The NBA Draft

So, what about the NBA draft? The top pick. Who WOULDN'T want the top pick? Having the top choice can be stressful when there are many options, such as when there is more than one franchise-type player available, or when other teams dangle some veteran impact players for that number one pick.

The number one pick makes me think of the Portland Trailblazers, and the four times that they chose first. Four picks, two busts, one serviceable player, and a plum, which led to a championship in 1977. The busts were LaRue Martin and Greg Oden, while Mychael Thompson was a good contributor to several Portland playoff teams, and Bill Walton centered the 'blazers only title in '77, his third season.
Martin and Oden never caught on to help their teams.

In 1972, Martin arrived with lots of expectations, as he had a great game against the storied UCLA Bruins while he played for Loyola of Chicago. He lasted four seasons, averaging single digits in points, and retired at the end of the 1975-6 season. Bob McAdoo was drafted right after Martin, and went accomplished such things as leading the league in scoring, leading his expansion team Buffalo Braves to the playoffs, and winning an MVP.

Oden was drafted in 2007 from highly-ranked Ohio State. Huge man, similar to Wilt Chamberlain. Oden had injury problems, and didn't play many games for Portland. After picking Oden, the Seattle Sonics selected eventual MVP Kevin Durant, who, similar to McAdoo, led his struggling team to league contention, by winning in the playoffs, and also helping the Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly the Sonics) to the Finals.

Having hit the jackpot with Walton in 1974, would that indicate to the 'blazers that their luck with the top pick has run out steam? With two bad busts in Martin and Oden, would that tell Portland that they're due for another hit? What should Portland do the next time that it gets the number one draft position?