Today's Poll -- Help Me Settle This
by Ben Golliver on Jan 14, 2009 2:41 PM PST
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PrintYesterday I referred to Clyde Drexler as "the greatest player in Portland Trail Blazers history" and then out of nowhere people started disagreeing with that statement. I didn't even realize this was a debate. But now I'm getting a little panicky second-guessing my understanding of the history of this franchise. I need your help to settle this once and for all please.
Vote first and then in the comments please tell me which criterion is most important in making this call? Longevity? Personal achievements? Numbers? A title?
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)
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+1
Greatest to never have played in his prime for the
Blazers. Loved me some Sabas. What a skill set !
On automatic !~!
In regards to Clyde’s detractors, Sabas would say, " VAAAT ?"
It's GO time !
Sure and Jordan was thre greatest Wizard.
by pualo on Jan 14, 2009 3:06 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
yes
"When I have the ball, I experiment." #5
by Sabonis4Ever on Jan 14, 2009 4:10 PM PST up reply actions
Clyde the Glide is the best player in franchise history.
Brandon Roy could replace him in several years but as right now it’s Clyde no doubt.
I hope B-Roy surpasses Clyde someday, but
that might not happen. One key factor will be whether or not his body holds up and you can bet that crashing to the floor after a majority of his drives/layups is not going to help. I cringe every time it happens and wonder if it is worth the potential “and 1”. If it isn’t game deciding, I for one would rather see him get the easy 2 and stay on his feet.
If you're talking most skilled and talented
then it’s Walton and not even close. Clyde was more athletic but Walton had a higher BBIQ. Walton was a genuine superstar who led his team to a championship. Clyde was a star in search of a superstar and could not grab the title from teams that had true superstars. When he finally was paired with a superstar in Houston, he did win a ring.
If longevity counts, then sure, Clyde wins.
Definetely MiledAnimal.
I suspect most everyone voting for Clyde are too young to have seen Walton play in ‘76, ’77 and ’78. He was something to behold. An extremely talented, super team oriented player in the mold of B-Roy but he stood 6’11" (at least).
In my estimation, Clyde was not a team player at all. Shoot, right now Roy is better than Clyde ever was. Clyde was outstanding on the fast break but that’s about the only area that he tops Roy. Maybe better stealing the ball too. But so often, he would shoot us right out of the game, he had only one move in the half court to get to the rim (spin move) and couldn’t dribble without looking at the ball. Porter is who made that team go and it was Terry that Adleman usually gave the ball to at nitty-gritty time.
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Ummmm
Where to start…
1. 76-78 is a 3 year period. Clyde WAS Portland for 8 years, and was a Blazer for 3 other full years. (Rookie year and 2 injury years hurt, but he was still a good player.)
2. Nobody is denying that Walton had the greatest single year of any Blazer. The question was who is the greatest Blazer of all time. Even if Walton’s seasons were ranks 1-3 (doubtful) I’d still take the guy who gave me 8 season of greatness and another 3 season of fun.
3. SHOT US OUT OF GAMES? 49, 48, 50, 51, 49, 49, 48, 47. These are his shooting percentages for the 8 years I mentioned. That’s pretty damn good for a guy in his position. As a reference, Kobe Bryant has NEVER had a 47% shooting season, although this year he is currently at 47.8. A 51% shooting percentage while averaging 27ppg is nothing short of amazing. Find another shooting guard who has done that recently.
Roy’s third year is currently ahead of Drexler’s third year in terms of production. However, Drexler exploded in his next few. Roy needs to keep improving to match Drexler’s level of game. (That doesn’t necesarily mean scoring 27 ppg either, I don’t think we need that out of Roy.)
Walton also betrayed Portland at the end, something you should be old enough to remember.
Indeed I am old enough to remember the "betrayal" Zaig;
painfully so. Yeah, maybe he was given some bad advice by Cook and Culp, but the treatment decision was ultimately his.
