94, it was Hakeem and good role players, OT was definetily above average rebounder and defender, but he didn't take pressure off of Hakeem to score. Billups was close to being a star, so was Hamilton, and Rasheed was close as well a year or 2 earlier. Plus they had 2 studs on defense in Ben Wallace and Prince. I consider a player an all star, if they are they are an all star year after year with stats/impact to match. So 1 or 2 All stars maybe a fluke, or just lack of playing time/health or 3rd option of a team, etc. THey are still very good, but they aren't elite...usually need 2 elite players to win a title, with one being a big man. USUALLY
As a Portland fan, Drexler deserved his ring, no matter where he got it. I would have loved to see the Blazers win with Drexler, but I am honestly perfectly content that we essentially traded him to a championship team in his hometown just because we liked him that much. The guy deserved that kind of respect after what he gave the city of Portland. I know a lot of people on this board think of Drexler as a Rocket guy, but he spent most of his career in Portland, and for me he'll always be one of the best players to ever suit up in black and red. Porter, Kersey, etc. were great players, and I'm a bit sad with how the rest of that great team was dealt with, but we didn't get a ring with Drexler because the other teams were better, not because we weren't that great.
I feel Drexler was definitely a Blazer more than a Rocket. We all love what he did as a Rocket, but most of the love is because he's a local product, not because of his tenure as a Rocket player/broadcaster. To me, Rudy T and Calvin Murphy were the definition of Rockets loyalty for their 30+ years of dedication. I'm glad some Portland fans stepped up on this thread to tell it like it is. As a Portland / Rocket fan, you should check my old thread here: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=160568
TP was pretty studly there for a few years in his prime. Kersey was a beast of a SF--had a medium range J, slashed really well and finished, and was ridiculously physical. I don't know that there's a very good modern day comparison. Poor man's Worthy? Buck Williams--elite rebounder, good jump hook. Duck--filled the middle, blocked shots, could hit the 10-15 footer consistently. Cliff Robinson hadn't come into his own just yet, but he was showing flashes and was a good bench player. Same with Elie I guess to a lesser degree. Other solid role players in Mark Bryant and Rod Strickland before he improved
very true, or JVG, or Pops, Riley, SVG, Larry Brown...a teacher who will maximize his skills and athleticism on both ends of the court.
My two cents: They were very balanced, and the second best team in 1990 and 1992. Against the Pistons, they just weren't mentally prepared, and in 92, they essentially blew a huge lead in the second half with Jordan on the bench in Game 6. A little more toughness and court sense, and I think they win that title. Clyde was a disappointment to me in that series, he seemed a bit intimidated by Jordan, as most players were. MJ seemed insulted by any suggestion that Clyde was anywhere near his level, and played like that, with a fury. Clyde was always a class act, but a little too nice on the court. He rarely played with a desperate sense of urgency like MJ did. If he had, if he had driven his teammates more, I think they'd have won at least one title, and gotten to the 91 Finals as well. The early 90's Blazers, top to bottom, had the talent(more than the Bulls, certainly), enough to win without an elite big man, much as the Pistons did, but for some reason didn't. They were fun to watch, though.
That Blazers would've been lucky had it came along a decade or so later. The Blazers would've had an extra 2 to 3 championships. Those teams literally had no weakness (Duckworth was decent, in fact, if he played right now he'd be top 10 material as far as centers are concerned). Personally, I think he's better than what Andrew Bynum (ever will be) or Big Z are now. Let's See: K.Duckworth B.Williams C.Robertson C.Drexler T.Porter D.Ainge J.Kersey They were a conference powerhouse in what would've been most likely one of the toughest periods in NBA history, after 1980s. No MJ, Trailblazers are instantly a one to two time champ.
Conversely it can be said there's only the SAME FEW exceptions where a title team didnt have an elite WING or BACKCOURT player as well: D Robinson Spurs, '04 Pistons, '94 Rockets, 70's Bullets & Blazers & maybe Sonics The Sonics and Pistons had a wing player performing at Hall of Fame level and being Finals MVPs. So that leaves Spurs, Rockets, Bullets and Blazers who didnt need a wing. (I count Parker and Ginobili as good wing players) Since '78 then theres only 2 teams, Spurs and Rockets, who didnt need a wing player. Same number of teams as Bulls and Bad Boy Pistons who didnt need a big man. Bulls and Pistons have a combined 8 titles to the 3 combined Spurs and Rockets. Team game, gotta either have a couple All Stars or balance out the talent all around.
Last night I got called by a pollster who was obviously conducting a poll for Chris Dudley, who seems to be considering running for governor (as a Repub). Have you heard of Chris Dudley? Did you know he won x award for citizenship as an NBA player? Do you know that Chris Dudley cares about kids? And so on... When the real questions was asked (Would you vote for Chris Dudley as Governor of Oregon?), I responded that I wouldn't want any governor who would dishonor the game I love with the kind of horrendous free throw shooting Dudley displayed during his career. Anyway, just thought I'd pass that along.
That's golden....how did that go down? I remember this dodgy old book in my school library about the fundamentals of basketball - and they had pics of NBA players exhibiting the skills being described. Next to free throw shooting - who do you think they showed? None other than Chris freakin Dudley.
