Bill Walton earned back-to-back All-NBA Defensive First Team honors.
The Portland Trail Blazers have had four players named to the All-Defensive First Team while playing for the franchise. Three of those players did so during the 1977-78 season. Let’s dive into the stats and highlight the accomplishments of all four players.
Bill Walton – 2 Times (1977, 1978)
The Trail Blazers selected Walton with the first pick in the 1974 Draft. In his rookie season, he averaged 2.7 blocks. He led the NBA by averaging 14.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in 1976-77, helping him be named All-Defensive First Team for the first time in his career. The next season, he was named All-Defensive First Team again. He also won regular MVP with his averages of 18.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.5 blocks. Across 209 career regular season games with the Trail Blazers, he averaged 17.1 points, 13.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.6 blocks. He won a title with the Trail Blazers in 1977 and was named Finals MVP. As a member of the Celtics, he won another championship in 1986. Walton was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.
Buck Williams – 2 Times (1990, 1991)
Williams spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Nets. He won the Rookie of the Year award and made three All-Star teams with them. He then joined the Trail Blazers in 1989 and was named All-Defensive First Team in both of his first two seasons with the team. In the third season, he was named All-Defensive Second Team. Over 557 regular season games with the Trail Blazers, he averaged 10.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks.
Lionel Hollins – 1978
The Trail Blazers selected Hollins with the sixth pick in the 1975 Draft. He finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1975-76, averaging 10.8 points, 4.1 assists and 1.8 steals. He would eventually average at least 1.8 steals in each of his first four seasons in the NBA. He made his lone career All-Star team and received his only All-Defensive First Team selection in 1977-78 with his averages of 15.9 points, 4.7 assists and 1.9 steals. In 315 career regular season games with the Trail Blazers, he averaged 13.9 points, 4.4 assists and 1.9 steals.
Maurice Lucas – 1978
Lucas played four seasons in the ABA before joining the Trail Blazers in the NBA prior to the 1976-77 season. He made the All-Star team in his first season with the team, then was named All-Defensive First Team for the only time in his career in 1977-78. During that campaign, he averaged 16.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks. Over his entire career, Lucas played for six different NBA franchises. Across two separate stints with the Trail Blazers, he averaged 15.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks in 330 games.
