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Time for regime change in Portland

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: Will the Nets try to lowball Kidd? | Knicks burned by Milos Vujanic | Jordan's fairy tale almost over | Peep Show

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I call them the Jail Blazers for a reason.

Whether you want to emphasize the "jail" (Ruben Patterson, Zach Randolph) or the "blazers" (Damon Stoudamire, Rasheed Wallace, Qyntel Woods, Shawn Kemp, Isaiah Rider, Erick Barkley) part of the double entendre, there's never been a franchise that more faithfully tries to live up to its name.

Zachary Randolph

Power Forward

Portland Trail Blazers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

70 8.0 4.2 0.5 .511 .777

This week's revelations are nothing new. Wallace will serve six months probation for marijuana possession. Woods was caught with marijuana in his car. He later reportedly admitted to police that he's been addicted to the drug for three years. Randolph, Woods and Patterson got into a fist fight that left Patterson bloodied and Randolph facing a two-game suspension.

If you're keeping score at home, all of this comes on the heels of a Patterson arrest for domestic assault, Wallace's seven-game suspension for threatening a referee after a game, and several Bonzi Wells suspensions, including one for spitting on Danny Ferry in a game.

And that's just this year, folks. We don't have enough time or energy to talk about Kemp's rehab stints, Rider's history of exploits or the host of other public relation disasters the Blazers have suffered over the years.

The team is rotten to the core and has been that way for too long. Point the finger all you want at the players or their long-suffering coaches. But ultimately, the one guy who has his hand in every single one of these messes is GM Bob Whitsitt.

My high school basketball coach had a saying he was fond of repeating almost every weekend. It isn't pretty, but it gets to the point. If you mess with sh--, you're going to get it on you.

For years Whitsitt's nickname around the league has been "Trader Bob." I've got a new one for the league's resident kingpin: Sideshow Bob.

Ruben Patterson

Guard-Forward

Portland Trail Blazers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

73 8.4 3.5 1.3 .492 .621

While Whitsitt keeps pleading with Blazers fans to focus on the team, not its off-the-court (and sometimes on the court) behavior, he keeps adding players who lure us into the lurid sideshow known as the Jail Blazers. The Oregonian's Web site actually has several pages dedicated to the team's off-the-court antics, including a prominent, ominous link called "The Blazers and the Law."

Whitsitt has been more vocal this year about holding players accountable for their conduct. After Patterson's arrest, the team fined him $100,000 and made the fine public.

"It helps the fans understand that we are very serious, and that we care about players' conduct off the court," Whitsitt said then. "There are standards we have set for them and that we hold them to."

But when it comes to adding talent, the Blazers have few standards.

Twenty teams passed on Woods on draft day after background checks raised concerns about drug abuse problems. While everyone agreed Woods was a top-10 talent, multiple teams in more need of talent than the Blazers decided he wasn't worth the risk. The same thing happened the year before with Randolph. Several teams were blown away by his workouts but were very concerned about his past conduct and apparent immaturity in interviews.

The list goes on. The Sonics didn't want anything to do with Patterson after he was charged with and entered a modified plea for attempted rape in 2001. In fact, the Blazers were the only team that seriously considered signing Patterson at the time. The Blazers traded Brian Grant, a staple in the community, for Kemp, someone everyone in the league knew had substance abuse issues.

It has to stop. The Blazers need a regime change. I'd give Whitsitt 48 hours to step down or have David Stern send in the Marines. Regardless of whether the Blazers win or lose this season. Regardless of the reasoning that everyone in the NBA smokes pot. Or that players are just athletes, not role models -- Whitsitt and his roving band of thugs need to be ousted.

Once he's gone, Paul Allen needs to give the job to one of the nice guys, like former Hawks GM Pete Babcock. Just about everyone in the league considers Babcock one of the most honest and hard-working GMs in the NBA. Babcock knows the pitfalls of ignoring character in the name of talent. He once traded a class act, Steve Smith, for Rider. He has repeatedly said that was the biggest mistake of his career. A mistake he's promised he'd never make again.

