Stepien
keeps Cavs boiling
NBA Central by Bill Nichols
CLEVELAND- Controversy and chaos continued to hover over the
Cleveland Cavaliers, with the latest episode a feud between
Owner Ted Stepien and Coach Chuck Daly over philosophies.
Stepien implied that Daly would be let out of his three year
contract for $480,000 less than two months after he took over
the coaching job. However, the owner relented and the former
Philadelphia 76ers assistant will stay at least until the end
of the season.
Stepien spent more than $2 million to sign free agents Scott
Wedman, James Edwards and Bobby Wilkerson. He said he bought
enough talent to put the Cavaliers into the playoffs. Daly doesn’t
believe there is enough talent to reach Stepien’s lofty
goal.
Daly said all along he would not resign, and it was learned
that Stepien had his attorneys write up a buy-out agreement.
Then cooler heads prevailed and Daly remained.
“Chuck is a fine individual and fine coach, but I want
him to say, ‘Gee, we have some talent,’ ”
said Stepien.
“I feel we have playoff talent. We restructured this team
to be a playoff club. We checked with various sources on the
people we signed.”
“Chuck accepted this job knowing he had to do something
this season. He’ll have this year to do it.”
Daly replaced Don Delaney the first of December and won just
three of his first 17 starts. However, both Wedman and Richard
Washington have been out with injuries and Daly was trying to
install a running system with the players he has had. As of
January 21, the Cavaliers were a miserable 7-31.
Daly did approve a trade in which forward Mike Mitchell and
guard Roger Phegley went to San Antonio for guard Ron Brewer
and forward Reggie Johnson.
Stepien has put his own moratorium on future trades and refuses
to spend and money for talent this season.
Early in January Stepien said that the Cavs should win at least
one out of every three games. In an emotional moment, he said
of Daly, “He won’t quit and I won’t fire him.
This guy is not a proven NBA coach. I think this is important
to know.
“I want my coach to say we can win with this talent”
Speculation surfaced several times about General Manager Bill
Musselman, who coached the Cavs most of last season, returning
to the bench.
The local media has been behind Daly and so have the players.
James Silas and Wilkerson both called Stepien to speak in Daly’s
behalf. And, just about all players admit Stepien’s verbal
volleys in the media have hindered them in trying to right all
the wrongs.
“I think Chuck is an excellent coach,” said forward
Kenny Carr. “”If he’d been here at the beginning
of the season, I’m sure things would have been different.
“Two years of disarray makes it tough, though, to get
up for games.”
Then Carr asked to be traded, saying he had lost all loyalty
to the Cavs.
Daly said he would not quit. “I enjoy coaching too much”,
he said “You are always on the hot seat as head coach.
Truthfully, I’m not concerned with what’s being
said.”
Some say Stepien’s ego can’t handle Daly, who does
not bow and scrape to his owner. Daly doesn’t even return
Stepien’s telephone calls and wants to be left alone.
The rhubarb has quieted, but you can make book that serenity
will be short-lived.
* * *
Indiana rookie forward Herb Williams had 17 blocked shots
in two games against Los Angeles. In the second meeting though
Williams had 9 blocks and 16 rebounds…. In their first
35 games, the Atlanta Hawks had more victories over Milwaukee,
Philadelphia, Phoenix, New York and Cleveland than they had
last season…. During this same stretch, the Hawks had
eight road triumphs compared to just 11 on foreign courts all
last season… Hawks scout Brendan Suhr claims to be the
most traveled scout in the NBA, having logged more than 11,000
air miles by mid-January.
Chicago’s Reggie Theus said of the Lakers’ Magic
Johnson, “When I go up against Magic, I know I have to
come to play.” In their last confrontation, Theus had
28 points, 10 assists and two steals - and the Bulls won….
Milwaukee reactivated, Junior Bridgeman and put Mike Evans on
the injured list. Previously, Evans was cut and then brought
back when Bridgeman was injured…. The Cavaliers have cut
seven-year veteran Don Ford, but will still have to pay him
through the next season because he is another on a two-year
contract.
In guard John Long, the Detroit Pistons have the best bargain
in the NBA, but you can rest assured that it won’t last.
Long, a four-year pro, is on the last year of his original contract,
which is believed to call for an annual salary of $85,000. This
bargain is averaging 21.8 points and ranks 12th in the league.
When Long joined the Pistons out of the University of Detroit
he acted as his own agent. Now, New York’s Irwin Weiner
represents him and is looking for a four-year or five-year agreement
for $2 million…. The Pistons have already won eight games,
which is more than they won all last season…. Home attendance
for the Pistons was 108 percent better last year at the same
time…. The Pistons’ office is in the Silverdome
and during the week prior to Super Bowl XVI, the office staff
was not allowed to roam the building, National Football League
Security people were everywhere.
For one game, Indiana’s George McGinnis looked like the
Big Mac of his old days in Philadelphia. The Pacers snapped
a five-game losing streak with a victory over Chicago January
17 as McGinnis played 19 minutes, was 7-of-9 from the floor
and 5-for-5 from the foul line.
Atlanta guard Charlie Criss asked to be traded and his request
was granted January 20 when he and rookie Al Wood were dealt
to San Diego for guard Freeman Williams. Also on January 20,
the Pacers sold forward Mike Bantom to Philadelphia….
Milwaukee’s Marques Johnson apparently is all the way
back after scoring 23 points against Boston and 27 against Detroit
in successive games.
The Milwaukee Journal reported that the last two years of Johnson’s
new eight-year contract are not guaranteed - the $1.4 million
salary in 1987-88 and $1.5 Million in 1988-89. Johnson is earning
$500,000 this season and will make $1.3 million by 1986–87.
He sat out the first 18 games of this season because he felt
his salary, about $200,000 with an additional $100,000 in bonuses,
was not enough. Johnson had two years to go on his original
pact before the Bucks renegotiated.
This article by Bill Nichols
appeared in The Sporting News February 6, 1982
Reproduced with permission of the author.