# 1970–71 Portland Trail Blazers season

The 1970–71 Portland Trail Blazers season was the inaugural season of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In their first regular season game on October 16, 1970, they beat the fellow expansion Cleveland Cavaliers 115–112, with 4,273 people in attendance.
The Trail Blazers played a regular season home game at McArthur Court in Eugene, Oregon on February 19, 1971, against the Cincinnati Royals. Portland was defeated by Cincinnati, 102–109.
Portland finished last in the Pacific Division with a record of 29–53 (.354). Of the three expansion teams, their record was the best; with seven more wins than the Buffalo Braves and fourteen more than the Cavaliers. The leading scorer for the Blazers was Geoff Petrie; he averaged 24.8 points per game and shared Rookie of the Year honors with Boston Celtics star Dave Cowens.

## Offseason
### NBA draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 8 | Geoff Petrie | SG | United States | Princeton |
| 2 | 25 | Walt Gilmore | PF | United States | Fort Valley State |
| 3 | 42 | Bill Cain | F | | Iowa State |
| 4 | 59 | Jim Penix | F | United States | Bowling Green |
| 5 | 76 | Ron Knight | PF | United States | Cal State LA |
| 6 | 93 | George Janky | C | United States | Dayton |
| 7 | 110 | Claude English | F | United States | Rhode Island |
| 8 | 127 | Doug Boyd | F/C | United States | TCU |
| 9 | 144 | Billy Gaskins | G | United States | Oregon |
| 10 | 161 | Israel Oliver | F | United States | Elizabeth City State |
| 11 | 176 | Don McClemore | F | United States | Bowling Green |
| 12 | 188 | Paul Adams | F | United States | Central Washington |
| 13 | 199 | Alex Boyd | F | United States | Nevada-Reno |
| 14 | 208 | Frank Loteridge | | | Texas–Pan American |
| 15 | 218 | John Canady | | | Miami (FL) |
| 16 | 226 | Doug Williams | | | St. Mary's (TX) |
| 18 | 235 | Bruce Butchko | F | United States | Southern Illinois |
| 19 | 239 | Mark Gabriel | | | Hanover |
    Source:

### Expansion draft

| Player | Position | Team |
| Rick Adelman | PG | San Diego Rockets |
| Jerry Chambers | SF | Phoenix Suns |
| LeRoy Ellis | C | Baltimore Bullets |
| Fred Hetzel | SF | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Joe Kennedy | SF | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Ed Manning | SF/PF | Chicago Bulls |
| Stan McKenzie | SF | Phoenix Suns |
| Dorie Murrey | PF | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Pat Riley | SG | San Diego Rockets |
| Dale Schlueter | C | San Francisco Warriors |
| Larry Siegfried | PG | Boston Celtics |
    Source:

## Roster

    Source:

## Pre-season

The Trail Blazers convened their preseason camp on September 14, 1970. Sixteen players reported to camp, which was held in the gymnasium at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Pat Riley was unable to attend the camp due to the death in his father. Players reported to drills at 10 am and 4 pm. The first players to be cut from camp were third round draft pick Bill Cain and Tim Robinson, who had played for the Harlem Globetrotters from 1961 to 1965.

## Regular season
### Season standings

| Pacific Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
| y-Los Angeles Lakers | 48 | 34 | .585 | – | 30–11 | 17–22 | 1–1 | 15–7 |
| x-San Francisco Warriors | 41 | 41 | .500 | 7 | 20–18 | 19–21 | 2–2 | 12–10 |
| San Diego Rockets | 40 | 42 | .488 | 8 | 24–15 | 15–26 | 1–1 | 14–8 |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 38 | 44 | .463 | 10 | 27–13 | 11–30 | 0–1 | 10–14 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 29 | 53 | .354 | 19 | 18–21 | 9–26 | 2–6 | 3–15 |
| # | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT |
| 1 | z-Milwaukee Bucks | 66 | 16 | .805 |
| 2 | y-Los Angeles Lakers | 48 | 34 | .585 |
| 3 | x-Chicago Bulls | 51 | 31 | .622 |
| 4 | x-San Francisco Warriors | 41 | 41 | .500 |
| 5 | Phoenix Suns | 48 | 34 | .585 |
| 6 | Detroit Pistons | 45 | 37 | .549 |
| 7 | San Diego Rockets | 40 | 42 | .488 |
| 8 | Seattle SuperSonics | 38 | 44 | .463 |
| 9 | Portland Trail Blazers | 29 | 53 | .354 |

