this is from the NBA board on AOL. I read it and the more i read the more disgusted i got. here it is for any that are interested.Friday, Nov. 19 By Tim Povtak Street & Smith's They arrive like the cavalry, descending upon opponents in wave after wave of talent, riding hard and showing no mercy. The Portland Trail Blazers -- the NBA's Dream Team -- come to each town with a mission. This is the team for the new millennium. The NBA title is waiting. The championship that eluded them in the '90s -- they lost twice in the Finals to Detroit and to Chicago -- is within their grasp. If talent and depth were the only things that mattered, the league would give them a bye into the 2000 Finals. The San Antonio Spurs may be defending champs, but the Blazers are clear favorites now after the first three weeks of the season. They look like an All-Star team. In an era where expansion to 29 teams has diluted the basketball talent so badly, the Blazers have become a shining exception. "For a lot of us playing them, it's like Uruguay against the Dream Team," Orlando Magic coach Doc Rivers said after getting his first up-close look. "And as you may remember, Uruguay didn't win that matchup very often. The only thing you need to know about them is that Detlef Schrempf is their 10th man. That's how much talent they have assembled." Runaway expectations that began in preseason have only been strengthened by the Blazers' start. They already have beaten the Heat -- the best of the East -- in Miami. They crushed the Lakers. They beat the Hawks by 36 points. "We're going to get so much better than we are now," said guard Steve Smith. "This really is a new team. We're just learning about each other. We'll get better as the season goes on." Maybe they don't have the single-best player in the league -- Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett are sharing that role -- but the Blazers sure have the most talented ones on a 12-man roster this season. "This team is probably far more talented than any team that's been assembled in the league -- as far back as I can remember," said forward Scottie Pippen, who played on six championship teams in Chicago. "I've never been on a team, other than the [Olympic] Dream Team or an All-Star team, where every player demands so much attention. It's pretty scary." The Blazers this summer added an all-time great in Pippen. They added recent All-Stars in Smith and Schrempf. They have some potential All Stars in Damon Stoudamire, Brian Grant, Rasheed Wallace and Jermaine O'Neal. And they have a well-respected coach with experience in Mike Dunleavy. "We have a tremendous opportunity, a big window over the next two or three seasons," Dunleavy said. "We can make it all fit this year. I'm so excited about this team. I envision it being a team that can play the way I want to play and not sometimes skate around the issues." The Blazers finished 35-15 and won the Pacific Division last season as the deepest team in the league. Then they improved and got deeper with several offseason moves. They duped Atlanta into giving up Smith for problem child J.R. Rider. Then they traded with Houston for Pippen, giving up only a bunch of role players in return. They re-signed O'Neal, who at 20 has star potential. And they signed Schrempf, a veteran free agent. With the league's balance of power clearly in the West, Portland's second team probably could beat most of the starting teams in the Eastern Conference. "We've got our perfect-world, brainstorming roster," said Blazers general manager Bob Whitsitt. "This is about as good as we could have ever dreamed for. We kept our core intact from last year, and we got Scottie Pippen, which, for us, is unbelievable." The Blazers start a lineup of Stoudamire and Smith at guard, Pippen and Wallace at forward and Arvydas Sabonis at center. Their second team includes guards Greg Anthony and Bonzi Wells, forwards Schrempf and Grant (who just came off the injury list after surgery) and O'Neal at center. Proven veteran Stacey Augmon struggles to find any playing time. The versatility is what Dunleavy loves. The starting unit is more of an offensive team, with all five players capable of scoring 20 points in a night. The second team is the pressing, defensive unit, able to run opponents into submission. "It's a lot of talent -- I've heard some people say too much -- but we'll make it work," Smith said. "The W's take care of any problem over playing time. The vets on this team know that the only thing that matters is the championship. One ball will be enough." Money is no object for Portland billionaire owner Paul Allen, who has promised to keep the team together at whatever the cost. Add in his competitive nature, and it's no wonder the Blazers are so confident now. "This team can do a lot of things, obviously," said Anthony. "But we haven't done anything yet. Everybody in the West has improved. I think we can beat any of those teams, but we'll just have to see." AROUND THE NBA: Fellow Georgetown alum Alonzo Mourning of Miami said he can't believe the talk in New York that the Knicks might be better without Patrick Ewing, who is still on the sideline recovering from Achilles problems. "I understand that this is a cold business, but at the same time, don't forget what got you there," Mourning said. "To this day, anybody who thinks about the Knicks, the first person they think about is Patrick Ewing. Yeah, he's had some injuries. But if they can totally dismiss what he's done for the franchise, I'd be amazed."… Atlanta center Dikembe Mutombo is a little miffed that a commercial he did for Charles Schwab has come out with a voice other than his. Mutombo, who has a deep, deep voice, spotted one of the five different versions of the commercial and did a double take recently. "All of a sudden, I sound like a Nigerian born and educated in London," he said. "I said, 'What is this?' I guess they decided they couldn't understand me. I don't know. It's funny, but that voice doesn't belong to me."… Maybe the biggest surprise of the early season has been Boston's unheralded Adrian Griffin, who turned in a 23-point, 11-rebound effort last week. Griffin was the MVP of the CBA last season, and he came to Boston without a contract guarantee. The 6-5 forward, who has been poised beyond his 25 years, has led the Celtics four times in rebounding and three times in assists. In his first eight games, he averaged 8.6 rebounds, 10.9 points, 4.4 assists and 2.4 steals. Tim Povtak covers the NBA for the Orlando Sentinel. © Copyright 1999 SportsFan AOL/Street & Smith's Sports Group. All rights reserved. ------------------ "You Gotta Believe"
I hate Pippen. Now he can talk his **** and have an entire ****ing All-Star team hide his inferiority. Here's hoping that sonuvabitch gets traded to the Faker$- not only would it weaken Portland, but it would cause yet another inevitable collapse in LaLaLand.
Fellow Georgetown alum Alonzo Mourning of Miami said he can't believe the talk in New York that the Knicks might be better without Patrick Ewing, who is still on the sideline recovering from Achilles problems. "I understand that this is a cold business, but at the same time, don't forget what got you there," Mourning said. "To this day, anybody who thinks about the Knicks, the first person they think about is Patrick Ewing. I usually think about Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Marcus Camby, and then the old, overpaid center, who sits more than he plays. What's even a joke is that this summer, reports were that Ewing was telling the media that the Knicks were still his team. And they say Barkley and Olajuwon won't let go....LOL.
