Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 6, 1995 TAG: 9506060133
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Now that the Los Angeles Lakers appear to be headed in the right direction, George Lynch is pleased to be part of the traveling party.
``I had a meeting with [vice president] Jerry West before leaving LA,'' Lynch said, ``and he said it was their intention to protect me.''
That means Lynch is one of the eight Lakers players who will not be available to Toronto and Vancouver in the NBA's expansion draft.
``I'm sure that they would like to keep me around, but you never know,'' Lynch said. ``The league is a business. If an offer came up where they could get somebody who would benefit the team, I'm sure they would do it.''
Lynch, a 6-foot-8 forward from Roanoke and the University of North Carolina, was the Lakers' first-round pick in 1993 and averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds as a rookie, when he started 46 games.
Lynch's numbers dropped to 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this season, when he missed 23 consecutive games after breaking the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
``I really don't know when it happened,'' said Lynch, 24. ``All of a sudden, there was a sharp pain in my foot, but it wasn't until I had X-rays that I thought it was broken.''
Lynch, who makes his off-season home in Chapel Hill, N.C., was in Roanoke on Monday to make plans for the third annual George Lynch Boys and Girls Basketball Camp.
The camp, scheduled for July 10-14, moves this year from North Cross School to William Byrd High School.
``Originally, I wanted to have the camp at one of the city high schools, but we couldn't coordinate our schedules with Patrick Henry and [William] Fleming,'' said Lynch, who played on Patrick Henry's Group AAA championship team in 1988.
``The transportation is a little more of a problem here [in Vinton], but we've got gyms at the high school and middle school, which will make for a smoother transition.''
Lynch was in a hurry to get back to Chapel Hill, where he was scheduled to begin two-a-day strength and conditioning workouts Monday night. He has stayed off the foot since May 18, when the Lakers were eliminated by San Antonio in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.
``The Lakers look at the long term, not game to game,'' Lynch said. ``The doctors wanted me to sit out six to eight weeks. Where the stress fracture was, there wasn't a lot of bone circulation, so the healing process took longer.
``After I sat out, they took X-rays again and there was no sign of healing, so they made a special insole for me. I played [with the injury] all throughout the playoffs. I was feeling pain, but, at the same time, it was healing. It was one of those freak injuries that no one has control over.''
The Lakers already had clinched a playoff spot by the time Lynch returned to playing shape, so he was saved for the postseason, when his playing time was sporadic.
``That was very frustrating because there were times when I felt, if I had been in the games, I would have made a difference,'' Lynch said. ``It was my second year [and] I thought more playing time would be given to me. You have an injury and it totally sets everything back.''
When healthy, Lynch shared playing time in a rotation with Cedric Ceballos, Antonio Peeler and Eddie Jones. Ceballos and Lynch were primarily forwards, while Jones and Peeler spent most of their time at shooting guard.
``There are things that Cedric does for the team and other things that I do,'' said Lynch, aware that Ceballos led the Lakers in scoring. ``Obviously, Cedric needs more shots to involve himself with the team, and offensively, I don't need a lot of shots to contribute.''
An interesting twist was Magic Johnson's statement that he might return to the Lakers next season, possibly as a forward. Johnson, one of the great point guards in NBA history, announced after the 1990-91 season that he was retiring after contracting the HIV virus.
``It's fine with me because we practice with him on and off during the year,'' said Lynch, who had Johnson as his coach for the final 16 games of the 1993-94 season. ``I think, with him being HIV-positive, players on some other teams may not look at him in the same light.
``It wasn't a hang-up for us. You think about it when you're standing around talking, but once you start competing, all that kind of stuff goes out of your mind.''
The Lakers, who were 33-49 under three coaches in Lynch's first season, improved their record to 48-34 this season under Del Harris, the NBA's coach of the year.
``The first year was just tough,'' Lynch said. ``Everybody was asking, `What's wrong with you guys? Why are you always losing?' It's great when you're winning. Everybody on the team gets along. There's less problems, less tension on long bus rides.
``The fans are back. The people are wearing Laker hats, Laker jerseys and T-shirts. We felt like we had a supporting family outside of the team. We accomplished more than anybody expected.''
by CNB