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[ablazerfan]

Davis dislikes decision but accepts new role

ATLANTA -- When Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks thrust newly acquired Darius Miles into the starting lineup after only one game and demoted Dale Davis to the bench, Cheeks insisted he wasn't committed to that as a long-range strategy.

Cheeks said he probably would tweak his starting lineups with matchups in mind the rest of the season.

But after Thursday's 93-85 victory over the lowly Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena, the experiment of starting Miles and Zach Randolph at forward, and Rasheed Wallace at center remained a short-term success.

What does Davis think of recent developments?

He isn't happy about losing his starting job, but if playing a reserve role helps the Blazers turn their season around and climb into playoff contention, then he'll go along with whatever Cheeks wants.

"It's different, no question about it," Davis said. "Whatever form it takes for us to win, I'm with it. I don't necessarily agree with it, but at the same time, I've got to do what I've got to do."

Against the Hawks, Davis had one point, three rebounds and a steal in 16 minutes -- his shortest stint in the past month -- as the Blazers went undefeated on their three-game trip and won their fourth consecutive road game.

"If we're winning, I guess it looks like everybody knows what they're doing, right?" Davis said. "Quite naturally, I'm pretty sure I'll probably be playing more than 16 minutes most games. I've just got to get used to it."

Said Cheeks: "Now that we've turned ourselves around, we've got a nice little rotation going."

Thursday's game marked the sixth time in the last seven games that Davis had come off the bench. Davis didn't start in two of those games -- home games against Dallas and Golden State -- for disciplinary reasons. But those problems had nothing to do with why he has remained on the bench.

Still, Davis said his new role is taking some getting used to.

"I've been a starter my whole career, and that's what I'm used to," he said in his 13th NBA season and fourth with the Blazers. "My thing is, I'm here. Whether I play two minutes or 40 minutes, whether I start or come off the bench, I know I can still contribute and help this team win."

Cheeks probably will stick with the same starters Saturday when the Blazers return home to play Chicago at the Rose Garden.

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