# Travis Outlaw a young Drexler?



## theGame (Feb 19, 2005)

I believe that our shooting guard of the future will be Travis Outlaw, and that he is similar to Clyde Drexler in many ways. Both Travis and Clyde "the Glide" are top ten athletically in the league at the time they played. Drexler was also rumored to be able to touch the top of the backboard. Both have the same form in their jumpers. Both have similar frames (Drexler was more muscular but Outlaw is still developing. And to top it off they are both balding at a young age. Outlaw should be inserted into the starting sg role now just as Telfair was at pg, so he can get a jump start on next year. I honestly think Outlaw has the best jumper on the team besides Damon. Since Pritchard took over, every shot he has mad is nothin but net and he can get it off against any player because of how high he jumps.


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## SodaPopinski (Aug 10, 2004)

Travis is a much better athlete than Clyde.

What Clyde had that no Blazer since him has really matched is that leadership, poise and ability to strap the rest of the team and organization on his back and say "Hop on, there's no way in hell we're losing this game."

Travis should be a sophomore in college. And he just scored 17 points in 24 minutes last night. He's going to be a great player for us in a couple years.

But I don't know if he's got the same qualities Clyde has. Talent and athletic ability will only take you so far.

-Pop


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

SodaPopinski said:


> Travis is a much better athlete than Clyde.


I'm not so sure about this. Clyde was an AMAZING athlete when he was in Houston (with the Cougars, not the Rockets).

Ed O.


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## theGame (Feb 19, 2005)

I don't know that he doesn't have those qualities. I think leadership comes with confidence, and Travis is getting more confident every game. He is not afraid to shoot anymore and only time will tell how good he is gonna be.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

I've kind of been thinking along those lines as well, I think Travis really does remind me of Drexler. I've just been hesiatant to post it on the board quite yet. Obviously he has a couple years yet till he is even at the age Clyde was when he entered the league. Travis may actually have better mechanics in his shot htan Clyde did in his first couple years in the league.

Another player Travis really reminds me of is Shawn Marion, minus the ugly shooting form.


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## MAS RipCity (Feb 22, 2003)

I said this after the Knicks game, Law is our future SG. If we trade him, we are stupid. He has shown so much more then Jermaine did before we dealt him, and look how Jermaine turned out. This kid has his head on straight and is a great worker in practice. Please play him and keep him.


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## LuckyAC (Aug 12, 2004)

Sure, in the same way that Qyntel is Mcgrady.


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## theGame (Feb 19, 2005)

LuckyAC said:


> Sure, in the same way that Qyntel is Mcgrady.


Man, that's a joke. There is no comparison. Outlaw has his head on straight and is motivated. Quintel is a loser drug addict throwing all his talent down the toilet.


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## Trader Ed (Jun 17, 2002)

I tend to think of Travis in comparison to Jerome.... a bit of wreckless abandonment in him, but maturing, and settling down to find he may have a pretty good all around game.. similar to how Jerome ended up his career.

I have efelt his mechancis on his shot are pretty good and smooth. With a little more practice and experience, he may get er dun'


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## LuckyAC (Aug 12, 2004)

Well, I am saying more in the fact that he might have the potential, but the chances of realizing it are extremely small. Obviously, Qyntel squandered his talent in the extreme, but even if Outlaw doesn't go that far wrong, the frequency of any talanted player actually becoming that as good as a Drexler is extremely low.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

Trader Bob said:


> I tend to think of Travis in comparison to Jerome.... a bit of wreckless abandonment in him, but maturing, and settling down to find he may have a pretty good all around game.. similar to how Jerome ended up his career.
> 
> I have efelt his mechancis on his shot are pretty good and smooth. With a little more practice and experience, he may get er dun'


Actually Travis is a far better shooter than Jerome was early in his career. ANd he seems to play a little more under control that Jerome.


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## Kmurph (May 7, 2003)

It all depends on the mental makeup of the player...that IMO, is the "key" determining factor that seperates players at the NBA level....

I would agree that Travis is one of THE top "athletes" in the NBA....But he is woefully slight in build, that will come with time, his "skillset" is still a long ways off, though imporving through play, and most importantly his bball IQ is still not there yet, and I am not sure that his ceiling is that high in this department either....

