Drexler’s Days as a Forward Behind Him

Portland’s Clyde Drexler as an All-Star guard takes some getting used to.

Drexler, who is 6-7, was strictly a forward during his three seasons at the University of Houston. Although he had more than 300 assists, most National Basketball Assn. scouts believed that he should only handle the ball when finishing fast breaks and rebounding.

“I don’t think a lot of us expected him to be an All-Star guard,” Dallas Coach Dick Motta said. “If we had, everyone would have drafted him.”

Dallas, which played Portland Thursday night, picked Dale Ellis and Derek Harper at Nos. 9 and 11 in the first round of the 1983 draft. Drexler was the 14th player chosen.

“I think a lot of people thought the Rockets were going to take me,” Drexler said. “When Houston chose Rodney McCray instead, a lot of teams already had their minds made up about somebody else, plus there might have been some teams that didn’t want me. I believe most people thought I’d be a player. They just didn’t know how soon.”

Drexler, whose skill never was questioned, might have been a victim of Houston’s reputation for being undisciplined and playing out of control. But Houston, Arkansas and UCLA are the only schools with more than one representative in the 36th All-Star Game Sunday in Dallas.

“The (undisciplined) reputation is uncalled for,” Drexler said. “My choice of colleges may have hurt me in terms of where I was drafted, but it certainly helped me develop my career as an NBA player.”

Portland (29-23) was committed to trying Drexler at guard. The Trail Blazers launched their experiment well before the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers tried theirs. The Clippers shifted Derek Smith and Marques Johnson from forward to guard, and Philadelphia moved Julius Erving to guard this year.

“At Houston, we had Reid Gettys at point guard, so everybody tried to press us,” Drexler said. “I’d always break the press. They may have written my name down on the lineup card as a small forward, but I was actually bringing the ball down and doing the job of a guard. I don’t think I would have advanced in the league to where I am now had it not been for my training at UH.”

Drexler struggled as a rookie because of a contract dispute and typical adjustment problems. Although he was one of only two Blazers who played every game, he averaged 7.7 points and shot 45% from the floor. In his second season, his scoring improved to 17.7, his rebounds doubled and his assists tripled.

“I adjusted to the change last year,” he said. “That was the major adjustment period. You learn your role, accept it and you take it from there. Good things have happened since then. Of course, I’ve put in a lot of long hours, just thinking about what a guard is supposed to do. At forward, you think about rebounding and rebounding. At guard, you’ve got to get back on defense and think about handling the ball and passing it a whole lot more. It was kind of a big adjustment.”

Portland’s three-for-one trade with Denver (for Kiki Vandeweghe) and injuries, especially to guard Jim Paxson, increased Drexler’s minutes. He started 42 games and played 40 or more minutes 13 times.

In Drexler’s final 26 games last year, he averaged 18.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists. He finished eighth in the NBA in steals, averaging 2.21.

“I think what happened is that Jack (Portland Coach Jack Ramsay) took a look at his personnel and decided how he wanted to play,” said Lakers Coach Pat Riley, who will coach the West All-Stars. “Clyde can function very creatively as a forward, off-guard or point guard. He’s a very good athlete and we’ve all seen him grow in terms of confidence and all-around play. He’s very deserving of his place on the All-Star team.”

“The guy is a great player,” said Drexler’s All-Star teammate, Maverick guard Rolando Blackman. “No one knew from his first year. Everything was so negative. Now he’s an All-Star. A lot of it came from the shift from forward to guard where he can handle the ball and show off his skills.”

Motta said that Drexler was a major reason the Blazers eliminated the Mavericks, 3-1, in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. In the deciding game, Drexler drove the lane and passed to Audie Norris, whose jumper gave the Blazers a 115-113 victory.

“It was unbelievable,” said Drexler, who averaged 18.8 points, 9.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds against Dallas in the playoffs. “I was just trying to create something. Make something happen. That was the plan. It’s worked out pretty good.”

“I voted for him on the All-Star team,” Motta said. “I thought he had a great year last season. He’s one of the major keys in them beating us. It just seemed like, when Paxson got hurt, his (Drexler’s) career just blossomed.”

Portland has rewarded Drexler with a two-year contract extension. Ramsay has nominated him for the NBA Sixth-Man award, but because of teammates’ injuries, Drexler has become a starter again.

“A lot of people used to think the only thing he could do was dunk,” Lakers guard Magic Johnson said. “He can do a lot more than that. He’s come along very well. He can drive, pass and shoot. He’s so consistent now, and it’s a tribute to him because he’s worked really hard.”