<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>UALATIN -- There was no sheepish grin. No egotistical swagger. And Martell Webster did not strut around the Trail Blazers' practice facility Thursday with the look of a player who had just enjoyed a brilliant breakthrough performance.</p> No, it was business as usual for the former lottery pick a day after scoring a game-high 28 points during the Blazers' 111-102 exhibition victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Rose Garden.</p> He gave maximum effort during drills; he listened to instruction from coaches; and then, after practice had concluded and most of the team had disappeared into the locker room, Webster stayed late and worked on his picture-perfect jump shot.</p> With an improved attitude and positive outlook, Webster appears poised to discover his basketball identity and find the consistency that could make him a force in the NBA.</p> Webster is locked in a fierce battle for the starting small forward position with Travis Outlaw and James Jones, and although Blazers coach Nate McMillan said Thursday that it's too early to handicap the race, Webster certainly didn't hurt his cause with his performance Wednesday.</p> "A game like that definitely helps your confidence," Webster said. "And there's nothing wrong with having confidence in yourself. But when your coaches have confidence in you as well, it makes it that much easier. I know these (exhibition) games don't count for anything, but I'm going to go out there and try to get better every day. They count for me."</p> Therein lies evidence of Webster's growth. During his first two NBA seasons, the 6-foot-7 forward thought he had all the answers. He owned the textbook jumper that made him a high school All-American. He was the No. 6 pick in the 2005 draft out of high school.</p> So even though Webster carried hidden insecurities and self-doubt, and even though he placed immense pressure on himself, Webster resisted instruction from his coaches.</p> "I really kind of regret it," Webster said. "I should have been doing this my first couple of years. These coaches want so bad for us to succeed and when you listen and have an open mind, it goes a long way. I'm getting better every day and learning new things every day, so that's going to benefit me. I have to thank the coaches for that."</div></p> Source: The Oregonian</p>
