The Portland Trail Blazers' history of draft selections has mostly revolved around who they *didn't* draft more so than who they did take. Yes, they're the team that didn't draft Michael Jordan and drafted Sam Bowie instead. They also drafted Greg Oden over Kevin Durant 33 years later. Ouch.

That doesn't mean that the Blazers can't draft or that they don't have some success doing so. On the contrary. They've had plenty of hits throughout their history. So many, in fact, to put together a compelling top ten list of best draft picks made by the franchise. Time to get to it!

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10. CJ McCollum

CJ McCollum developed into the perfect running mate alongside Damian Lillard. McCollum can play, shoot, and move off the ball while also developing into one of the craftiest creators on the ball as well. The Blazers drafted McCollum tenth overall in the 2013 NBA Draft out of Lehigh University, a year after they drafted Lillard. McCollum had to wait his turn and sit behind Wesley Matthews, but once Matthews left for the Dallas Mavericks, McCollum became unlocked. After hardly playing in his first two NBA seasons, McCollum has been a steady scoring threat, averaging over 20 points per game in every season from 2015 onward. McCollum's biggest moment as a Blazer came in Game 7 of the 2019 Western Conference Semifinals, when he dropped 37 points and nine rebounds on the road to send the Blazers to the Western Conference Finals.

Eventually, the Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum backcourt met its limits. They were already stretched thin defensively with two small guards but personnel around them didn't help matters either. The Blazers traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans for Josh Hart and a first-round pick.

McCollum was never an All-Star for the Blazers or an All-NBA player. Such is life for a guard in the West. But he's a steady, consistent, and flat-out good player. He deserves a spot in the top ten.

9. Clifford Robinson

Clifford Robinson falls in line with one of those players who would've been even better in today's game than he was in his era. That's not to say he wasn't a very good player in his era, because he was. Uncle Cliffy made an All-Star appearance, he won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 1993 and made two All-Defensive teams. That's where Robinson's versatility could really shine if he was playing today.

Robinson was a stretch four but could slide up or down any frontcourt spot. He made his lone All-Star appearance in 1994 playing primarily as a center and averaged 20.1 points per game in the process. The next season, he played mostly as a small forward and improved his scoring average to 21.3.

Robinson shot 35.6% from three for his career. From someone who is 6-10 225 pounds, he'd be extremely valuable in today's NBA which prioritizes shooting and positional flexibility. It would've been cool to see him in today's era. But he was plenty good and fun to watch in the 90s and 2000s.

8. Zach Randolph

Zach Randolph is not best known as a Portland Trail Blazer. Randolph forged an identity in Memphis with the grit-and-grind squads of the early 2010s. But signs of what he would become were spotted early in his career while as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. After two nondescript seasons to begin his NBA career, Randolph averaged 20.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while shooting 48.5% from the field in his junior campaign. He averaged 18.9, 18, and 23.6 points per game the next three seasons after that.

But Randolph got traded to the New York Knicks after the 2006-07 season. He got traded again a few years later to the Clippers and then again to the Grizzlies, where he found his true home. Portland selected him with the 19th overall selection in the 2001 NBA Draft. They were loaded with frontcourt pieces at the time, so playing time was hard to come by. But once it did, he was solid, and built upon to forge himself a great NBA career.

7. Jermaine O'Neal

The same applies to Jermaine O'Neal. He was selected with the 17th overall pick in the much-ballyhooed 1996 NBA Draft. But with Arvydas Sabonis, Rasheed Wallace, and others loading the frontcourt, there wasn't much playing time for O'Neal to earn. He didn't average more than 14 minutes per game in any of the four seasons he played in Portland. So the Blazers traded him.

The Blazers traded O'Neal to the Indiana Pacers for the big, brute-force enforcer Dale Davis. It was a trade the Blazers got the short end of the stick on. Davis was a fine defensive presence, but he never averaged more than 10 points per game as a Blazer or more than nine rebounds per game. O'Neal, meanwhile, went on to make six All-Star games with the Pacers, and three All-NBA teams and averaged at least 19 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in six consecutive seasons. Those were the six seasons he was named an All-Star.

Jermaine O'Neal is a cautionary team for a team that drafts the best player available. It's generally the right way to build through the draft, but teams also need to have a plan for these types of players. O'Neal could've been a great Blazer, but they never found the right way to develop him.

6. Terry Porter

Terry Porter was a great Trail Blazer for a decade. He was a steady hand at point guard. Porter averaged at least eight assists per game from 1986 to 1991, where he was named to one of the two All-Star teams he earned throughout his career. He never averaged more than 3.2 turnovers per game either, meaning his assist-to-turnover ratio was always very high and closer to +3 than +2 during that run.

Porter helped lead the Blazers to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992. Unfortunately, they lost to the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls those years, but getting there is no small feat. The Blazers haven't been back since. Porter doesn't have the individual accolades most of these other guys do, but he has longevity and winning these guys don't have either. That warrants his spot here at number six.

5. Brandon Roy

Oh Brandon Roy. What could've been. Roy was a phenomenal player, someone whose game would've shined even more brightly in today's NBA. He could score at all three levels. He could really pass and create for others as well; his 4.7-1.8 career assist-to-turnover ratio would be great for anybody but especially for a shooting guard. In five seasons as a Blazer, Roy made three All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams. In one of the seasons he didn't, he won Rookie of the Year. He's also responsible for one of the greatest playoff comebacks in Blazers and NBA history.

