Lillard, Walton, Drexler Named to Top All-Time List

ESPN has compiled a list of their top-74 NBA players of all-time, and several Trail Blazers made the list.

Current Portland star point guard Damian Lillard squeaked in at 72:

2012-20 Portland Trail Blazers

24.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.5 APG, 2.9 3s PG

Not many players are talented enough to end a team’s season with a 37-foot buzzer-beater and bye-bye wave to the crowd, and then go drop a fire hip-hop track in the studio with the same swagger. Lillard is making a strong case to become the greatest player in Blazers history, with many years seemingly ahead of him. The Oakland, California, native already has a Rookie of the Year trophy, a first-team All-NBA selection and five All-Star appearances among his career accomplishments.

Trail Blazers guard Clyde Drexler came in at 57:

1983-95 Portland Trail Blazers; 1995-98 Houston Rockets

20.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.6 APG, 2.0 Steals PG

Drexler had the misfortune of being compared to his contemporary Michael Jordan, most famously in the 1992 Finals. Still, Drexler’s career stands out in its own right. The star player on Blazers teams that averaged 60 wins and made Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992, Drexler was an All-NBA first team pick in ‘92 and a 10-time All-Star. He won a long-awaited championship after rejoining college teammate Hakeem Olajuwon with the Rockets in 1995.

Finally, Bill Walton - the man that led the Trail Blazers to their only championship, came in at number 48:

1974-79 Portland Trail Blazers; 1979-84 San Diego Clippers, 1984-85 LA Clippers; 1985-87 Boston Celtics

13.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, 2.2 BPG

Despite being named to this list, Walton’s career is one of the ultimate NBA “what-ifs.” He was the hub of one of the iconic teams in NBA history, the 1977 champion Trail Blazers, and he won an MVP award the following season, but a series of foot injuries robbed him of a chance to be one of the truly all-time great players. The stretches when he was able to stay on the court — both early in his career with Portland, and then later with the Celtics, with whom he won the 1986 title — were enough to merit inclusion here.

What say you, Trail Blazers fan? Should Drexler or Lillard be higher? Did Walton play long enough to warrant his spot? Any deserving players miss the cut? Let us know in the comments!