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Portland Trail Blazers Cheeks must find a way to mesh all the egos in Portland
By Marty Burns, CNNSI.com Last season began with high hopes for the Blazers, a team with an NBA-record $90 million payroll. Unfortunately for Paul Allen, good team chemistry wasn't part of the deal and the season melted in turmoil as Rasheed Wallace baited refs, Shawn Kemp checked into rehab and several Blazers groused about playing time. Portland hung on to make the playoffs, but was routed in three games by the Lakers. New head coach Maurice Cheeks, who replaced the fired Mike Dunleavy, has the task of trying to bring stability to this talented but underachieving bunch. With Wallace, Scottie Pippen, Damon Stoudamire, Dale Davis, as well as newcomers Derek Anderson and Ruben Patterson, the talent is there. Cheeks must somehow find a way to mesh all the egos and keep everyone happy.
His main focus will be to get the hot-headed Wallace, who led the league with 41 technicals a year ago, to play more under control. He also must find a way to work Bonzi Wells, who is returning from a season-ending knee injury, back into the mix and find a replacement for center Arvydas Sabonis, who decided to stay home in Lithuania rather than take a pay cut and rejoin the asylum. Cheeks hopes either Davis or Kemp can hold down the middle, though both are really more suited at power forward. If Cheeks can somehow make it work, he could get his team back to the Western Conference finals. He'll also deserve an honorary Ph.D. in chemistry. Standout stat: 4 Inches between the heights of retired center Arvydas Sabonis (7-foot-3) and his likely replacement, Dale Davis (6-foot-11).
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