Page 12/The Batta I ion/Tuesday, October 25,1983
Slam dunk is first basket
Drexler launches pro career
TANK MCNAMARA
United Press International
PORTLAND, Ore. — With a
rim-shaking slam dunk, Port
land small forward Clyde Drex
ler launched his professional
career and christened an NBA
chapter of “Phi Slama Jama.”
Drexler, the Trail Blazers’
top draft pick out of Houston,
made his NBA debut Sunday
night in Portland’s 148-122 ex
hibition rout of Denver. In 13
minutes, the 6-7 rookie scored
nine points, grabbed five re
bounds, blocked a shot, dished
off three assists and shed some
light on why Portland assistant
coach Morris “Bucky” Buckwal-
ter calls him, “The best open
court player we’ve ever had.”
Drexler, who signed a five-
year contract Friday worth a re
ported $1 million, hadn’t been
with the Blazers since he worked
out with the club during the Los
Angeles Summer League July
29 through Aug. 13.
Once in a Portland game uni
form, though, it didn’t take him
long to make his presence
known.
He entered the game with
8:03 left in the first half and
Portland leading comfortably,
52-26. Just 1:49 later, he ram
med home a stuff shot similar to
those that made Houston’s “Phi
Slama Jama fraternity” famous.
Portland guard Jeff Lamp
knocked the ball away from
Nuggets guard Howard Carter
at midcourt and slapped it to
Drexler. “The Glide” dribbled
unmolested toward the basket,
soared into the air, pumped
once and made his first profes
sional shot a certainty by firing a
two-handed slam through the
hoop.
“That was a pretty good
dunk,” he laughed after the
game. “It was a good feeling.”
Drexler hit 4-of-5 field goals
and his only free throw despite
having trouble at times Fitting
into the flow of Portland’s pat
terned offense. However, late in
the game he threw a mid-air
move at Denver defenders in a
show of above-the-rim skill.
Driving from the top of the
key, Drexler soared for another
dunk and found his path to the
basket blocked. He twisted
around a defensive wall and fin
ger-rolled a layin off the glass
and into the net.
His evening wasn’t perfect.
He committed two turnovers
and a pair of fouls. Drexler said
he foresees improvement as he
learns his role with the Blazers.
“I don’t think I played as well
as they expect me to,” he said. “I
think a practice will do me a
world of good.”
Portland Coach Jack Ramsay
said it will take time for Drexler
to fit into the Blazers’ system.
“I don’t think conditioning is
a problem,” Ramsay said. “I
think he’s in good physical con
dition. But it will take him time
to get into the flow of our
system.”
Despite playing just three
years of college ball, Drexler was
the first Houston player to score
1,000 points, snag 900 rebounds
and earn 300 assists in a career.
He passed up his senior season
to turn pro.
The rap on Drexler by NBA
scouts is he allegedly has no out
side shot. Blazers General Man
ager Stu Inman said he envi
sions Drexler making the sprin
ger part of his repertoire.
“Maybe Clyde’s biggest ad
justment will be learning to be
free and confident in taking the
15-foot jump shot,” Inman said.
“But he should make that ad
justment within a couple of
months.
“He has the potential to be a
very good all-around player. It’s
a matter of how quickly he assi
milates principles of the Blazer
system as to how productive he
will be initially.”
Cowboys say loss to LA
will be tough to forget
United Press International
DALLAS — Still owning a
one-game division lead and hav
ing played an emotional but un
successful game against the Los
Angeles Raiders, the Dallas
Cowboys now must try to put
their first loss of the season
somewhere in the back of their
memory bank and gel on with
the second half of the season.
Some of the Cowboys admit it
will not be easy.
“This loss is not going to hurt
us momentum-wise,” said Dallas
quarterback Danny White.
“Hopefully."
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L I'D MORTAR BOARD, INC.
The Cowboys fell x to the Raid
ers Sunday night, 40-38, in just
another of the frantic, free-
scoring games the National
Football League has offered this
year.
“The key was whoever was
going to be able to score last and
they did,” said W'hile. “But we
are 7-1 and in good position. We
can’t let this tie a psychological
thing or have a defeatist alti
tude. We played a great team.
There are a lot of positive things
from this that we can go on to
improve on.”
Dallas’ first loss of the year
comes just as the Cowboys
embark on a three-game road
trip which will lake the team to
New York (for the Giants), Phi
ladelphia and San Diego.
“We’re just halfway through
the season,” said Cowboys coach
Tom Landry. “We’ve got eight
more games to go and we’ve just
got to pick it up ami go with it
next week. You can’t worry ab
out this one. It is over.
"Every game now is tough.
You’ve just got to step up there
and play the game.”
Some of the players (4 „
loss would simply add"®
team’s incentive level.
“It just motivates us loiM
the ball and hopeli
another shot at the Raiit
said receiver Butcl
who caught his first loudijI|
pass of the year in thtt
“We’re still the beslintlitS
We were just tryingtobeW
didn’t have asmuchpresst
us as they (the Raiders)!
“We’re a proudIbotWc |
added defensive end!
Martin. "Sometimes a la
this does real good thinj
football team."
The Dallas defenses
dri ed the most firstdo»u| |
given up by theCowbijfl
1 Ins came a week afters',
las of f ense equaled the
i ord of 32 first downsu
Philadelphia.
The 219 rushing yanl!|
the most given uphythtf
Ihivs this year and LosAt|
qu.u tei back Marc Wilson®
more passes (49) than as
has ever thrown at Dallaskd
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