Why is Clyde Drexler among the most disrespected all-time greats by his peers?

Mean_Streets · Post #1 » by **Mean_Streets** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:15 pm

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16:15 min mark.

Kenny picks Drexler.

Shaq: "What? Oh hell no." while Barkley laughs.

Ernie asks Barkley what he thinks of the pick... he just stays silent.

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Watch on YouTube

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19:50 mark

Kenny picks Drexler.

Reggie Miller: "Oh, you're done"

Chris Webber: "We wanna play Kenny's team first"

:lol:

BenoUdrihFTL · Post #2 » by **BenoUdrihFTL** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:56 pm

You'd think Shaq would be a bit more appreciative of Drexler's game considering how Clyde put it on Shaq's Magic in the 1995 Finals. The past-prime, post-injury Drexler only put up 22/10/7 with a 126 ORTG in the Rockets sweep

KembaWalker · Post #3 » by **KembaWalker** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 10:22 pm

He couldn't even dribble with his head up.

70sFan · Post #4 » by **70sFan** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 10:36 pm

He came from very overrated (due to the whole MJ vs Drexler rivarly, which didn't exist in reality) to somehow underrated and forgotten. He was versatile all-around player who could fit many roles on your team and didn't have to play high usage on offense. His 1995 year with Rockets is highly underappreciated even for now.

70sFan · Post #5 » by **70sFan** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 10:38 pm

KembaWalker wrote:He couldn't even dribble with his head up.

You can't even use YouTube in 2022.

Beethoven · Post #6 » by **Beethoven** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 10:40 pm

I think Clyde Drexler got more of a boost in image and recognition after his invite to be part of the Olympic US Dream team.

KembaWalker · Post #7 » by **KembaWalker** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 10:57 pm

70sFan wrote:
KembaWalker wrote:He couldn't even dribble with his head up.

You can't even use YouTube in 2022.

Who needs YouTube to know that Clyde drexler dribbled with his head down and had essentially no left hand to speak of

He wasn't a bad player but he was kind of silly to watch, very overly reliant on his athleticism

70sFan · Post #8 » by **70sFan** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 10:59 pm

KembaWalker wrote:
70sFan wrote:
KembaWalker wrote:He couldn't even dribble with his head up.

You can't even use YouTube in 2022.

Who needs YouTube to know that Clyde drexler dribbled with his head down and had essentially no left hand to speak of

He wasn't a bad player but he was kind of silly to watch, very overly reliant on his athleticism

Because false narratives repeated hundreds of times becomes a common knowledge, especially in terms of oldschool players.

We can watch Drexler games on YouTube, he dribbled just fine. He wasn't elite ball-handler or anything, but he didn't have to look at the ball while dribbling.

SOdisciple · Post #9 » by **SOdisciple** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:02 pm

It always amazes me when people put Reggie Miller above Drexler on any kind of list. There is literally nothing he did better than Clyde besides outside shooting.

Ursusamericanus · Post #10 » by **Ursusamericanus** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:05 pm

I get the feeling many of the 90s all stars/legends (except Hakeem of course) just didn't like him much on a personal level. Pippen dragged him in his book for his attitude on the Dream Team, and I think Barkley has taken shots at him before too for being jealous. He was a great player, he just wasn't MJ.

Wolfgang630 · Post #11 » by **Wolfgang630** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:11 pm

KembaWalker wrote:He couldn't even dribble with his head up.

Lmao

BenoUdrihFTL · Post #12 » by **BenoUdrihFTL** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:11 pm

Beethoven wrote:I think Clyde Drexler got more of a boost in image and recognition after his invite to be part of the Olympic US Dream team.

Not so sure about that. Drexler wasn't even named as one of the first 10 to the DT, he and Laettner were added later in May of 1992 after Drexler had already been voted runner up for 1992 MVP

KembaWalker · Post #13 » by **KembaWalker** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:21 pm

70sFan wrote:
KembaWalker wrote:
70sFan wrote:You can't even use YouTube in 2022.

Who needs YouTube to know that Clyde drexler dribbled with his head down and had essentially no left hand to speak of

He wasn't a bad player but he was kind of silly to watch, very overly reliant on his athleticism

Because false narratives repeated hundreds of times becomes a common knowledge, especially in terms of oldschool players.

We can watch Drexler games on YouTube, he dribbled just fine. He wasn't elite ball-handler or anything, but he didn't have to look at the ball while dribbling.

Watch on YouTube

You can read the comments too, he was always doing this

sp6r=underrated · Post #14 » by **sp6r=underrated** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:24 pm

Drexler is very well regarded and accurately rated. No one complained that he was in the top 50/75. No one argues he was top 25 player.

