1974–75 Portland Trail Blazers season

1974–75 Portland Trail Blazers season
1974–75 Portland Trail Blazers season
Head coach	Lenny Wilkens
General manager	Harry Glickman
Owners	Herman Sarkowsky; Larry Weinberg;
Arena	Memorial Coliseum
Results
Record	38–44 (.463)
Place	Division: 3rd (Pacific); Conference: 6th (Western)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
	Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	KOIN
Radio	KOIN
< 1973–74	1975–76 >

The 1974–75 Portland Trail Blazers season was the fifth season of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After a 27–55 record the previous season, the Blazers earned the #1 pick in the 1974 NBA draft, and made perhaps the most important selection in franchise history: Hall of Famer Bill Walton out of UCLA.

In three years of varsity competition, Walton led UCLA to two NCAA championships and 88 consecutive wins, smashing the 60-game streak set by Bill Russell's teams at the University of San Francisco. Walton also set UCLA's career assists record, which left observers declaring him the best passing center in the history of the game.^[1] ^[2]

Injuries would limit Walton to just 35 games in his rookie year, but nevertheless the Blazers challenged for a playoff spot for the first time in franchise history. The Blazers fell just two games short with a 38–44 record.^[2]

Offseason

NBA draft

Note: This is not a complete list; only the first two rounds are covered, as well as any other picks by the franchise who played at least one NBA game.

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	1	Bill Walton	C	United States	UCLA
2	20	Jan van Breda Kolff	G/F	United States	Vanderbilt
2	34	Phil Lumpkin	G	United States	Miami (OH)
2	36	Rubin Collins	G	United States	Maryland-Eastern Shore
4	56	Mickey Johnson	F	United States	Aurora
6	92	Daniel Anderson	G	United States	USC

Roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Height	Weight	DOB	From
G	33	Anderson, Dan	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	1951-01-01	USC
F	40	Clemens, Barry	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	1943-05-01	Ohio Wesleyan
SF	27	Johnson, John	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	1947-10-18	Iowa
PG	10	Lumpkin, Phil	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	1951-12-20	Miami (OH)
C	25	Martin, LaRue	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	208 lb (94 kg)	1950-03-30	Loyola Chicago
PF	36	Neal, Lloyd	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	1950-10-10	Tennessee State
SG	45	Petrie, Geoff	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	1949-05-05	Princeton
SF	4	Smith, Greg	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	1947-01-28	Western Kentucky
F	15	Steele, Larry	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	1949-05-05	Kentucky
C	32	Walton, Bill	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	1952-11-05	UCLA
PF	21	Wicks, Sidney	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	1949-09-19	UCLA
PG	19	Wilkens, Lenny	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	1937-10-28	Providence

Head coach

Lenny Wilkens

Legend

(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
Injured

Regular season

Season Standings

Pacific Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Golden State Warriors	48	34	.585	–	31–10	17–24	19–11
x-Seattle SuperSonics	43	39	.524	5	24–16	19–23	18–12
Portland Trail Blazers	38	44	.463	10	29–13	9–31	16–14
Phoenix Suns	32	50	.390	16	22–19	10–31	12–18
Los Angeles Lakers	30	52	.366	18	21–20	9–32	10–20

#	Western Conference v t e
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Golden State Warriors	48	34	.585	–
2	y-Chicago Bulls	47	35	.573	1
3	x-Kansas City–Omaha Kings	44	38	.537	4
4	x-Seattle SuperSonics	43	39	.524	5
5	x-Detroit Pistons	40	42	.488	8

6	Portland Trail Blazers	38	44	.463	10
6	Milwaukee Bucks	38	44	.463	10
8	Phoenix Suns	32	50	.390	16
9	Los Angeles Lakers	30	52	.366	18

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1974–75 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	BUF	CHI	CLE	DET	GSW	HOU	KCO	LAL	MIL	NOJ	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SEA	WAS
Atlanta	–	0–4	1–3	0–4	3–4	2–2	1–3	2–5	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–5	0–4	2–2	4–0	1–3	3–1	3–5
Boston	4–0	–	5–4	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	4–0	2–2	4–0	4–0	4–0	7–2	5–3	3–1	4–0	2–2	2–2
Buffalo	3–1	4–5	–	1–3	3–1	2–2	3–1	2–2	1–3	4–0	1–3	4–0	5–3	6–3	3–1	2–2	3–1	2–2
Chicago	4–0	1–3	3–1	–	2–2	4–5	3–1	2–2	4–5	3–1	3–5	4–0	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	4–0	1–3
Cleveland	4–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	–	2–2	2–2	4–4	2–2	2–2	1–3	6–1	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–5
Detroit	2–2	1–3	2–2	5–4	2–2	–	1–3	2–2	2–6	3–1	3–6	4–0	2–2	3–1	2–2	3–1	2–2	1–3
Golden State	3–1	3–1	1–3	1–3	2–2	3–1	–	2–2	2–2	5–2	3–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	5–3	5–3	4–3	1–3
Houston	5–2	0–4	2–2	2–2	4–4	2–2	2–2	–	4–0	2–2	3–1	5–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–5
Kansas City-Omaha	2–2	2–2	3–1	5–4	2–2	6–2	2–2	0–4	–	3–1	6–3	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	1–3	1–3
Los Angeles	2–2	0–4	0–4	1–3	2–2	1–3	2–5	2–2	1–3	–	4–0	3–1	0–4	3–1	4–4	2–5	2–6	1–3
Milwaukee	2–2	0–4	3–1	5–3	3–1	6–3	1–3	1–3	3–6	0–4	–	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	0–4
New Orleans	5–3	0–4	0–4	0–4	1–6	0–4	2–2	3–5	2–2	1–3	1–3	–	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–7
New York	4–0	2–7	3–5	1–3	3–1	2–2	1–3	3–1	2–2	4–0	1–3	2–2	–	4–5	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–3
Philadelphia	2–2	3–5	3–6	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	2–2	5–4	–	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3
Phoenix	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–5	2–2	1–3	4–4	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	–	1–6	4–3	1–3
Portland	3–1	0–4	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–5	2–2	1–3	5–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	6–1	–	2–6	1–3
Seattle	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–4	2–2	2–2	3–4	3–1	3–1	6–2	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–4	6–2	–	1–3
Washington	5–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	5–3	3–1	3–1	5–2	3–1	3–1	4–0	7–0	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	—