I took the “shooting himself out of games” straight out of Michael Jordan’s mouth. Jordan said that you could count on Drexler to do that after he started hitting a few shots and said that, being more controlled, Joe Dumars was the more effective player of the two.
And that’s exactly how I felt. It would be at a critical time of the game, when so often Clyde, early in the shot clock, would shoot that long flat shot that would clang hard off the front of the rim and result in a fast break for the other team. Those 4 point turnarounds would be killers. Man that used to frustrate me.
Clyde was a gentleman’s gentleman (my mother loved him) but I wasn’t one bit sad to see him traded.
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Drexler WAS a team player
He averaged as many rebounds as he did assists (6+ most seasons). That is not a stat that guards get rated on; he did it because he wanted to win. Roy may end up being better than Clyde,but at the moment I see no reason to make the comparison. Lets see us get to the finals at least twice, and then we can talk.
Longevity
puts Drexler over the top. If Walton hadn’t had the injury problems then things would have been alot closer. Anytime you talk about all time, you have to look at a players contributions spanning their entire career. If Walton dosent get a title would we even be talking about putting him over Clyde?
Clyde...
hands down.
"When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car"
by you'vegottomakeyourfreethrows on Jan 14, 2009 3:05 PM PST reply actions
CLYDE ! Period !!!!
As a 33+ year Blazermaniac who watched
almost every Blazer game for the last 25 plus
years, there is no arguement.
Luke – Great player, Champ & ultimate enforcer !
Walton – Great center (for several yrs), selfless
player & leader, Champ, but too short
in Black & Red. Schooled in & by the
greatest coach / system in the history of
college BBall. Wooden’s pyramid of success
still is unrivaled !
BRoy – Great player & leader. ROY & All-Star in
1st & 2nd year. Unselfish & all around
humble guy, who’s development & star
will be made by the Blazers success in
the playoffs ! Needs 7 + more seasons to
take over from . . .
CLYDE DREXLER – The BEST player to ever lace them
up for Portland. A great athlete who became a
great player, teammate and champion ! Clyde
could do it all, Score, dish, rebound, D up and
finish with the best. If he had ever developed his
left hand (and Blazers had added Sabas), Portland
would have won multiple championships !! On top
of all the physical gifts, he was a great guy and
ambassador for the team & the NBA !
P.S. – BROY may eclipse Clyde the Glide with help from GO,
Smooth and a great young cast of characters !
COINCAST SUCKS !!!! GO BLAZERS !!!!!!
It's GO time !
Mr. Glide himself
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
It wouldn't surprise me to see Roy catch Clyde
but at this time, predicting the future is out.
Clyde is the man today, for the combination of longevity and greatness.
Walton’s greatest high was higher than Clyde’s, but he was here too short. Same with Luke.
Nobody else (Pippen, Sabas) merits mention; as only the player’s career as a Trail Blazer is relevant for this discussion.
Clyde is the GOAT (in a Portland uniform)... Hands down.
Roy or possibly even Oden could be in the argument once their careers are over depending on how each progresses and how long they’re with the team. Walton got the ring but wasn’t here long enough. Sabonis would have had the ring(s) had he come over sooner.
"Hi, I'm Clyde and I feel great... as in 'GREATEST BLAZER OF ALL TIME'-great!"
Hands down my biggest sports idol growing up.
Catalina-Wine-Mixer.
by ArbyOSU on Jan 14, 2009 3:21 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
depends on how you define it
Walton’s ’77 season was the greatest individual season by a Blazer ever.
Drexler’s overall contributions to the team dwarf anyone else’s.
If you were ranking it based on “best basketball players ever who at one time were associated with the Blazers,” your top 5 (in no particular order) would be Walton, Drexler, Sabonis, Moses Malone and Scottie Pippen.
I prefer to use the “overall contributions while in a Blazer uniform” criteria, and Drexler dominates under that definition.
