1995–96 Portland Trail Blazers season
The 1995–96 NBA season was the 26th season for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association. After spending their first 25 years at the Memorial Coliseum, the Blazers began playing at the new Rose Garden Arena this season. The team received the eighth pick in the 1995 NBA draft from the Detroit Pistons, and selected Shawn Respert out of Michigan State, but soon traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks for top draft pick Gary Trent. Rookie center Arvydas Sabonis from Lithuania, who was drafted 24th overall by the Blazers in the 1986 NBA  draft, would finally make his debut in the NBA. The Blazers struggled through most of the season playing below .500, posting a 26–34 record as of March 5. However, they would win 18 of their final 22 games to finish the season with a 44–38 record. Fourth in the Pacific Division and sixth in the Western Conference, making their 14th straight trip to the postseason and 19th in 20 years. Clifford Robinson averaged 21.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while Rod Strickland averaged 18.7 points, 9.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and Sabonis provided the team with 14.5  points and 8.1 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In addition, second-year guard Aaron McKie contributed 10.7 points per game, while Harvey Grant provided with 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, James Robinson contributed 8.5 points per game off the bench, Buck Williams averaged 7.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game also off the bench, and Chris Dudley led the team with 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Sabonis also finished in second place in both Rookie of the Year, and Sixth Man of the Year voting. In the playoffs , the Blazers were knocked out in the Western Conference First Round again losing to the Utah Jazz in five games, suffering a 38-point margin in a 102–64 road loss in Game 5. Following the season, Strickland, who demanded to be traded during the season, was traded along with Grant to the Washington Bullets, whom Grant used to play for, while Williams signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks, and Robinson was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Player statistics. NOTE: Please write the players statistics in alphabetical order by last name. 1995–96 Portland Trail Blazers season The