Nba Brings Rivalry To The Arena Trail Blazers Take A Shot At Their Ex-Coach In Exhibition With Warriors

It’s not the worst time to catch an NBA exhibition game.

Six games into the preseason, coaches are looking less at experimentation and more at developing rotations that should be in place next week for the start of the regular season.

Another dimension to tonight’s Golden State Warriors-Portland Trail Blazers 7:30 matchup in the Arena is the added motivation for the Blazers. They get a shot at their old coach, P.J. Carlesimo, who’s trying to revive the Warriors after three seasons in Portland.

“A lot of the guys he had are still here,” Portland assistant general manager Jim Paxson said Monday. “The guys who didn’t play a lot or whatever have more of an interest in coming out and playing well. It’s a little bit more of a challenge going against a team that your former coach is coaching.”

The Warriors say they expect Carlesimo to start looking more at players who figure to get the most minutes in the season that starts a week from Friday night. Warriors fans hope the addition of a new arena and practice facility in Oakland, and the hiring of Carlesimo, will trigger a new era in the Bay Area. Golden State last played in the postseason in the 1993-94 season when they were swept in three games by the Phoenix Suns.

The Blazers, by contrast, have made it to the playoffs the last 15 seasons, longest streak in the NBA.

Carlesimo’s project starts with durable shooting guard Latrell Sprewell, who was averaging 22 points, 3.5 steals and nearly five rebounds after the Warriors’ first four exhibitions.

Sprewell, through the preseason, has done a little less post-up work while the Warriors monitor the progress of newly acquired center Erick Dampier. For a franchise that is 0-5 in the preseason and has to milk every positive, Dampier has been a pleasant addition. In a 5-minute span during a one-point loss to Denver, the 6-foot-11 second-year player out of Mississippi State swatted three shots.

The Warriors are without point guard Bimbo Coles (left ankle) and No. 1 draft pick Adonal Foyle. Foyle is expected back for the club’s last preseason game with Vancouver.

Intent on moving one of their three point guards by the opener, the Warriors are considering trading Mark Price and possibly a No. 1 draft pick to the Orlando Magic for Brian Shaw, according to a report in the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times.

The deal is one of several the Warriors have discussed involving either Price, B.J. Armstrong or Coles, but the newspaper reported the most likely first option is to move Price, who’ll make $9.1 million during the next two seasons. The Warriors want to keep Coles, whose salary ($1.7 million this year) and defensive ability, make him valuable.

The Blazers will be as healthy as they’ve been since training camp opened. Although guard Kenny Anderson (ankle) won’t suit, reserves Vincent Askew and Gary Trent and 7-3 Lithuanian center Arvydas Sabonis are expected to show for tonight’s game.

Paxson said the Trail Blazers expect to add a 16th straight trip to the playoffs despite an apparent rebounding deficiency. Portland was pounded on the boards Friday night in a 20-point loss to Sacramento.

“It was a lackluster effort at home, but the schedule caught up with us (the Blazers were playing a fourth game in five nights),” Paxson said.

Portland beat the Kings in Sacramento in their preseason opener 107-96 a week earlier.

Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy waved off exhaustion as an excuse. “We’ve got to clean up our work, especially on the defensive glass,” Dunleavy said. “Our guys think they can out-jump the other guys. We aren’t putting a body on them. We’ve got to correct this in practice. The area of concern is putting a body on someone.”

As always, what has been an annual event here - an NBA game in October - is important to role players on both sides who’re fighting for jobs.

For Portland, 15-year veteran center/forward Alton Lister, picked up as an insurance policy in case of injury, fourth-year guard/ forward Sean Higgins and 6-10 rookie Terrell Bell from Georgia are among those seemingly on the bubble.

The most consistent Blazer through training camp and five exhibitions - the Blazers are 3-2 - is Stacey Augmon.

“Rider (Isiah) has had a good exhibition season so far and Rasheed (Wallace, the 6-11 second-year player out of North Carolina) is coming along,” Paxson said.

Sabonis’ role won’t change much in the new coaching regime, Dunleavy said.

” The only question is playing time because of his feet and legs,” the Blazers coach said.

Dunleavy was asked how he rated the Pacific Division.

“I felt a lot better about it before Seattle made the trade for Vin Baker,” he said. “I say that with (Shawn) Kemp’s situation the way it was (before he was traded to Cleveland). “They picked up some shooters to go with Baker’s low-post ability. I think they’re much better. Every night is going to be a dogfight.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: BLAZERS VS. WARRIORS Tipoff: Today, 7:30 p.m. at the Arena Tickets are still available, ranging from $19.50 to $50. Call 325-SEAT.