Boomshakalaka
Clyde's light burned for more years
but Walton’s light burned far more brightly. Nothing Clyde did over his additional years compares to our one championship. I suppose one can value making the playoffs every year over winning a title, but I don’t.
Title versus longevity aside, I prefer to make my case on who was the better player. If you were building a team and could choose either Pippen, Drexler, or Walton in their prime, who would you choose?
Walton
but Walton’s prime lasted less than 2 years, and that has to be taken into account.
Boomshakalaka
by 2015 it will be Roy and it won't be debatable. now if the poll option was today's Roy I would've voted Clyde
honor rasheed wallace
i like ike
I welcome Roy version 2015 then.
I love Clyde and would LOVE for someone to surpass his greatness while in a Blazer uni.
Catalina-Wine-Mixer.
Clyde, no doubt.
I know that Portland won the Championship with Walton, and I do love Bill to death. That being said, the years with Clyde, Porter, Duck, Buck, Kersey, Cliff Robinson (the list goes on) were the best in franchise history.
"It's not how you enter your sport, it's how you exit." - Dr. J
http://myspace.com/eme0916
Clyde is the Blazers.
When I was 12 I saw the Blazers play an exhibition game at North Medford High School. I asked Clyde for his wristband and he told me he needed it for the game but would save it for me afterwards. He kept his word and gave it to me despite being swamped by a thousand snot nosed kids that looked just like me (also a true story). That was his second year as a pro and he was already the Prince of Portland.
Not only was Clyde an unbelievable player, but he set the bar for what it meant to be a Blazer for 13 years. He is and always will be the standard bearer for this organization, and you can see it now in how this team has been rebuilt. He is without a doubt The Greatest Trailblazer of all time!!
Besides imagine how smelly Walton’s wristband would be. No kid wants that thing.
I now live in the land of Lakers. I witnessed first hand the collapse in Game 7, 2002. I have seen chubby Laker fans running around in the streets like headless chickens, and I have seen Rick Fox stuff his smug face with a NY steak. All these things I have seen with my own eyes, and I promise you, I will never forget.... I WILL NEVER FORGET!
touche.
I now live in the land of Lakers. I witnessed first hand the collapse in Game 7, 2002. I have seen chubby Laker fans running around in the streets like headless chickens, and I have seen Rick Fox stuff his smug face with a NY steak. All these things I have seen with my own eyes, and I promise you, I will never forget.... I WILL NEVER FORGET!
by Steve Colter on Jan 14, 2009 4:15 PM PST up reply actions
Me too !
I had a homemade sheet sign that Kiki Vandewege signed at that
game. Later Clyde signed it at a exhibition game (1988) at OIT. Clyde bowled
us over going for a loose ball since we were sitting in chairs three
feet from the sideline. After the game, Clyde signed my sheet sign
and I asked him if he played Double Dribble on Nintendo. He said,
“Yeah, that one of my favorite games !” I challenged him to a game in
the future, without any hope of it really happening. I’ve since talked
to him several times and he remains a personal & fan favorite. Do you
notice how Clyde always acknowledges the Blazer fans when asked
about his time in Portland. Classy !!
It's GO time !
I didn't feel like commenting on this thread
so I just hit “Control + F” and searched for “Bayless” and was going to just rec whoever named Jerryd first, but alas, NO ONE has named him yet!!?!?!
So, I’m saying it for you, slackers.
JEH-RID BAY-LESS
"What's that, some kind of hamburger?"
--Bo Outlaw on being asked how he felt about recording his first triple double.
No second-guessing, no doubts, no hesitation: Drexler.
Maybe, someday Roy will supplant him (or maybe even Oden). It will be fantastic if that day ever comes, but it will take a decade before I would feel either choice could be justifiable. Until then, Clyde is not only the G.-B.O.A.T., but still and always my favorite sports figure ever as well.
+1
"What's that, some kind of hamburger?"
--Bo Outlaw on being asked how he felt about recording his first triple double.
by prezofdeath on Jan 14, 2009 10:52 PM PST up reply actions
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