Pippen Slams Blazers

[Trail_Blazer76]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">CHICAGO -- Scottie Pippen was a key member of the Trail Blazers four years ago when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Western Conference championship series.

He can list the entire Blazers team of the time, so his question was rhetorical.

"Who have they still got from that team?" he asked in the Chicago Bulls' locker room Friday night.

Well, they don't have Pippen, back with the Bulls in the twilight of his career. And they don't have a lot of the other members of that 2000 team, either. The only two members of that Blazers team -- the one that came within one victory of reaching the NBA Finals -- are Rasheed Wallace and Damon Stoudamire.

Pippen's point?

In his view, if the Blazers follow the commonly voiced recommendation to "blow up" the current, trouble-ridden roster and start over, they'll only be repeating themselves.

"That team is blown up," Pippen said. "They've only got two players left, so what else is there for them to do?

"Right now, you've got a lot of players on that team who are not real comfortable as starters, players who are more comfortable as role players. Now they've been put in positions to be in the forefront. Some things weren't evaluated right."</div>

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It's no secret that Scottie didn't like the choices made by Blazers management, but I thought he was above this. What was to be accomplished by saying this? Especially since Charles Barkley was saying virtually the same thing on TNT a couple days ago.

 

[ANiMuS]

A reporter probably prompted this out of him. I doubt he just threw out some comments out of nowhere.

 

[Trail_Blazer76]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting ANiMuS:</div><div class="quote_post">A reporter probably prompted this out of him. I doubt he just threw out some comments out of nowhere.</div>

No doubt. But I just figured he was a vet that was intelligent enough not to fall into media traps. Besides, why even comment on it? Like I said, he basically repeated what Barkley said on TNT last week.

 

[bbwAce]

Well everything he said is true...but the Blazers are on the right track, atleast I think...after trading Wallace, they'll have cleared the majority of their problems...

 

[mike18946]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trail_Blazer76:</div><div class="quote_post">Besides, why even comment on it? Like I said, he basically repeated what Barkley said on TNT last week.</div>

Pippen was bored,what else can he do while being on the injuried list? He needed some media attention

 

[Trail_Blazer76]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting allnet:</div><div class="quote_post">Pippen was bored,what else can he do while being on the injuried list? He needed some media attention</div>

That's a great point allnet, but I am still kinda dissapointed in Scottie. In Portland, he was able to lead by example (I'm not naive enough to believe that he never smoked with the boys, but in the public eye he was great). Now he's in Chi-town, so are we seeing what he was really like? I guess people change with environment, but I'm sure that Sheed and Mouse still look up to him from afar, so why not be mature?

 

[Henacy]

Scottie Pippen is well known for knocking old teamates an organizations once he leaves. He did it with the bulls, He did it with the Rockets, & now he doing with the Rockets. Thats the type of person scottie is. He not really a vocal person while he is with a team but once he leaves he talks to his tongue goes num. I still got nothing but love for Scottie he was a part of alot of great basketball memories.

 

[starman85]

I wouldn't say that Scottie likes to talk trash about former teammates. He didn't really do it in Houston: he bashed Jerry, though everyone already knew he hated him.

Obviously this comment was prompted out of him, but if you realize what he's saying, he really isn't bashing Portland. He's stating the facts. He's answering to the logic that Portland would win simply by blowing up the team, and showing that that isn't true. In a way, he's sticking up for Sheed and Damon by proving that getting rid of them won't necessarily make the team better.

 

[Henacy]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting starman85:</div><div class="quote_post">I wouldn't say that Scottie likes to talk trash about former teammates. He didn't really do it in Houston: he bashed Jerry, though everyone already knew he hated him.

Obviously this comment was prompted out of him, but if you realize what he's saying, he really isn't bashing Portland. He's stating the facts. He's answering to the logic that Portland would win simply by blowing up the team, and showing that that isn't true. In a way, he's sticking up for Sheed and Damon by proving that getting rid of them won't necessarily make the team better.</div>

He did bash a teammate in Houston, when he said Charles Barkley's wieght cost them a chance at a championship. He said he would never be teammates with Charles again because he wasnt a hard worker off the court.

 

[Trail_Blazer76]

Starman, it's no secret that Scottie didn't like the management. He IS insulting the team, he is just doing it subtley. The Blazers management knows what he is talking about, but many fans (those who don't follow Portland) do get the meaning of his words