Clyde was a damn good basketball player. He is one of the all time greats at turning a defensive rebound into a fast break. At his peak he got a little too much credit for the late 80s/early 90s Blazers who had a lot of skilled players. He was closer to a 1a than a true 1 due to some limitation in his half court game and his peak was never best in the league quality even if he didn't have the misfortune to peak at same time as MJ/Magic.

But he was also very adaptable and played at a high level for a long time.

Anticon · Post #15 » by **Anticon** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:25 pm

BenoUdrihFTL wrote:
Beethoven wrote:I think Clyde Drexler got more of a boost in image and recognition after his invite to be part of the Olympic US Dream team.

Not so sure about that. Drexler wasn't even named as one of the first 10 to the DT, he and Laettner were added later in May of 1992 after Drexler had already been voted runner up for 1992 MVP

Yeah Drexler was already considered a top guard.

And the point on Reggie is right. Clyde was the better all around player, Miller just had bigger moments and gets more respect now because three point shooting is in ascendancy.

ibraheim718 · Post #16 » by **ibraheim718** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:36 pm

70sFan wrote:
KembaWalker wrote:
70sFan wrote:You can't even use YouTube in 2022.

Who needs YouTube to know that Clyde drexler dribbled with his head down and had essentially no left hand to speak of

He wasn't a bad player but he was kind of silly to watch, very overly reliant on his athleticism

Because false narratives repeated hundreds of times becomes a common knowledge, especially in terms of oldschool players.

We can watch Drexler games on YouTube, he dribbled just fine. He wasn't elite ball-handler or anything, but he didn't have to look at the ball while dribbling.

The idea comes from the one clip of him on the fast break looking at the ball once before dunking. That's the most famous Clyde clip and people have seen it so many times they think it's the truth. I'll see if I can find it.

Post #17 » by **GeorgeMarcus** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:40 pm

I find Drexler is generally overlooked and underrated on this board, but I was surprised to see it from other players. IMO he's one of the best defenders to not crack an All-Defensive team, and obviously he was a dynamic offensive player as well

ibraheim718 · Post #18 » by **ibraheim718** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:56 pm

KembaWalker wrote:
70sFan wrote:
KembaWalker wrote:
Who needs YouTube to know that Clyde drexler dribbled with his head down and had essentially no left hand to speak of

He wasn't a bad player but he was kind of silly to watch, very overly reliant on his athleticism

Because false narratives repeated hundreds of times becomes a common knowledge, especially in terms of oldschool players.

We can watch Drexler games on YouTube, he dribbled just fine. He wasn't elite ball-handler or anything, but he didn't have to look at the ball while dribbling.

Watch on YouTube

You can read the comments too, he was always doing this

Yeah that's the ONE clip. Do you know how many thousands of times he's dribbled down the court on a fast break?

FreeThrowLine · Post #19 » by **FreeThrowLine** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:59 pm

I thought it was fairly obvious that the reason they were mocking the pick was not because Clyde wasn't a great player, but because Kenny blew the choice on the 3rd pick when he likely could have easily had him 2 rounds later.

You still had Dirk, Kawhi Leonard, Jason Kidd, Karl Malone, Chris Paul, David Robinson, Isiah Thomas and others on the board and you take Drexler because he was your teammate :dontknow:

As far as the whole "couldn't dribble without looking at the ball", it really wasn't the case. He just had a different style where he was almost a touch hunched over and wouldn't really be looking at the ball or the basket or the defender but more so the ground ahead.

But hey, it didn't seem to stop him nor did it make him easier to defend, especially on a fast break situation which was almost a guaranteed poster if you were in the area. So, the way I see it is similar to a guy with a weird/different shooting motion, as long as it isn't affecting their ability to play the game at a high level then it's just one of those things that people grow up doing and you let it go.

KembaWalker · Post #20 » by **KembaWalker** » Sun Mar 13, 2022 12:39 am

ibraheim718 wrote:
KembaWalker wrote:
70sFan wrote:Because false narratives repeated hundreds of times becomes a common knowledge, especially in terms of oldschool players.

We can watch Drexler games on YouTube, he dribbled just fine. He wasn't elite ball-handler or anything, but he didn't have to look at the ball while dribbling.

Watch on YouTube

You can read the comments too, he was always doing this

Yeah that's the ONE clip. Do you know how many thousands of times he's dribbled down the court on a fast break?

Like I said, read the comments lol literally everyone who watched more than 2 minutes of drexler knows he did this all the time. It was endearing