It is sad to hear this news about Shawn Kemp. There have been rumors that he's been suffering from some kind of substance abuse for some time, and if that is true, it's good he's now getting help. Kemp has had a great career until recent years, but problems have been escalating for him.

	Shawn Kemp's troubles have plagued the Blazers--but won't affect them in the playoffs.

At one time Kemp played above the rim and ran the floor like a reindeer. Lately, he hasn't been able to get over the rim, much less dunk. He's been struggling on both ends of the floor--offensively and defensively. It's sad to see a guy who was once one of the top players in the league decline as Kemp has. It's such an obvious waste of talent. The drop-off in his skill level has been sharp; mostly due to his increased weight.

After the scrutiny over his weight gain, Kemp came off as positive and upbeat in conversation, but his play on the floor did not support where he thought he was or where he thought he was going.

Kemp's loss won't affect the Blazers in the playoffs, because he couldn't defend Shaq if he was there. Neither can Dale Davis. Kemp's loss actually might clear the air for the Blazers, enabling them to work in closer harmony. Portland doesn't have any shortage of players, so now they can cut down on the player rotations--and this loss might work to their advantage.

From here, the first--and obviously most important--thing will be for Kemp to straighten his personal life out and rid himself of his reliance on substances. Then, he'll need to get into a committed conditioning program that brings him back to his former level of performance. Both of those are very big steps. But if he can make them, at 31, he's still a relatively young guy. He's been in the league for a long time, but that's just because he started so early. If Kemp can get himself together again and reverse this trend, he could have a few more productive years in the NBA.