Ron Anderson

Indiana Pacers
6-7 215 Forward

Obtained from Cavaliers, he started 27 of 60 games after his arrival, averaging 10.4 ppg and getting career-high 28 in one game... Was 26-year-old rookie with Cavs in 1984-85... Began his college career at age 22 at Santa Barbara College... Finished it at Fresno State... Cavs drafted him No. 27 overall in 1984... Didn't play high-school ball... Pro career began with 27 point explosion against 76er's Julius Erving... Then he was injured and missed 46 games... Born Oct. 15, 1958, in Chicago... Will earn $150,000 this season... Raised field-goal accuracy to .493 last season and seems to have a future in the league.

Relevant Stats:
9.2 ppg, 49.3 FG%, 3.56 rpg

Clint Richardson

Indiana Pacers
6-3 195 Guard

Started 61 of 82 games after being acquired from Philadelphia for two second-round draft choices... Had mediocre year, at best... Longed to get away from the 76ers since they wouldn't raise his salary, which will never be above $275,000 during contract that runs through next season... All the losing probably made him wish he were back in Philadelphia... Was drafted No. 36 overall by Sixers in 1979, out of University of Seattle... Born Aug. 7, 1956, in Seattle... Had his brightest moment during 1985 playoffs, when he made 24 of 37 shots during Sixers' sweep of Bucks... No playoffs for him or Pacers last season... Using slingshot jumper with that astoundingly flat trajectory, he shot .455 from field... Excellent under offensive boards for a guard... Had similar season to onces he had with Sixers, but Pacers need more than that from him.

Relevant Stats:
9.7 ppg, 45.5 FG%, 4.54 apg

Terence Stansbury

Indiana Pacers
6-5 170 Guard

Biggest moment remains 1984-85 Slam Dunk contest, when he finished third... Started 17 games last season, but averaged only 17.9 minutes... Shooting percentage tumbled to .433, thanks in part to .169 mark on three-point attempts... Born Feb. 27, 1961, in Los Angeles... Drafted 15th overall by Mavericks in 1984... Signed deal worth $165,000 for this season... Capable of offensive explosions as single-game high of 22 points showed... Temple's first-rounder since Guy Rodgers in 1958... His pro career figures to be a short one.

Relevant Stats:
6.7 ppg, 2.78 apg, 43.3 FG%

Steve Stipanovich

Indiana Pacers
7-0 245 Center

Will he ever play up to his potential?... Was his potential grossly overstated?... Does he know he is a center and not a guard and that centers are at least supposed to be vaguely acquainted with the paint area? "Stipo" stands 20 feet from the hoop and lets fly with far too much alacrity... Career scoring average is a lot less than was expected from second player taken in 1983 draft... Missouri product was Pacer pick right after Rockets took Ralph Sampson. That's like having Phyllis Diller finish as runnerup to Farrah Fawcett in a beauty contest... Born Nov. 17, 1960, in St. Louis... Must get tougher -- not in the sense of fisticuffs -- but in game situations when a seven-footer is supposed to plant himself low and dare the opposition to move him... Will make $600,000 this season.

Relevant Stats:
13.6 ppg, 47.0 FG%, 7.89 rpg

Wayman Tisdale

Indiana Pacers
6-9 238 Forward

Blubbery and out of shape when he reported to the Pacers, he was a major disappointment in the first half of his rookie season... Lefty shooter did slim down and his performance perked up... Led Pacers with .515 field-goal accuracy en route to 14.7 ppg... Didn't rebound as well as he should have with only 7.2 rpg and shot only .684 from free-throw line... Had averaged 25.6 ppg and 10.1 rpg in three seasons at Oklahoma before leaving school early to become Pacers' top pick and second choice overall in 1985... Born June 9, 1964, in Tulsa, Okla.... All-time leading scorer in Big Eight with 2,661 points ... Led 1984 gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic team with 6.8 rpg.

