A Lost Season for Randy Smith

By Bill Nichols

CLEVELAND – Randy Smith will never forger the winter of 1980-81, but would like to pretend it never happened.

Smith has spent 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association, establishing himself as one of the league’s premier guards. Now, in a matter of weeks, he has gone from super star to not so supersub.

The seventh-round draft choice of the ill-fated Buffalo Braves back in 1971 has been the topic of conversation as well as consternation this season. It’s been the winter of discontent.

Smith was the acknowledged leader of the Cleveland Cavaliers during training camp. More than a few eyebrows were raised when Coach Bill Musselman had Smith play two complete games during the exhibition season. Soon after the season began, Smith was named team captain. However, since Christmas, Smith’s season has gone downhill to such a state that he’s been logging 10 or fewer minutes per game as the Cavaliers’ fourth guard.

In a matter of weeks, Smith has gone from a premier backcourter, who was gathering steam in the All-Star Game voting, to the role of a sub. As a starter, he was among the league leaders in scoring average, minutes played, steals and assists.

Third-year pro Roger Phegley replaced Smith as the starting off guard on December 26 after Randy had complained publicly about the way Musselman was using him.

Phegley has done a good job, averaging nearly 14 points per game for the season and around 20 ppg the past couple of weeks. However, no one on the club can generate the excitement that Smith can.

Smith was offered to numerous teams as Musselman tried to trade him for a top draft choice or a good “big man.” The coach worked until midnight February 15, the trading deadline, but no deal materialized. Musselman was disappointed and Smith was crushed. He’d hoped to go to Boston, but nothing could be worked out.

Since then, the only thing Smith has had going for him is the hope he will be traded at the end of the season and that his consecutive-game streak remains intact. He has played in more than 750 straight games, the longest streak in the NBA since Johnny (Red) Kerr played in 844 consecutive games nearly 20 years ago.

Musselman and Smith are not communicating. There is no bigger split between coach and captain than this one. It’s irreparable.

“It’s unpredictable here,” said Smith. “Today, everything might be fine, but who knows what tomorrow will bring?

“I would like to be on an established team and would like to play 25 or 30 minutes a game and just concentrate on basketball-but it won’t happen here.”

Smith was suffering with a sore thigh muscle for a few weeks, but now only his disposition is sore.

ATLANTA: He was a star in Europe, little known in his own country, but now he has the opportunity to do something about it. That’s Art Collins, a 6-4 guard who was a small college (Biscayne College) standout, but a failure with the Boston Celtics and New Jersey Nets.

Collins was given a mini-contract with the Hawks, but recently signed an agreement by which the Hawks will retain his services the next four years.

MILWAUKEE: Guard Brian Winters, a sickbay candidate most of the winter, is back in action and apparently has not lost his shooting touch. In his first two games back from yet another injury, Winters hit seven of nine shots in one game and was six-for-six in another as the Bucks found themselves at full strength in the run for the playoffs.

Although Winters will not dislodge Sidney Moncreif in the Bucks’ starting lineup, the seven-year veteran is logging at least 25 minutes per game.

DETROIT: Terry Tyler will not make any NBA All-Star teams this season, but in the past month the Pistons’ power forward has been one of the best in the league at his position.

During a 13-game stretch in February, Tyler shot 61 percent from the floor, grabbed 9.5 rebounds per night and averaged 19.5 points. In two games against Cleveland, Tyler had 30 and 31 points.

CHICAGO: Although guard Ronnie Lester has missed just about all season because of knee surgery, the Bulls’ brass is not crying over the trade that sent Kelvin Ransey to Portland for Lester. Ransey has had an outstanding rookie season while Lester has been convalescing.

“Our feeling is that Lester will have a tremendous edge next year on a normal rookie,” said Bulls General Manager Rod Thorn. “He knows our system. He’s seen all the clubs and played against a few of them.” Lester was reactivated, making him eligible for the playoffs.

INDIANA: The Pacers probably will not win the NBA title this season, but Coach Jack McKinney may well capture Coach of the Year honors. The Pacers will finish the regular season comfortably above .500 and earn a spot in the playoffs for the first time since they came into the NBA in the 1976-77 season.