I hope he does become a "Drexler" like player, but I don't think he has that high of a ceiling as a player....


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

LuckyAC said:


> Well, I am saying more in the fact that he might have the potential, but the chances of realizing it are extremely small. Obviously, Qyntel squandered his talent in the extreme, but even if Outlaw doesn't go that far wrong, the frequency of any talanted player actually becoming that as good as a Drexler is extremely low.


I Understand what you mean, I think more than anythion people are saying his style of play is reminiscent of Drexlers.


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## MAS RipCity (Feb 22, 2003)

LuckyAC said:


> Sure, in the same way that Qyntel is Mcgrady.


Really a terrible comparrsion. Q has a very low basketball IQ and made stupid decisions off the court. Law is a smart, humble young man with a tremendous work ethic and a model citizen. Tell me again how they are similar?


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## theGame (Feb 19, 2005)

Schilly said:


> I Understand what you mean, I think more than anythion people are saying his style of play is reminiscent of Drexlers.


Exactly, I'm not saying he is gonna Clyde Drexler or even as good, but he does have a similar style and a good head on his shoulders, so the potential is there.


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## RP McMurphy (Jul 17, 2003)

LuckyAC said:


> Well, I am saying more in the fact that he might have the potential, but the chances of realizing it are extremely small. Obviously, Qyntel squandered his talent in the extreme, but even if Outlaw doesn't go that far wrong, the frequency of any talanted player actually becoming that as good as a Drexler is extremely low.


Exactly. Let's see him become as good as Gerald Wallace before we start comparing him to a Hall of Famer. Remember, two years ago Qyntel Woods was considered "untouchable" by some people on this board.


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## tlong (Jan 6, 2003)

Outlaw has had only a couple of decent games so far during his two years here. Most of the time he looks overmatched on the court. He has not shown that he will even be a starter in this league, much less somebody like Clyde the Glide.


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## LuckyAC (Aug 12, 2004)

Yeah, it was probably a poor example to pick, since Qyntel has other problems. I was just trying to pick one that Blazers fans would know well. I could have said, "in the same way Pietrus is like Artest". Meaning he is maybe the same type, and the potential could be there, but the chances are still extremely low that he will ever actually be as good (and Drexler was better than Artest).


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## CanJohno (Feb 11, 2005)

theGame said:


> I think leadership comes with confidence, and Travis is getting more confident every game.


Shareef hinted at this in this morning's (B)Oregonian:

_"He was like a fish out of water," Abdur-Rahim recalled, thinking after he saw Outlaw for the first time after coming to the Blazers in a trade last February. 

But now, Abdur-Rahim can only smile when he thinks about Outlaw, saying his one-year progression is the biggest growth spurt he has seen at the NBA level. 

"I've maybe seen that kind of growth at the middle school or high school level, but not at this level," Abdur-Rahim said. "But you've got to think, he should be in his sophomore year of college. He is still so young, and he hasn't even tapped into his potential." 

And get this: Abdur-Rahim said it's not just potential that Outlaw possesses. Outlaw's pure athletic skill -- primarily his running and jumping -- is so great that Abdur-Rahim said he places Outlaw as one of the top three or four athletes . . . in the NBA. 

"Yeah," Abdur-Rahim said, straight-faced. "People used to say it was Vince Carter, but he's not as athletic as he was. He's not jumping like he did six years ago. As far as running and jumping, there are only a few I can think of that can rival Travis -- Josh Smith (Atlanta), J.R. Smith in New Orleans and Jason Richardson (Golden State). I don't know if he has the skills of Jason Richardson, but athletically, he can do some of the same things." _ 

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/111045992918140.xml


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## theGame (Feb 19, 2005)

tlong said:


> Outlaw has had only a couple of decent games so far during his two years here. Most of the time he looks overmatched on the court. He has not shown that he will even be a starter in this league, much less somebody like Clyde the Glide.


Give the guy a break, he is only 20 years old. It's amazing that he is even out there competing. Jermaine took four years. This guy is showing flashes after 2.


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## CanJohno (Feb 11, 2005)

LuckyAC said:


> Sure, in the same way that Qyntel is Mcgrady.


