Last season, when he felt he could have been most effective, Damon Stoudamire found himself mostly overlooked -- sitting and watching fourth quarters instead of playing them. So he began to wonder: Do I even deserve to start? Do I still want to be in Portland? Does the big contract compensate for my not playing a key role?

	Stoudamire is shooting at a career-high clip and "making better decisions", says Coach Dunleavy.

"People talked about me when my numbers were down," says Stoudamire. "Then it got to a point where people didn't talk about me at all. I was forgotten."

People are talking about Damon again-this time for the right reasons. By running the offense efficiently and playing some serious D, the 5'10", six-year point guard has fueled the Blazers' surge to the top of the league -- and earned himself the right to finish games.

Case in point: On Jan. 10 in Philly, he hounded Allen Iverson into 5-for-21 shooting in Portland's 93-75 win. During the Blazers' recent 10-game winning streak, he averaged 16.5 points and 6.6 assists. In a Christmas Day win over the Lakers, he had 27 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists; against the Jazz, he scored 32-including the game winner. "He's making better decisions and taking better shots," says Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy, "all in the flow of our offense."

Better shots have translated into a career-best 44.6% shooting from the floor, and his 14.4 ppg is the best in his three-plus seasons in hometown Portland. An improved jumper prevents defenders from sagging, enabling Damon to use his quickness to penetrate and dish off a team-high 5.8 apg.

Stoudamire traces much of his and the Blazers' progress to a get-it-off-your-chest team meeting in December, when Portland was struggling. Stoudamire and Scottie Pippen asked to be allowed to run the offense without looking to the coach for every play. Dunleavy agreed.

"Basketball's instinctive, and sometimes, instead of X's and O's, you have to play and improvise," says Stoudamire. "I feel more comfortable when I can come down the court and not look at the bench every time."

And he feels even more comfortable now that he's again considered an impact player. That's what the former Rookie of the Year (1996) was in Toronto, averaging 19 and 20.2 ppg before forcing a trade to Portland -- and disappearing. "You'd think I was an old player the way people wrote me off," says Stoudamire. "Let them know I'm back."

In Portland, they already know.