Friday September 8 5:40 PM ET Blazers' Davis: Lakers Are Beatable PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Dale Davis, still bugged about losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, is eager to play Shaquille O'Neal and company more often as a Portland Trail Blazer. Davis, traded from Indiana to Portland for Jermaine O'Neal and Joe Kleine last week, said the world champions ``definitely'' are beatable, and the suddenly muscular Trail Blazers could be the team to do it. ``They should have been beat by Portland last year,'' Davis said of Game 7 in the Western Conference finals, in which the Blazers blew a 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Of the Pacers' six-game loss in the title series, Davis said, ``I'm still kind of upset. I still have a nasty taste in my mouth, so just to have the opportunity to play again and try to beat those guys, trust me: I'm going 110 percent.'' The Lakers and Blazers play the first of their four regular-season games on Oct. 31, the season opener, at the Rose Garden. It's no secret the Blazers built their offseason strategy around stopping O'Neal, who averaged 25.9 points and 12.4 rebounds in the conference finals. ``I think one thing that's a plus here is that we've got a lot of guys to throw at him,'' Davis said. The 6-foot-11 Davis joins a front line that already has 7-3 center Arvydas Sabonis, 6-11 forward Rasheed Wallace and 6-10 Shawn Kemp, acquired from Cleveland the day before the Davis trade. ``Obviously our biggest challenge is going to be from a minutes standpoint,'' Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy said. ``The last time I counted, there's only 96 minutes (between the two forward spots) for four guys, but the bottom line is, everybody's going to have to sacrifice for the opportunity to win a championship.'' Against the Lakers and other teams with a Kobe Bryant-sized point guard, the Blazers could sit Damon Stoudamire and put small forward Scottie Pippen at the point, keep Steve Smith at shooting guard, and rotate the big men up front. Otherwise, Davis see his playing time reduced, which he said is fine. ``I don't mind sharing time,'' he said. ``Everyone's going to have to make sacrifices, and that's what being a professional is all about.'' Davis, 31, played the first nine seasons of his career for the Pacers, and was unhappy with a two-year, $19.1 million extension he signed. He is due to make $21 million over the next three years, far below what he thought he deserved. When discussions about a trade came up, Davis' short list included the New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks. Portland was there too, but he thought it was a long shot. ``This is a team that I would have loved to have been on, and just to get the opportunity is definitely great,'' he said. ``It was a surprise, but I'm more happy than anybody.'' Davis, who averaged 10 points and 9.9 rebounds last season, said he's eager to play in the more wide-open style of the West. ``I feel like I can run, especially playing the five (center) spot,'' he said. ``I can get up and down and beat some of the centers. Out West is somewhere that I always wanted to play before I gave this game up.'' Davis will wear No. 34 for the Blazers, the same number he had at Clemson. He wore No. 32 with the Pacers because 34 belonged to Mel Daniels and was retired. In Portland, Bill Walton's No. 32 is retired. A long list of Blazers have worn No. 34, the last of which was Isaiah Rider. ------------------ In order to be a success in life, you need 2 things: 1. Don't tell everything you know. [This message has been edited by BobFinn* (edited September 08, 2000).]
I still think they would have been better off getting Mutombo instead of Davis and Kemp. Mango ------------------ 1. Put new topics in the proper forum. Things happening in the rest of the NBA 2. Use clear wording for new threads. 3. No duplicate threads 4. Conduct yourself as an adult. The Serious Police are watching. Donate Blood or be assimilated! [This message has been edited by Mango (edited September 08, 2000).]
They have NO EXCUSES for not beating the Fakers this season (barring injuries of course) ------------------ In order to be a success in life, you need 2 things: 1. Don't tell everything you know.
I suspect my bday (Halloween) will have one hell of a national viewing audience. The game is on halloween, right. (just wanted to let you know when my bday was ). ------------------ Why don't you guys go down to the gym and pump each other
I knew there was something spooky and evil about you. Hey, I entered the country on Halloween. ------------------ Falk that Mo Fo!!!
