Imagine year after year on your job your performance could best be compared with Homer Simpson. Instead Damon Stoudamire, the ex-starting PG of the Portland Trail Blazers after years of hideous play, appears to be understanding and executing his role and duties, and the team insists on replacing him instead of reaping the rewards of patience and the work of the new head coach. Because management feels slighted that Damon demanded a trade for being replaced as starting PG, even after management had been shopping Damon all summer. Even though many expected Damon to stumble per his usual modus operandi after the team failed to show total commitment by attempting to trade Damon, instead Damon showed heart instead of falling into his old funk. Damon has performed at a high level, only to have management see the old Damon. Then again this is the same management that thought they were obtaining the Seattle version of Shawn Kemp last season, and one must wonder if they receive current year tapes, or to save a few bucks accept old tapes from years ago.

For all of Damon's historical faults as a shoot first, dribble first, dribble long, no assists, poor shooting, vertically challenged PG, he has demonstrated so far this season that he no longer should be likened to the Homer Simpson of PG's. If anything a New Age High Priestess should be summoned to determine if Damon has been taken over by another soul or possibly an alien in the off season. Management feeling scorned by Damon, just as they had by Brian Grant and Jermaine O'Neal who demanded trades, will trade a player despite the damage it does to the team. Instead of showing just a little maturity and ignoring players egos and their temper tantrums, if the Blazers management feels scorned they do not ignore the request to trade, but will make a bad trade over no trade at all.

Damon this year has put up a remarkable turnover to assist ration of 5 to 1, while averaging 7.5 assists per game while playing only 32 minutes a game. Damon's shooting continues to be atrocious, but he has also taken less shots per game, this year averaging 9 shots, but must shoot to keep defenses honest. The mantra had been that the new coach, Maurice Cheeks, a former All-Star PG would be able to mold Damon, to most peoples ridicule. Instead the Blazers promoted Scottie Pippen to PG although Damon had played well, only to have Pippen injure himself. Instead of swallowing the old pride, the Blazers appear to have decided on promoting to starting PG the unknown and untested Rick Brunson. 

Does Damon sulk as he did in the playoffs three years ago against the Spurs upon being pulled in the fourth quarter? Does Damon pout as he did last season when pulled in the final period? Instead Damon returns from a phantom injury and delivers from the bench 9 assists and 0 (not a typo, that is a zero) turnovers and only shoots 8 times. Because Damon supposedly asked to be traded after his first demotion, the Blazers feel hurt that Damon wants to play and start. Management should be worried if Damon would be content to be a bench player. Instead of rolling the eyes and ignoring the bravado, management has decided to punish a player that has shown a mettle unseen in his NBA career.

The old Damon would have sulked and given half effort, the current Damon appears to be learning from Cheeks, yet will not be rewarded or acknowledged for transforming into a PG that could lead a team to a championship assuming Damon does not revert to his old habits.

Damon remains vertically challenged, but he finally has demonstrated over a stretch of games his ability to be a PG at the highest level, only to have management suddenly decide take another direction because they have had their feelings hurt. If Damon had played at this level against the Spurs three years ago in the Western Conference Finals, the Blazers go the the NBA finals, if Damon had displayed this two years ago against the Lakers during the finals, the Blazers do not have the stigma of the infamous fourth quarter game seven collapse, and instead play in the NBA finals.

Some team will be willing to trade trash players for Damon, and why not? He has shown this season for the first time a consistent flash of brilliance, and the Blazers continue to undermine his trade value by demoting him while he plays his best series of games as an NBA player. Damon so far has turned what in the past would have been devastating to his performance to showcase a mettle nobody knew he possessed.