Spring Break
Portland's draft curse
Jeff Ellis
Issue date: 2/19/09 Section: Sports
If there is one franchise in history that has continually failed miserably at the execution of selecting a valuable number one/two draft pick in NBA history, the Portland Trail Blazers take the cake.
It is hard to believe that Bill Walton, Portland's most decorated player and the NBA's most ridiculously annoying announcer is the only draft pick who ever helped accomplish anything for the team (leading the Blazers to the 1977 championship and earning finals MVP honors).
Not to take away from the rebirth of the Portland franchise or the regeneration of Rip City and its buzz that has recaptured the attention of Rose City basketball fans and fans around the NBA, but Portland's batting a thousand when you're talking about selecting a center who has yet to live up to their hype or their paycheck.
Portland's selections have continually manufactured disappointment. After missing his entire rookie season due to a knee injury, Greg Oden, Portland's fourth and most recent first-round selection seems to be adding to our team's yet to be broken curse of making unwise draft choices only to let future NBA superstars and hall of famers slip away.
As for the four examples I am referring to, first take it back to the 1973 season when we decided to take LaRue Martin instead of Bob McAdoo, who eventually earned Rookie of the Year honors and went on to have his name enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. LaRue Martin? Well he has been cited as the worst number-one draft pick of all time, according to most.
Smart choice number two? Well, this involved the pick of Mychal Thompson. Although Thompson went on to have a solid career in the league, a man by the name of Larry Bird was left for the eventual sixth pick by the Boston Celtics. Larry Bird is remembered as one of the foremost clutch performers in the history of the NBA. Few players have performed as brilliantly in critical moments of games as he.
Third, the biggest mistake of Portland's draft choices if not in the history of the NBA, the Fail Blazers decided to pick center Sam Bowie as the No. 2 selection over the NBA's greatest player of all time, "His Airness" Michael Jordan. Jordan's five MVP awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances and three All-Star MVP, ten scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award speak for themselves. Over his career, Bowie averaged 10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.78 blocks per game. Wow!
Following the 2007 draft, the city of Portland and every single supporter who had waited so long for their team to be a Western Conference contender instead of the laughing stock of the league was satisfied. Oden, our savior! So far his ability to affect the key and determine the outcome of games on the defensive end have yet to shine through. Oden has been consistent in sitting out an entire season, rolling his ankle and chipping his knee. In the meantime, Kevin Durant, the No. 2 draft choice behind Oden, is busy putting up career highs of 47 points.
You could make the case that Kevin Durant is supposed to lead his team, as their horrible record boasts a lack of talent. And of course, Portland is talented and needs to fit Greg into their system in order to get him more minutes, but did Portland make another NBA worst pick list? I think so. Hopefully Greg can prove otherwise.
Jeff Ellis, sports writer
sports@dailybarometer.com
It is hard to believe that Bill Walton, Portland's most decorated player and the NBA's most ridiculously annoying announcer is the only draft pick who ever helped accomplish anything for the team (leading the Blazers to the 1977 championship and earning finals MVP honors).
Not to take away from the rebirth of the Portland franchise or the regeneration of Rip City and its buzz that has recaptured the attention of Rose City basketball fans and fans around the NBA, but Portland's batting a thousand when you're talking about selecting a center who has yet to live up to their hype or their paycheck.
Portland's selections have continually manufactured disappointment. After missing his entire rookie season due to a knee injury, Greg Oden, Portland's fourth and most recent first-round selection seems to be adding to our team's yet to be broken curse of making unwise draft choices only to let future NBA superstars and hall of famers slip away.
As for the four examples I am referring to, first take it back to the 1973 season when we decided to take LaRue Martin instead of Bob McAdoo, who eventually earned Rookie of the Year honors and went on to have his name enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. LaRue Martin? Well he has been cited as the worst number-one draft pick of all time, according to most.
Smart choice number two? Well, this involved the pick of Mychal Thompson. Although Thompson went on to have a solid career in the league, a man by the name of Larry Bird was left for the eventual sixth pick by the Boston Celtics. Larry Bird is remembered as one of the foremost clutch performers in the history of the NBA. Few players have performed as brilliantly in critical moments of games as he.
Third, the biggest mistake of Portland's draft choices if not in the history of the NBA, the Fail Blazers decided to pick center Sam Bowie as the No. 2 selection over the NBA's greatest player of all time, "His Airness" Michael Jordan. Jordan's five MVP awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances and three All-Star MVP, ten scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award speak for themselves. Over his career, Bowie averaged 10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.78 blocks per game. Wow!
Following the 2007 draft, the city of Portland and every single supporter who had waited so long for their team to be a Western Conference contender instead of the laughing stock of the league was satisfied. Oden, our savior! So far his ability to affect the key and determine the outcome of games on the defensive end have yet to shine through. Oden has been consistent in sitting out an entire season, rolling his ankle and chipping his knee. In the meantime, Kevin Durant, the No. 2 draft choice behind Oden, is busy putting up career highs of 47 points.
You could make the case that Kevin Durant is supposed to lead his team, as their horrible record boasts a lack of talent. And of course, Portland is talented and needs to fit Greg into their system in order to get him more minutes, but did Portland make another NBA worst pick list? I think so. Hopefully Greg can prove otherwise.
Jeff Ellis, sports writer
sports@dailybarometer.com
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Gary
posted 2/19/09 @ 4:16 PM PST
Way too early to know for sure. This is Greg's 1st year playing. He's leading all rookies in double-doubles. He'll probably average around a double-double by the end of the season. (Continued…)
Chris
posted 2/24/09 @ 2:32 PM PST
Hey look, your list of Jordan's accomplishments are in the exact same order as Wikipedia's. You shouldn't plagiarize Wikipedia.
Overall, a bad article, a bit self-absorbed in your own opinions. (Continued…)
Ramdy
posted 2/26/09 @ 10:44 PM PST
Too short. If you are going to call someone a bust and a team a bust factory at least back it up with some facts and opinions that carry on for more than a three minute read. (Continued…)
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