throws

Danny Manning isn't the only player the Clippers could lose after this season to free agency. Guard Ron Harper, in an option year that will pay him $4 million, already is making noise about leaving, too, if he doesn't get an extension before the season begins .... Bracing for the increased pounding he expects to get with a woeful front line, Pistons guard Isiah Thomas reported to camp weighing 205 pounds, up from 180-185.... The globalization of the NBA, which is part of Commissioner David Stem's plan to make basketball the world's most popular sport, moves into full swing. Phoenix plays in the McDonald's Open this weekend in Munich. Houston and New York follow in Mexico City next week. Then it's Portland and Cleveland in Toronto, Miami and Denver in Puerto Rico and Orlando and Atlanta in London twice. "We're committed to making this go worldwide," Stem says.

There are players taking substantial pay cuts this season to stay in the league. Manute Bol made $1.65 million last season with Philadelphia, but as a free agent, he signed with the Miami Heat for $650,000. Greg (Cadillac) Anderson made $2 million last season playing in Italy, but he will play for the Pistons this season for $650,000. ... Ervin Johnson, first-round draft pick from New Orleans, is far from being the youngest player on the Sonics. Johnson, who will turn 26 December 21, is older than Shawn Kemp (24), who is starting his fourth season, Rich King (24) in his second year, Kendall Gill (25) in his third season and Gary Payton (25) in his third season.... And this from recently retired Scott Hastings at Denver: "A few months away from basketball and I'll probably look like Mel Turpin."