Come on, you're smarter than that. I've seen your posts on the board before, and, typically, they are VERY well thought out. This, on the other hand, isn't one of those posts. Either you're simply trying to stir **** up, you don't watch Blazer games (AT ALL), or you're just plain stupid. I'd assume it's one of the first two, because I KNOW you're smarter than this, as I stated earlier.


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## Maybeso (Jan 29, 2003)

In addition to vertical jump, hand size is very important in an elite ball player. Drexler has huge hands. How do Outlaw's hands compare? Is this a statistic kept in any NBA database?

Stockton has large hands. Dr J has large hands. Magic Johnson has large hands.


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

LongtimeLurker said:


> In addition to vertical jump, hand size is very important in an elite ball player. Drexler has huge hands. How do Outlaw's hands compare? Is this a statistic kept in any NBA database?
> 
> Stockton has large hands. Dr J has large hands. Magic Johnson has large hands.


Excellent point... this is often overlooked simply because the information's not readily available.

Two guys in the NBA with notoriously small hands are Rasheed and Kwame Brown. I really attribute a lot of their perceived (and real) failings to the fact that they can't handle the ball around the hoop as well as most players their size and they have difficulty finishing with one hand.

Ed O.


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## RSP83 (Nov 24, 2002)

I'm interested to see Outlaw's development. What I know about him was he's an athletic freak. I remember seeing a picture of him touching the top of the backboard. My question, is he really a SG? Isn't he like 6'8" or 6'9"? When I see him, I think he's more SF than SG.

I agree that he's similar to Marion. I made a similar statement before saying that Josh Smith is like mini Marion. That's because of both are athletic freak, long arms, very good shot blockers for their size, and explosive. And that's also what I see in Outlaw. Now, one more question, who do you think will turn out to be the better player, since both has same type of talent? Some people would probably jump on Josh right away, because he's been playing more minutes, putting up impressive stats (BLK, REB), and making highllight reels. But, I think Outlaw is capable of doing the same thing if he's given more minutes and the staff is willing to let him just do his thing and make his mistakes. Outlaw looks to have the better jumper right now.

Blazers fans, you have an exciting group of young players in Telfair, Outlaw, Pryzbilla. You also have Zach, Shareef, Miles. Don't count Monya and Khryapa out yet. Maybe some good draft picks, couple of trades, and wait for 2 -3 more years and you'll be set.


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## BlazerCaravan (Aug 12, 2004)

One of Jerome's failings was having small hands, if I remember correctly. I mean, if you can call it a failing. It probably kept him from being an A+ player.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

BlazerCaravan said:


> One of Jerome's failings was having small hands, if I remember correctly. I mean, if you can call it a failing. It probably kept him from being an A+ player.


IIRC they say Jerome has never even been able to plam a basketball, which gave him problems in the Dunk contest he participated in.


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

SodaPopinski said:


> Travis is a much better athlete than Clyde.


this gave me a full belly laugh when I read it. Clyde was one of the top run/jump athletes ever to play in the league. Those who can only recall the latter part of his career flat missed out. 

Clyde did the most amazing dunk I've ever seen while in college starring for the Houston Cougars. If I recall correctly, it was in the 1982 NCAA semi-finals vs Memphis State. Clyde had a breakaway with only one man to beat (Andre Turner?). Turner set up to take a charge in the lane with his heels on the circle. Clyde took off from the FT line and swiveled his hips sideways so that both knees went over Turner's head in his flight. Turner had braced himself for the collision that never came, but managed to turn his head in time to see Drexler tomahawking it home. 

My buddy and I caught this on the late night replay of the days action and woke up the whole house screaming. My dad came out all upset over being woken up, but he quickly understood once he saw the replay. I'd looooove to see that one again... which reminds me to keep an eye on ESPN classics as they often play the great NCAA games of the past around this time of year.

all that said...Go Travis!

