The Portland Trail Blazers have had an array of talented scorers throughout the history of their franchise. Here are their 15 greatest scorers in franchise history.
The Portland Trail Blazers have had many talented scorers over the years. Here, this list will run through the 15 best since the franchise’s inception in 1970.
For clarification, this list only considers the player’s tenure with the Blazers. While references may be made to a time spent with other teams, it doesn’t factor into the overall ranking.
This is a ranking of the best scorers in Blazer history not the best players in Blazer history.
Without further ado, let’s dive in.
- 16.8 PPG, 8 seasons
- 10th in franchise history in points (9,119)
- 3rd in franchise history in blocks (693)
Rasheed Wallace kicks off our list at number 15. Wallace was always well known for his defensive ability, but he was a talented scorer as well.
Wallace’s talent had been apparent from day one. He was considered to be one of the best high school players in the 1993 recruiting class. He committed to North Carolina, and he led the Tar Heels to the Final Four in 1995.
Wallace was selected fourth overall by the Washington Bullets in the 1995 NBA Draft. He and Mitchell Butler were subsequently traded to the Portland Trail Blazers after the 1995-96 season in exchange for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant.
In his first season with the Blazers, Wallace thrived on both ends of the floor. He averaged 15.1 points per game on 55.8 percent shooting from the field.
He signed a contract extension to stay in Portland and would be selected to the All-Star Game twice as a Blazer.
Wallace averaged 19.2 points per game in 2000-01. He then followed that up by averaging a career-high 19.3 points per game in 2001-02.
Wallace famously made record books by setting the NBA record for technical fouls in a season with 38, then breaking his own record the following season by recording 40 technicals.
Although he is tenth in franchise history in scoring, Wallace never averaged 20 points per game in a season, which holds him back on this list.
He was an exceptional finisher inside, could post up defenders, and could even knock down the occasional 3-pointer. However, he was never suited to be the go-to guy on offense. Nevertheless, his diverse skill set and almost eight-year tenure with the team gives him our number 15 spot.