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1978–79 Portland Trail Blazers season

{{short description|NBA professional basketball team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{NBA season

| team = Portland Trail Blazers

| end_year = 1979

| wins = 45

| losses = 37

| division = Pacific

| division_place = 4

| conf_place = 6

| coach = Jack Ramsay

| gm = Harry Glickman

| owner = Larry Weinberg

| arena = Memorial Coliseum

| television = KOIN

| radio = KWJJ

| playoffs = First round
(lost to Suns 1–2)

| bbr_team = POR

}}

The 1978–79 Portland Trail Blazers season was the ninth season of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

During the offseason, MVP Bill Walton demanded to be traded, citing unethical and incompetent treatment of his and other players' injuries by the Blazers' front office. He did not get his wish and sat out the 1978–79 season in protest, signing with the San Diego Clippers when he became a free agent in 1979.{{cite book | title=Red Hot and Rollin': A Retrospection of the Portland Trail Blazers' 1976–77 NBA Championship Season| last=Love| first=Matt| year=2007| publisher=Nestucca Spit Press| location=Pacific City, Oregon| isbn=978-0-9744364-8-7 | pages=119}}

Before the draft, Larry Bird had just finished his junior year at Indiana State. However, he was eligible to be drafted without applying for "hardship" because his original college class at the Indiana University had graduated.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/bird_bio.html|title=Larry Bird Bio|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|accessdate=September 27, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100901165029/http://www.nba.com/history/players/bird_bio.html| archive-date= 1 September 2010 | url-status= live}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UZsSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yvYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6476,1347273|title=If Blazers draft Bird, they won't wait year to sign him|date=June 6, 2010|newspaper=The Bulletin|location=Bend, Oregon|accessdate=October 1, 2010}} He initially enrolled at Indiana in 1974 but dropped out before the season began. After sitting out a year, he enrolled at Indiana State.{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/1998/bird/flashbacks/1988flash.html|title=A Player for the Ages|first=Frank|last=Deford|date=March 21, 1988|work=Sports Illustrated|publisher=Time Warner Company|accessdate=October 1, 2010|archive-date=September 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930041901/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/1998/bird/flashbacks/1988flash.html|url-status=dead}} Despite being eligible for the draft, he stated that he would return to college for his senior season. His hometown team, the Indiana Pacers, initially held the first overall pick. However, when they failed to persuade him to leave college early, they traded the first pick to the Blazers, who also failed to convince him into signing; ultimately the Blazers used the first pick on Minnesota standout center Mychal Thompson.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z_ceAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-pcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4896,1533338|title=Thompson picked first|first=Alex|last=Sachare|date=June 11, 1978|newspaper=Daily News|location=Bowling Green, Kentucky|accessdate=October 1, 2010}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KMkmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xo4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1801,1597729|title=Blazers Get No. 1 Pick|date=June 9, 2010|newspaper=Sarasota Journal|location=Sarasota, Florida|publisher=Lindsay Newspapers Inc|accessdate=October 1, 2010}}

As a result, the Blazers fell 13 games from their franchise-best record of the previous year, barely squeezing into the playoffs with a 45–37 record that earned them the sixth and final seed, only two games better than the Clippers.

The Blazers were ousted from the 1979 NBA Playoffs after losing their best-of-three series to the Phoenix Suns, two games to one.

Draft picks

{{main article|1978 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.

class="wikitable sortable sortable"

! style="background:#000000; color:#D1210A" width="10%"| Round

! style="background:#000000; color:#D1210A" width="10%"| Pick

! style="background:#000000; color:#D1210A" width="20%"| Player

! style="background:#000000; color:#D1210A" width="15%"| Position

! style="background:#000000; color:#D1210A" width="20%"| Nationality

! style="background:#000000; color:#D1210A" width="20%"| School/Club Team

1

| 1

| Mychal Thompson

| F/C

| {{BAH}}

| Minnesota

1

| 7

| Ron Brewer

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Arkansas

2

| 24

| Keith Herron

| G/F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Villanova

2

| 44

| Clemon Johnson

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Florida A&M

5

| 110

| Clay Johnson

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Missouri

Roster

{{NBA roster header|team=Portland Trail Blazers

| bg1 = #000000 | color1 = #FFFFFF

| bg2 = #d1210a | color2 = #FFFFFF

}}

{{player2 | num = 10 | first = Ron | last = Brewer | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 4 | lbs = 180 | college = Arkansas}}