STOMP


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## tlong (Jan 6, 2003)

STOMP said:


> this gave me a full belly laugh when I read it. Clyde was one of the top run/jump athletes ever to play in the league. Those who can only recall the latter part of his career flat missed out.
> 
> Clyde did the most amazing dunk I've ever seen while in college starring for the Houston Cougars. If I recall correctly, it was in the 1982 NCAA semi-finals vs Memphis State. Clyde had a breakaway with only one man to beat (Andre Turner?). Turner set up to take a charge in the lane with his heels on the circle. Clyde took off from the FT line and swiveled his hips sideways so that both knees went over Turner's head in his flight. Turner had braced himself for the collision that never came, but managed to turn his head in time to see Drexler tomahawking it home.
> 
> ...


Actually that dunk was against Louisville.


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

tlong said:


> Actually that dunk was against Louisville.


I think you're wrong, but maybe you're right... here's my breadcrumbs of evidence supporting my Memphis State recollection. 

http://www.sportsstats.com/jazzyj/greats/86/turner.htm 

plus, I have the 2nd half of the Lousiville game already taped from ESPN Classic. Clyde does have some amazing soaring dunks in that one, but not the one I'm refering to.

STOMP


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## celticsfuture34 (Jan 6, 2005)

Yes, he is a young Drexler. I've been watching this kidd since he was in High School and when they play him he get points and rebounds. He is great. He needs minutes though.


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## Oldmangrouch (Feb 11, 2003)

As someone recently noted in a story about Chris Webber, it is one thing to haveJordanesque talent, and another to have his tunnel-vision rage on the court.

That is one of the reasons I objected to not playing the youngsters. You can't stoke competitive fire just in practice. If the kid is going to be any good, he will want the challenge of playing. If he gets knocked down a few times, he will jump back up. Telling a young player that he should afraid to play because somebody might make him look bad, is very destructive.

The body is there with Travis - we can only hope the head will follow.


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## crandc (Sep 15, 2004)

Unquestionably Clyde was a better player when he came into the league. He had 4 years of college ball in a top Division 1 school. I don't like these comparisons because 1) you can get egg on your face, remember baby Jordan Harold Miner 2) each player is unique and 3) clearly Travis is nowhere near where Clyde was even as a rookie.
But if he ends up as good as Jerome, let alone Clyde, I'll be real happy.
Are his legs as good-looking as Jerome's were? That was one player who should not have worn long baggy shorts.


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## Spoolie Gee (Feb 3, 2005)

Travis has some serious athletic upside, no doubt about it. But to say he's more athletic then Drexler right now is laughable. Having coordination is a huge part of being a great athlete and when I saw Drexler on the court the first thing that would come to my mind is "silky smooth". You can't describe Outlaw's game like that. Instead when I see Outlaw on the court I think "freakish RAW talent". There's been a lot of players with great raw athletic ability but few that are able to polish it like Cylde The Glide Drexler.

I hope Outlaw can get there someday. He sure has been impressive at times the last few games.


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## RedHot&Rolling (Jun 26, 2004)

It is fair to say that Drexler was as raw as a 19yr old at Houston, as is Outlaw now.

Drexler could drive and dunk. He had yet to develop any consistency in his jumper - until his 5th year in the NBA.


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

A couple corrections here:

-- Outlaw is 20. Will be 21 in September
-- Drexler only played for three seasons in college

Neither point is a big deal, but the devil's in the details.

When Clyde was 20, he was a junior at Houston. He scored 15.9 ppg, got 8.8 boards a game and 3.8 apg. He'd actually averaged 10.5 rebounds a game in each of his Freshman and Sophomore seasons... pretty impressive.

He also got 3.3 steals a game and shot 53.6% from the field... 

It's hard to compare Clyde's numbers from a hypothetical Outlaw sophomore season, but I thought I'd throw out some facts and figures.

http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=DREXLCL01

Ed O.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

celticsfuture34 said:


> Yes, he is a young Drexler. I've been watching this kidd since he was in High School and when they play him he get points and rebounds. He is great. He needs minutes though.


wow, you've been watching Travis sinc ehe was in high school? that long, eh? 

I think we should start seeing a comparison to Drexler once Travis has played a little more than 80 games.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> And to top it off they are both balding at a young age.


Outlaw is balding at age 20??!! That's practically unheard of.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> Clyde did the most amazing dunk I've ever seen while in college starring for the Houston Cougars.


