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Falling stars Mounting injuries will make early-season races interesting
Updated: Sunday October 21, 2001 6:29 PM
First it was Allen Iverson. Then it was Antonio McDyess. Now it's Chris Webber. One by one, the NBA has been losing all-stars to injury this preseason. It started with Iverson's elbow surgery, a decision that will keep the Sixers' star out until the start of the regular season. Then the Nuggets' McDyess went down for three months with a knee injury. Finally, the Kings lost Webber last week to a severe ankle sprain that could keep him out until December. What does it mean to the balance of power in the NBA? In the East, it means teams like the Bucks, Raptors, Magic and Hornets have a golden chance to make a move on the favored Sixers. Last year, Philadelphia won its first 10 games to seize command of the Eastern race right away. With Iverson liable to be rusty, and teammates Aaron McKie (shoulder) and Eric Snow (thumb) banged up, the Sixers probably won't be able to break from the pack again. Meanwhile, Webber's injury could seriously hurt the Kings' chances of earning the best record in the West and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Sacramento has a tough road slate the first month, with trips to the Lakers, Mavericks, Spurs, Magic, Heat, Rockets and Pacers in the first month.
Dallas is perhaps the Western Conference team best poised to take advantage of the injury situation. The Mavericks play the Sixers twice in the first two weeks of the regular season, and have two dates with the Kings by Dec. 2. They also will have played three of their four games against the Nuggets by the time McDyess returns. As for the NBA, it doesn't have to worry about the loss of such marquee players to start the season. Michael Jordan's comeback figures to take up much of the spotlight anyway. We know it's only the preseason, but...Speaking of injuries, Tuesday's Sixers-Spurs game at the Alamodome featured more talent in suits on the bench than on the floor. Iverson, McKie, David Robinson, Steve Smith, Dikembe Mutombo, Terry Porter, George Lynch and Danny Ferry all sat out the exhibition contest, which had a paid attendance of more than 14,000. Surfing through my NBA League Pass, it was a similar story up and down the dial. The Nuggets didn't have McDyess, Avery Johnson, George McCloud, Calbert Cheaney and Isaiah Rider. The Knicks were without Clarence Weatherspoon and Marcus Camby. Even Jordan sat out the Wizrds' scrimmage with a sprained foot. It's getting harder to find an NBA star on the highlights these days than it is to find Dick Cheney. OK, we know it's only the preseason. And, yes, it makes sense to protect key players so they don't get hurt. Just ask McDyess and Webber. But don't NBA clubs owe it to the fans to make sure players who miss these games are genuinely injured and not just taking a night off? After all, in most cases teams still charge full price for tickets.
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