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Fansided

The One That Got Away – The Best Ex-Blazers Since 2000

By Spencer Gordon

Mar 28, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton (5) goes to the hoop against Portland Trail Blazers center Chris Kaman (35) at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton (5) goes to the hoop against Portland Trail Blazers center Chris Kaman (35) at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 10, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Former teammates (left to right) Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton smile and look on during the second quarter in the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Nuggets win 103-92. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Former teammates (left to right) Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton smile and look on during the second quarter in the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Nuggets win 103-92. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

5) Rasheed Wallace

Best Year in Portland: 19.2 ppg, 2.8 apg, 7.8 rpg

Best Year Away: 15.3 ppg, 2.3 apg, 6.8 rpg

This improvement isn’t measured in stats as you can see, but it’s measured in maturity and what Wallace grew into. The 2004 Pistons embodied a team-first attitude that a young and immature Wallace couldn’t grasp in Portland. He played young and hungry with us, but once he got to Detroit, he became the glue to one of the most impressive rosters of memory due to their lack of a superstar. The icing on this cake was that Wallace was able to win a title against Shaquille O’Neal and the rest of the Lakers for the 2000 Western Conference Finals.

What! Traded? Are you kidding me!?

I’m sure Wallace uttered something similar once Portland traded him and his attitude away to get some role players. Now looked back on as one of the best Blazers of recent memory, his attitude and ever growing technical foul count just proved to be too much of a headache for Portland to handle.

What Could’ve Been

Could the Jail Blazers have recovered if we kept ‘Sheed? The answer is no. As you’ll see with the next person on this list, the fireworks that came about from our starting front court rivaled a Donald Trump rally.

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