Dampier Takes it Sitting Down

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Erick Dampier is not discouraged about being bumped out of the starting lineup.

In some ranks, that would be a problem. NBA players are supposed to have egos the size of their paychecks. When a job is lost, it's supposed to spark fire and passion.

Avery Johnson is on record with his hope that Dampier takes out his demotion on opponents in the form of rebounds, blocked shots and hard fouls.

But if there's any frustration, Dampier has bottled it up inside. You get the feeling he's like Eddie Murphy's character in Trading Places, when he's in jail and claims that "Karate man bleeds on the inside."

Is the move to the bench upsetting in any way to the 6-11 center?

"Not at all," Dampier says. "I was just taken out of the lineup. I wasn't benched. I still get to go out and help the team win. I'm comfortable."

In Dampier's estimation, things have not changed for him. His job remains the same. He's just doing it off the bench instead of in the starting lineup. What it is that he's doing is still a gray subject.

He got five shots in the blowout win over Houston on Wednesday. It was the first time in five games he'd taken more than two shots.

Last season, Dampier averaged 6.22 shots per game. This year, there's nothing in his job description that includes scoring points. He's getting 4.23 shots per game. He's learning how to take pride in doing things that don't involve scoring.

"I've been doing it all season like this, so it's nothing new" he said. "The number of shots isn't the same. But I just have to find other ways to stay involved."

Since going to the bench, Dampier has had 21 rebounds and five blocks in 47 minutes of play over three games.

Those numbers would put him among the best in the league per 48 minutes.

For the season, he's averaging 15.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per 48 minutes.

His teammates have taken the attitude that Dampier's status as a backup or a starter shouldn't be an issue.

"To me, it doesn't matter who's out there," Dirk Nowitzki said. "We just have to get something out of our center position."

So far, having DeSagana Diop as the starter has worked well enough for three blowout victories, with Dampier having success in shorter minutes off the bench.

"A lot of times, it's not statistical things," Johnson says. "It's how much are they willing to knock the opponent on the floor? How much are they willing to get in there and cause problems for the opponent when they're driving the lane?"

So far, the answers have been positive. </div>

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