Relevant Stats:
14.7 ppg, 51.5 FG%, 7.21 rpg

Vern Fleming

Indiana Pacers
6-5 195 Guard

Georgia product continued his progress after strong rookie season in 1984-85... Led team in assists with 505 and steals with 131... Developing into a pro point guard who can shoot... Smart player who shows little selfishness... U.S. Olympian in 1984... No. 18 pick overall by Pacers that year... Born Feb. 2, 1962, in Long Island City, N.Y.... Scheduled to earn $210,000 this season... Good rebounder for his size... Fouled out only once... Scored 1,777 points at Georgia, replacing Dominique Wilkins as all-time leader... Seems entrenched as Pacer starter... Was one of two Pacers to make more than 50 percent of field-goal attempts (.506) in 1985-86.

Relevant Stats:
14.2 ppg, 50.6 FG%, 6.3 apg, 4.8 rpg

Herb Williams

Indiana Pacers
6-10 240 Center-Forward

Another so-so season for a guy who, on occasion, looks like he could be one of the best... Earned embarassingly small salary of $275,000 last season... Drudgery of playing for a lousy team year after year may be taking its toll... His scoring output of 19.9 ppg led team and was a career high, but he should be able to do more with that wondrous body... Born Feb. 16, 1959, in Columbus, Ohio... Was Clark Kellogg's teammate at Ohio State... Pacers drafted him 14th overall in 1981... Had best year ever from free-throw linewith .730 mark,compared to career norm of .682 at the start of 1985-86.

Relevant Stats:
19.9 ppg, 49.2 FG%, 9.1 rpg

Clark Kellogg

Indiana Pacers
6-7 225 Forward

Played only 19 games due to knee injury and surgery... Did manage single-game high of 30 points, third-best on team... Had been counted upon to give Pacers four-man frontcourt rotation, along with Herb Williams, Steve Stipanovich and rookie Wayman Tisdale... Had plenty of time to spend on refining his skills as Ms. Pacman player... Will earn $516,000 this season... Born July 2, 1961, in Cleveland... Pacers made him No. 8 pick overall in 1982 after hehad been named Big 10 MVP at Ohio State... Injury could take spring out of his knees, affecting the leaping ability which allowed him to lead club in rebounding two seasons ago... His return to health is vital to pitiful Pacers.

Relevant Stats:
17.6 ppg, 47.3 FG%, 8.84 rpg

Coach Chuck Daly

Detroit Pistons

Turned down contract offer early last season during feud with GM Jack McCloskey, then signed two-year agreement after team was eliminated from playoffs... Will get about $200,000 per season... Still has plenty of cash left over from his settlement after he was fired during first year of contract with Ted Stepien's Cavaliers... Wanted to return to Philadelphia as head coach, but Pistons wouldn't let him... "Daddy Rich" is among best dressers as coach... Also does color work for several TV outlets... Born July 20, 1930, in St. Mary's Pa.... Was given much credit for helping Billy Cunningham make transition from playing to coaching 76ers while an assistant... Graduated from Bloomsburg St. (Pa.) College, where he averaged 13.1 ppg over two seasons... Had eight-year collegiate coaching record of 151-62... Didn't get his first head-coaching job in pros until age 51... Has 150-137 regular-season record after a 46-36 finish in 1985-86.

Earl Cureton

Detroit Pistons
6-9 215 Forward-Center

Outstanding in exhibition games during the summer of '85, leading some to believe he was about to blossom last season... He didn't... Since he played the most he ever did, his rebounding total was a career high, but he wasn't consistent enough to make the Pistons stronger off the boards... Still thinks he's better than he is... Will make $235,000 on the last season of his contract... Born Sept. 3, 1957, in Detroit... Was 58th player chosen in 1979, going to the 76ers out of the University of Detroit... Journeyman player who is capable of decent part-time production... Able to help a team if it doesn't need to rely on him heavily.

Relevant Stats:
8.6 ppg, 50.5 FG%, 6.3 rpg

Chuck Nevitt

Detroit Pistons
7-5 225 Center

Signed as free agent past the midway point of last season and stayed around, but didn't do much to earn his keep... Born June 13, 1959, in Cortex, Col.... Was raised in Marietta, Ga.... His tallest-player-in-the-league status was forfeited to 7-7 Manute Bol of the Bullets last season... Still hasn't grown into his body... One wonders why teams keep trying to make a player out of him... It's true that you can't coach height, but you can't coach coordination, either... A swell guy, but there have to be a hundred players more deserving of an NBA chance... No. 63 pick overall by Houston in 1982... Was a bench-sitter at North Carolina State and is a bench-sitter in the pros... Made approximately $120,000 last season.

