Winners And Sinners In The NBA Playoffs. By Tom Danehy WITH THE NBA playoffs starting tonight and running through the presidential election in November, the league and its fans have a unique situation. There's a prohibitive championship favorite for the first time in years, but at the same time, there's the wide-open Western Conference, which looks like the NCAA Tournament where any one of six or seven teams might emerge from the fray. Obviously, the Chicago Bulls are heavy favorites to win it all, but that doesn't mean they will. After going 72-10 in the regular season, are they the best NBA team ever? No. Are they the best NBA team this year? Maybe. If they win it all, that's to be expected. If they don't win it all, they'll wear a choke label the size of Madonna's...ego. The real excitement in the first three rounds will be in the West, where two-time NBA champion Houston might lose in the first round, where seven of the eight teams have a legitimate shot of reaching the finals, and where the Phoenix Suns will probably see the championship window of opportunity slam shut on their fingers, which fortunately were already bandaged from having been repeatedly injured earlier in the season. A look at Chicago and the teams in the West: •Chicago Bulls Strengths: The greatest player of all time, the league's best rebounder and best three-point shooter, a great coach, and Scottie Pippen. Weaknesses: Luc Longley and Bill Wennington at center (?!). Strange Fact: With the NBA less than 20 percent white these days, half of the Bulls' 12-man roster are of the Caucasian persuasion. Will win it all if: They play like they played all year. Will lose in first round if: That new CD The Best of Vanilla Ice goes to Number 1. Will lose somewhere in the playoffs if: One of the Big Three (Jordan, Pippen, Rodman) gets hurt, or if Rodman flips out. •Phoenix Suns Strengths: Lots of playoff experience. Weaknesses: Lots of playoff-losing experience. Will win it all if: They clone Charles Barkley. Will lose in first round if: San Antonio doesn't completely fold. Chances of winning the West: The same as a third term for Governor Fife Symington. Chances of winning it all: President Fife Symington. •LOS ANGELES LAKERS Strengths: One of the great playoff players of all time in Magic Johnson. Weaknesses: Too many head cases. Can win it all if: They can get by Houston in the first round. Will lose in the first round if: Hakeem is healthy, or there's a special on jet-ski rentals at Lake Havasu. •Sacramento Kings Strengths: Mitch Richmond. Weaknesses: Everybody else on the roster. Will win first-round series if: Pamela Anderson wins an Oscar for Barb Wire. Will win it all if: Vote tally shows Anderson just edged out Cindy Crawford in Fair Game. •Seattle Supersonics Strengths: Great defense, good coach, lots of athletes Weaknesses: 900-pound monkey on their backs in the form of two straight first-round exits; Shawn Kemp is maturing, but not yet mature. Can win it all if: All 12 heads remain out of all 12 respective butts (Not very likely). Will lose in first round if: History is any indication. •San Antonio Spurs Strengths: David Robinson, technically the best center in the league; Sean Elliott an All-Star and still underrated. Weaknesses: History of playing soft in playoffs, weak bench. Will win it all if: Let's face it; they won't. In theory they should be able to, but nobody thinks they will. Heck, most basketball people usually named them fourth or fifth when discussing Western finalists. Will lose in first round if: Charles Barkley wills it. •UTAH JAZZ Strengths: Two Hall-of-Famers (John Stockton and Karl Malone) playing as well as ever. Weaknesses: Loooong history of playoff disappointments Can win it all if: No, they can't. Will lose in first round if: Any little thing goes wrong. •PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS Strengths: Not many, really. Veteran team led by 31-year-old rookie Arvydas Sabonis of Lithuania. Weaknesses: Open warfare between point guard and head coach, weak bench, age. Strange Fact: Had the league's best record over the last six weeks of the regular season--after star guard Rod Strickland stormed out and was suspended because he was angry over not being traded. Strickland is back and playing great because he's been promised a trade after the season is over. Too weird. Will win it all if: Melrose Place wins an Emmy. •Houston Rockets Strengths: Forget Michael Jordan; Hakeem Olajuwon is The Man. Two-time defending NBA champs roared out of the sixth seed (and overcame a 1-3 deficit to Phoenix) last year to win it all. Weaknesses: Lots of players just coming off injuries; may take time for team to gel. Will win it all if: They get by the first two rounds. Will lose in first round if: Their string of playoff luck evens out. Ah, the NBA playoffs. The best six months of the year.

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