Clyde Drexler (Photo courtesy of the NBA)
While the New York Knicks under Red Holtzman played an aesthetically pleasing brand of basketball, the same could be said of the Portland Trailblazers under Dr. Jack Ramsey. The Trailblazers won the 1976–77 championship season as Bill Walton displayed one of the most complete games an NBA center has ever had. The Blazers had a nice run in the 90s but couldn’t pick up another championship. In recent years they had some more pretty good talent. Here’s a look at my top 10 Portland Trail Blazers.
10. Sidney Wicks
Sidney was a good player on some bad Trail Blazers teams. More specifically, he was a good scorer during his five seasons in Portland. Wicks averaged 22.3 ppg with the Trail Blazers to go with 10.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Sidney shot .460 from the field and .713 from the line in his days in Portland. He was selected to the All-Star game in his four seasons with the Trail Blazers. Wicks would probably have been better as a number two guy.
9. Kiki Vandeweghe
Kiki looks like a taller, skinnier Harrison Ford, but I guess that’s not relevant to this list. In addition to looking like Harrison Ford, Kiki could flatout shoot the basketball. In five seasons in Portland Kiki averaged 23.5 ppg. Vandeweghe was extremely efficient, hitting, 526 from the field. He was also good from long-range going .408 from behind the arc. He was also .881 from the line. If Kiki shot the ball, there was a real good chance it was going through the hoop. Vandeweghe led the NBA in three-point shooting during the 1986–87 season with a mark of .481. Kiki pulled down 2.9 rebounds and added 2.2 assists, but shooting was his forte.
8. Rod Strickland
Rod made the rounds in his NBA career, but he did some of his best work during his five seasons in Portland. Strickland used his ability to penetrate to the basket to set up his teammates. That’s attested to by his 8.2 assists per game. Rod was also a scoring threat, averaging 16.2 ppg. He also helped out on the boards, averaging 4.3 rebounds. Strickland was even better in the playoffs, upping all his averages slightly across the board.
7. Rasheed Wallace
Wallace had a nice eight-year run in Portland. His line with the Trail Blazers was 16.8- 7- 2. While a somewhat volatile player, he was undeniably skilled. Sheed went to two all-star games with the Trail Blazers and his playoff production was similar to that of his regular-season stats. Wallace was an effective shooter, hitting .497 from the field and .713 from the line. He also was a force on defense, blocking 1.3 blocks per game.
6. LaMarcus Aldridge
LaMarcus’ stats are similar to those of Rasheed Wallace’s. They are actually similar players. Both were long, athletic power forwards, who could score, and were pretty good shooters and all-stars. In Aldridge’s case, he was a four-time all-star as a member of the Trail Blazers. LaMarcus’ regular season line with the Blazers was 19.4 ppg., 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists. His playoff scoring average was elevated to 22.1.
5. Brandon Roy
Before injuries curtailed his career, Roy was one of the best guards in the game. In five seasons with the Trail Blazers, Brandon averaged 19 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Roy was the Rookie of the Year for the 2006–07 season. After his rookie year, Roy was named to the all-star game for the next three seasons before being felled by injuries. Roy’s career was all too brief, but he had an excellent run while it lasted.
4. Damian Lillard
Damian averaged 25.2 ppg during his 11 seasons in Portland. This goes nicely with his 4.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists. Lillard was named to the all-star game seven times as a Trail Blazer. Damien is one of the best free-throw shooters in the NBA, hitting .895 of his free throws while in Portland. Though his field goal percentage with the Blazers was an unimposing .439, he shot a lot of 3s hitting .373 of them. Damian’s stature is elevated by his ability to perform in the clutch. Damien’s playoff scoring average is 25.7.
3. Maurice Lucas
Mo was the enforcer on the Trail Blazers during their championship season. He was a power forward with a lot of power and muscle. He was also very talented. Lucas spent four seasons with the Trail Blazers, two of them when the Blazers were an NBA powerhouse with Bill Walton. Lucas scored over 20 ppg in two of his seasons in Portland. Mo was good for about 10 rebounds a game at his peak. He also chipped in a little under three assists per game. While Lucas didn’t spend a lot of time in Portland, he made them count and was a big part of the Trailblazers’ Golden Age.
2. Clyde Drexler
In some ways, Clyde was Michael Jordan lite. That’s not meant as a slam. Drexler was a very good player whose game was somewhat similar to Jordan’s, just not quite as good. But then, in Jordan’s day, nobody was as good as Jordan. Clyde spent 12 seasons in Portland and went to the all-star game eight times. Drexler averaged 20.8 ppg with the Blazers. He eclipsed 20 ppg six times. Clyde also helped out on the boards with 6.7 rebounds to go along with 5.7 assists. Drexler elevated his stats in the playoff. Clyde was great, it’s just that MJ was a little better. Well, actually more than a little bit.
1. Bill Walton
Some celebrities are said to have feet of clay. In Walton’s case, that seemed almost literally to be the case. Portland fans are forced to wonder what could have been if Bill had been able to stay healthy. When he was able to play, he was one of the best centers in NBA history. Personally, I think he may have had the most rounded game of any center I’ve ever seen. He also seemed like he would have been a fun guy to play with. Walton could score, as evidenced by his 18.3 ppg in his four seasons with the Trail Blazers. He also rebounded at a clip of 14.4 per game. Walton moved the ball on offense and averaged 4.7 assists. He also blocked 2.7 shots per game. Walton went to two all-star games with the Blazers and was also named the 1976–77 NBA MVP. Perhaps even more importantly for Trail Blazer fans, he was named the NBA 1977 Finals MVP.
Who’s on your top ten list of Trail Blazers?