I agree with Mango. Getting more burely power forward types was not the way to go. Portland should have gone in one of two directions, 1) get the closest thing available to a Shaq stopper (Mutumbo); 2) or go after a potential undefenable player (maybe Duncan, Vince Carter, Iverson or Steve Francis or the like) who just might be able to outscore Shaq in a series if he got hot enough. Portland did neither. I understand the argument thar Portland was so close that they don't need much. But you also have to figure Kobe is still getting better and they won't guys as bad as AC and Harper in the starting line up next year. If your looking for a real challenger, I like the Spurs chances after the Lakers. ------------------ Elie buried the clutch 3 that would launch the Rockets to their second title run, driving a stake through the onwatching Suns fans hearts that will forever be etched in the dry Arizona landscape.
No no no! Portland has greatly improved with their acquisitions. They lose Brian Grant, but pick up Kemp and Dale Davis, two VERY capable big men and both recent all stars. That is one deep team with a lot of players to throw at Shaq and the like. How could these moves NOT be conducive to overthrowing the Lakers? There IS NO Shaq stopper. But Portland has the next best thing.....tremendous depth, muscle, rebounding and talent down low. Portland already has the best weapon for Shaq in Sabonis, the 7 footer that can pull Shaq out of the paint and hit 20 footers. They executed that as well as anyone could have, but just fell short. Now that they have gotten even better, I think Portland is the team to beat in the West this year. ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
I still don't agree HOOP-T because I don't think the Blazer's big people (especially defensively) have been their problem the last 2 years. It is not like Sabonis, Wallace, Grant and Oneal at the 4/5 is that much inferior to Sabonis, Wallace, Kemp and Davis. Yes the latter group is better, but you can still only play 2 at a time (unless you want very limited shooting range and quickness at your 3). Portland still doesn't have a go-to-guy as good as Shaq, Duncan, Garnett, Kobe (remember he is growing leaps and bounds each year), or even Webber. Wallace is a fine all-around player, but he is not the dominant offensive force that these others can be for sustained periods of time. The others can always seem to adjust (either by creating their own shot or by creating shots for others) to defenses designed to stop them and be effective, I don't see Wallace in their league offensively. Further, Portland's 1-3 positions are going to continue to fall off rapidly. Pippen and Smith are showing their age big time, and Minnie Mouse is a cancer. Also, I don't think their offseason moves are as good as SA's, nor will they keep up with the natural progression of Kobe and the Laker team further learning to play together. The Lakers may not be done dealing either. In short, I still like LA, SA than Portland as far as best championship threats from the West, because come deep in the playoffs the most important thing is the best 5 guys you can put out there. Portland has not addressed their starting 5 limitations with their moves-which they could have done by improving their point guard (this would have been the most feasible to do, them adding D. Anderson instead of SA might have been enough for me to switch my assessment of these teams places), adding a better--maybe superstar--2/3 (Jones, Hill) or improving their center position substantially (Mutumbo). They still have not improved their starting 5, in fact it may even be worse with age. [This message has been edited by Desert Scar (edited September 12, 2000).]
The biggest problem Portland had last year was a lack of continuity from having a bunch of new guys, and a bad coach. The first problem will not be as big this year, with Pippen and Smith having a year under their belts. Bonzi Wells is improving as well, and he can take time at both the 2 and 3. The coaching problem still exists. Dunleavy is just not a good one. Bring in a Chuck Daly for a year -- heck, anybody but Dunleavy (Del Harris is better, why not hire him), and get a ring.
Portland's only real chance to be the team is to hope that Sheed does become the man. If Sheed can mature (stopping pi$$ing off all the refs, stay out of foul trouble) and improve to the point of becoming an elite player it could happen. I agree with others that Portland needs a leader, who could be sheed. If Sheed doesn't become an elite player I don't see them beating the Lakers. ------------------