But then injuries caught up to him. In 2011, he had surgery on both of his knees after it was discovered he lacked cartilage in both knees. Injuries sapped so much of his game and athleticism that he announced his retirement in 2011 when he was just 27 years old. He gave a comeback a shot with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but that didn't last very long. Roy was on track to be a great player. Unfortunately, injuries robbed him of a lengthy and fruitful NBA career.

4. LaMarcus Aldridge

LaMarcus Aldridge is going to the Hall of Fame sooner than later. The Blazers acquired the draft rights to both him and Brandon Roy in the same draft (2006) and they were on track to form one of the best dynamic duos in the NBA at the time and for years to come. Injuries robbed Roy, but Aldridge was as steady as a metronome. Aldridge barely missed any time. He also scored a ton of points. Aldridge averaged at least 21.1 points and eight rebounds per game in every season from 2010 to 2015. He also routinely showed out in the playoffs, including this 43-point masterpiece against the Houston Rockets.

But the good times didn't last forever. Aldridge bolted to his home state as a free agent in 2015, leaving the Blazers for the San Antonio Spurs. Aldridge ended his career with seven All-Star selections and making five All-NBA teams. He was never a flashy player, but he was always a great player and had a great career.

3. Bill Walton

Before Nikola Jokic came around, the big man who had a legit claim as the best passing big man of all-time was Bill Walton. The Blazers selected him first overall in the 1974 NBA Draft. As the Blazers unfortunately ran into with another center they drafted first overall 33 years later, Walton ran into injury problems. Walton only played four seasons with the Blazers before dealing with foot injuries that derailed his career.

But those four seasons were still special. Walton made two All-Star, two All-Defensive teams and two All-NBA teams in those four seasons. One of those seasons saw him and the Blazers win the NBA title with Walton winning Finals MVP in 1977. The next season, Walton won the MVP award. Walton was on track to be not just one of the best centers of all-time, but one of the best players of all-time.

But then, injuries happened. A foot injury cost Walton three of his next four seasons after he won MVP. From the start of the 1978 season to the end of the 1984 season, Walton played only 102 games, all with the San Diego Clippers. Walton did catch a second-wind with the Boston Celtics and helped them win a championship in 1986 (he also won Sixth Man of the Year that season). Walton had a great career and still made it to the Hall of Fame. But his career could've been much more if injuries didn't get in the way.

2. Clyde Drexler

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If it weren't for the next guy on this list, Drexler would sit alone atop this list as the greatest draft pick and player in Blazers' history. He still has a case for those nominations. Drexler has made ten All-Star teams in his career. He's made five All-NBA teams. He was the best player on the multiple Blazer teams that have made the NBA Finals that lost at the hands of the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons and the Michael Jordan Bulls. It was a shame he couldn't deliver a title to the Blazers, but being stuck amidst the Lakers dynasty of the 80s and losing to Eastern Conference powerhouses made it hard for anybody to win in that era.

Drexler did eventually get his taste of glory, however. The Houston Rockets won the NBA title in 1994 but were scuttling the next year. It wasn't until they swung a trade to acquire Drexler and bring him to his college stomping grounds to reunite him with his former college running mate Hakeem Olajuwon that the 95 Rockets turned their season around. They made it back to the NBA Finals in 1995 where they faced the upstart Orlando Magic. The Rockets won that series and Drexler got his elusive ring. It's too bad it didn't happen as a Blazer. But a Hall of Fame career spent mostly in Portland is pretty good too.

1. Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard leads the Portland Trail Blazers' franchise in points and three-pointers made. He's made seven All-Star teams and seven All-NBA teams, more than Clyde Drexler. Dame has averaged at least 25 points for eight consecutive seasons. He's also delivered two of the biggest moments in the history of their franchise, both round-clinching buzzer-beaters. One was against the Houston Rockets.

The other was against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

On top of that, Lillard has carried this franchise and kept the good times rolling when things easily could've gone sideways. After LaMarcus Aldridge left as a free agent in 2015 to the San Antonio Spurs, the Blazers hardly missed a beat. Instead, Lillard took over the mantle of the franchise. The Blazers made the playoffs as a five-seed and upset the Los Angeles Clippers to make it to the second round before they lost to the Golden State Warriors.

In 2017, they got swept by the Death Star Golden State Warriors. In 2018, they got swept again, but by the New Orleans Pelicans. It was a bad sweep too. One that could've unfurled any team and cause widespread changes to the organization. But Lillard never faltered. He rallied the entire organization and they made the Western Conference Finals the next season.

Unfortunately, that was the peak of the Damian Lillard-era Blazers. Their defense and poor management to improve upon that defense held them back. Now, Lillard is all that is left of that era, an era that could end soon with a trade. Lillard gave his all to Portland. Sometimes to a fault. But make no mistake about it: he is the greatest Blazer of all time and the best Blazer draft pick of all time.

Honorable Mentions

Fat Lever, Arvydas Sabonis, Zach Randolph, Jerome Kersey, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons