A couple months ago we ran a question asking which player from Portland Trail Blazers history would be ideal to add to the current roster. The consensus, though hardly unanimous, seemed to be Rasheed Wallace. That’s a severe departure from times and teams past, the first time ‘Sheed has ever gotten serious consideration as the ideal addition to the squad.
In the wake of that post, we got a follow-up question in the Blazer’s Edge Mailbag that seemed ideal for a whimsical Saturday afternoon in September.
Dave,
You added Rasheed Wallace to the Blazers from Portland history but what if you could pick any NBA player? We need a star right? If you could handpick one who’s your player to lead the team now?
Kyle
For me, personally, I’d go get Michael Jordan and call it good. I think that selection transcends all spaces and times. Jordan is the ideal bridge between the old NBA and the modern era. He could go either way. All he’d need to do is add three-point shooting. Since he did literally everything else in his career, I’d bet he could work up a modern 23-footer without too much trouble. The Blazers would be playoffs-ready, title-threatening with maybe a little more development and an reasonable addition or two.
Jordan is kind of a cheat code, though. He’d fit with any team. If we’re thinking specifically about the Blazers and disallowing the G.O.A.T. on principle, I’d follow the same theme I did with the Portland-specific post and take Kevin Garnett. The Blazers could use a power forward with size. Garnett was an incredible athlete, could run or play the halfcourt, his defense was amazing, and he could score like a superstar. Put KG on this team and everything the Blazers are trying to do goes into overdrive.
How about you, though? If you could pick one NBA player from history in his prime to add to the current Blazers, who would your ideal pick be? Share in the comment section below and let’s see how the Blazer’s Edge readership leans.