Rasheed Wallace

Power Forward

Portland Trail Blazers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

66 18.4 7.5 2.1 .472 .734

Whomever Allen picks, the new GM should do whatever it takes to start breaking up the team. The problem isn't the individual players themselves. It's the combination of too many bad seeds under one roof.

Ship off Wallace, Patterson, Wells, Stoudamire, Woods and Randolph to whoever will take them. Some players, like Wallace, Wells and Randolph, will fetch a decent price. Others won't. It doesn't matter.

How valuable are they really? The Blazers haven't made it out of the first round the past two seasons. They have only a marginal chance of doing it this year.

Wallace will be a free agent in 2004 anyway. Derek Anderson has outplayed Wells all season. Patterson, Stoudamire, Woods and Randolph are role players, at best. Are any of them worth this?

Allen's message to the fans in Portland and the NBA has to be clear. The Blazers' regime of terror is over. Change the name of the team. Hang a sign outside that reads the team will no longer be an oasis for talented players with rap sheets, mug shots and a nice collection of bongs.

If you mess with sh--, it's going to get on you. The Blazers are covered in it right now. A quick shot or two of Febreeze isn't going to get the smell out. Do us all a favor and flush this team down the toilet, before someone lights a match.

Dismantle this embarrassment to Portland

John Canzano / The Oregonian

Blazers come to blows

Jason Quick / The Oregonian

Blazers' off-court troubles

staff / The Oregonian

Will the Nets try to lowball Kidd?

One day after Jason Kidd told the N.Y. Post that he wanted to re-sign with New Jersey, a bizarre story appeared in the Newark Star-Ledger that could put a huge wrench in Kidd's goodwill.

"I've said my intentions are to stay in New Jersey," Kidd told the Post on Wednesday. "That's my No. 1 choice. We'll play it out and see what happens. I'm 100 percent to stay. That's it. So we'll see what happens."

Jason Kidd

Point Guard

New Jersey Nets

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

73 19.0 6.4 8.8 .416 .838

Well, apparently, the Nets aren't sure how much they're actually willing to offer Kidd. We've all assumed for months that New Jersey would offer Kidd the max. However, the Star Ledger is reporting that ownership hasn't decided whether it will make the maximum-dollar offer necessary to keep Kidd.

While the Star-Ledger goes on to state that ownership is committed to re-signing Kidd this summer, a lowball offer may be all it takes to push Kidd straight out of New Jersey.

GM Rod Thorn claims it's too early to really be speculating about all of this.

"If he has (made up his mind), he hasn't let anybody know," Thorn told the N.Y. Daily News. "He obviously likes it here and we have a good team. We have tried to do everything to make it a positive situation and hopefully he will want to stay here and we will be able to get something done. But until it happens, it hasn't happened."

Nets unsure on how much to offer Kidd

Brad Parks / Newark Star-Ledger

Thorn says ball in Jason's court

Ohm Youngmisuk / New York Daily News

Knicks burned by Milos Vujanic

The Knicks got some shocking news on Thursday when the agent for second-round draft pick Milos Vujanic reportedly told the team that Vujanic was set to sign a multi-year deal with Real Madrid.

Yugoslavia's Milos Vujanic (left) doesn't want to play for the Knicks this season

Vujanic, widely considered the top point guard in Europe, has been on the fence about joining the Knicks since he was drafted. Insider first reported in December, while in Yugoslavia, that Vujanic was hesitant to join the Knicks next season.

Vujanic told Insider he was concerned about his role with the team and how many minutes he'd get. He saw three point guards on the Knicks' roster, and it made him nervous.

"I just want to make sure I'm getting a chance to play," Vujanic told Insider. "If not, it's maybe better for me to stay here."

Frederic Weis, meet Milos Vujanic.

The news could be devastating to the Knicks, who lack a real point guard. Many felt Vujanic would be perfect for the team's up tempo style.

At first glance, his game is eerily reminiscent of Steve Nash's, with one or two differences. Both players are fantastic shooters. They both love to push the ball up the court and always keep their cool under pressure. Vujanic, however, is a better athlete and a tougher defender than Nash. He's also great at splitting defenders and getting to the basket.

