PORTLAND, Ore. -- Mike Dunleavy has seen the look before -- that glare that asks, "You're taking ME out of the game?"
The Portland Trail Blazers coach got the look from Rasheed Wallace earlier this week, right in the thick of a close game against the Philadelphia 76ers.Wallace didn't say anything, just quietly shuffled toward the sideline. Dunleavy kept his eyes on the game, which the Blazers won easily, with help from Wallace's 26 points.
It's been that way the whole season for Portland, which takes an NBA-best 21-5 record into Thursday's home game against Phoenix. Players rotate in and out of the lineup, as if pushed by a revolving door.
One night the star might be an established player like Damon Stoudamire or Brian Grant, and the next night it could be a lesser-used player like Walt Williams or Stacey Augmon. No matter the situation, most of Dunleavy's moves have worked.
"We are a versatile team. I think that's our strength," Dunleavy said. "What it comes down to is that, if guys are playing good, they're going to play."
With nine players who get onto the floor regularly, playing time is like a pie that must be shared. All nine of those players have been starters before in their careers and are used to bigger slices of the pie. But they know that to complain, with their team playing so well, would be selfish.
"You can't argue with success," backup point guard Greg Anthony said.
Not all the egos on the team have gone unbruised, however. When Dunleavy pulled Stoudamire and put in Anthony to guard Philadelphia's Allen Iverson for the entire fourth quarter of the Blazers' 91-75 victory Sunday, Stoudamire didn't take it well.
"Sitting out the fourth quarter is difficult, I don't care if you've won 45 games in a row," Stoudamire said before Tuesday's victory over Golden State, the Blazers' 14th win in 16 games.