Clyde Drexler

[Tince]

The TNT guys were ripping on Clyde for showing up "5 minutes before games". Obviously Clyde didn't show up that late, but I didn't realize Clyde had the rep for showing up late to games and practices. Was this just in Houston or in Portland too?

[Nikolokolus]

I've heard plenty of stories about Clyde getting by on talent alone and not being a guy who put in a lot of work. When people talked about what separated he and Jordan it was mostly down to Jordan's indomitable work ethic and just how hard he worked at his game.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I heard many stories of how lazy he was. Like Nicky said, he got by on talent alone and didn't do much to make himself better.

[SnakeOiler]

Seriously, didn't know? He barely practiced too. http://www.answers.com/topic/clyde-drexler

[julius]

That's a well known negative trait of Clyde's. He was horrible as a head coach too. If he put HALF the effort that Jordan put in he'd probably have won more titles.

[Tince]

So I take it RA was the ultimate players coach and let him get away with it?

[Nikolokolus]

So I take it RA was the ultimate players coach and let him get away with it?

Yeah, Adelman was definitely a player friendly coach ... always has been.

[barfo]

The Hasheem Thabeet of his day.

barfo

[Draco]

I think Clyde prepared more like a normal person goes about their job. Jordan and Kobe are excessively competitive, to a point where its almost an illness. They are not normal.

[HailBlazers]

1.) Jordan

2.) Pippen

3.) Clyde and it's all about defense, which is based on effort.

[STOMP]

STOMP

[Sinobas]

Well, if he didn't practice, I don't see how that affected his game on the court? He was very good in all facets of the game. The Blazers game very close to winning a couple titles under Drexler. Just imagine if they'd had Sabonis.

[Nikolokolus]

Well, if he didn't practice, I don't see how that affected his game on the court? He was very good in all facets of the game. The Blazers game very close to winning a couple titles under Drexler. Just imagine if they'd had Sabonis.

Just imagine if Drexler would have worked harder ...

[MARIS61]

Clyde always got a pass for coasting in practice, but Sheed got reamed for not believing bulking up would improve his game and therefore not doing a lot of weightlifting.

[julius]

Clyde always got a pass for coasting in practice, but Sheed got reamed for not believing bulking up would improve his game and therefore not doing a lot of weightlifting.

poor victim sheed.

[Rhal]

Clyde always got a pass for coasting in practice, but Sheed got reamed for not believing bulking up would improve his game and therefore not doing a lot of weightlifting.

Yep it had nothing to do with Sheeds attitude on the court and off of it as well.

[BlazerBeav]

Yep it had nothing to do with Sheeds attitude on the court and off of it as well.

Ding ding ding. You could question his work ethic outside of the games, but when the clock was running, Drexler was a beast.

[Drttimmy]

I think the poor work ethic rep is a little exaggerated. The guy was always in shape and its not like his game didn't improve over the course of his career. He was a pretty reliable outside shooter during his prime years, after starting with a pretty abysmal one. Could he have been better? Sure, but you could accuse a lot of players of that. A lot.

[julius]

I think the poor work ethic rep is a little exaggerated. The guy was always in shape and its not like his game didn't improve over the course of his career. He was a pretty reliable outside shooter during his prime years, after starting with a pretty abysmal one. Could he have been better? Sure, but you could accuse a lot of players of that. A lot.

No question you could say that about a lot. But few players were as physically gifted as Clyde was. It is what makes Kobe Kobe, and not LeBron. LeBron still has the same issues and holes in his game and he's been playing for 9 YEARS.

In Kobe's 9th year his game was pretty much solid. Yeah, he was a ball hog (when his teams sucked shit), but he was a better COMPLETE player than LeBron is.

[Sinobas]

Just imagine if Drexler would have worked harder ...

He worked hard in the games, no one can say if he'd be any better if he just practiced x amount of hours more....

[julius]

He worked hard in the games, no one can say if he'd be any better if he just practiced x amount of hours more....

I can say it.

Working on his jumper would've been nice. Working on his defense would've been nice.

The drive to be the best is what separated Bird, Magic, Jordan and others from the Dominique Wilkins (and Clyde Drexlers) of the world. That drive meant they worked tirelessly on their games, and improved with more practice. They didn't show up 5 minutes before the shoot-around and play the game.

They spent all summer working on new facets of their games, or improving weaknesses.

[Nikolokolus]

He worked hard in the games, no one can say if he'd be any better if he just practiced x amount of hours more....

Do you really believe that?

Let me put it to you this way: I'm a pretty decent artist; I can pick up a pen or pencil or brush after months or sometimes even a year not doing anything and I can draw or paint something that isn't half bad, that somebody might look at and say, "oh that's pretty good" ... but when I was hardcore about it, doing it every day for hours on end in my teens and early twenties I could produce stuff that was vastly superior, more nuanced, more expressive and frankly good enough to sell (which I did).

In any activity that requires fine motor control and great hand-eye-coordination, repetition matters. To say that Clyde was so gifted that extra practice couldn't have made him any better seems awfully hard for me to buy.

[Ed O]

I don't claim to know how hard Drexler worked... just like I don't know what his nutrition was like and I don't know if he grew up in a home with two loving parents.

While it's true that all of these things would impact him as a person and as a player, I don't know that it's helpful to take potshots at Drexler based on what he might have been if he had worked harder.

The fact is that Drexler was an incredible player who brought much success to the Portland franchise. He wasn't perfect, of course, but anything above and beyond what actually happened seems too speculative to have much value.

Ed O.

[tlongII]

No question you could say that about a lot. But few players were as physically gifted as Clyde was. It is what makes Kobe Kobe, and not LeBron. LeBron still has the same issues and holes in his game and he's been playing for 9 YEARS.

In Kobe's 9th year his game was pretty much solid. Yeah, he was a ball hog (when his teams sucked shit), but he was a better COMPLETE player than LeBron is.

Oh please! Kobe isn't half the player LeBron is!

[julius]

Oh please! Kobe isn't half the player LeBron is!

yeah, now. But in his prime, I'd take Kobe every day of the week.