BACKUP RISES UP : No. 2 Center Edwards Is One Reason Pistons Take 2-1 Lead Into Today’s Game

PONTIAC, Mich. — James Edwards said he was in Phoenix playing a game at home on a Wednesday night in late February when his coach, John Wetzel, called to talk to him.

“Called?” someone asked. “Thought you said you were playing a game at home.”

“A Nintendo game,” Edwards explained.

Oh. A video game.

“Right.”

Anyway, the Suns’ coach wanted a word with him.

“James, you know we’ve been talking about trades,” Wetzel said. “Well, you’ve been traded to Detroit.”

Edwards sat back at his locker, recounting the story. He was now a big man in Detroit, backup center for the Pistons, and a big factor in their 2-1 series lead over the Boston Celtics going into today’s Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.

“What did you think when you heard the word Detroit ?” Edwards was asked.

“Playoff team,” he said.

It certainly wasn’t what you thought when you heard the word Phoenix. Detroit had become a fixture in the National Basketball Assn. playoffs. Year by year, the Pistons had climbed higher and higher toward becoming a championship-plateau team. Edwards was happy to become one of them.

He took off for Detroit and checked into a suburban hotel, where he resides to this day. He unpacked his bags, but didn’t buy any furniture. He waited. Waited to see how it went.

Edwards can start thinking about houses now. As far as the Pistons are concerned, he has found a home.

“One good center is worth his weight in gold in this league,” Detroit starter Bill Laimbeer said. “Two good centers on one roster is hard to find. Look around the league. How many NBA teams are deep at center?”

James Edwards has been impressive and imposing. He goes out there with his husky 7-foot 1-inch form and his intimidating Fu Manchu and his soft little jump shot, and Detroit loses nothing. Occasionally, they gain something when Laimbeer takes a breather. They lose a little outside shooting, but they gain a little beef.

Laimbeer, still bothered by a bruised shoulder, failed to score a basket in Saturday’s 98-94 win over the Celtics in Game 3, but the Pistons never missed a beat. Edwards made 5 of 9 shots, in only 18 minutes. Clutch shots, that kept Boston at bay. In this series, Edwards is Detroit’s fifth-leading scorer, ahead of Laimbeer, ahead of starting forward Rick Mahorn, ahead of slick subs Dennis Rodman and John Salley.

With an 11.7-point scoring average, Edwards is accounting for only 2 points fewer per night than Dennis Johnson is doing for the Celtics, only 3 fewer than Danny Ainge. He has 4 fewer baskets this series than Boston starting center Robert Parish, 7 fewer than Larry Bird. Edwards is averaging 25 minutes a game, Bird 47.7.

“He’s the big difference on that club over last year, so far as I can see,” Bird said of Edwards. “Bringing in Edwards, they don’t just hold their own. They improve themselves sometimes. Detroit’s got a real solid bench.”

Boston sure doesn’t. Single-handedly, Edwards has outscored the Celtic reserves, 35-34.

All Edwards cost Detroit in the Phoenix trade was the immortal Ron Moore. This is how championships are built. You need a Mychal Thompson, you go out and find some sucker in San Antonio who will give him to you cheap. You need a James Edwards, you look up Phoenix’s area code.

Celtic fans thought Red Auerbach might have made the deal that put their heroes over the top when he went out and got guard Jim Paxson to support Johnson and Ainge. So far, it hasn’t been enough. The Celtics have struggled and staggered, against Atlanta and now against Detroit. Paxson’s contribution to Saturday’s loss: 1 for 8 shooting, no assists and 3 fouls, in 16 minutes’ work.

Things could turn around for the Celtics in a hurry, should they win Game 4. That would square the series and restore the home-court advantage.

But, they have dropped nine straight games at the Pontiac Silverdome, and it is going to be 10 unless Larry Bird figures out why he is making a miserable 35% of his shots.

Edwards, 32, has a few good years left. Detroit General Manager Jack McCloskey knew he needed a good man to be Laimbeer’s understudy if the Pistons wanted to go from just-plain-good to Laker-good. The great teams have good depth. Besides, what if your starter gets hurt? Where would Utah be without Mark Eaton, or Cleveland without Brad Daugherty?

The last few years, McCloskey experimented. He tried Kent Benson, tried Dan Roundfield, tried Rick Mahorn. Still needed a genuine center.

This season, he took young William Bedford from Phoenix, but Bedford landed in drug rehabilitation. McCloskey sent a second-round pick and cash to Utah for Darryl Dawkins, but two weeks later, Chuck Nevitt went to pick up his teammate for a morning practice, and called Dawkins’ room from the hotel lobby. Dawkins told him he was retiring. He hadn’t even told the Pistons that.

McCloskey kept trying, and on Feb. 24, he made another call to Phoenix. Suns boss Jerry Colangelo called Wetzel, Wetzel called Edwards, and Edwards called the airport to reserve a flight.

“Best day I’ve had in years,” Edwards said.