Around The Rim

Atlanta coach Lenny Wilkens, who is also head of the National Basketball Coaches Association, has petitioned the league to change the injured reserve list to the reserve list, thereby allowing teams to carry 14 players legitimately, instead of conjuring up injuries to stash healthy players. Wilkens proposes that the two players on reserve receive the minimum salary, with the understanding that they cannot be kept on reserve for more than one season. "The way it works now is a farce," says Wilkens, who dressed only 11 players against Boston last week because his organization refuses to put players on injured reserve unless they are really
hurt....

Portland is concerned that forward Brian Grant may be hindered the rest of the way by a sore left knee. Grant has missed two games in the past two weeks....

Utah coach Jerry Sloan, an assistant to Wilkens on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, expressed disappointment last week at not being chosen team coach for the 2000 Games. Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who coached the U.S. in the world championships last summer, was given the nod instead. "What did I do wrong?" Sloan said. "I don't mind criticism. Did I do something wrong? I'd like to know? Those in the know say that USA Basketball's intent was not to slight Sloan but rather to reward Tomjanovich for having coached a team that was supposed to be composed of NBA All-Stars but, because of the league's labor strife, was made up of CBA and college players.