P.J. Loses No Sleep Over Reunion Carlesimo’s Warriors Worry More About Playing As Team Than Playing Blazers

A Portland Trail Blazers team nicked by minor injuries and stretched by the schedule comes into the Arena on Tuesday night.

If playing a fourth exhibition in five nights with a short roster isn’t enough, the Blazers for the first time face their coach of a year ago, P.J. Carlesimo.

Carlesimo, now with the Golden State Warriors, is hungry to get something started with his new club. But if his first shot at the Blazers means anything extra, Carlesimo kept it under wraps Thursday during an NBA conference call.

“The first time back in Portland is going to be different,” said Carlesimo, who was let go after three seasons with the Blazers. “It’s a lot less meaningful for the players. Once the game starts it won’t be on anybody’s mind.”

Playing on a neutral court takes some of the edge off the Blazers-Carlesimo reunion, but what matters to the Warriors is establishing some success, the sooner the better, Carlesimo said.

Golden State lost its first three preseason games.

Forward Joe Smith figures in the club’s plans. The question is, does the team fit in his? A stronger-than-expected Warriors showing may lead the 6-10 ex-Maryland star to buy into Carlesimo’s building plan.

Smith is eligible for free agency after this season.

“It’s important for Joe to feel good about our program and our franchise, where we see it going in the near future,” Carlesimo said.

The star is guard Latrell Sprewell, who knocked down his first five shots from the NBA’s restored 3-point line of 23 feet, 9 inches on the way to 33 points Tuesday night in Denver, where the Warriors lost 98-97.

Sprewell sank 13 of 23 shots but Smith (2-10), veteran guard B.J. Armstrong (3-11) and 6-9 forward Donyell Marshall, a third-year pro from Connecticut who missed all seven of his shots, couldn’t find the range.

“Sprewell has been fantastic,” Carlesimo said. “He’s probably been our hardest-working guy in practice. The thing that jumps out at you is his conditioning - how much energy he has at both ends of the court. He’s a very good defender, the ideal player.”

Plenty of tickets ranging from $19.50 to $50 remain. Jack Lucas of Goodale & Barbieri, promoters of the annual October NBA game, said he hopes for a crowd of 6,000. The annual game, which usually features the Seattle SuperSonics, is traditionally a sellout.

“Until this year I didn’t realize how much allegiance there is here to the Sonics, ” Lucas said. “I would have thought we’d get 6,000 easy, but it’s been a grind. We’re working on a two-year deal now with the Sonics (for ‘98 and ‘99).

“Golden State rearranged its schedule at the last minute to accommodate us this year,” Lucas said. “Originally we had Portland and nobody to go with them.”

The Warriors, who were without guard Bimbo Coles (ankle) last week, hope a trade with Indiana for 6-11 Erick Dampier pays long-term dividends. Dampier is competing at center with holdovers Todd Fuller, the Warriors’ 1996 No. 1 pick, and veteran Felton Spencer.

Center-forward Adonal Foyle from Colgate, the Warriors’ top draft pick this year, is out with a broken foot but is practicing and should be ready for the regular-season opener.

Carlesimo wants Dampier to become a scoring option.

“Right now, ‘E.D.’ is not as good as he’s going to be when he’s 28 or 30,” Carlesimo told the San Jose Mercury News. “He’s not going to be a non-offensive player. He’s too talented. But it’s going to be up to him.”

Carlesimo said he’s disappointed in the Warriors’ start but impressed with the effort.

“The players have worked hard and accepted the things we’re asking them to do,” he said. “We have a lot of new faces, there’s a lot of adjusting.”

Portland is off to a quick start under new coach Mike Dunleavy.

With Kenny Anderson (ankle sprain) and Gary Trent (sore leg) not suited up Thursday night in Seattle, the Blazers (3-1) got 18 points from Rasheed Wallace in a 92-90 win over the Sonics.

Anderson suffered what was described as a mild left ankle sprain in the first half of Tuesday night’s 20-point loss to the Vancouver Grizzlies. Forward Brian Grant, who has sat out all four exhibitions with a strained left hamstring, may play. Forward Vincent Askew has been hampered by a sprained left ankle.

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