No, Lillard isn’t the best Blazer of all time; these two players were better
By Tyler Key
Drexler reached higher peaks with Portland and his tenure will likely be longer than Lillard
Unlike Walton, Drexler was not able to get Portland a championship, however, he also got the Blazers further in the playoffs than Lillard ever has. In 1990 and 1992 Drexler led Portland to the NBA Finals, even pushing the Michael Jordan-Chicago Bulls to a competitive 6-game finals in ‘92. Drexler also came 2nd in the MVP voting that year and likely could have won the award if not for Jordan having one of his many legendary seasons.
Following that season, Drexler found himself on the Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics as a key contributor. As for tenure, despite how long it feels like Lillard has been in Portland, Drexler actually spent more time (11.5 seasons) with the Blazers. Lillard currently sits at 11 seasons, so if his trade request comes to fruition this off-season, then Drexler will have outlasted Lillard in time spent with the franchise.
For the Blazers’ all-time list, Drexler is currently above Lillard in games played, made field goals, FG%, rebounds, blocks, double-doubles, triple-doubles, win shares, box plus/minus, and VORP. He was an underrated defender and leads Portland in defensive win shares, steals, and SPG. Lillard, despite his offensive capabilities and killer mentality, has always been a negative defensively.
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If NBA fans value championships and MVPs, then the Portland GOAT is Walton. If NBA fans value longevity and total stats with the franchise, then the Portland GOAT is Drexler. Regardless, the Trail Blazers’ best franchise player in their history is not named Lillard. To say that Lillard is the Blazers’ best all-time player is the epitome of recency bias.