The Drexler dunk I remember was in the playoffs one year against the Lakers. He was running toward the bucket for a pass, jumped in the air and caught the ball with his right hand stretched out far to his right side. He brought the ball back over the top of his head and tomahawked it down as he sailed by the right side of basket. The whole thing was done in one fluid movement, and it was breathtaking. The crowd erupted.


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## Spoolie Gee (Feb 3, 2005)

RedHot&Rolling said:


> It is fair to say that Drexler was as raw as a 19yr old at Houston, as is Outlaw now.
> 
> Drexler could drive and dunk. He had yet to develop any consistency in his jumper - until his 5th year in the NBA.


 
Developing a jump shot has little to do with athletic ability. Repetition is how players learn to shoot the ball.

You mention in your post what the difference is between Drexler and Outlaw at the same age. Drexler could _drive_ and dunk. Outlaw can get up and throw down some nasty dunks but he's a long ways off from taking the ball on the perimeter, driving threw traffic, and finishing the way Drexler could. Cylde earned his nickname _The Glide_ in college because of how smooth he was with his long gliding stride. Outlaw is far from smooth right now and is MUCH more raw.

With that said...

When we took Outlaw we knew he was going to take several years to develop and that he was very raw. To see him show flashes of whats to come is very promising.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

Talkhard said:


> The Drexler dunk I remember was in the playoffs one year against the Lakers. He was running toward the bucket for a pass, jumped in the air and caught the ball with his right hand stretched out far to his right side. He brought the ball back over the top of his head and tomahawked it down as he sailed by the right side of basket. The whole thing was done in one fluid movement, and it was breathtaking. The crowd erupted.


the one against the lakers at the Thomas and Mack Centre?

I remember several break-aways against the Lakers that Clyde did. He loved playing them. 

But his dunk over Cartwright (with a bum knee, iirc) and his dunk over Isaih Thomas were particularly nice.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

CanJohno said:


> Come on, you're smarter than that. I've seen your posts on the board before, and, typically, they are VERY well thought out. This, on the other hand, isn't one of those posts. Either you're simply trying to stir **** up, you don't watch Blazer games (AT ALL), or you're just plain stupid. I'd assume it's one of the first two, because I KNOW you're smarter than this, as I stated earlier.


I think you overreacted to his post. His point was perfectly fair. He wasn't saying Outlaw is a point-for-point mapping of Woods; simply that it's jumping the gun in a major way to compare a raw player who has yet to accomplish anything of note to a great player. This absolutely was done with Woods. While Woods had weird issues that Outlaw almost surely does not, it simply goes to show that a ton of factors go into where a "talented guy" ends up. The probablities are pretty tiny, really, that Outlaw will become a Hall of Fame shooting guard.

Why not compare Outlaw to a more modest target first? If Outlaw becomes even a Corey Maggette, I'd be thrilled.

This board has a tendency to place a player's potential sky-high and then hate them if they don't achieve it. The common refrain for Rasheed Wallace was that "if he just became more aggressive, he could be a Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett. Why does he fritter away all that talent?" Bonzi Wells was also a target of placing their perceived talent level higher than their performance and then making it a strike against them that they didn't reach it.

No need to do the same with Outlaw.


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

The 3 games I've seen Travis get minutes in I would say he played with more poise and better court sense than Clyde in his rookie year. His pro-active defense shows a particularly keen feel for what the opponent is ABOUT to do. His jumper is textbook form while Clyde stubbornly lived and died by his clothesline jumper.

With the right coaches and a long healthy career, I think he'll surpass Clyde in most areas.

Just a hunch. :whoknows:


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

RSP83 said:


> I'm interested to see Outlaw's development. What I know about him was he's an athletic freak. I remember seeing a picture of him touching the top of the backboard. My question, is he really a SG? Isn't he like 6'8" or 6'9"?


in the pre-draft he measured 6'7.5 barefoot with a 7'2 wingspan... basically the same dimensions as PIP and slightly larger then Clyde. He'd be a big 2, but if he can guard the position and develope some more ball skills, I see no real reason he couldn't be one. I've said it before, I love the potencial of the long frames of him and Darius at the 2 and 3 clogging things up on D and filling the lanes on the break.

