Trail Blazers: Breaking down a decade of draft history

By Ryan Gaskin | Dec 24, 2019

NEWARK, NJ - JUNE 28: Damian Lillard shakes hands with NBA Commissioner David Stern after being selected number six overall by the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2012 NBA Draft at the Prudential Center on June 28, 2012 in Newark, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1 of 10

(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Portland’s draft history is filled with ups and downs, and this decade was no different, as the Trail Blazers experienced plenty of eventful draft nights.

As the end of the decade approaches, I decided to take a look at the last 10 years of draft night for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Regardless of if you choose to call Portland’s drafting history bad luck or poor decision making, it is no secret around the NBA that the Blazers have experienced numerous bad beats when selecting players.

Selecting Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan is perhaps the most famous mistake; Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley were also drafted in the top 5 in 1984, but the Blazers were left with all-time bust Bowie.

In 2007, the Blazers owned the No. 1 pick, and selected Greg Oden out of Ohio State, ahead of now superstar Kevin Durant. This was more bad luck than a mistake (at the time, most teams liked Oden ahead of Durant and the big man struggled with injuries), but still. Another bad beat from a long list of bad beats.

However, the past decade has proved a little kinder to the Trail Blazers. They got it spot on in 2012 when they drafted Damian Lillard, and a year later they raided another small school, snagging CJ McCollum out of Lehigh with the 11th pick.

We’ll start back in 2010, with the Blazers coming off an injury-hit 50 win season.