A quick perusal of Blazer history reveals at least two, perhaps three, great teams/eras.
The first chronologically was the 76-77 season through most of the 77-78 regular season when Bill Walton got injured. Though that era lasted only one and a half years it brought the only championship to the franchise and has to be considered as one of its most glorious moments.
The second great era came to fruition in the fall of 1989 and lasted through the '92 NBA Finals. These were the highlight years of the Drexler era. Though they did not produce a title those teams were beloved by some even more than the 70's crew. The 90-91 team still holds the franchise record for most regular season wins and the team won more playoff games in that three year stretch than in any consecutive three years combined before or since.
The Conference Final runs in 1999 and 2000 could perhaps be considered a third shining era, though it combined the faults of the first two: being short and not winning a title (or even making the NBA Finals). Those Rasheed Wallace teams had more talent, considering the roster as a whole, than either of the previous eras.
A two-part question:
1. How do you rank these eras in your own mind, using any criteria you wish (stats, historical significance, community influence, gut feelings, personal allegiances, whatever)?
2. Project the current Blazer team ahead a decade or so. Where will they end up ranking on this list and why?
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)