1993–94 Portland Trail Blazers season

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

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{NBA season

| team = Portland Trail Blazers

| end_year = 1994

| wins = 47

| losses = 35

| division = Pacific

| division_place = 4

| conf_place = 7

| coach = Rick Adelman

| arena = Memorial Coliseum

| television = KOIN
Prime Sports Northwest

| radio = KEX

| playoffs = First round
(lost to Rockets 1–3)

| bbr_team = POR

}}

The 1993–94 Portland Trail Blazers season was the 24th season for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association.[https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/1994.html 1993–94 Portland Trail Blazers] In the off-season, the Blazers acquired Harvey Grant from the Washington Bullets,{{cite news | last = Aldridge | first = David | title = Bullets Trade Grant to Get Duckworth | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = June 25, 1993 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1993/06/25/bullets-trade-grant-to-get-duckworth/87d6e66f-c63d-4693-8dd7-594fddade5a0/ | access-date = July 31, 2021}}{{cite news | agency = Staff and Wire Reports | title = Bullets Trade Grant, Acquire Duckworth | work = Los Angeles Times | date = June 25, 1993 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-25-sp-6901-story.html?_amp=true | access-date = July 23, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Goldstein | first = Alan | title = Bullets Fill Hole in Middle by Dealing for Duckworth; Forward Grant Sent to Blazers in Trade | work = The Baltimore Sun | date = June 25, 1993 | url = https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-06-25-1993176153-story.html | access-date = December 4, 2022}} and signed free agent Chris Dudley.{{cite news | title = BASKETBALL; Dudley's Blazer Contract Gets Final Approval | work = The New York Times | date = October 28, 1993 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/28/sports/basketball-dudley-s-blazer-contract-gets-final-approval.html | access-date = December 31, 2021}}{{cite news | last = | first = | title = Dudley Signs with Trail Blazers | work = Los Angeles Times | date = August 4, 1993 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-08-04-sp-20121-story.html | access-date = September 26, 2022}} However, an ankle injury limited Dudley only to just six games.{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = PRO BASKETBALL; Blazers' Dudley Fractures Ankle | work = The New York Times | date = November 10, 1993 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/10/sports/pro-basketball-blazers-dudley-fractures-ankle.html | access-date = January 15, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Howard-Cooper | first = Scott | title = Trail Blazers Lose Dudley: Lakers: Portland Beats L.A., 109-102, But Its High-Priced Center Suffers a Broken Left Ankle During the First Quarter | work = Los Angeles Times | date = November 10, 1993 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-11-10-sp-55209-story.html | access-date = September 26, 2022}} The Blazers held a 27–20 record at the All-Star break,{{cite news | title = NBA Games Played on February 10, 1994 | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/?month=2&day=10&year=1994 | access-date = January 8, 2023}} and finished the season with a 47–35 record, fourth in the Pacific Division and seventh in the Western Conference.{{cite web|title=1993–94 Portland Trail Blazers Schedule and Results|publisher=Basketball-Reference|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/1994_games.html|access-date=June 23, 2021}} It was their 12th straight trip to the postseason.{{cite news | title = Portland Trail Blazers | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/ | access-date = January 19, 2022}}

Last season's Sixth Man of the Year Clifford Robinson averaged 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game in his first season as a starter, while Clyde Drexler averaged 19.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and Rod Strickland provided the team with 17.2 points, 9.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game. In addition, Terry Porter played most of the season off the bench as backup point guard behind Strickland, averaging 13.1 points and 5.2 assists per game, while Grant contributed 10.4 points per game, and Buck Williams provided with 9.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.{{cite web|title=1993–94 Portland Trail Blazers Roster and Stats|publisher=Basketball-Reference|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/1994.html|access-date=June 23, 2021}} Drexler and Robinson were both selected for the 1994 NBA All-Star Game.{{cite news | last = Smith | first = Sam | title = Armstrong a Surprising All-Star Starter as Fans Ignore Big Names | work = Chicago Tribune | date = January 18, 1994 | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-01-28-9401280175-story.html | access-date = May 19, 2023}}{{cite news | last = | first = | title = All-Stars Are Short on Magic | work = Orlando Sentinel | date = February 2, 1994 | url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1994/02/02/all-stars-are-short-on-magic/ | access-date = May 19, 2023}}{{cite news | last = Taylor | first = Phil | title = The NBA | work = Sports Illustrated Vault | date = February 14, 1994 | url = https://vault.si.com/vault/1994/02/14/the-nba | access-date = January 8, 2023}}{{cite news | agency = NBA.com Staff | title = 1994 NBA All-Star Recap | work = NBA.com | date = September 13, 2021 | url = https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-star-recap-1994 | access-date = May 19, 2023}}{{cite web | title = 1994 NBA All-Star Game: East 127, West 118 | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/allstar/NBA_1994.html | access-date = November 26, 2021}}

