Contest Entry: The Blazers' best move ever
AKA How we avoided the Curse of Tom Owens
We know …..Walton and Moses, Bowie and Oden, Sabas and Thompson, Duckworth and Dudley……but do you recall the 3rd most important Blazer Big man of aaaaaaaaall?????? Ok…ok….I can hear you all groaning out there ……I will not sing the rest of my essay. But the answer to the question above is ……..Tom Owens!! What? Tom Owens? Who the hell is Tom Owens?? OK, Maybe a little history lesson is needed.
Thomas William Owens was a 6’10”center from the University of South Carolina who drafted by the Memphis Pros of the ABA in 1971 (also drafted in the 4th round by the San Diego Rockets of the NBA). After playing several years in the ABA and a short stint with the Rockets (in Houston), Tom joined the Trail Blazers before the 77-78 season, primarily to be Bill Walton’s backup. His best season as a Blazer was the 78-79 season, where he scored 18.5 ppg and 9 rpg. This was the first full season after Big Bill went down with his infamous foot injury and subsequently left for San Diego (the Clippers, not the Rockets), this was also Mychal Thompson’s rookie season.
After that season his production began to slip and by the 80-81 season he had dropped all the way to 10.6ppg and 5.8rpg. The Blazers traded him to the Indiana Pacers in the summer of 81 for a ........draft pick.
Ok, well, big deal…who cares, right?……Well, except that draft pick in question was the Pacers’ 1st rounder in 1984 (beginning to sound familiar now?)….I can hear the collective “ah-ha….the Bowie pick” from you now. As you all know, 83-84 Pacers had the worst record in the NBA (tied with the tanking Rockets). We lost the coin flip and ……anyway, we all know the rest of the story …..the Blazers take Bowie instead of Jordan and were branded fools. If the Blazers had taken Jordan, then this would have been a essay about the most lopsided trade in the history of the NBA…but alas it was never to be. However it is still a very lopsided trade....when you factor in what was given up (Tom Owens played exactly 74 games for Indiana(@ 10.5ppg/5rpg) and that Bowie was actually a pretty good player when upright (10.9ppg and 7.5rpg over 10 seasons) …plus....we were able to trade Sam for Buck Williams in time for the 89-90 season (we went to the finals). I still believe this is one the best trades by Portland ever!!!!
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20 comments
Comments
I wasn't allowed to put this in the post
"My avatar picture is of the favorite vehicle I ever owned" -Me
by 92wastheyear on Jul 22, 2009 2:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Rudy?
...refusing Coolio's sloppy seconds since 2001...
Now accessible for R rated comments at thetinfoil@gmail.com
by TheTinfoil on Jul 22, 2009 6:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's why I love those Euros so much
Europe is so backward that they are all in the 70’s……….that’s m-m-m-my generation!!
"My avatar picture is of the favorite vehicle I ever owned" -Me
by 92wastheyear on Jul 22, 2009 6:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
a coinflip away from Akeem
so sad….
The Bedger formally known as ????????
by Rudiculous on Jul 22, 2009 2:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
more importantly
a coin flip away from 2 more titles.
by RipCityRoyCity on Jul 22, 2009 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
hakeem + clyde
both of them in their prime together would have been at least 3 or 4
by goblazers503 on Jul 22, 2009 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice essay but...
the best Blazers’ move hasn’t happened yet. Or else we would have had a parade 9 or maybe 18 years ago. Sounds negative but until we win a title all the trades and moves will be towards a goal, an NBA Title.
by GTsmookie on Jul 22, 2009 3:34 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Tom joined the Trail Blazers before the 76-77 season
But do you recall… “who” was traded away to acquire Tom Owens?
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Jul 22, 2009 3:38 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Tom joined the Trail Blazers before the 76-77 season
BTW that should read “before the ’77-78 season” (you might want to edit your contest entry)
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Jul 22, 2009 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I should edit when he joined the team?
or when he had his best season?
"My avatar picture is of the favorite vehicle I ever owned" -Me
by 92wastheyear on Jul 22, 2009 3:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I figured it out and am fixing it
"My avatar picture is of the favorite vehicle I ever owned" -Me
by 92wastheyear on Jul 22, 2009 3:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
have you figured out the trivia question yet?
the ’89-92 Blazer team had a lengthy transaction “link” going back to the ’77 championship team, and a not very well-known player
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Jul 22, 2009 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
nah...I can't find it....
"My avatar picture is of the favorite vehicle I ever owned" -Me
by 92wastheyear on Jul 22, 2009 4:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Who was it we gave up to get the original TO?
I forgot to ask
"My avatar picture is of the favorite vehicle I ever owned" -Me
by 92wastheyear on Jul 22, 2009 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
give up?
It was Robin Jones, who was signed as a FA and plyed sparingly behind Walton and Neal for the championship team
So in a ’round about way, Robin Jones was traded for…Buck Williams…and THAT my friend is truly the greatest transaction in Blazer history!
Another question…how did Portland acquire the #1 pick in the 1978 draft (Mychal Thompson) after having one of the best records in the league?
(here’s a hint, it was a direct result of the WORST transaction in Blazer history)
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Jul 22, 2009 4:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Does it have to do with your screen name?
plus wasn’t it too bad they didn’t have the guts to take Bird with that pick?
"My avatar picture is of the favorite vehicle I ever owned" -Me
by 92wastheyear on Jul 22, 2009 4:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, not LaRue Martin
I’m talking about the worst trade in Portland history, even worse than the Vandeweghe deal
Red Auerbach exploited a loophole in the CBA and drafted Larry Legend when he was still a junior in college. I think Len Bias’ untimely death (following the draft, 7-8 years later) was the “payback” to Boston from the basketball gods (with all due respect to Bias’ family…)
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Jul 22, 2009 5:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Moses to the Braves?
Those pre-championship transactions I am not up on…unless they really well known (Tom Owens not withstanding)
"My avatar picture is of the favorite vehicle I ever owned" -Me
by 92wastheyear on Jul 22, 2009 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep
that’s story unto itself, basically Harry Glickman kept his word to the Buffalo GM and traded away a future MVP center…sure, the #1 draft choice turned into Mychal “sweet bells” Thompson who then spent the rest of his career being abused by Mo
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Jul 22, 2009 8:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

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