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<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">WEST LINN -- He was once a beacon light for the Trail Blazers -- the solid character, the team captain, the glue to help hold a fraying franchise together.
But as Derek Anderson draws the shades Thursday at his West Linn apartment, keeping out a light that exacerbates his intense headaches, he unconsciously creates the ultimate symbolism of where he stands today with the Blazers: in the dark.
"Lost," Anderson says. "I feel like I'm lost in the shuffle somewhere. Like I'm lost in this whole organization."
The issue at hand is simple: the Blazers -- from management on down -- are questioning Anderson's work ethic and toughness, an accusation that infuriates Anderson so much he wonders if it's time to part ways.
"Maybe I'm not fit for this anymore, this situation," Anderson said. "The way things are going, I'm not. It might be time for me to leave."
The situation started going downhill on Jan. 10, when mired in an inconsistent season of shooting, Anderson was stripped of his starting shooting guard spot. In the next seven games, as coach Maurice Cheeks questioned Anderson's effort, he averaged 5.8 points while playing an average of 16.2 minutes, culminating with a six-minute performance Jan. 22 at home against Minnesota.
Then, Anderson's problems doubled when a series of intense migraine headaches resulted in a flurry of medical procedures. In the past two weeks, Anderson has had two root canals (with a third scheduled for today), a CT Scan, two nights in a Vancouver hospital to receive intravenous fluids, a discovery of a cyst under his left nostril, and the diagnosis of a sinus infection. </div>
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But as Derek Anderson draws the shades Thursday at his West Linn apartment, keeping out a light that exacerbates his intense headaches, he unconsciously creates the ultimate symbolism of where he stands today with the Blazers: in the dark.
"Lost," Anderson says. "I feel like I'm lost in the shuffle somewhere. Like I'm lost in this whole organization."
The issue at hand is simple: the Blazers -- from management on down -- are questioning Anderson's work ethic and toughness, an accusation that infuriates Anderson so much he wonders if it's time to part ways.
"Maybe I'm not fit for this anymore, this situation," Anderson said. "The way things are going, I'm not. It might be time for me to leave."
The situation started going downhill on Jan. 10, when mired in an inconsistent season of shooting, Anderson was stripped of his starting shooting guard spot. In the next seven games, as coach Maurice Cheeks questioned Anderson's effort, he averaged 5.8 points while playing an average of 16.2 minutes, culminating with a six-minute performance Jan. 22 at home against Minnesota.
Then, Anderson's problems doubled when a series of intense migraine headaches resulted in a flurry of medical procedures. In the past two weeks, Anderson has had two root canals (with a third scheduled for today), a CT Scan, two nights in a Vancouver hospital to receive intravenous fluids, a discovery of a cyst under his left nostril, and the diagnosis of a sinus infection. </div>
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