Portland Trail Blazers: Praise MJ and Bulls, Don’t discredit Clyde Drexler

1992 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan had a point to prove. 6 games later, it was done. Praise MJ for this, don’t discredit Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers

‘The Last Dance’ documentary is currently gripping the NBA world, with every episode offering up new insight into the 90’s Bulls. Each episode also seems to shine a spotlight on a different corner in Michael Jordan‘s kill room, and on Sunday evening, it’s the Portland Trail Blazers and Clyde Drexler‘s turn.

The ’92 Portland Trail Blazers were for real. Led by Rick Adelman, the Blazers went 57-25 and had the best record in the West. Clyde Drexler had been a star for years, and the shooting guard was showing no signs of slowing down.

Drexler was named first-team All-NBA, an All-Star starter, was second in the MVP race and finished 4th in scoring (also top 20 in assists and steals). Whispers around the league began to gain momentum; were Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler becoming 1a and 1b in the NBA? Drexler said it himself, claiming him and MJ were ‘the two best in the league’.

MJ wasn’t having it.

As we all know, Michael Jordan went and did what Michael Jordan does. He backed his talk up, and dropped 39 points, 11 assists, 6 first-half three’s and the dub in Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals. Drexler meanwhile, had a quiet 16, 5 and 7 on 37 percent shooting, and Chicago blew Portland out, 122-89.

MJ did ‘the shrug’, and the Bulls went on to win 4-2, with Jordan obviously picking up Finals MVP. What I fail to understand though, is why Drexler is currently receiving so much criticism on social media about his performance?

Game 1 sure, Drexler was sub-par. Jordan got the upper-hand, and backed up his trash talk. But the rest of the series? For starters, it went 6. Any talk of Drexler being ‘demolished’ is completely out of order; any Finals series that is tied at 2-2 is a tightly contested one.

For context, Drexler averaged 26.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.5 steals in the playoff games leading up to the Finals in ’92. Game 2 of the Finals, Drexler leads the Blazers to an 11 point win, dropping 26, 7, 8 and 2 in the process, including this mean poster as well.

The Blazers dropped Game 3 by 10, but Drexler outscored Jordan in this contest, tallying 32 points to MJ’s 26. Clyde also dropped 9 rebounds and 3 assists, and was let down by his teammates, in particular Terry Porter, who scored just 7 points.

Game 4 goes Portland’s way, with Drexler easing his way to 21 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals. MJ outscored him, but Drexler and the Blazers had evened the Finals up, and we’re looking strong.

Then in Game 5, Jordan produced another statement game, dropping 46 in a blowout win for the Bulls. This was a classic, back against the wall Michael Jordan performance, as he shot 14-23 from the floor to lead his Bulls to a 3-2 series lead. Jordan was better, but did Drexler underperform? How’s 30, 10 and 3 on 42 percent shooting for you?

Game 6, along with the Game 1 shrug, is what really kills Drexler off in some people’s eyes in this Finals. MJ had 33 in the 4 point win, and Drexler had 24 points on 33 percent shooting. He chipped in 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks as well (once again, a very decent stat-line), but Portland blew a big 4th quarter lead, and Jordan definitely got one over him.

And the 1990’s Chicago Bulls won. As they did on 5 other occasions. But does Clyde Drexler losing 4-2 to MJ and the Bulls, while averaging 25 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists on 40 percent shooting really warrant a great deal of criticism? Against first-team All-Defense Michael Jordan AND Scottie Pippen?

Look. Clyde Drexler said him and MJ were two of the best in the game, and the lion inside of Jordan obviously not only disagreed, but also took it personally. But just because Michael Jordan was better, doesn’t mean Clyde Drexler was poor. 25, 7 and 5 against a team like this was a fine effort, and Drexler did Rip City proud.