What went wrong for the Knicks? Vujanic's agent alluded to a dispute over money. According to reports in New York, GM Scott Layden was only offering Vujanic the minimum to play for the Knicks next season. Vujanic can make much more than that in Europe.

However, despite reports to the contrary, the Knicks' hands aren't tied on this. They can use part of their mid-level exception to sign Vujanic. Theoretically, they could offer him as much as $4.5 million a year.

However, it appears New York played hardball instead ... and lost.

"Yes, Scott Layden is upset. I am also upset, because Scott is a very big man and knows his job very well," agent Goran Ristanovic told the N.Y. Post. "The best thing for Milos is first go to Europe, then go to NBA."

Still, Ristanovic, sees Vujanic eventually playing for the Knicks after another season or two in Europe.

"After one year, maybe he will come to New York," Ristanovic said. "Maybe one year, maybe two years. If the player is real good, it doesn't matter. We want to say to New York fans and the Knicks that when he's 24 or 25, when he has some money in his pocket, he will come to the NBA. And I know he will play for New York. And I know he will play in the NBA very long -- 10 years. He has great feeling about the Knicks."

Vujanic To Apple On Hold

Marc Berman / New York Post

Seems Knicks still not in Milos' plans

Frank Isola / New York Daily News

Jordan's fairy tale almost over

There were last-second heroics in Atlanta on Thursday night. But for once, Michael Jordan was on the other end of the stick. Jordan could only stand and watch as Shareef Abdur-Rahim's buzzer beater put another serious dent in the Jordan's playoff dreams.

Michael Jordan

Shooting Guard

Washington Wizards

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

75 19.9 5.9 3.8 .444 .813

The fans are in as much disbelief as Jordan is. Hawks fans booed Abdur-Rahim after he hit the game winner on Thursday. Fans around the league are still hoping that Jordan's fairy tale comeback has a happy ending.

"This is my hometown. I grew up here. I understand what the situation is," Adbur-Rahim told the Atlanta Journal Constitution after the game. "They have a lot of respect for Michael Jordan. So do we all. They wanted to see him walk out of the building a winner."

Thursday's loss may be the beginning of the end for the Wizards. The team is now two-and-a-half games behind the Bucks for the final playoff spot. Are there just seven games left in Jordan's career?

Afterward, the team didn't sound too optimistic.

"You didn't want to come in and lose a game when you felt like you needed a game bad," Jordan told the Washington Post.

"It's deeper than what you see," said Jerry Stackhouse. "It's a lot of pressure. It puts a lot of the onus on every possession and every play down the floor. That's no way to play basketball. Basketball is a game of instinct. You shouldn't be out there having to think about everything you do. That's what's going on with our team right now. The focus isn't on so much the game; it's on the circumstances and the situation around the game. You can't play basketball that way."

Even coach Doug Collins started talking about the Wizards' plan if the team is eliminated.

"If we get to a point where we're eliminated, we'll play the young guys, absolutely, no question about that," Collins said. "Michael's going to play and be part of that, but if we can't make the playoffs, then there's no difference in 34 wins than there is 36 wins or 38 instead of 35."

Abdur-Rahim's winner booed by home crowd

Jeffrey Denberg / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Bounce Doesn't Go Wizards' Way

Steve Wyche / Washington Post

Collins Prepared To Turn To Youth

Steve Wyche / Washington Post

One more comeback in MJ

Terence Moore / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Peep Show

Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks: Coach Phil Jackson is licking his chops at a chance to get play the Mavs in the first round. "It would really change a great season for them" if the Mavericks dropped to No. 3, Jackson told the Dallas Morning News after his team beat the Mavs on Thursday. "Dallas is the least experienced," Jackson said, "and it bodes well for the team that gets in the situation where they can have an opportunity to go against them, that they have little or the least playoff experience of all the teams that are ahead of us."