{{player2 | num = 30 | first = Bob| last = Gross | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 200 | college = Long Beach State}}

{{player2 | num = 14 | first = Lionel | last = Hollins | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 185 | college = Arizona State}}

{{player2 | num = 20 | first = Maurice | last = Lucas | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 215 | college = Marquette}}

{{player2 | num = 36 | first = Lloyd | last = Neal | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 7 | lbs = 225 | college = Tennessee State}}

{{player2 | num = 25 | first = Tom | last = Owens | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 215 | college = South Carolina}}

{{player2 | num = 15 | first = Larry | last = Steele | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 180 | college = Kentucky}}

{{player2 | num = 43 | first = Mychal | last = Thompson | pos = C/F | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 226 | college = Minnesota}}

{{player2 | num = 13 | first = Dave | last = Twardzik | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 1 | lbs = 175 | college = Old Dominion}}

{{NBA roster footer

| head_coach =

| asst_coach =

}}

Regular season

File:Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland).jpg.]]

=Season standings=

{{1978–79 NBA Pacific standings|team=POR}}

{{1978–79 NBA West standings|team=POR}}

:z – clinched division title

:y – clinched division title

:x – clinched playoff spot

=Record vs. opponents=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;"
colspan=23|1978–79 NBA records
width=100|Team

!style="background:#FF0000;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"|ATL

!style="background:#006400;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"|BOS

!style="background:#FF0000;color:#000000;width=35"|CHI

!style="background:#FFD700;color:#8B0000;width=35"|CLE

!style="background:#0000CD;color:#FFD700;width=35"|DEN

!style="background:#0000FF;color:#FF0000;width=35"|DET

!style="background:#0000FF;color:#FFD700;width=35"|GSW

!style="background:#FF0000;color:#FFD700;width=35"|HOU

!style="background:#000080;color:#FFD700;width=35"|IND

!style="background:#0000FF;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"|KCK