STOMP


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

STOMP said:


> in the pre-draft he measured 6'7.5 barefoot with a 7'2 wingspan... basically the same dimensions as PIP and slightly larger then Clyde. He'd be a big 2, but if he can guard the position and develope some more ball skills, I see no real reason he couldn't be one. I've said it before, I love the potencial of the long frames of him and Darius at the 2 and 3 clogging things up on D and filling the lanes on the break.
> 
> STOMP


for a little comparison, LeBron James is 6'8".

Of course, LeBron James is a much much much much muuuuuch better player (with almost every skill) than Travis is, will be, or ever could be.


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

Hap said:


> Of course, LeBron James is a much much much much muuuuuch better player (with almost every skill) than Travis is, will be, or ever could be.


No way! 

All Portland rookies are an unstoppable force and all of them are future HOFers. Heck, they ought to just go ahead and place Telfair, Outlaw and Monia in the HOF ... no ceremony needed!

Play.


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

Playmaker0017 said:


> No way!
> 
> All Portland rookies are an unstoppable force and all of them are future HOFers. Heck, they ought to just go ahead and place Telfair, Outlaw and Monia in the HOF ... no ceremony needed!


I disagree...the ceremony will be needed to take a retrospective look back at the Blazers amazing run of championships... what a glorious day that will be! I'm sure that the next NBA commish Kevin Pritchard won't overlook the organization that catapolted him into power.

btw you forgot Ha. I'm sure when he finally hangs em up he'll have rightfully earned his own wing in Springfield.

STOMP


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> the one against the lakers at the Thomas and Mack Centre?


Could be. Is that the arena in Las Vegas that the Blazers and Lakers played in one year when there were fires in LA? Was it during the Rodney King riots? I can't remember. My memory is hazy on this. 

But what a spectacular dunk it was. Drexler actually had better dunks than Jordan (at least in game situations). There was something about the way he swept past the defender and rose into the air that was so fluid and graceful.


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## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

Playmaker0017 said:


> No way!
> 
> All Portland rookies are an unstoppable force and all of them are future HOFers. Heck, they ought to just go ahead and place Telfair, Outlaw and Monia in the HOF ... no ceremony needed!
> 
> Play.


Why do we even have a Blazer team? We should waive all of our players except for Shareef and have Shareef do battle against the teams in the NBA, we would probably have a better record.....Deleted. *STOP *the insensitive personal remarks.


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## CelticPagan (Aug 23, 2004)

LuckyAC said:


> Sure, in the same way that Qyntel is Mcgrady.



Do you enjoy poppin over and saying one line crap about things you know nothing about. Everytime someone makes a player comparison, some homer responds with that line. Stupid.


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## CelticPagan (Aug 23, 2004)

SodaPopinski said:


> Travis is a much better athlete than Clyde.
> 
> What Clyde had that no Blazer since him has really matched is that leadership, poise and ability to strap the rest of the team and organization on his back and say "Hop on, there's no way in hell we're losing this game."
> -Pop


I think that's exactly what Clyde didn't do. Do you ever remember Clyde taking a last minute shot in any of our championship series, or the 1990 Western Conference Finals.

Clyde was very close to Jordan talent wise, but he didn't push his team over the top and dominate in the clutch like Jordan. Hey, I can't even remember Clyde taking the last shot in crunch time. We usually gave the ball to Porter. Jordan made his career out of clutch shots. How many Bulls series went down to the wire, only to have Jordan make a shot in the last seconds.

Their team wasn't nearly as dominant as everyone remembers, they just ALWAYS came through in the clutch.


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## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

Deleted. Please check your PMs. Thanks.


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## CanJohno (Feb 11, 2005)

CelticPagan said:


> I think that's exactly what Clyde didn't do. Do you ever remember Clyde taking a last minute shot in any of our championship series, or the 1990 Western Conference Finals.
> 
> Clyde was very close to Jordan talent wise, but he didn't push his team over the top and dominate in the clutch like Jordan. Hey, I can't even remember Clyde taking the last shot in crunch time. We usually gave the ball to Porter. Jordan made his career out of clutch shots. How many Bulls series went down to the wire, only to have Jordan make a shot in the last seconds.
> 
> Their team wasn't nearly as dominant as everyone remembers, they just ALWAYS came through in the clutch.


