IN COMMEMORATION of the start of the NBA's second decade in Utah Friday night comes the following special edition of the Benson Poll, with up-to-the-opening-tipoff predictions of every division race.
It is the Poll's first-ever foray into pro basketball.After 10 years, the Poll is sufficiently satisfied that the pros are here to stay for either eternity or the length of the Larry Miller Arena mortgage, whichever comes first.
Also, the Poll is sufficiently satisfied that it has done its homework over the past decade, during which course of time it has tirelessly watched hundreds of NBA games since the days of Pete Maravich, noticing trends, charting tendencies, eating press box food, sitting at the feet of Frank Layden, analyzing zone defenses, dissecting the nuances of the pop fly rule.
To that end, comes this.
Actually, this is new territory for the Benson Poll. For all polls, for that matter. The predictions you are about to read are based on no interviews with anyone, learned, unlearned or otherwise. Who knows what the margin of error is. Who knows if there is one. All that's known for sure is overhead was low.
Basically, it is the Fleishman/Pons method of discovery mixed with the Bubba Smith system of reaching the desired result. Fleishman/Pons, of course, pioneered the practice of categorically declaring the results of research - in their case, if they did say so themselves, cold fusion - before actually knowing for sure what was going on; while Mr. Smith, the ex-NFL lineman, liked to get through his workday by "tackling everybody and throwing them out until you find the one with the ball."
If that makes sense, so will this Poll.
We'll start in geographical order, moving outward from the center of the universe.
The Midwest Division
(Predicted order of finish with accompanying Benson Poll/Oregon lotto odds of winning the NBA Championship):
1. Utah Jazz9-1
2. San Antonio Spurs16-1
3. Dallas Mavericks25-1
4. Denver Nuggets26-1
5. Houston Rockets27-1
6. Charlotte Hornets1001-1
7. Minnesota Timberwolves1,002-1
The Spurs' David Robinson, now on permanent leave, will be the Midwest's featured attraction, but he's still three inches shorter than Mark Eaton. Texas teams never have gotten the hang of basketball. The ball's shaped funny. Defensive Jazz should have their way till April, and then might want to trade for Dr. Robert Heimlich.
Pacific Division:
1. Phoenix Suns 7-1
2. Golden State Warriors 8-1
3. Portland Trail Blazers 14-1
4. Kareem-less Lakers 15-1
5. Seattle SuperSonics 20-1
6. Sacramento Kings 40-1
7. Los Angeles Clippers 50-1
The Great Western Forum can go ahead and schedule tractor pulls for June; in Phoenix, No. 15 sunblock will be the thing to wear through the first round of the playoffs; then, in order, No. 4, No. 2 and straight coconut oil.
Central Division:
1. Chicago Bulls 5-1
2. Detroit Pistons 6-1
3. Cleveland Cavaliers 11-1
4. Atlanta Hawks 13-1
5. Milwaukee Bucks 18-1
6. Indiana Pacers 51-1
7. Orlando Magic 1,003-1
If Michael Jordan can get $110.95 for a pair of basketball shoes, he can win an NBA title, particularly after the kind of draft the Bulls had.
Atlantic Division:
1. Boston Celtics 10-1
2. New York Knickerbockers 12-1
3. Philadelphia 76ers 17-1
4. Washington Bullets 21-1
5. New Jersey Nets 52-1
6. Miami Heat 1,001-1
Never bet against an inside straight, house rules, and Larry Bird.
As is obvious by the above odds, the Benson Poll favors, in order, the Bulls, the Pistons, the Suns, the Warriors, the Jazz and the Celtics to eventually win the NBA championship next summer. All expansion teams are given long odds, but not as long as The Famous Chicken.
Why? That's the Poll's business. Its only business.
Clip the above and save in a safe place until April. See how the first-ever poll-less poll fares; the one that likes to work alone, like Bubba Smith. You never know. It might be the start of a new polling trend. Harris and Gallup could take notice. The phone bill was extremely low. And there were no undecideds.