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■ ■ ... —• —*—'— — -Previews by NBA Coaches—Cervi Isn't Claiming Title For Nats, But He's Happy(First of a Series)BY AL CERVI They say a football bounces many ways, ana after my years in the NBA, I’ve seen a lot of guys who can do tricks with a basketball that you wouldn't believe possible even of the “many-wayed” football.It’s because of those tricks with! the round ball that there is hardly ever an occasion when a coach in the NBA, or, I guess, just about: any place else for that matter, will; go out on a limb with a prediction-, of his team’s chances. I'm not; claiming the Nats will be cham* ^ H i r\= A U.«,x 7’^. cmi’tnPAl Cervipions in 1954-d5. but I’m smiling.Red Rocha, the Splendid Splinter, is back after a one-year lay-; off. He probably is the best dc-j len'sive big man in pro ball, andj at 30 years of age has a few good campaigns left under the boards.11 don’t' know if we could have gone all-the-way las: year if wc had him then, but you can't play them back—so, we'll just look to what' Red can do to help this year.BETTER SEASON FOR DOLPH?Bolph Schaves, playing with a broken wrist lor the second time in his pro career, finished theyear as our top scorer again, He,should have a better season with;— ------- .-some of the defensive pressure;I’m smiling . . . but remember, shifted to Rocha. Sari Uoyd anddn tin’s vastly improved league. Wally (Ox) Osterkorn will battle .with the new 24-second rule and you all the way, and I lock to;the six-foul per team per quarterthem, with r.ew confidence, for limit, anything can happen!more scoring. They both ^ arcj •--hishly agile big men who drive , welt, and this will give them an;/ advantage over other 6 foot 6 pros;, now that the r.ew 24-s^cond rulejf forces us all to shoot more. j BACKCOURT STRONG |[Tri the backcourt we are as:Strong as any team in the league ' with Paul Seymour, who was se-;L lected on the East All-Stars andiO the NBA all-league second team,!j( leading the playmakers.George King has yet to come into his own, and in Syracuse we’* feel that this will be the best s season for George, 'after having.'11 giver, us three standout campaigns to date. .PBilly (The Bulle-tl Gabor eir.-^ barks on year number seven as a|L' pro, and wearing jersey No'. 7ia since joining the Nats, we figure P this has got to be a “lucky one’’|a for the accident-prone Billy. aThe sensational rookie of the1 past campaign, Billy Kenville, hasj all the class to develop into a top professional. Possessing a_ great{5 shooting eye, Kenville didn't rr.lss ji t£lb;a single game last year while.maintaining the team's best shoot-j . ing percentage. With a year's ex-!* perierice behind him, he should-be a very important Nat this seajc son. ' .NEAL VS, KERR Jim Neal, our 6-ft. 11-in, re-;' serve center last season, won the; sixth game of the finals at Min-r ceapolis with a terrific push-shot from 22 feet but didn’t get a chance to play as much as he would have liked throughout the season. Rookie Johnny Kerr, a 6-ft. 9-in, carrot-top from Chicago, who won the most valuable player award in the “Big Ten” his senior year while breaking University of Illinois scoring records, should give Jumbo Jim a stiff battle for his spot. I wish I could keep them both to meet the “towers” in this league, but I'm afraid thai it will be one or the other.Among the first-year men who will be fighting for spots on the roster will be Indiana's Dick Farley and the Korean veteran, Ken McBride, to mention the most prominent. Farley was our second draft choico and at 6-ft. 4 in. ■will be hard to keep out of the NBA, if the 18-point performance he gave in the East-West game is any indication. McBride, a Chicago boy, is 6-ft. 3 in., has a great eet and is a fierce competitor.' Jackie Moore, late of LaSalle, is!; another in contention for a spotJ Maybe now you can see why;
Newspaper Details
Syracuse Post Standard
Syracuse, New York, US
Thu, Oct 21, 1954
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Sarah K.
NA, 30 Apr 2024
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