# 1972–73 Portland Trail Blazers season

The 1972–73 Portland Trail Blazers season was the third season of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After finishing the previous season at 18–64, the Blazers earned the first overall selection in the 1972 NBA draft. Bob McAdoo was the consensus number one pick but the two sides could not agree on a contract prior to the draft. Rather than risking losing McAdoo to the American Basketball Association (ABA) and getting nothing for the number one pick, the Blazers opted to select LaRue Martin. LaRue would average seven points per game over a four-season NBA career. The Blazers finished at 21–61, a marginal three-game improvement from the previous season.

## Draft picks

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 | LaRue Martin | C | United States | Loyola (Illinois) |
| 2 | 14 | Bob Davis | F | United States | Weber State |
| 2 | 26 | Dave Twardzik | G | United States | Old Dominion |
| 2 | 30 | Ollie Johnson | F | United States | Temple |
| 3 | 31 | Lloyd Neal | F/C | United States | Tennessee State |

## Regular season
### Season standings

| Pacific Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
| y-Los Angeles Lakers | 60 | 22 | .732 | – | 30–11 | 28–11 | 2–0 | 22–4 |
| x-Golden State Warriors | 47 | 35 | .573 | 13 | 27–14 | 18–20 | 2–1 | 14–12 |
| Phoenix Suns | 38 | 44 | .463 | 22 | 22–19 | 15–25 | 1–0 | 14–12 |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 26 | 56 | .317 | 34 | 16–25 | 10–29 | 0–2 | 9–17 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 21 | 61 | .256 | 39 | 13–28 | 8–32 | 0–1 | 6–20 |
| # | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT |
| 1 | z-Milwaukee Bucks | 60 | 22 | .732 |
| 2 | y-Los Angeles Lakers | 60 | 22 | .732 |
| 3 | x-Chicago Bulls | 51 | 31 | .622 |
| 4 | x-Golden State Warriors | 47 | 35 | .573 |
| 5 | Detroit Pistons | 40 | 42 | .488 |
| 6 | Phoenix Suns | 38 | 44 | .463 |
| 7 | Kansas City–Omaha Kings | 36 | 46 | .439 |
| 8 | Seattle SuperSonics | 26 | 56 | .317 |
| 9 | Portland Trail Blazers | 21 | 61 | .256 |
    z – clinched division title
    y – clinched division title
    x – clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1972–73 NBA Records :
| Team | ATL | BAL | BOS | BUF | CHI | CLE | DET | GSW | HOU | KCO | LAL | MIL | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SEA |
| Atlanta | – | 3–4 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 3–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 4–4 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 |
| Baltimore | 4–3 | – | 1–5 | 5–1 | 0–4 | 8–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 5–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 4–0 |
| Boston | 5–1 | 5–1 | – | 7–0 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 4–4 | 7–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 |
| Buffalo | 1–5 | 1–5 | 0–7 | – | 2–2 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–6 | 7–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 |
| Chicago | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | – | 3–1 | 3–4 | 3–3 | 4–0 | 5–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 5–1 |
| Cleveland | 4–3 | 0–8 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 1–3 | – | 1–3 | 1–3 | 4–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–6 | 6–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 |
| Detroit | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 4–3 | 3–1 | – | 2–4 | 1–3 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 2–5 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 2–4 |
| Golden State | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 4–2 | – | 3–1 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 1–5 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 4–3 |
| Houston | 4–4 | 2–5 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 0–4 | 3–4 | 3–1 | 1–3 | – | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 |
| Kansas City-Omaha | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–5 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–0 | – | 1–5 | 1–6 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 |
| Los Angeles | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 4–0 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 4–3 | 3–1 | 5–1 | – | 3–3 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 6–1 | 6–0 | 6–0 |
| Milwaukee | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 5–2 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 6–1 | 3–3 | – | 2–2 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 |
| New York | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–4 | 6–1 | 1–3 | 6–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | – | 6–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 |
| Philadelphia | 0–6 | 1–5 | 0–7 | 1–7 | 0–4 | 0–6 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–6 | – | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
| Phoenix | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–4 | 3–1 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 1–6 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 4–0 | – | 5–2 | 4–2 |
| Portland | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–5 | 3–1 | 0–6 | 1–5 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–5 | – | 3–4 |
| Seattle | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 1–5 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–4 | 4–3 | — |

### Game log
## Player statistics

| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |

## Awards and honors

* Sidney Wicks, NBA All-Star
* Lloyd Neal, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team

## Transactions

* July 31, 1972 – Traded a second round pick in the 1973 NBA draft to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for forward Fred Foster, who was traded again that day by the Trail Blazers to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for guard-forward Terry Dischinger.
* September 11, 1972 – Waived forwards Ron Knight and Jim Marsh and received a second round pick in the 1974 NBA Draft from the Philadelphia 76ers as compensation for signing veteran free agent forward Gary Gregor.
* September 19, 1972 – Waived guard Charlie Yelverton
* October 2, 1972 – Traded center Dale Schlueter to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for guard Dave Wohl.
* October 10, 1972 – Claimed forward Bill Turner off waivers from the Golden State Warriors.
* October 24, 1972 – Traded a third round pick in the 1974 NBA draft to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for guard Charlie Davis.
* October 27, 1972 – Traded guard-forward Stan McKenzie (basketball) to the Houston Rockets in exchange for guard-forward Greg Smith
* November 13, 1972 – Waived forward Bill Turner
* December 6, 1972 – Waived guard Dave Wohl, who was claimed by the Buffalo Braves
* April 24, 1973 – Traded a first round and third round pick in the 1973 NBA Draft to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for forward John Johnson and forward-center Rick Roberson and a first-round pick in the 1973 NBA Draft.
* June 21, 1973 – Guard-forward Terry Dischinger retired
* June 27, 1973 – Signed free agent guard Bernie Fryer