By Dave Goldstein
Enquirer contributor

TORONTO - Danny Fortson's sixth NBA season has been a difficult one. His father died during the preseason, he has been unable to crack Golden State's rotation, and the Feb. 20 trade deadline came and went without the fresh start Fortson was hoping for.

Still, Fortson has maintained a positive attitude in the gloomy Bay Area, in large part because of lessons he learned playing for UC and coach Bob Huggins.

"If it wasn't for (Huggins) I wouldn't be here right now," Fortson said.

"I've got to give him all the credit in the world. The practices that we had, the tough love that he gave - that's why I can survive anything now. I've been through it all already."

Fortson had a great college career. He earned first-team All-America honors his junior year before leaving early for the NBA. After being picked 10th in the 1997 draft, Fortson quickly established himself as an inside force.

He recovered from two injury-riddled seasons to play in 77 games last year, making 76 starts and averaging more than 11 points and 11 rebounds a game.

But Fortson's momentum was slowed this season.

His father's death forced Fortson to miss a substantial part of the preseason, Golden State's first with new coach Eric Musselman. In that time, second-year man Troy Murphy put together a string of outstanding performances, taking the power forward spot without any competition.

By the time Fortson returned, he was essentially out of Musselman's rotation.

Fortson plays just 13 minutes a night, but his strengths are still evident. He's grabbing more than four rebounds a game and maintains his Huggins-instilled work ethic.

"Danny's been absolutely unbelievable," Musselman said. "He's practiced hard and he's had a wonderful attitude. In the games where Danny's been given an opportunity to play, he's done an excellent job for us."

Fortson's time on the bench has not been incident-free. He missed practice Feb. 11 without an excuse. He also publicly hoped to be traded. Now that he's staying with Golden State for the foreseeable future, Fortson is keeping a firm grasp on the big picture.

"I've learned a lot about basketball since I've come to the NBA, just being around the game so much," Fortson said. "It's all about opportunities. As long as you keep your head on straight, keep your confidence up and keep working hard in the offseason, you'll survive."

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