Ranking all 7 Top-5 picks in Portland Trail Blazers history
Ed Stein
|
The Portland Trail Blazers have been a successful organization but haven’t had the best luck with high picks. We rank all seven Top 5 picks in team history.
In 2023, for the eighth time in franchise history, the Portland Trail Blazers have a top-five pick in the NBA Draft. So far, they’ve had less than optimal results (spoiler Sam Bowie is fourth).
Rip City has seen a few of them win awards, make All-Star teams, and one is in the Hall of Fame. They’ve also had some infamous busts.
Here is a ranking of all seven top-five picks in Blazers history.
7. LaRue Martin
Center, 1972 – 1st overall, Loyola of Chicago.
4 seasons (1972-76), 271 games, 5.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.5 blocks per game.
LaRue Martin is regarded as one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. He was selected first overall in the 1972 draft but failed to live up to expectations averaging a measly 14 minutes per game over four seasons and 271 games.
Simply put, Martin couldn’t put the ball in the net. In two of his four seasons, he failed to shoot 40% from the floor leading to an overall 5.3 points per game.
6. Greg Oden
Center, 2007 – 1st overall, Ohio State University.
3 years (2007-10), 60 games, 8.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.5 assists per game.
Despite having his college career derailed by injuries, Greg Oden showed great promise coming out of Ohio State in 2007. Unfortunately, he couldn’t meet the expectations of being the first overall pick due to persistent setbacks.
Health issues defined Oden’s career, but he displayed glimpses of his potential when he was on the court. Maybe his most memorable game came on November 23, 2010, when he scored 24 points with 12 rebounds in a win over Chicago.
It feels like Oden played for the Portland Trail Blazers a long time ago, but as of today, he’s only 35 years old.
5. Wally Walker
Small Forward, 1976 – 5th Overall, University of Virginia.
1+ season (1976-77), 70 games, 7.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists per game.
Drafted out of Virginia in 1976, Wally Walker is a forgotten figure these days. He had a solid year and a half with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Walker was part of the 1976-77 World Championship Team and provided valuable scoring and rebounding off the bench for coach Jack Ramsay. Wally Wonder was traded to the Sonics for a first round pick (7th overall) which Portland used to select Ron Brewer.
4. Sam Bowie
Center, 1984 – 2nd overall, University of Kentucky.
5 seasons (1984-89), 101 games, 10.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game.
The answer to a popular trivia question, Sam Bowie is often associated with being selected one spot ahead of Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft. That tidbit has largely overshadowed his contributions to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Some of the criticism is unfair. People forget that Bowie dominated college basketball during his senior season at Kentucky. Additionally, he made the NBA All-Rookie team in 1983-84.
With Portland, he couldn’t shake a leg injury that limited him to 139 games over five seasons. Bowie never lived up to the pre-draft hype.
3. Mychal Thompson
Center, 1978 – 1 overall, University of Minnesota.
7 seasons (1978-86), 365 games, 16.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
Looking back, Portland practically stole the Bahamian Sensation. The Portland Trail Blazers acquired the top overall pick in a trade that sent guard Johnny Davis to Indiana.
They used the number one pick on Minnesota center Mychal Thompson. Although slight of frame at 6-10, 210-pounds, Thompson was an inside presence.
He had seven very productive seasons in Rip City, including making the 1978-79 NBA All-Rookie Team. His best was 1981-82, when he averaged 20.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 79 games.
Upon retirement in 1991, he moved back to Portland and hosted a popular radio talk show until taking a job as the Lakers color commentator in 2003.
2. Sidney Wicks
Center, 1971, 2nd overall, UCLA.
5 seasons (1971-76), 398 games, 22.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.
Before Rip City drafted another All-Star center from UCLA, Sidney Wicks was their man in the middle. Portland Trail Blazers management loved him so much heading into the 1971 draft; they paid Cleveland $250K not to take Wicks with the first pick.
Wicks had a strong start to his career, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 1972. He played five seasons in PDX, making the All-Star team four times.
On February 26, 1975, Wicks set the Blazers record with a 27 rebound game. That record lasted over 46 years until Enis Kanter pulled down 30 against Detroit in 2021.
1. Bill Walton
Center, 1974 – 1st overall, UCLA.
4 seasons (1974-78), 209 games, 17.1 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game.
Big Red is one of the most impactful players in Portland Trail Blazers history. An exceptionally skilled big man, Bill Walton was known for his passing, rebounding, and shot-blocking abilities.
He led the Blazers to their only NBA championship in 1977 and was named the NBA Finals MVP. Other accolades he picked up while with Portland include:
- Led the NBA in rebounds – 1976-77
- Led the NBA in blocks – 1976-77
- NBA First Team All-Defense – 1976-77, 1977-78
- NBA MVP – 1977-78
- All-Star – 1977-78
Despite battling constant injury issues, which led to three missed seasons during his NBA career, Walton was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
Interesting notes
1. Damian Lillard, maybe the best Portland Trail Blazers player in team history, was drafted sixth overall in 2012.
2. In 1983, Portland earned the fifth overall pick, but as part of a 1980 trade for TR Dunn, they had to swap picks with Denver at 13. The Blazers used that pick on future Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler.
3. Technically, LaMarcus Aldridge was drafted 2nd overall, but it was by Chicago, and then he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.
How do you think the Portland Trail Blazers will do with their top five pick in 2023?