Indiana Pacers: The team got a huge break when the league announced that it would not suspend Ron Artest for flipping the bird at fans on Wednesday. It did, however, fine him $20,000. The Pacers think it's unfair for several reasons. First, Jason Kidd was fined just $5,000 last season for doing it. Second, Artest claims he didn't flip off the crowd. "I didn't hold up no middle fingers," he told the Indianapolis Star. "My middle finger (on his right hand) is crooked so it sticks out. Maybe that's what was showing." Pacers president Donnie Walsh agreed. "His fingers are sticking out all the time because he's got so much tape on them," Walsh said. "I just didn't see it that way. I don't think the fans should be throwing stuff at the players. I would chastise the person who threw the (coin)."

Los Angeles Clippers: Michael Olowokandi will not play again this season, the O.C. Register reported. "I'm a little disappointed because it would have been nice to come back and play with E.B. (Elton Brand), Lamar (Odom) and the guys," Olowokandi said. "But I'm extremely happy that the doctor was finally able to pinpoint the problem I was having. My primary focus now is getting my knee 100 percent healthy." Olowokandi did not rule out a return to the Clippers next season. "The only way I'll leave Los Angeles is if the Clippers clearly told me that while they enjoyed my services, that they were not interested in bringing me back. For me, the door is always going to be open. But if they don't want me back, then all I can say is that it's been great, and it would be time for me to pursue opportunities elsewhere."

Milwaukee Bucks: Has Tim Thomas been permanently benched? After Thomas refused to enter a game last week, coach George Karl has left him out of the starting lineup. How long will Karl keep brining him off the bench? "I have no idea," Karl told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Maybe the whole year." Rookie Marcus Haislip has been starting in his place. Would Karl start a rookie in the playoffs? "You never know," he said. "Marcus is doing good. He's playing with some energy and some juice. It depends on who we are playing. If we're playing Detroit, I might start a rookie."

Miami Heat: Caron Butler is adding a killer jump shot to his repertoire. "The last couple of games, I've been proving to people that I can shoot a jump shot," Butler told the Miami Herald. In his past nine games, Butler has averaged 23.2 points on 57 percent shooting. "Coach is starting to even run plays where I'm coming off a catch-and-shoot . . .I can be like [Larry] Bird -- just leave it up there and run the other way. I've got to get it like that, and I'm going to get it like that. After this summer, I'm going to come back so ready."

Chicago Bulls: Coach Bill Cartwright reiterated that the team isn't giving up on rookie Jay Williams. "This is Jamal's third year, and we're seeing what we thought we saw in him in college," Cartwright told the Sun Times. "Is it going to take Jay that long? Probably not. But he certainly is going to go through a period when he has to get acclimated, and this is his period. We're going to stay with him and let him develop. We're not going to panic. This is where he's at, and we're hopeful he's going to end up a pretty [censored] good player."

Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce believes that Kedrick Brown could be one of the best defenders in the league. The problem is Brown doesn't believe it yet. "It's about what's inside," Pierce told the Boston Herald. "There's a lot of talented players in this league, but they just don't have the mentality that they want to be the best or they want to be great. And that's what separates the two. I think the only thing that will determine how great Kedrick becomes as a player is how far he wants to take it."

Toronto Raptors: Antonio Davis' season may be over. "Let him heal up and let's see what the doctors say," coach Lenny Wilkens told the Toronto Star. "Right now might be a good time (to give him some rest). They may say, 'Let's pull the plug' and that would be fine. (But) he has a tremendous amount of pride and he wants to be out on the floor."

Worst possible scenario

Mike McAllister / Dallas Morning News

NBA shows mercy toward Artest

Mark Montieth / Indianapolis Star

It's time for Artest show to be canceled

Bob Kravitz / Indianapolis Star

Olowokandi's season over

Art Thompson / Orange County Register

Thomas still sitting

Tom Enlund / Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Caron's new quest: Master outside shot

Isreal Gutierrez / Miami Herald

Bulls committed to ride Williams' roller-coaster

Roman Modrowski / Chicago Sun-Times

Pierce backs Brown

Steve Bulpett / Boston Herald

Davis' season may be over

Doug Smith / Toronto Star