### Record vs. opponents

1970–71 NBA Records :
| Team | ATL | BAL | BOS | BUF | CHI | CIN | CLE | DET | LAL | MIL | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SDR | SFW | SEA |
| Atlanta | – | 3–3 | 2–4 | 3–1 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 4–0 | 0–5 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 3–2 |
| Baltimore | 3–3 | – | 3–3 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 4–0 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 |
| Boston | 4–2 | 3–3 | – | 4–0 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 0–6 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 |
| Buffalo | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–4 | – | 0–4 | 0–4 | 5–7 | 1–5 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 6–6 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
| Chicago | 4–1 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 4–0 | – | 4–0 | 4–0 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 6–0 | 4–2 | 3–2 |
| Cincinnati | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–0 | 0–4 | – | 5–1 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 1–4 |
| Cleveland | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 7–5 | 0–4 | 1–5 | – | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–10 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 |
| Detroit | 5–0 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 2–2 | – | 2–3 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 1–4 | 3–1 |
| Los Angeles | 2–3 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 3–2 | – | 1–4 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 4–0 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 |
| Milwaukee | 4–1 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 4–0 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 5–1 | 4–1 | – | 1–4 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 6–0 | 5–1 |
| New York | 3–3 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 4–1 | – | 2–4 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 |
| Philadelphia | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–0 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 4–2 | – | 3–2 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 |
| Phoenix | 4–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 2–3 | – | 4–0 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 3–2 |
| Portland | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 6–6 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 10–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | – | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–4 |
| San Diego | 3–2 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 0–6 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 4–0 | – | 2–4 | 5–1 |
| San Francisco | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 4–2 | – | 3–3 |
| Seattle | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | — |

### Game log
#### Footnotes

* $^a$ The game was held at the Oakland Civic Auditorium in Oakland, California.
* $^b$ The game was held at Seattle Center Coliseum in Seattle, Washington.
* $^c$ The game was held at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California.
* $^d$ The game was held at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
* $^e$ The game was held at War Memorial in Rochester, New York.
* $^f$ The game was held at McArthur Court in Eugene, Oregon.
* $^g$ The game was held at Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
* $^e$ The game was held at Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska.

## Transactions

* March 27, 1970: signed first round draft pick Geoff Petrie
* April 1, 1970: signed second round draft pick Walt Gilmore
* April 6, 1970: signed third round draft pick Bill Cain and tenth round draft pick Israel Oliver
* April 21, 1970: hired Rolland Todd as head coach
* April 27, 1970: hired Stu Inman chief scout and director of player personnel
* April 30, 1970: signed eighth round draft pick Doug Boyd
* May 10, 1970: see Expansion Draft, traded Larry Siegfried to the San Diego Clippers in exchange for Jim Barnett.
* June 5, 1970: signed seventh round draft pick Claude English and ninth round draft pick Billy Gaskins
* August 11, 1970: signed expansion draft pick Rick Adelman
* August 19, 1970: signed expansion draft pick Pat Riley
* August 28, 1970: placed Fred Hetzel on waivers (claimed by the Los Angeles Lakers)
* September 3, 1970: signed expansion draft picks Stan McKenzie and Joe Kennedy
* September 11, 1970: re-signed Jim Barnett to a two-year contract valued at $35,000–$40,000 a year
* September 21, 1970: placed Bill Cain and Tim Robinson on waivers
* September 25, 1970: placed Walt Simon on waivers
* September 30, 1970: placed Joe Kennedy on waivers
* October 7, 1970: sold Pat Riley to the Los Angeles Lakers
* October 20, 1970: traded a 1971 NBA draft pick (second round) to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Shaler Halimon
* October 22, 1970: traded Dorie Murrey to the Baltimore Bullets in exchange for a 1971 NBA draft pick (second round) and draft right to Bill Stricker
* October 26, 1970: signed free agent Bill Stricker
* November 16, 1970: waived Bill Stricker
* March 23, 1971: traded Jim Barnett to the San Francisco Warriors in exchange for two 1971 NBA draft picks (second and third rounds) and a 1972 NBA draft pick (second round)
* April 6, 1971: Waived Claude English

## Media

On September 13, 1970, the Trail Blazers announced that KPTV would broadcast 12 road games (all in color) during their inaugural season. Jimmy Jones was Portland's play-by-play announcer on television.

## Awards and honors

* Geoff Petrie, Co-Rookie of the Year