Enemy Lines An Opposing Team's Scout Sizes Up The Trail Blazers

"If character wasn't an issue, I'd put their talent right up there with the Lakers. In any case they ought to be in that second tier with San Antonio and Dallas....

With owner Paul Allen willing to pay top dollar, they should be able to bring in high-quality players. So why do they go after so many head cases? A lot of us figure it's because Bob Whitsitt relies on assistant G.M. Mark Warkentien. He was the recruiter at UNLV for Jerry Tarkanian, who believed in taking those kinds of players as long as they worked hard....

They're versatile, and they're an excellent rebounding and defensive team. The only issue is outside shooting. They might miss Steve Kerr on those nights when they can't get anything else going....

Their best weapons are Rasheed Wallace and Bonzi Wells, who would be an All-Star if not for his streaky shooting....

Wallace takes a lot of heat for his technicals, but I think he's among the least of their problems. He's a reliable go-to guy in crucial moments, he's a true team player, and they say he's one of their better teammates in the locker room....

They were at their best last year when Scottie Pippen took over the point and Damon Stoudamire moved to the two. It's going to be hard for Stoudamire, at 5'10", to pair up with 6'4" Jeff McInnis, because their size will be exploited....

There were times early last year when I thought Pippen was done, so we'll have to see how long it takes him to recover from knee surgery at 37. He might not do much until the second half of the season....

It isn't going to get any easier for Mo Cheeks. I saw McInnis hollering at Alvin Gentry a lot last season. In preseason they were making it a priority to avoid getting into it with the refs, but that's one of those believe-it-when-you-see-it things....

Their best one-on-one player is rookie Qyntel Woods, who is extremely talented—as well as being yet another head case."