Today's Poll -- Help Me Settle This

by Ben. on Jan 14, 2009 2:41 PM PST Comment 42 comments

Yesterday 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)

Poll

Who is the greatest player in Portland Trail Blazer history?

Clyde Drexler. Duh!

778 votes

Maurice Lucas. Grr!

8 votes

Brandon Roy (in ~2015). Ooh!

164 votes

Bill Walton. Bling!

129 votes

Other. Oomph!

14 votes

1093 votes | Poll has closed

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Other

Sabonis

"When I have the ball, I experiment." #5

by Sabonis4Ever on Jan 14, 2009 2:47 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

+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 !

by walkoff41 on Jan 14, 2009 2:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Sabonis was the man.

http://www.nba.com/blazers/special_features/Portland_will_miss_Arvydas_Sab-84264-41.html

by tmundal on Jan 14, 2009 2:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Sure and Jordan was thre greatest Wizard.

by pualo on Jan 14, 2009 3:06 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

He was also the greatest Heat

At least Miami retired only his jersey number so far ;-)

by Norsktroll on Jan 14, 2009 3:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yes

"When I have the ball, I experiment." #5

by Sabonis4Ever on Jan 14, 2009 4:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

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.

by JoeBlazer on Jan 14, 2009 2:48 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Clyde...and its not even close.

by tmundal on Jan 14, 2009 2:48 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Clyde...and its not even close.

by Nick Van Excellent on Jan 14, 2009 2:50 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

yea that!

I could definitely see potential in B-Roy surpsassing him, but we’re talking about one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time. Cyde….no doubt

by P-RIDE on Jan 14, 2009 2:54 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

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.

by Roycity on Jan 14, 2009 2:55 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

2015 isn't history.

And Walton wasn’t here long enough. Has to be Clyde.

by pualo on Jan 14, 2009 2:59 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

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.

by MiledAnimal on Jan 14, 2009 3:01 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Thank you MA

my thoughts, too The passion in Portland was intense, then.

by OBJuan72 on Jan 14, 2009 3:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

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

by TwoDeep on Jan 14, 2009 4:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

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.

by Zaig on Jan 14, 2009 4:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

+ 1

It's GO time !

by walkoff41 on Jan 14, 2009 5:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

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

by TwoDeep on Jan 15, 2009 9:26 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

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.

by RIP.City on Jan 14, 2009 6:54 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

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?

by lethaldose on Jan 14, 2009 7:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

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 0 recs

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 !

by walkoff41 on Jan 14, 2009 3:07 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

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.

by TheOdenator on Jan 14, 2009 3:09 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

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.

by EngineerScotty on Jan 14, 2009 3:10 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

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.

by lilseal18 on Jan 14, 2009 3:10 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

"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

by jksnake99 on Jan 14, 2009 3:36 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

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?

by MiledAnimal on Jan 14, 2009 5:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Walton

but Walton’s prime lasted less than 2 years, and that has to be taken into account.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Jan 14, 2009 6:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Then why did you choose Walton?

by MiledAnimal on Jan 15, 2009 2:00 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

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

by Zaron5551 on Jan 14, 2009 3:47 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

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.

by ArbyOSU on Jan 14, 2009 4:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

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

by dfjmed on Jan 14, 2009 3:54 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

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!

by Steve Colter on Jan 14, 2009 4:01 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

It probably smells like the bulk section of a Whole Foods.

Catalina-Wine-Mixer.

by ArbyOSU on Jan 14, 2009 4:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

touche.

by Steve Colter on Jan 14, 2009 4:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

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 !

by walkoff41 on Jan 14, 2009 5:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

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.

by prezofdeath on Jan 14, 2009 4:12 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

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.

by IdleMercutio on Jan 14, 2009 4:23 PM PST reply actions 0 recs