Bulls cruising at 73 vps

Sporting News, The, Jan 8, 1996 by Shaun Powell

So what do you give the player who has everything.

Olympic gold medal? He has two. Check-check.

Championship ring? Check-check-check.

MVP? Check-check-check.

Scoring title? Check-check-check-check-check-check-check (and still checking).

Yep, figure that Michael Jordan was pretty hard to please around the holidays.

However, there is one record that doesn't have Jordan's fingerprints. It isn't terribly important or crucial, but it would be nice to display on the crowded shelf. And it is in sight Seventy victories.

The Bubs played the league like Jumanji in the first two months of the season. They went 12-2 in November, 13-1 in December and are on a pace for 73 victories. Several factors, one being a watered-down league, may help the Bulls break 70.

But if they don't erase the 1971-72 Lakers' 69-victory record, it may be because "they don't appear too motivated to get it. "The record don't mean crap," Dennis Rodman says. "We can win 68, 69 games and it don't mean crap if we don't get it done in the playoffs."

Certainly, the Bulls have grander goals. Jordan didn't leave baseball to lose in the first round. No matter what the Bulls accomplish during the regular season, the true purpose is not to pull a Seattle in April.

Still, 70 victories is a possibility. Here's how the Bulls can pull it off.

* Continue the home cookin'. When the week began, the Bulls and Magic were the only teams unbeaten at home. If the Bulls are to reach 70, they must also threaten the '85-86 Celtics' home-court mark of 40-1.

* Emerge unscathed from the West Coast The Bulls went 6.1 on their first extended western trip this season, losing only in Seattle. The next and last western trip starts January 30 in Houston and lasts six games. The won-lost record then will determine if 70 victories is a possibility.

* Close strong. If the Bulls have the playoff home-court edge clinched in early April, they must muster enough incentive to go for the record. Maybe they would rather rest for the playoffs instead because, again, the best postseason record is the goal, not the best regular season. Yet it would be difficult to imagine Jordan, who loves challenges, allowing the Bulls to trot toward the finish line if they still have a realistic shot at the mark.

The Bulls don't have the deep talent of the 72 Lakers. They don't even have the talent of their previous championship teams. What Chicago has is two great players and 10 role players. If Jordan and Scottie Pippen aren't the best teammate tandem ever, they are certainly the best in the game today. Better than Penny Hardaway-Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon-Clyde Drexler and John Stockton-Karl Malone.

"We have a certain understanding of ourselves offensively and defensively," Jordan says. "I think offensively you can say that about other (tandems). But from a defensive standpoint? Both ends? I'd like to see the two.

Jordan-Pippen may be enough to carry the Bulls to 70 if the supporting cast continues to contribute. Rodman wants to become the first player to win a rebounding title with three different teams. Ron Harper, given more responsibility this season, sometimes plays like the pre-knee injury Ron Harper of the Cavaliers. Luc Longley is taking lessons in toughness from Rodman, and in order to solidity the center position, the Bulls are trying to convince Sam Bowie to postpone retirement.

Toni Kukoc is still struggling to come to grips with his reserve role and that's where the upside of the team lies. If Kukoc can find peace off the bench, then the Bulls will be that much better, and maybe that much closer to 70.

They'll have to fight through the dreary mid-down stretch, they have one more West Coast trip to contend with and they'll have to finish strong. A few more monster winning streaks would help, too.

"This is probably the best stretch we've had,'"Jordan says. "We haven't won anything yet even though this is the best we've been at this stage. I don't think it's in our best interest to pat ourselves on the back, because it's a long season.

"Are we playing well enough to will a championship right now? I don't think anyone in the league is. But we're playing well enough to have the record we have. I don't think that's a false record."

Bullet proof

Better watch out for the Bullets, who may be an established winner by the All-Star break. It doesn't rest on the shoulders of Chris Webber, but it does rest with his shoulder.

When Webber isn't bending over in pain from a slight shoulder separation, as he did last week for the second time this season, he has played like the best big forward in the East. When he hasn't been the conference's premier big forward, teammate Juwan Howard has. Tim Legier didn't have an NBA future three months ago; now he leads the league in 3-point shooting and gives the Bullets some stability at big guard, where Calbert Cheaney is searching for consistency.

"At the end of the season," Knicks Coach Don Nelson says, "they're going to be right up there with anyone you want to mention."

Trading places

From Suns center Joe Kleine: "Charles and I have no-trade clauses. His is written in. Mine, well, nobody wants to trade for me."