No offense, but are you really 15!?!?!? If I remember correctly, we traded Drex' to Houston in 1995, that would've made you, roughly, five years old at the time he was traded. Not to mention, our entire championship run was over before you were ou of infant/toddler stage(s). So, just exactly, how are you recalling what Drexler did and din't do in Portland, or how good he really was? I'm NOT saying that you're lying, it just struck me as VERY, VERY odd, after i started to think about it.


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## kaydow (Apr 6, 2004)

CelticPagan said:


> I think that's exactly what Clyde didn't do. Do you ever remember Clyde taking a last minute shot in any of our championship series, or the 1990 Western Conference Finals.
> 
> Clyde was very close to Jordan talent wise, but he didn't push his team over the top and dominate in the clutch like Jordan.


Clyde was an open court guy--he got a lot of points the way Ruben Patterson does: Steals/dunks, tip-ins, etc. You couldn't really run many plays for him in the half court though, at least not at the end of games when teams actually play defense. If you did run a play for him, it usually ended up in that flat sling-shot looking "J". Not to take anything away from what Clyde accomplished, but I don't think he was "very close" to Jordan talent wise. MJ had the unique ability to create his own look whenever, even at the end of games, even vs. double team. Clyde wasn't that type of guy.


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

STOMP said:


> I disagree...the ceremony will be needed to take a retrospective look back at the Blazers amazing run of championships... what a glorious day that will be! I'm sure that the next NBA commish Kevin Pritchard won't overlook the organization that catapolted him into power.


Most definitely.



> btw you forgot Ha. I'm sure when he finally hangs em up he'll have rightfully earned his own wing in Springfield.


ACK! I knew I forgot someone ... to forget the young Wilt Chamberlain is beyond reproach.

I should be flogged!

Play.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

Playmaker0017 said:


> Most definitely.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



LOL No kidding, it's be like you comparing Reef to Duncan.......er wait, you did do that.


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

zagsfan20 said:


> Why do we even have a Blazer team?


Good question. 

Of course, one would be hard pressed to say that Portland actually has a "TEAM". They have a group of guys ... but a "team" might be stretching the truth.



> We should waive all of our players except for Shareef and have Shareef do battle against the teams in the NBA, we would probably have a better record.....


Couldn't be much worse - that's for sure.

I'm not saying there isn't skill ... but, I also don't see this amazing wealth of it either. 

Personally, I think you all put too much into my praise of Reef. I've never said anything more than the next guy about his skill - I just say it a LOT more. 



> Deleted. *STOP *the insensitive personal remarks.


No need to be insensitive.

Play.


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## Fork (Jan 2, 2003)

Playmaker0017 said:


> Personally, I think you all put too much into my praise of Reef. I've never said anything more than the next guy about his skill - I just say it a LOT more.
> 
> Play.


Isn't that exactly what people are doing for Outlaw, Telfair, etc? I tjink your irrational love for SAR and your irrational diatribes against anyone who thinks some of our young guys have a lot of potential are equally off base. 

I've really not seen that many posts that are that far off about these players.


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

mediocre man said:


> LOL No kidding, it's be like you comparing Reef to Duncan.......er wait, you did do that.


Along with half the board. 

Besides, the two have VERY similar offensive games. Of course, I think Shareef is more gifted offensively, when it comes to scoring, than Duncan. But, Duncan is a far superior player.

The difference with the one comparison and the other is that Reef and Duncan are comparable. No question you'd rather have Duncan. But, Reef is no slouch. He's played well for years. He's competed with the best. On any given night, he can play as well as Duncan at his best. 

The same can not be said of the other kids.

Comparing Ha to Chamberlain or Telfair to Stockton/AI or Outlaw to Drexler is:
(A) Unfair to any of the young guys, because they're never going to be that good.
(B) Ridiculous considering the amount of play they have gotten.

Play.


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

Fork said:


> Isn't that exactly what people are doing for Outlaw, Telfair, etc?


No. 

