The Missing Link? : Many in Portland Feel Pippen Can Bring Trail Blazers Championship

PORTLAND, Ore. â€”  Scottie Pippen has often managed to tarnish his extraordinary success. He’s had run-ins with the law, criticized teammates in public and, unforgettably, refused to enter a playoff game at the most crucial moment.

But his new teammates, the Portland Trail Blazers, don’t care about any of that. All they know is that Pippen outnumbers them 6-0 in NBA championships, and they’re willing to forgive any flaws for a chance at their own glory.

“The good thing is, he has nothing to prove,� said teammate Steve Smith, himself a new Blazer. “But the pressure I’m putting on him is, ‘I don’t have a ring, so you’ve got to help me get one.’ And a lot of other guys on this team don’t have a ring, either.�

Pippen’s falling out with the Houston Rockets last season made many around the NBA question, once again, his loyalty and ability to lead a team.

Pippen, who fled the dismantled Bulls after Michael Jordan’s retirement and signed a five-year, $67 million contract with Houston, was expected to take the Rockets back to the finals alongside Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon.

But the team’s halfcourt offense, designed to accommodate the inside skills of the aging Olajuwon and Barkley, clearly frustrated Pippen. He finished the 50-game regular season with a 14.5 scoring average, his lowest since his second season 10 years ago.

At 34, Pippen wanted to finish his career with a title contender. He sought a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, who had just hired his former coach, Phil Jackson.

When Barkley criticized him for trying to bail out on the Rockets after just one truncated season, Pippen went on national TV and struck back at his former Olympics teammate, saying Barkley didn’t have the desire to win a championship.

Pippen got his wish and was traded--but to Portland, for six non-starters. At his introductory news conference, Pippen insisted he never demanded a trade and that the Blazers were his first choice, not the Lakers. He even soothed his stinging comments about Barkley, saying he meant nothing personal.

Pippen says signing with the Rockets was a mistake from the start.

“When I went to Houston last year, it was sort of a quick decision, something that was not allowing me the full opportunity of exploring free agency due to the lockout,� he said. “I didn’t feel like I would ever be able to win with that team.�

Those who have called Pippen a quitter have evidence. During the 1994 playoffs against the Knicks, the Bulls were down with 1.8 seconds left. When Jackson drew up what would become the game-winning shot for Toni Kukoc, Pippen refused to take the court because the play wasn’t called for him.

There have been other problems. He once was arrested for having a loaded gun on the front seat of his car and was cited for suspicion of drunken driving last season. When he was with the Bulls, Pippen had a public feud with owner Jerry Reinsdorf and general manager Jerry Krause over money.

Pippen, who claims he never pays attention to the media, says he’s not concerned with the perceptions about him.

“I just deal with it, because I know once I get between these lines, this is what it’s all about,� he said. “Long as I do whatever I got to do out here, then I’m not really worried about what they’re writing or saying about me.�

So far, the Blazers and their coaches have nothing but accolades for Pippen’s performance and famous work habits. In a preseason game against the Lakers, Pippen sprained his left index finger but begged trainer Jay Jensen to go back in the game.

“He’s a great teammate to have,� said backup point guard Greg Anthony, who used to square off with Pippen while with the Knicks. “He works hard, he wants to win, and he’s a competitor. The more you win, the more you want to win.�

The Blazers pounded the Lakers 92-78. Pippen finished with 20 points in 33 minutes and, playing point guard in place of the injured Damon Stoudamire, abused ex-Bulls teammate Ron Harper.

“He looks good, doesn’t he?� said Jackson, who days earlier had said Pippen would have been “perfect for accommodating� Lakers stars Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

Pippen averaged 14 points, five rebounds and 5.3 assists in six exhibitions. Those numbers are similar to last season’s, and the Blazers -- who are so deep that their second team could beat many of the league’s starting lineups -- will gladly take them.

“There’s no way you can measure his game just by looking at a box score,� Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy said. “His versatility is what we were looking for. His ability to play three positions, and play all three of them very well, and defend at least three positions, is something that’s very positive for our club.�

The sprained finger caused Pippen to miss the last two preseason games, and the pain bothered him so much he had to cut short his two-hour shift serving dinner to 4,000 homeless people at the Rose Garden this week. But he’s expected to play in the Blazers’ opener Tuesday in Vancouver.

Despite unloading eight players, the Blazers return the nucleus of the team that made the Western Conference finals last season. So if Pippen gets hurt or can’t go the 40 minutes a game he averaged last season, the team can afford it.

“I don’t expect to get 20 points a night, because this team is far more talented offensively than any team I’ve ever played on,� Pippen said.

The Spurs are the defending champions, but Pippen has made the Blazers marked men in the West.

“You don’t have to worry about a ball hog with Pippen on the floor,� Sacramento Kings forward Chris Webber said. “You can’t go wrong with him. He knows championships. Look at his rings; his jewelry says it all.�

The one accomplishment that has eluded Pippen is winning an NBA title without Jordan. The Bulls began to struggle when Jordan was off playing baseball for about 1 1/2 seasons, and in Houston, Pippen appeared to make matters worse, not better. But he said he feels no pressure to prove himself.

“It’s not going to be about me coming here and winning,� he said. “It’s just got to be a team effort. The same goes when we were able to win in Chicago. It wasn’t just about Michael, it was a total team effort.