- 16 PPG, 9 seasons
- 7th in franchise history in points (10,003)
- 4th in franchise history in steals (857)
Jim Paxson may be one of the most underrated Blazers of all time. Paxson was an exceptional scorer in his prime. In fact, he was the franchise’s all-time leading scorer when he left Portland.
Paxson was drafted 12th overall by the Blazers after having a great college career at Dayton. After spending his rookie season as a role player, Paxson saw 34.2 minutes per game in his second season. He capitalized on his opportunities averaging 17.1 points per game.
His scoring average improved to 18.9 points per game in his third season, which was the second highest mark on the team trailing only Mychal Thompson.
Paxson took his game to another level for the 1982-83 season. He led the Blazers in scoring with 21.7 points per game and was selected to his first All-Star game. He averaged 21.3 points during the 1983-84 season and was named an All-Star once again. Paxson was even selected to the All NBA second team.
Paxson remained in Portland for a few more seasons, but he did not play at an All-Star level again. He was traded to the Boston Celtics in 1988. After retiring in 1990, Paxson joined Portland’s front office.
Although he was a guard, Paxson was not much of a 3-point shooter. To be fair, 3-pointers were considered as more of a gimmick in the 1980s. Nevertheless, Paxson dominated with his lethal midrange game. He was adept at creating space for himself in the midrange and opposing defenses had trouble stopping him.
His two dominant seasons and seventh spot on the franchise scoring list give him the 10th spot on our list.