And the Number 1 Pick in the 2007 NBA Draft goes to….

The Portland Trail Blazers!

This will be the 4th time that Portland will have the first overall pick in the NBA Draft, dating back to 1972.

Let’s look at how their previous top overall draft picks have panned out:

1972: LaRue Martin, (6′11, C) Loyola-Chicago

Martin only lasted 4 years in the NBA with career averages of 5.3 points & 4.6 rebounds per game. He retired in 1976, one year before Portland won their 1st NBA Championship.

1974: Bill Walton, (6′11, C) UCLA

Walton missed a majority of games during his first two seasons with Portland before bouncing back to lead the NBA in both rebounds per game & blocked shots during the 1976-77 season.

Portland won the 1977 NBA Finals over the Philadelphia 76ers in 6 games. Walton was named Finals MVP.

The Trail Blazers won 50 of 60 games during the 1978 season, but lost Walton to a broken foot injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the regular season.

However, Walton did win the 1978 MVP award, was named to his first & only All-Star team & was also named to the NBA’s 1st All-Defensive team as well as the all-NBA 1st team.

Walton did return in time for the playoffs, but was reinjured during the Conference Semifinals against Seattle, which the Sonics won in 6 games.

Walton spent 6 seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers (’79-85) before finishing his career with the Boston Celtics. (’85-87).

1978: Mychal Thompson (6′10, C), Minnesota

Thompson made the 1979 All-Rookie team & had his best season in 1981 when he averaged 20 points & 11 rebounds per game.

Thompson played for the San Antonio Spurs for a little over half a season before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he would finish his career as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s backup.

Thompson retired from the NBA in 1991.

Assuming that Portland selects Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden with the 1st overall pick in next month’s NBA Draft, the Trail Blazers could become just the 3rd team in NBA History to have two Rookie of the Year winners in consecutive seasons. (Brandon Roy won the 2006-07 Rookie of the Year award)

The Baltimore Bullets were the 1st ever NBA Franchise to have Rookie of the Year winners in consecutive seasons when Earl Monroe (1967-68) & Wes Unseld (1968-69) took home the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy.

The Buffalo Braves became the 2nd NBA Franchise to have Rookie of the Year winners in consecutive seasons when Bob McAdoo (1972-73) & Ernie DiGregio (1973-74) took home the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy.

Since 1958, 15 1st round overall picks have gone on to win Rookie of the Year.

The last top overall pick to win Rookie of the Year was the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James in 2003-04.

I’ll be back tomorrow night with another blog as i get closer & closer to my 1st ever trip to New York City!

Until then,

Mattie T

Sports Writer for BMS Radio Chicago

www.BMSRadio.com

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