!style="background:#800080;color:#FFD700;width=35"|LAL

!style="background:#006400;color:#B22222;width=35"|MIL

!style="background:#B0170C;color:#00056D;width=35"|NJN

!style="background:#36004A;color:#FFFF00;width=35"|NOJ

!style="background:#0000FF;color:#FF8C00;width=35"|NYK

!style="background:#FF0000;color:#0000FF;width=35"|PHI

!style="background:#800080;color:#FF4500;width=35"|PHO

!style="background:#000000;color:#FF0000;width=35"|POR

!style="background:#000000;color:#C0C0C0;width=35"|SAS

!style="background:#87CEEB;color:#FF8C00;width=35"|SDC

!style="background:#005831;color:#FFC322;width=35"|SEA

!style="background:#DC143C;color:#0000CD;width=35"|WAS

style="text-align:left;" | Atlanta–2–23–13–13–13–11–33–11–32–21–33–02–22–22–22–22–12–23–13–11–32–2
style="text-align:left;" | Boston2–2–1–22–21–32–22–11–33–11–31–31–31–32–23–12–20–41–30–41–32–20–4
style="text-align:left;" | Chicago1–32–1–1–32–22–23–12–22–20–41–31–32–22–23–11–31–34–00–30–40–41–3
style="text-align:left;" | Cleveland1–32–23–1–1–21–32–12–21–31–32–21–33–12–22–22–20–40–40–42–22–20–4
style="text-align:left;" | Denver1–33–12–22–1–2–24–01–33–11–33–12–24–03–13–10–33–11–33–12–23–11–3
style="text-align:left;" | Detroit1–32–22–23–12–2–1–32–22–22–22–22–10–42–21–31–30–41–31–32–20–31–3
style="text-align:left;" | Golden State3–11–21–31–20–43–1–2–22–22–21–32–21–33–13–13–11–32–21–31–33–12–2
style="text-align:left;" | Houston1–33–12–22–23–12–22–2–0–43–12–12–23–14–04–00–42–23–13–12–12–22–2
style="text-align:left;" | Indiana3–11–32–23–11–32–22–24–0–1–30–42–21–22–12–22–22–23–13–11–30–41–3
style="text-align:left;" | Kansas City2–23–14–03–13–12–22–21–33–1–2–22–23–13–12–12–22–21–31–32–22–23–0
style="text-align:left;" | Los Angeles3–13–13–12–21–32–23–11–24–02–2–3–12–22–23–01–32–22–22–22–22–22–2
style="text-align:left;" | Milwaukee0–33–13–13–12–21–22–22–22–22–21–3–2–23–11–32–22–22–21–31–32–21–3
style="text-align:left;" | New Jersey2–23–12–21–30–44–03–11–32–11–32–22–2–3–11–32–23–02–20–42–20–41–3
style="text-align:left;" | New Orleans2–22–22–22–21–32–21–30–41–21–32–21–31–3–2–22–21–31–32–20–40–30–4
style="text-align:left;" | New York2–21–31–32–21–33–11–30–42–21–20–33–13–12–2–2–20–41–31–32–22–21–3
style="text-align:left;" | Philadelphia2–22–23–12–23–03–11–34–02–22–23–12–22–22–22–2–1–31–23–13–11–33–1
style="text-align:left;" | Phoenix1–24–03–14–01–34–03–12–22–22–22–22–20–33–14–03–1–3–13–12–21–31–3
style="text-align:left;" | Portland2–23–10–44–03–13–12–21–31–33–12–22–22–23–13–12–11–3–2–12–21–33–1
style="text-align:left;" | San Antonio1–34–03–04–01–33–13–11–31–33–12–23–14–02–23–11–31–31–2–4–02–21–3
style="text-align:left;" | San Diego1–33–14–02–22–22–23–11–23–12–22–23–12–24–02–21–32–22–20–4–2–20–3
style="text-align:left;" | Seattle3–12–24–02–21–33–01–32–24–02–22–22–24–03–02–23–13–13–12–22–2–2–2
style="text-align:left;" | Washington2–24–03–14–03–13–12–22–23–10–32–23–13–14–03–11–33–11–33–13–02–2—

=Game log=

Playoffs

{{NBA game log start|Portland Trail Blazers|end_year=1979|playoffs=yes|bgcolor=#000000|color=#FF0000}}

{{NBA game log section|Portland Trail Blazers|First round|show=no|first=yes|playoffs=yes|bgcolor=#FF0000|color=#000000

| home_wins = 1

| home_losses = 0

| road_wins = 0

| road_losses = 2

}}

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"

| 1

| April 2

| @ Phoenix

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197904100PHO.html L 103–107]

| Ron Brewer (26)

| Thompson, Lucas (10)

| Lucas, Brewer (5)

| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
12,660

| 0–1

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"

| 2

| April 4

| Phoenix

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197904130POR.html W 96–92]

| Ron Brewer (21)

| Mychal Thompson (17)

| Maurice Lucas (4)

| Memorial Coliseum
12,666

| 1–1

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"

| 3

| April 6

| @ Phoenix

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197904150PHO.html L 91–101]

| three players tied (16)

| Maurice Lucas (16)

| Maurice Lucas (9)

| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
12,660

| 1–2

|-

{{NBA game log end|bbr_team=POR|end_year=1979|playoffs=yes}}

Awards and honors

References

{{reflist}}

{{1978–79 NBA season by team}}

{{Portland Trail Blazers seasons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1978-79 Portland Trail Blazers season}}

Category:Portland Trail Blazers seasons

Portland

Portland Trail Blazers 1978

Portland Trail Blazers 1978

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers