PORTLAND, Ore. – A week ago, Rod Strickland was an unwanted
player on a terrible team. So on Monday he gladly accepted a return
to the Portland Trail Blazers, who only started getting good after
they traded Strickland five years ago.
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"I'm not here to be a savior or anything. I'm just here to kind
of blend in and fit in," Strickland said after his first practice
since the Blazers signed him for the remainder of the season.
"This team can win with me or without me, so I'm lucky for being
here."
Strickland, 34, will back up Damon Stoudamire at point guard. A
half-dozen other teams showed interest in Strickland after he was
waived by the Washington Wizards last week. But he decided to
accept the Blazers' offer of $2.25 million, the amount of the
mid-level salary cap exception they had available.
Strickland practiced for the first time Monday, and although he
has played in only four games since December with hamstring and
shoulder injuries, Dunleavy said he expects Strickland to play in
Tuesday night's game against Vancouver.
Before the game, ex-Blazers great Clyde Drexler will have his
No. 22 retired at the Rose Garden.
Strickland spent four seasons in Portland, averaging 17 points
and 8.6 assists from 1992-96, but the Blazers were eliminated from
the playoffs in the first round each year. After a feud with
then-coach P.J. Carlesimo, during which Strickland walked out on
the team for six games, he and Harvey Grant were traded to
Washington for Rasheed Wallace and Mitchell Butler on July 15,
1996.
Strickland said he chose Portland because he was familiar with
the area and with general manager Bob Whitsitt. He also wanted to
be on a team loaded with veteran players and coaches.
The Blazers felt they had nothing to lose. Strickland's salary
of $2.25 million is pocket money to owner Paul Allen, and adding
one more veteran -- the team brought in Scottie Pippen, Steve Smith,
Dale Davis, Shawn Kemp and Detlef Schrempf the past two seasons --
could help Portland break through and make the NBA Finals after
being knocked out in the conference finals the last two seasons.
"If you really think of the move, we didn't trade anybody,"
Whitsitt said. "We've got one injured point guard (backup Greg
Anthony), and we had a chance to pick up a guy who's a heck of a
basketball player. He knows his role. He knows he's coming in to
add to what we're doing, not to be the focal point or to change
what we're doing in any way."
While the Blazers extolled Strickland's experience and
still-evident skills, they know the move could backfire. Portland
(42-18) already has the best record in the West, and playing time
is always an issue on this team. Already this season, Davis, Smith
and Kemp have grumbled about their diminishing contributions.
"It seems like it never ends in that regard," coach Mike
Dunleavy said. "There will be guys who are now pushing for a role
where we may be juggling their minutes some. I tried to talk to
most of those guys and let them know, `You could play 10-15 minutes
on a given night, and you may not play the next night."'
Stoudamire said Strickland will make the Blazers better, and he
doesn't expect any conflicts over minutes.
"Hey, let's just play the string out and try to get this
title," Stoudamire said. "I'm just going out there and trying to
do what I can to help this ball club, and I'm pretty sure Rod's
going to do the same."
The Wizards and part-owner Michael Jordan were desperately
trying to unload Strickland's large contract, and they had grown
weary of the player's tardiness and poor attitude. But Strickland
was thankful that the team bought out the final year-plus on his
contract, for $2.5 million, and that it did so by last Thursday's
midnight deadline, so he could be eligible for the playoffs.
"If MJ was feeling bad that day, and wanted to make it bad for
me, I could've been there in D.C., rotting away," Strickland said.
Portland also released guard Gary Grant and placed Anthony on
the injured list with a sore right shoulder. Anthony has missed the
last five games, and on Monday he was in New York seeing a
specialist.
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 Rod Strickland is happy to be a part of a winning team.
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Mike Dunleavy says Rod Strickland has a clean slate with the Blazers.
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