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Sabonis' health the key?

by Jason Quick | The Oregonian | March 26, 2001

Blazers happy to see center not act his age

The durability of Arvydas Sabonis, 36, will play a sizable role in Portland's success the rest of the way

Arvydas Sabonis took on Rasheed Wallace on Sunday at the Trail Blazers' practice facility in Tualatin. Wallace wanted to see who could make a shot from behind the basket by shooting the ball over the shot clock and over the backboard.

Wallace's first shot made it over the shot clock but hit the top of the backboard on the way down.

Sabonis swished his shot, smiled as Wallace playfully cussed at him, then smiled even wider when Wallace missed his second try.

Although Sabonis did not take part in an earlier fullcourt scrimmage -- icing his sore right foot instead -- it was a good sight for the Blazers, seeing the 36-year-old Sabonis spry and playful.

"I feel good," Sabonis said, shying away from an interview. "What is there to talk about? I feel good, I'm cleanshaven . . . everything good."

When Sabonis feels good, so, too, do the Blazers. When the 7-foot-3 center scores 10 points or more, the Blazers are 22-5 this season. When he does not, the Blazers are 10-11.

So naturally, the health of Sabonis is of huge concern to coach Mike Dunleavy. Sabonis has missed 21 games: the first eight recovering from left knee surgery, four with a sprained knee, three with back spasms, two with a sore right foot, one with a sprained right ankle, one with a toothache and two because Dunleavy wanted to rest him.

Sabonis is one of Dunleavy's biggest dilemmas heading into the final 13 games of the season. Dunleavy has struggled deciding whether to rest Sabonis and have him fresh for the playoffs, or to play him, which would increase the Blazers' chance of winning these regular-season games, which could be the difference between a No. 6 seed and a No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Dunleavy won't reveal his plan for the rest of the season, but he said his decision should be evident by his choice to start Sabonis last Thursday in Utah.

"I made the decision to start him because of his presence in the lineup," Dunleavy said. "These games right now are too important for us."

Point guard Damon Stoudamire said the team knows Sabonis is one of the key elements to the Blazers' chances for a title.

"He's always going to be an important piece, it's just a matter of how much you are going to get out of him," Stoudamire said. "Certain days he feels better than others, and obviously you can tell when he feels well."

Like the last time the Blazers played tonight's opponent, the Clippers, on March 1. Sabonis was the key to the 94-81 win, making 10 of 17 shots en route to matching his season high of 23 points in 25 minutes.

"When he tends to struggle is when he tends to just want a day off," Stoudamire said while laughing. "But when you have as much mileage as he does on that body, that is to be expected. But when he comes to play, he's going to affect the game at both ends, and we are going to be hard to beat."

One of the most acclaimed European players in history, Sabonis is in his sixth season with the Blazers, the longest current tenure of any player. But he is one of the least well-known. He rarely consents to interviews and he usually avoids scenes like that in Sunday's rowdy weightroom, where the team gathered to watch the end of the Temple-Michigan State game.

Sabonis, meanwhile, dressed and left the facility, without as much as a goodbye from anyone.

"I sit next to Sabas on the team plane, so I probably talk to him as much as anyone on the team," Stoudamire said. "He's a funny guy. He kind of keeps to himself, but he opens up. He is just fooling with you media people; he says he doesn't speak good English, but he's back there on the plane talking his butt off. He just doesn't like talking to you all."

Sabonis is in the last year of his contract and has said he wants to come back and play for the Blazers. Stoudamire said the team needs Sabonis.

"With everything that goes on around here, he's probably the biggest team player of them all in terms of not caring about the minutes, or who scores," Stoudamire said. "He just wants to win. That's the only thing that matters to him. In his world, he's reached the basketball pinnacle. The only reason he is still playing over here is because he wants to win a title."

A title that is more likely if he is healthy and in the lineup.

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