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Wednesday, October 29, 1997

Nelson: We're good enough to make playoffs

By DENNE H. FREEMAN / AP Sports Writer

DALLAS (AP) -- Don Nelson spends a good deal of time at home in Hawaii recharging his batteries. It was after one of those recent visits that Nelson came back to Texas with an amazing visage.

"I think we'll have a team good enough to make the playoffs," Nelson said with a tanned and straight face. "We're going to have an exciting team. We'll have a lot of good new players and we'll push the ball up the court. We'll be a really fun team to watch."

This pronouncement caused a stir in Dallas, where the Mavericks won only 24 games last year and overachieved to get that many.

Nelson, since taking over as general manager, has already churned the NBA waters with dizzying trades and by drafting unheralded Australian Chris Anstey in the first round.

The latest arrival in Dallas is controversial Dennis Scott, who wore out his welcome in Orlando.

Nelson traded one of the most popular Mavericks, Derek Harper, to get Scott, a pure shooter who angered Magic management over the summer with an expletive-laden diatribe at a summer camp for kids and by hosting a birthday bash at which two people were shot.

Recent injuries have caused Nelson to recant the bold notion his Mavs will make the playoffs.

Injuries have decimated the team during preseason and Anstey, the 18th pick, won't join Dallas until his South East Melbourne Magic team is eliminated from the Australian League playoffs. That should be sometime in the first month of the NBA regular season.

"Right now we're anything but healthy, so the expectations have been lowered," Nelson said. "But every team has injuries. I expect us to compete on a high level when we get everybody back."

Guard Erick Strickland has a bad ankle and point guard Robert Pack has a broken finger that should keep both from starting the season. Small forward Scott has been nursing hamstring problems but should be ready for the opening tipoff.

Rookie forward Ace Custis tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, ending his season. Kurt Thomas also is nursing ankle problems but could play sometime in November.

Second-year coach Jim Cleamons has been charged with getting the Mavs running.

"We need to perfect the halfcourt offense because there will be times when we won't be able to get into the flow of the fastbreak," Cleamons said. "There's no doubt injuries in the preseason have set us back."

The arrival of Anstey will be much anticpated as he meshes with such established stars as Michael Finley and A.C. Green.

"He's going to be the best running center in the NBA," Nelson said. "We feel he can play three different positions. He can take care of our backup center (to Shawn Bradley), his natural position is power forward and he can also play against some of the bigger small forwards. He can run, shoot, rebound and pass very well. He also just happens to be seven feet tall. He's a young player (22) with a lot of skill and ability who has just scratched the surface."

One of the season highlights for the Mavs should come on Nov. 22 when Green, if he stays healthy, will become the NBA's version of baseball's Cal Ripken Jr. when he plays in his 907th consecutive game.

"It will be a special night," Green said. "I'm looking forward to it."