Przybilla simply enjoying the ride PORTLAND — Joel Przybilla used to be consumed by a need to prove something — if only to himself. He needed to prove he could be a productive player in the NBA. Then he needed to prove that he deserved the five-year, $32 million contract he signed three years ago, or that he could play an entire year healthy. Every season there was something new that drove him, sometimes fueled by a lack of confidence. And at times it weighed on him so heavily that it affected his play. But while fans, coaches and members of the media have praised the job Przybilla has done this year in laying a steady foundation that has prevented the injuries and inconsistencies of rookie center Greg Oden from affecting the team's performance, the reason for his success has gone overlooked. Przybilla is no longer trying to prove anything. Just as the pressure he placed on himself once weighed him down, the increased confidence and reduced stress has provided a lift. Most of his numbers — 5.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 63 percent shooting through 65 games — don't quite top his career bests. Yet Przybilla's effectiveness is at an all-time high. "This is probably the first time in my whole career that I'm just having fun with it," Przybilla said. "It helps to win, but it's the first time I can just enjoy it, sit back and relax. It's my ninth year. There's been a lot of ups and downs, but I've come a long way. And I'm just enjoying it." Przybilla rarely felt comfortable enough — with himself, his game or his position on a team — to relax during previous seasons. There was just too much to prove. His numbers have always been solid, with career averages of 6.3 rebounds, 55 percent shooting and 1.5 blocks. But they were never enough to guarantee his position. And even when he signed his big contract in 2006 and was officially designated a building block of the Blazers' future,the pressure that came with it prevented Przybilla from getting comfortable. He spent the next two years proving things to himself and the team. He wanted to prove that he was deserving of his contract after injuries contributed to a poor season in 2006-07. And he wanted to prove that he could play an entire season injury free — something he had never accomplished in his entire career. And after proving both points to himself last year — when he tied his career high with an 8.4-rebound average while shooting 58 percent from the field — something clicked that carried over to this season. Finally, Przybilla didn't feel like he had anything to prove. "He's so much better this year because of his confidence in himself," said Blazers assistant coach Maurice Lucas. "He's not a dominating center. He's not a Dwight Howard domination guy. And he's not like a (Andrew) Bynum who can control the middle and blocks a lot of shots high up. But he'll end up with two or three blocked shots, 13 or 14 rebounds, seven or eight points. That's perfect." And it's perfect not only from a production standpoint, but because Przybilla's confidence arrived at a time when the Blazers needed it. With the team handing its starting center role to Greg Oden, the Blazers needed a leader who could fill the gaps as Oden battled through the inconsistencies typical of a rookie. When Oden got in foul trouble, Portland needed a leader upon whom it could rely to keep the production consistent. And when he got hurt, it needed someone to fill the void without disrupting the team's chemistry. That is what has made Przybilla's season so valuable. He has kept the production at the position consistent, remaining efficient no matter his role or minutes played on a given night. In the first 26 games he started because of Oden's injuries, Przybilla's efficiency measured out at 11.4 points and 16.8 rebounds when averaged out over 48 minutes. That is comparable to the 39 games that he came off the bench: 10.7 points, 17.9 rebounds. It has helped the Blazers remain consistent despite Oden's constant highs and lows, prompting Lucas to believe, "Without Joel, we could be in some serious trouble." But Blazers coach Nate McMillan does not believe there was a miraculous change in Przybilla's game. He simply sees the natural progression of a player becoming a veteran. "He's been through it, and we need that," McMillan said. "That's the maturity we've been talking about from a player who's gone through it season after season. He has some experience. So consistency from him, you expect that. He's been able to be consistently solid all year long." And he has been comfortable — do not let that part slip by. It is the biggest reason Przybilla feels he has turned this corner in his career. He is comfortable being a leader because he feels he is adequately fulfilling his role. He feels comfortable in his position on the team, because he can produce consistently in whatever capacity is needed. And he is comfortable with himself, because he has nothing left to prove. "I've never really enjoyed it this much, like I have, in a long time," Przybilla said. "I had a lot to prove last year. And this year, I still have a lot to prove — I'm just more comfortable doing it." http://tinyurl.com/d53v33 --

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