1. Each thread will be open for 48 hours. After 48 hours have passed, the thread will close if a single player receives a majority of the votes. If not, the top 2-3 candidates will enter a runoff period of 24 hours. During this period, you may switch your vote to one of the reduced list of candidates if you voted for someone else.
2. When making a formal vote, please include the player's name in bold. This helps me keep track. Please include a justification for your choice. It may be brief, but simply writing the name of your choice will not be a counted vote.
3. You may switch your vote, but please emphasize this in bold.
4. Please only consider each player's performance with Portland.
5. We all have our favorites, and we all have our own criteria. I believe the discussion and learning from this project will be more important than the placement of the individual players.
6. Have fun!
Runoff Guidelines:
Spoiler:
If at the end of 48 hours, no single player has more than 50% of the votes cast, the top 2* candidates will enter a runoff vote.
1. Original votes for one of these 2 players still count.
2. Those who voted for one of the candidates outside of the top 2 must cast a vote for one of the top 2 candidates for their votes to count.
3. Those who did not vote in the first 48 hours are still welcome to vote in the runoff.
4. Anyone is welcome to change his/her vote if swayed by the arguments of others.
* If there is a tie, more than 2 candidates may enter the runoff. In this case, please list your preferred order among all of the candidates, and a point system will determine the victor. The points will be allocated as follows (using a 3-player runoff as an example): 3 points for 1st place, 2 points for 2nd place, 1 point for 3rd place. If votes don't make a preference beyond #1, the remaining candidates will get the average points for the other ranks. If at the end of this process, there is a tie, the winner will be the player with the most preferences in a 1 on 1 comparison.
It seems pretty wide open still. If you haven't voted before, feel free to vote! I know it's hard to pick a single player, but this project is more about learning and sharing information in my view.
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #18
Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 5:08 pm
by Norm2953
The last two players to make the list have to say the least have not been my favorites but at 18, I'd like to nominate Wesley Matthews who had 5 good seasons in Portland and who is going to be missed by the fan base as he (hopefully) resumes his career in Dallas from his ruptured Achilles. Very likely in the top 6 of all time favorite Blazers and we all saw how last years team collapsed without him.
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #18
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 2:32 am
by PDXKnight
I'm gonna go with Lionel Hollins here. Very underrated player on that 77 run and he deserves to be in the top 20.
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #18
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 11:45 pm
by JasonStern
vote: Kevin Duckworth
2x all-star center in an era of dominant centers, 7 seasons with Portland, winner of the most improved player award, Trail Blazers Community Ambassador and active in Portland's community after his retirement - hell, he died on the way to host a free children's basketball camp. his importance to the Blazers franchise was high enough that the Blazers even funded a scholarship in his memorial.
So we're just putting Damon at 17 even though the final tally was 4-4?
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #18
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 1:00 pm
by DaVoiceMaster
It's kind of getting to the point where I could go with any number of players and one is not leaps and bounds ahead of the others ... Matthews, Duckworth... Gross, Twardzik, Davis, Natt, Carr, Ransey, Cooper, Strickland, Anthony, Augmon, Pack, Owens... Wells, Rider, blah blah blah.
So many choices!!! I'm good with either Matthews or Duckworth. Both are character guys, Matthews was just a stud, Duckworth had his moments and then hung around town and was active in the local school near his house and community. Maybe he wasn't the best Blazer, but he might have been one of the kindest. I'll go Duckworth for #18 and Matthews for #19.
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #18
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 4:20 pm
by a_sensei
I'll continue to vote for Rod Strickland until he gets in. For what its worth I definitely think he was a greater Blazer than Damon Stoudemire, except for in 2001.
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #18
Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2015 11:48 am
by Moonbeam
Due to my epic screw-up with Vote #17 (it was actually tied 4-4 between Stoudamire and Gross), we're in a bit of a pickle here. I propose that we let both guys in at 17 and 18. I'll break the tie based on previous votes, and this vote will be for #19. Not perfect, but I don't see a more elegant solution.
With that in mind, I'm voting for Wesley Matthews here. The guy was clearly an integral part of a couple of moderately successful Portland teams. I think he was nearly as important as Lillard to the most recent team. Decent, efficient scorer in moderate volume and capable of big outbursts, a reliable defender who helped mask for Damian's weaknesses on that end, and a guy who left it all out on the court, and whose hustle made him the emotional leader of the team.
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #18
Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2015 11:49 am
by Moonbeam
As some may be withholding their votes due to the Stouadmire/Gross screw-up, I'll leave this open another day.
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #18
Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2015 12:40 pm
by Masterfully
Moonbeam wrote:Due to my epic screw-up with Vote #17 (it was actually tied 4-4 between Stoudamire and Gross), we're in a bit of a pickle here. I propose that we let both guys in at 17 and 18. I'll break the tie based on previous votes, and this vote will be for #19. Not perfect, but I don't see a more elegant solution.
Seems like a fair solution to me.
I'll vote for Duckworth here. Underrated center in the golden era of centers.
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #18
Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2015 3:54 pm
by zzaj
Strickland
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #18
Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2015 12:17 pm
by Moonbeam
Tally:
Kevin Duckworth (3): JasonStern, DaVoiceMaster, Masterfully
Rod Strickland (2): a_sensei, zzaj
Wesley Matthews (2): Norm2953, Moonbeam
Lionel Hollins (1): Oden2
Duckworth/Strickland/Wes runoff!
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #19: Duckworth/Strickland/Wes runoff
Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 3:19 am
by Norm2953
I'm still going to vote for the iron man. Love Duck who had 4 good seasons until weight became an issue. Strickland was a good PG on mediocre teams .
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #19: Duckworth/Strickland/Wes runoff
Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 4:19 am
by PDXKnight
Im inclined to go with Wes here. He proved to be an essential piece especially after he went down last season. Wes was a winner plain and simple and in my opinion he deserves props at 19
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #19: Duckworth/Strickland/Wes runoff
Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 2:24 pm
by zzaj
Strickland
He was a more talented basketball player than either Duckworth or Mathews.
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #19: Duckworth/Strickland/Wes runoff
Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:17 pm
by Brandon-Clyde
Wesley Matthews because his hard work made him a better player every year
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #19: Duckworth/Strickland/Wes runoff
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 6:46 am
by Moonbeam
Remember that it's a 3-way runoff, so you can express your first, second, and third picks.
I'm going
1. Wesley Matthews 2. Kevin Duckworth: very good offensive center at the least for a number of years with the team 3. Rod Strickland: a good candidate and a decent player in the "first round exit" 90s era.
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #19: Duckworth/Strickland/Wes runoff
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 4:28 pm
by a_sensei
1. Rod Strickland 2. Wesley Matthews- extremely underrated nationally over the past two years. The effect of his injury really showed how valuable he was. 3. Kevin Duckworth- Love that team and I know that Duck was a two time all-star. He was a good offensive player with a great touch, but I really think he benefited from being the perfect fit next to the other four.
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #19: Duckworth/Strickland/Wes runoff
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 4:39 pm
by Masterfully
1- Duck 2- Matthews, brought in to be Roy's backup, thrust into a starting role due to injury, made lemonade out of lemons. 3- Strickland. Talented player, but always felt like he was a square peg in a round hole on those post Golden Era teams.
I vote that going forward we require a top 3 ballot for every vote.
Re: Greatest Blazers Ever: Vote for #19: Duckworth/Strickland/Wes runoff