People have said Telfair is the future of the PG position. He's the core of the team. BEFORE HE PLAYED A GAME! 

I mean, the kid isn't Lebron here.

They're comparing Outlaw to Drexler ... after 3 games. I'd love for him to do well ... I really like him and could see him doing well over time. But, he isn't at these levels yet. 



> I tjink your irrational love for SAR and your irrational diatribes against anyone who thinks some of our young guys have a lot of potential are equally off base.


I don't have "irrational" love for Reef. I admit when he sucks ... just like the other night, he had the best statistical night of any of the players ... and I said he had a lame game. That isn't irrational ... I call it even on both sides. 

I think SOME of the young guys have SOME potential. I don't see a LOT of potential. Telfair has some, but I don't think he'll ever be a GREAT PG. I think he'll end up more like Stoudamire/Iverson than he'll ever get be close to Stockton ... as a player. That's not to say he doesn't have skill ... those guys are pretty good ... but he's not a "pass-first" PG by any stretch and that's what makes me angry about him. Everyone talks about his passing ability ... which, so far, is non-existent. 

I think Outlaw has some potential. I doubt he EVER maxes out and comes NEAR Drexler ... but that's just me.

The others ... man, these guys barely make most rosters. 



> I've really not seen that many posts that are that far off about these players.


Then you aren't looking that hard. 

Calling ANY of these players the future of the franchise is premature to say the least.

Play.


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## Fork (Jan 2, 2003)

Playmaker0017 said:


> No.
> 
> People have said Telfair is the future of the PG position. He's the core of the team. BEFORE HE PLAYED A GAME!
> 
> Play.


Dude, there's been like 2 people who've said that kind of stuff. theGame is clearly off his nut, so I wouldn't consider him to be a spokesman for Blazers' fans everywhere. I don't think delusional beliefs are that widespread.


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## tlong (Jan 6, 2003)

Fork said:


> Dude, there's been like 2 people who've said that kind of stuff. theGame is clearly off his nut, so I wouldn't consider him to be a spokesman for Blazers' fans everywhere. I don't think delusional beliefs are that widespread.


I disagree. I've seen numerous posters claim that Telfair is going to be a future All Star.


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## kaydow (Apr 6, 2004)

Maybe there is something fundamentally wrong with comparing a young player (a player {s} a year or 2 removed from HS none the less) to the greats that came before them. It adds pressure to the player, and at times it influences the fans expectations beyond what's reasonable. I like it though. It gets people talking. While I barely see a similarity between Travis Outlaw and Clyde the Glyde, I like to hear what other fans see in a guy like Outlaw. He may never see an All Star game, hec, he may never be a starter on a .500 team--you just don't know with a guy like him.


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## Perfection (May 10, 2004)

LongtimeLurker said:


> In addition to vertical jump, hand size is very important in an elite ball player. Drexler has huge hands. How do Outlaw's hands compare? Is this a statistic kept in any NBA database?
> 
> Stockton has large hands. Dr J has large hands. Magic Johnson has large hands.


I have large hands.

But that is something that would be good to know. It especially helps to be able to finish at the rim and palm the ball and such...just ask Rasheed.


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## SheedSoNasty (Dec 31, 2002)

I don't have ginormous hands but I've been able to palm a basketball since I was in the 7th grade. It's not the size that counts, but how you position it.


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## obiwankenobi (Jan 31, 2004)

Ask anybody who saw them both play from 84-98. Drexler was second best to Jordan at the SG position. Even Don Nelson recognized it. Ultra competitive. Incredible athlete. Worked to fill the holes in his game. Great passer. Great vison (with his head down, no less).

Outlaw has great potential. If he can develop the competitive aspect of Clyde's game and the passing ability then he might compare to him. The better comparison to a former Blazer is Jerome. The better comparison to an NBA player is probably a developing Adrian Dantley or Alex English or even Bobby Jones.

But I think he has a chance to be unique. He may become a great defensive player who can shoot deep but guard any of the 2,3, and 4 spots. I'm not convinced that he will become a top-notch scorer because I have yet to see him create because of limited ball-handling development. In this way he may compare more to Michael Cooper when all is said and done.


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