The Blazers were knocked out of the playoffs in the Western Conference First Round by a 3–1 margin against the Houston Rockets.{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = PRO BASKETBALL; Rockets Oust Trail Blazers | work = The New York Times | date = May 7, 1994 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/07/sports/pro-basketball-rockets-oust-trail-blazers.html | access-date = July 15, 2021}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = NBA PLAYOFFS: Tune-Up Over, Knicks Ready for Bulls | work = Los Angeles Times | date = May 7, 1994 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-07-sp-54780-story.html | access-date = December 4, 2022}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Ewing Puts Nets Away; Bulls Next | work = Deseret News | date = May 7, 1994 | url = https://www.deseret.com/1994/5/7/19107481/ewing-puts-nets-away-bulls-next | access-date = December 4, 2022}}{{cite news | title = 1994 NBA Western Conference First Round: Trail Blazers vs. Rockets | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1994-nba-western-conference-first-round-trail-blazers-vs-rockets.html | access-date = February 9, 2023}} The Rockets would go on to defeat the New York Knicks in seven games in the NBA Finals, winning their first ever championship.{{cite news | last = Brown | first = Clifton | title = N.B.A. FINALS; Rockets Hit the Heights as Champions | work = The New York Times | date = June 23, 1994 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/23/sports/nba-finals-rockets-hit-the-heights-as-champions.html | access-date = September 26, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Howard-Cooper | first = Scott | title = Rockets Follow Their Leader to First NBA Championship: Pro Basketball: Olajuwon Shows the Way, Leading Houston to 90-84 Victory over Knicks in Game 7 | work = Los Angeles Times | date = June 23, 1994 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-23-sp-7519-story.html | access-date = September 26, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Cotton | first = Anthony | title = Rockets Silence Knicks in Game 7, 90-84 | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = June 23, 1994 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1994/06/23/rockets-silence-knicks-in-game-7-90-84/ef094e6d-4a7d-4999-88b1-1a5a21f014c9/ | access-date = September 26, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Schabner | first = Dean | title = Rockets 90, Knicks 84 | work = United Press International | date = June 23, 1994 | url = https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/06/23/Rockets-90-Knicks-84/2646772344000/ | access-date = December 21, 2022}}{{cite news | title = 1994 NBA Finals: Knicks vs. Rockets | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1994-nba-finals-knicks-vs-rockets.html | access-date = February 9, 2023}}

Game 4 of the Rockets-Blazers series would be the last playoff game Drexler would play as a member of the Trail Blazers, the team that drafted him. This was also his final full season with the Blazers, as he would be traded to the Rockets on February 14, 1995 (right before the next season's trade deadline), honoring his wish to be traded to a contender.{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = PRO BASKETBALL; Drexler Traded for Otis Thorpe | work = The New York Times | date = February 15, 1995 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/15/sports/pro-basketball-drexler-traded-for-otis-thorpe.html | access-date = June 23, 2021}}{{cite news | last = Heisler | first = Mark | title = Portland Trades Drexler to Rockets: Pro Basketball: Trail Blazers Escape $9.75-Million Balloon Payment Due Next Season, Get Thorpe and a No. 1 Pick | work = Los Angeles Times | date = February 15, 1995 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-02-15-sp-32215-story.html | access-date = May 26, 2022}}{{cite news | title = Roundup | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = February 15, 1995 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1995/02/15/roundup/8f0dee15-b73e-4eba-9bb4-4eb6bb5f6b1b/ | access-date = July 1, 2022}}{{cite news | agency = Wire Reports | title = Drexler to Rockets; Blazers Deal Disgruntled Star, Murray for Thorpe, Pick | work = The Spokesman-Review | date = February 15, 1995 | url = https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/feb/15/drexler-to-rockets-blazers-deal-disgruntled-star/ | access-date = December 13, 2022}}{{cite news | title = Rockets Deal for Drexler | work = Tampa Bay Times | date = February 15, 1995 | url = https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1995/02/15/rockets-deal-for-drexler/ | access-date = June 21, 2023}} Following the season, head coach Rick Adelman was fired.{{cite news | last = | first = | title = Trail Blazers Fire Adelman | work = United Press International | date = May 19, 1994 | url = https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/05/19/Trail-Blazers-fire-Adelman/9562769320000/ | access-date = December 21, 2022}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Trail Blazers Fire Adelman After Early Exit from Playoffs | work = Los Angeles Times | date = May 20, 1994 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-20-sp-59948-story.html | access-date = November 10, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Freeman | first = Mike | title = PRO BASKETBALL; Trail Blazers Casting Covetous Clances at Daly | work = The New York Times | date = May 21, 1994 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/21/sports/pro-basketball-trail-blazers-casting-covetous-clances-at-daly.html | access-date = January 6, 2022}}