Roy was great his third year here. I actually looked at the playoffs stats again, he was super good against Houston. He was 2nd team all NBA and had MVP votes. So I'll agree with you how excellent he was that one season. Year prior Roy was in his second year working to lead the Blazers after Zach and couldn't get the Blazers to a winning record. Year after he got injured and was never the same.
No. Oden was never a monster. It was exciting to daydream of how dominant he could be, unfortunately we never saw that. I was in the arena when his kneecap shattered. He was averaging 11ppg 8rpg (career highs). He also was averaging 4 fouls per game.
So best players who played on the Blazers, not that they were at their best when on the Blazers: G - Lenny Wilkens G - Drazen Petrovic F - Clyde Drexler F - Scottie Pippen C - Bill Walton 6th & 7th men - Sabonis and Walter Davis All HOFers who at one time played on the Blazers
I didn't see the part in the OP about best player in their prime even if it wasn't with the Blazers, and that got me to thinking about the Walton-Sabonis comparison. Sabonis never really had a prime. Injuries robbed him of it. And still an all-time great. Walton was the greatest fundamental C I ever watched. Offense was the weak point of his game and he went something like 21-of-22 from the field in a Final Four game. Sabonis was a mountain of a man as a teenager, great size for a C even when the Cs were true behemoths. He had the agility of a 3, and passed like some of the best PGs. If you think Karl Malone was intimidating filling the lane on the break, Sabonis before the injuries was twice that. I think, had neither had major injuries and we might have gotten to see Walton v Sabonis in the Olympics, people still would be talking about it. I come back to this, though: As great as Walton was, Sabonis was everything and an even better athlete. Walton could outmuscle Kareem. He couldn't do that to a healthy, 25-year-old Sabonis. Sabonis brought all the skill and type of play Walton did, but he just was a little bit better in most phases and more athletic. I think Walton would be worked to the max on defense trying to contain Sabonis, and I'm not sure that would happen on the other end of the floor.
And, yeah, if it's best in their prime even if prime wasn't with the Blazers, I don't know how Moses Malone isn't the PF.
Man, anyone who doesn't have Lillard in their starting 5 is out of their God-damned mind. Lillard Drexler Pippen Sheed Walton
Damon Stoudamire Damian Lillard Brandon Roy Sidney Wicks Buck Williams bench: Malcom Brogdon, Geoff Petrie [all Rookie of the Year winners]
Lillard is almost a top 5 Blazer PG - but once Jrue plays a game he will knock him down to 7th if we're using his Bucks/Celtics play; Porter Pippen Lenny Wilkens Andre Miller Strickland Dame
Lenny Wilkens was certainly better than Lillard. He was #2 in MVP voting in 1968 behind Wilt - he was ahead of Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor. Dame was never close to that level of player. Its surprising two years later how much Blazer fans still overrate Lillard.
I wouldn't be surprised if prime healthy Sabonis played Walton and was clearly the best. The problem is its all theoretical as we don't have games of that Sabonis against the NBA greats. We have Sabonis dominating David Robinson for a game but other centers like Hakeem did that later as well. Walton did dominate the NBA at his peak even if it was only a couple healthy seasons - thats over 100x the sample of Sabonis.
Oh Sabonis was certainly top5 if not higher. Walton was #1 at times - as evident by his finals MVP and following regular season MVP.
he did play a game and I was there. Preseason game at Mac Court. IIRC he played about 20 minutes and had 12 offensive rebounds
I was there, too. The impact he had on both ends of the floor was dramatic, regardless of individual stats. Besides, this is a thought experiment, and the thought of watching those five guys play together, each in full health and in his prime, gives me minor chubbage.