Relevant Stats:
1.7 ppg, 34.9 FG%, 1.1 rpg

Tony Campbell

Detroit Pistons
6-7 210 Forward

Showed some of the ability that prompted Pistons to draft him 20th overall in 1984, out of Ohio State... Had high game of 20 points last season... Figures to develop into good shooter if given more playing time... Born May 7, 1962, in Teaneck, N.J.... Gets $165,000 this season, the last on his contract... Lack of size continues to hurt him, because it means he can't play in the power slot... Plays behind Kelly Tripucka at small forward and can't handle the ball well enough to become a big guard... Might do better elsewhere, where he'd get a chance to prove whether he can play.

Relevant Stats:
7.9 ppg, 48.4 FG%, 2.87 rpg

Rick Mahorn

Detroit Pistons
6-10 250 Center-Forward

Second straight failure for the Pistons in search for power forward... Acquired from Bullets for first failure, Dan Roundfield, and Mike Gibson prior to last season, he began 1985-86 as starter but lasted only 12 games in that capacity... Enforcer of the first degree... Pistons wanted him to hit the boards as well as opponents, but he averaged only 5.2 rpg... Prince off the court and the devil personified on it, where he asks no quarter and gives none... Somewhere along the line he lost what seems to be a decent shooting touch... Needs to put his mind to rebounding more if he is to stay around the NBA... Will make $506,000 this season... Bullets made him 35th pick overall, out of Hampton Institute in 1980... Was a better football player prospect than a basketball prospect in high school... Born Sept. 21, 1958, in Hartford, Conn.

Relevant Stats:
4.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 45.5 FG%

Vinnie Johnson

Detroit Pistons
6-2 200 Guard

Maybe he read his own press clippings from 1984-86 playoffs... Launched too many long-range rockets, whether or not he had the hot hand... Was tried as a starter for a dozen games, but didn't the part... Best suited for reserve duty, because his streak-shooting ability still confounds opponents, but he has to get his game back under control... Gets a dollar raise to $491,667 this season... Born Sept. 1, 1956, in Brooklyn, N.Y.... Drafted No. 7 by Seattle in 1979... Average of 13.9 ppg was second best of career... Among the strongest of guards, he can't be moved by opponents, but he can be posted up... Baylor product is one of eight children... Needs to pull the reins on his game... Acquired from Sonics for Greg Kelser in November 1981,

Relevant Stats:
13.9 ppg, 46.7 FG%, 3.79 apg

Additional Info: Vinnie's the older brother of former Spurs player and current Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson.

Joe Dumars

Detroit Pistons
6-2 190 Guard

"He's legit," said Chuck Daly, and no one can doubt that after this guy's performance last season... Started 45 games and amassed 390 assists, which cut into Isiah Thomas' total... Good shooter who handles pressure well... Drafted 18th overall by Pistons in 1985... Born May5, 1963, in Shreveport, La.... Brother David plays for USFL Birmingham Stallions... Gives Pistons insurance should Thomas go down, but also presents problems for them since he's not much bigger than Isiah, making Detroit backcourt vulnerable to post-up moves by bigger opponents... Good free-throw shooter who seems to know what should be done and when... As he matures, he should develop into an outstanding pro and prove to be one of the steals in last year's draft... Pistons will pay him only $120,000 this season.

Relevant Stats:
9.4 ppg, 48.1 FG%, 4.76 apg

John Long

Detroit Pistons
6-5 200 Guard

Continued his fall from favor, losing his starting spot to Joe Dumars... Did sign a new contract that paid him $350,000 after some long-term bickering... Born Aug. 28, 1956, in Romulus, Mich.... Attended University of Detroit... Pistons made him 29th player chosen in 1978... Played for Dick Vitale, who was his college coach before moving to the Pistons... Broke Dave DeBusschere's scoring record at Detroit... One of the game's better free-throw shooters... Maddeningly accurate set shot can torture opponents, but he seems to lack the mobility to succeed in Pistons' fast-break approach... Didn't get much of a chance to wipe out image as poor pressure player.

