No Subject

Coaching derby: New Jersey's Rod Thorn, suggesting he still hasn't gotten the 
hang of this GM thing, lost his old mentor, Lenny Wilkens, to Toronto, where 
Wilkens' calm and ability to organize a team will be just what the Raptors 
need after Butch Carter's raving. Unfortunately, by the time Wilkens starts 
to work, Tracy McGrady will be gone. Charles Oakley and Antonio Davis want 
out too. 
     Bird, now a 6% owner of the Pacers after receiving 2% for each season he 
coached, turned down a front-office position. Insiders say he wants to put 
together a group to buy the Celtics. Owner Paul Gaston steadfastly has 
insisted he won't sell, but how will he feel in a year or two, when Rick 
Pitino probably will be gone and Celtic fans will be cursing his name and 
praying to posters of Larry Legend? 

   To those of you who give the Clippers credit for ... well, for being a 
basketball team, it is a week to the draft and they don't have a coach yet.  
Jim Todd, the interim coach, has been told he's not a candidate.  Heisler, in 
another column today, puts Dennis Johnson and John Lucas at the front of the 
(sad) pack. Talk about the kiss of death in the NBA:  "Well, I coached the 
Clippers!"