The Portland Trail Blazers franchise has existed since 1970. In that time, they have won one NBA championship, made three Finals appearances, made 37 playoff appearances, and had an overall record of 2292-2070 (55 percent win rate). Portland has had some notoriously bad injury and draft luck, most notably missing out on Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant. However, several players with Hall of Fame resumes have also played for their franchise.
Portland Trail Blazers all-time starting lineup
PG: Damian Lillard
At point guard, Damian Lillard was one of the easiest selections for the Blazers' all-time starting five. It's only fitting that the Blazers' all-time leading scorer (19,376 points) and arguably the best player in franchise history makes the cut. In this starting lineup, Lillard would provide invaluable playmaking and floor spacing as someone who has shot 37.1 percent beyond the arc so far in his career. Not to mention, if they are ever in a close game, few players are as clutch as "Dame Time."
SG: Brandon Roy
The shooting guard was the most challenging position to pick. A handful of former Blazers' shooting guards could justifiably play the two spot. CJ McCollum had a strong case, but it ultimately came down between Geoff Petrie and Brandon Roy.
Both Petrie and Roy had remarkably similar careers. They had incredibly high peaks, but unfortunately, both had limited careers due to knee injuries. Petrie may have been the better shooter, although it's difficult to determine how much better because he wasn't in the league long enough to play with a three-point line.
But Roy's well-rounded game gives him the nod. In 2010, Kobe Bryant was asked on the John Thompson Show who was the toughest player to guard in the Western Conference. Bryant responded: "Roy, 365 days, seven days a week. Roy has no weaknesses in his game."
SF: Clyde Drexler
Clyde Drexler's natural position was shooting guard. But the Blazers already made a notoriously bad decision when they considered Drexler's positional fit and drafted Sam Bowie over the best player available, MJ. The Blazers aren't making the same mistake twice, and slide Drexler to small forward to make room for Roy.
Clyde "The Glide" Drexler is one of the few players with a legitimate case of being the best Blazers player of all time, leading Portland to two NBA Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992.
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge
The 2006 NBA Draft was perhaps the best in the Blazers' franchise history. They initially had the No. 4 overall pick, Tyrus Thomas. But after a few trades, they landed LaMarcus Aldridge at No. 2 and Roy at No. 6, both of whom were steals for Portland, with Aldridge becoming arguably the best player in the entire draft class.
Aldridge retired for the second time in 2023, and it's only a matter of time before his No. 12 jersey is retired by the Blazers and up in the rafters at Moda Center.
C: Bill Walton
The list of potential greatest Trail Blazers of all-time includes Lillard, Drexler, and the late Bill Walton. Of the three, Walton was the only one to bring an NBA championship to the city of Portland, which gives him a strong claim based on that alone. He also has an MVP and Finals MVP on his resume to bolster his case.
Walton was an exceptionally well-rounded player who contributed in many aspects besides just scoring with his elite rebounding, passing, and overall high basketball IQ. He's the ideal player to complement other superstars in this starting lineup because of his unselfish play and ability to impact winning without needing the ball.