In an ongoing series of naming the top starting five for every NBA franchise this summer, the time has come for Yahoo! Sports' Ball Don't Lie to name the Trail Blazers' all-time best. None of the five selected should come as a surprise: a dominant Bill Walton led Rip City to its only NBA title in 1977 while the trio of Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter and Jerome Kersey took the Trail Blazers to two NBA Finals appearances in three seasons. Recently departed power forward LaMarcus Aldridge earned four All-Star nods in nine seasons in Portland and is the franchise's second all-time leading scorer behind Drexler.
But what about the rest of the competition? Here are a few players that deserve to be at least part of the conversation deciding Rip City's best.
Kiki Vandeweghe - Believe it or not, Vandeweghe is the Trail Blazers' all-time leader in points per game, averaging 23.5 points in 285 games in a Portland uniform. The Trail Blazers earned a spot in the playoffs during every season in Vandeweghe's tenure in Rip City, with the 6-foot-8 small forward often carrying the scoring load. He's also the franchise's all-time leader in free throw percentage, shooting at just over 88% from the charity stripe.
Sidney Wicks - A staple in early Trail Blazers lineups, Wicks averaged 22.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game from 1971-76. The second overall pick in the 1971 NBA Draft, Wicks is one of two players -- along with fellow UCLA alum Bill Walton -- to average a double-double as a Trail Blazer.
Geoff Petrie - Holding down the Portland backcourt for the first six seasons in franchise history, Petrie was a two-time All-Star and the 1970-71 NBA Rookie of the Year as a Trail Blazer.
Arvydas Sabonis - A hall of famer, Sabonis was a force in the Trail Blazers frontcourt despite arriving from Lithuania as a 31-year-old rookie in 1995. In seven seasons with Portland, Sabonis averaged 17.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per 36 minutes played, adding flash and finesse to Mike Dunleavy's squads.
Damon Stoudamire - It's hard to argue that Stoudamire doesn't deserve to be in the conversation when discussing the Trail Blazers best point guards in team history. Only Porter and Drexler have more assists in a Portland uniform as "Mighty Mouse" steered the Trail Blazers to back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances and a 59-win season in 1999-2000. The Portland native also registered the team's highest scoring game, dropping 54 points in New Orleans in 2005.
Brandon Roy - Roy was a three-time All-Star in just five seasons in Rip City, earning the 2006-07 NBA Rookie of the Year award. The University of Washington product was franchise player in the making, leading the team out of the dark days and back into the playoffs.
Damian Lillard - Yes, Lillard has only been a pro for three seasons. But in those three seasons, Lillard has earned an All-NBA nod, two All-Star appearances and the 2012-13 NBA Rookie of the Year award. The Trail Blazers have gone to the playoffs in two of his three seasons as a pro so far, with Lillard clinching Portland's first series win since 2000 with a dramatic three-point buzzer beater to beat the Houston Rockets in 2014. As the franchise looks to Lillard to lead going forward, it's safe to assume he's only going to further his case in the discussion of Portland's all-time greats.
Agree with Yahoo!'s all-time starting five? Think one of the players listed above should have made the cut? Join the conversation on Twitter by tweeting @trailblazers.