Relevant Stats:
10.0 ppg, 48.2 FG%, 85.6 FT%

Kelly Tripucka

Detroit Pistons
6-6 215 Forward

Averaged 20 or more ppg for fourth time in five pro seasons... Last year was his first injury free campaign since he was a rookie in 1981-82... Pistons drafted him 12th overall in 1980 out of Notre Dame... Will earn $900,000 again this season... Born Feb. 16, 1959, in Bloomingfield, N.J.... Son of former Notre Dame quarterback Frank... Still called selfish because his defense isn't great and he's not exactly a tenacious rebounder... But he puts fannies in the seats, scores well and is a great free-throw shooter... For a guy who supposedly doesn't jump worth a darn, he was an awfully good high jumper in high school, where his best was 6-6... Also threw the javelin 211 feet.

Relevant Stats:
20.0 ppg, 49.8 FG%, 85.6 FT%

Bill Laimbeer

Detroit Pistons
6-11 250 Center

Battled for rebounding crown all season and thought he had it locked up when his season ended the day before Charles Barkley's did... Barkley needed a bundle of rebounds to pass him and, on last day of season, Laimbeer received call from Pistons' PR man telling him that the 76ers-Bullets game had gone three OTs and Barkley had edged him... Sank into instant depression... When he was told it was just a joke, he didn't laugh... Opponents don't laugh when they play him, either... The next time his feet leave the floor will be the first time, but he knows all about positioning, so he won rebounding title with 13.1 average... Still has no inside game on offense, but no one has found a way to stop his 18-foot jumpers from falling with incredible regularity... One of league's least-popular players because of his penchant for acting his way into drawing offensive fouls... All-around ability can't be questioned... will earn $630,000 this season... Drafted No. 65 overall by Cavs in 1979, out of Notre Dame... Played one season in Italy... Born May 19, 1957, in Boston... Acquired from Cleveland with Kenny Carr for Phil Hubbard, Paul Mokeski and two second-round picks in February 1982.

Relevant Stats:
16.6 ppg, 49.2 FG%, 13.1 rpg

Kent Benson

Detroit Pistons
6-10 245 Center-Forward

A mediocre talent and that's all he'll ever be... Started 51 of 72 games at forward after Chuck Daly decided that Rick Mahorn couldn't handle first-team duties... Field-goal shooting fell below his career norm, but he did rebound a bit better then in 1984-85... Still a defensive liability whose only real worth is offense... If his shooting is off, he should be given a seat on the bench... Pistons need him to rebound more, but it's obvious that he'll never do that... Drafted No. 1 overall by Bucks in 1977, out of Indiana... Born Dec. 27, 1954, in New Castle, Ind.... Begins last season on contract which will pay him $350,000 this time around... Acquired by Pistons from Bucks with first-round pick for Bob Lanier in February 1980.

Relevant Stats:
6.5 ppg, 48.4 FG%, 5.22 rpg

Isiah Thomas

Detroit Pistons
6-1 180 Guard

Developed internal bleeding problem during playoffs, making observers wonder if his health is deteriorating... Illness didn't affect his performance in postseason as he tried to do what he always tries to do when his team is struggling -- to much... Shot too much against Hawks, allowing his passing game to suffer... Assist total fell from NBA-record 1,123 in 1984-85 to 830, but his shooting improved from .458 to .488... Underwent postseason surgery on thumb... Management was willing to deal him to a quality center... Coach Chuck Daly wanted none of that talk... Fourth year on 12-season deal will pay him $750,000... Born April 30, 1961, in Chicago... Youngest of nine children was married last summer... Drafted No. 2 overall by Pistons in 1982, after he left Indiana with a year of eligibility remaining... Won second All-star game MVP award last season.

Relevant Stats:
20.9 ppg, 48.8 FG%, 10.8 apg, 2.22 spg