Whitsitt, Dunleavy on the Spot

By MARK HEISLER

April 30, 2001 12 AM PT

PORTLAND, Ore. — There were “Fire Bob” signs in the crowd Sunday, suggesting Trail Blazer General Manager “Trader” Bob Whitsitt should be the one to pay the ultimate occupational sacrifice for this season’s disappointment.

It was Whitsitt who traded for Rod Strickland when the Trail Blazers were still No. 1 in the West at 42-18, answering questions about the impact on his team’s psyches by declaring: “I’m not a chemistry major.”

The Trail Blazers then finished the season 8-14, fell to No. 7 in the West, drew the Lakers and went 0-3.

Nevertheless, since owners hire GMs and GMs hire coaches, Coach Mike Dunleavy is expected to take the fall.

“I’m under contract next year and I fully expect to be back,” Dunleavy said. “It’s not my decision whether I am or not. That’s where I’m at.”

Scottie Pippen, making no attempt to sugarcoat his disappointment:

“It’s just the worst. It’s the worst thing I ever had to deal with throughout my career.

“You know, we lost two valuable players who came in and worked very hard off the bench [last season] in Brian [Grant] and Jermaine O’Neal. And I felt like, looking on paper, picking up Shawn [Kemp] and Dale [Davis], we would be able to compete at the same level, but we never jelled . . .”

Dunleavy, on the improvement in the Lakers from last season: “The biggest and foremost reason, Shaq’s free throws are better. That makes them a much better team than they were last year, right there, in itself . . .

“They go from a team that would probably not go to him in the last three, four minutes of a ballgame to--they’ve got no problem going through him now. You knew where the attack was going to be, it was going to be in Kobe [Bryant]’s hands, playing out of that, and you could better gear yourself for that . . .

“And I think the other big factor for them has been the play of [Derek] Fisher since he’s come back from his injury, his ability to shoot the ball and make shots . . . That’s something that they didn’t have as consistently last year as they have right now.”

Two years ago, Stoudamire caused a furor during the Western Conference finals by complaining about playing time, so now he knows better.

However, there is still speculation he’ll ask to be traded. Last week, he refused to say he wanted to return.

” . . . It’s been a big-time learning experience for me. And it’s been something I can take with me, regardless of whether I’m playing in Portland next year or whether I’m somewhere else.

“Because this here in Portland? This is the real NBA. You know, that in Toronto? That was kind of la-la land. This here is the real NBA.”