Got a request? Leave a comment here. ask.fm/gearmast3r Clyde Drexler scores 41 points in game 4 of the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals versus the Utah Jazz alongside Hakeem Olajuwon's 40.
That's cause he's so modest, and cause he was overshadowed by Michael Jordan during his heyday. Lesser reason than those two; he never won a championship as his team's #1 option, similar to David Robinson. Both were actually passive individuals who didn't brand themselves much like a Barkley, Shaq, or Jordan. Kareem didn't brand himself much, but he won championships as his team's #1 option + MVPs. Robinson wasn't overshadowed by Olajuwon in terms of his career, even though he got badly outplayed by the Dream in that one series, but Drexler was also overshadowed by Jordan in terms of their careers. He would've gotten more recognition had his career happened at a different time than Jordan's. He played the majority of his career in a small market in Portland, got destroyed by Jordan in the Finals, who also had the far more impressive career. Kobe Bryant enjoyed the luxury of being compared to Jordan while not having to face a prime Jordan.
@@yellowduck-2024 I understand the comparison in terms of how Clyde's game compares w/ that of Durant's. But the Rockets were a struggling team (kind of) when they picked up Drexler midseason, despite being the defending champs. The Warriors would've gone down as arguably the greatest single-season team ever (though it still would've been the 96' Bulls or 86' Celtics for me), if not for the fluke-Draymond suspension. Durant just elevated their margin-for-error up to a level bordering on wiping out the competition before the season even started. But Jordan did top Drexler individually by a significantly greater margin in the 92 Finals than Lebron did Durant in the 17 Finals. Had Lebron topped Durant by about that same margin, it would've been a 7-game series.
@@MickeyEntertains It might've been me, but I just wanna say that he definitely played a big factor in this Rockets championship run you probably misunderstood what I meant. I don't remember exactly what I said think it was something along the lines of the Rockets having a better record before getting Drexler compared to afterwards where they were a sub .500 team and the trade initially wasn't working out with him and Maxwell not being a good fit together. After Maxwell left the team early in the playoffs that's when Drexler really became effective with the team playing more cohesively. There was also the PF situation that was a problem at first, however Rudy Tomjanovich eventually figured that out in the Suns series using a smaller lineup giving Elie more minutes and made it official in the Spurs series making him a starter.
Clyde was incredible. Imagine him in today's wide open free flowing NBA. He'd be unstoppable. People look at his career stats and think he wasn't all that and that's because those are the types of fools that barely know the game on any meaningful level. Guards just didn't have the opportunity to score like they do today and the conditions were just so much tougher - 23 a game was great for a perimeter player whereas today, 30 a game is easily possible - just the number of free throws today inflates today's stats. Clyde with his athleticism, skills and huge hands today would be truly unstoppable much like MJ would be today. And this is an old Clyde. Prime Clyde was unreal.
Clyde went to the line a bunch when he played too; Jordan did even more of course. You make it sound so simple, but I think Clyde would be similarly great today as he was in the late 80s to mid 90s, because he'd still be one of the most athletic players, but his game would not be to start jacking up a whole bunch of 3s like the splash brothers, James Harden & so on, so I don't know that he'd be averaging 30+ppg, but for sure an efficient 25+ppg, to go along w/ 7-8 assists per game + 5-7 boards per game, 2 steals & a block. If he started trying to be a helter skelter 3-point shooter, he'd just be shooting himself & his team out of games. Maybe one season he'd average barely 30+ppg, like 30-31 ppg, but that'd be his high. He doesn't have a gunners mentality like an Allen Iverson or Kobe Bryant, but loves to run and get his teammates high %age looks, a lot like Pippen (somewhat different). Also, he's not a great shooter, he's a descent to good shooter, so I don't see this ultra 3-point happy shooting era bumping up his scoring average much, for his initial instinct is always going to be to get to the whole, a la Westbrook or Wade.
Clyde was playing like this at this stage of his career because he was paired with a HOF C to take the pressure off in the halfcourt. He took too long to become the perimeter shooter he was in Houston, and even then he was still shaky. But this Utah series he was on fire. I dont think era made much of a difference. Clyde's jumper and ballhanding was shaky back then. In Portland in halfcourt sets Terry Porter was more effective than him when they were teammates. But if your team played a uptempo style then it was a whole new ballgame.... Clyde was as good as any player ever at any position in the open court.
So many weapons-decent mid range/3pt shooter, can post up any guards down low, dunks, finger rolls, no look passes, behind back passes, tap passes, throws perfect passes to post up players, rebounds, steals. I think he was little too unselfish and too cool to be greater that he was.
I love unselfishness. No, I don't think he was too unselfish. He was unselfish, but not as unselfish as say #12 for the Utah Jazz Sally Fields in this game; the all-time assists queen. She was really really unselfish. But I'll even take too unselfish over selfish any day or time.
@@arsonhakobyan Hey fool, stop calling John Stockton "Sally Fields", he's one of the greatest point guards in NBA History. You might not like his physical tactics against opponents, but he's well respected. Just stop it.
@@meharinationsportspodcast2582 I know he's one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. Arguably top-3, but at worst top-5. I've got him a smidgen over his later career contemporaries in Gary Payton & Jason Kidd, smidgen above his earlier career contemporary in Isiah Thomas, smidgen above his new era contemporary in Chris Paul, and smidgen above the pre-modern version of his own self in Bob Cousy. The Sally Fields thing is a total compliment, you're just misreading the angle I'm coming from. I wished he shot even fewer 3s than he did, even though his %age from there was a healthy 38%. But she plays a very wholesome style of point guard like Sally Fields, and is feisty like Sally Fields, and stands out in such a way from her peers.
Jordan never lost in the finals, but he loss plenty times in the playoffs before finally winning in 91. Take it easy. He was just showing love to 3 of his favorite players.
No, Hakeem was the real MVP of Houston. That's why everybody talks about him. It was basically even between the two in this game, but overall, game in and game out, Hakeem was #1 for this team, Clyde #2 in 95'. Their x-factor if I had to pick just one; probably Robert Horry.
No Clyde was the real MVP no Clyde no second ring. Clyde 76pts in G4 & G5 vs Utah. Who did Utah, Phoenix, San Antonio or Orlando had for Drexler nobody. 1990 Pistons & 1992 Bulls were wayyy better than the 1994 Knicks & 1995 Magic.
Yes the Pistons were way better 3 All-stars I.Thomas, Dumars, & Rodman DPOY Dennis Rodman. Beat NY Knicks in 5 games Bulls in 7 Portland in 5. Who did Orlando Beat??
Celtics in 4 (was best of 5 1st round then), Bulls in 6 (and no-MJ was NOT rusty!), Pacers in 7 & chocked their asses off against Rockets at end of Game 1, never recovered from that choke job for the rest of the series.
One of my favorite players. I do recognize MJ is the best, but too much hype on him eclipsed so many terrific players, Clyde being one of them alongside Pippen, Malone, Robinson, Barkley to name a few. My question is: would MJ win 6 rings without Pippen? All to say calm down MJ King of the World...you can't win alone...remember 1990 against Detroit.
Yea I agree 100%. MJ the goat, it took me a while to fully admit that but the media and fans just shove it down your throat and act as if he's never lost or had a bad game before.
I've searched through 15 websites and I cannot find it. The website I told you about is now up and I checked that one as well. So sorry, man. If you have another game, I'd be glad to get it.
He's the main reason why Malone and Stockton never won a championship not Mike, he eliminated them twice with portland, once with houston and absolutely dominated them, he's the main reason they never even made it to the finals tell 97.
