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Portland Trail Blazers: 25 Best Players To Play For The Trail Blazers

By Phil Watson

Oct 29, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; A general view during a game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; A general view during a game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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PISCATAWAY, NJ - CIRCA 1975: Dave Twardzik #13 of the Portland Trailblazers shoots against the New Jersey Nets during a game played circa 1975 at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1975 NBAE (Photo by Ron Koch/NBAE via Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ – CIRCA 1975: Dave Twardzik #13 of the Portland Trail Blazers shoots against the New Jersey Nets during a game played circa 1975 at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey. Copyright 1975 NBAE (Photo by Ron Koch/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Dave Twardzik had been a shooting star at Old Dominion, averaging 23.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game as a senior, but his slight 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame drove his draft stock down.

The Portland Trail Blazers selected Twardzik in the second round, 26th overall, in the 1972 NBA Draft, but Twardzik decided to stay where he was, signing with the ABA’s Virginia Squires in July 1972.

POR_25_TWARDZIK
POR_25_TWARDZIK /

Instead, the Blazers played the long game, finally signing Twardzik in June 1976, less than a month after the Squires folded.

His impact with Portland was immediate. Twardzik came in and shot better than 61 percent for the Blazers in 1976-77, though he lacked enough attempts to qualify for the league lead, and his driving and fearless play helped set a tone for the team as it rolled to its first NBA title.

In the six-game win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Twardzik averaged 6.7 points and 1.0 steals in 16.2 minutes per game, shooting 46.4 percent from the floor and 63.6 percent at the line.

Twardzik’s style of play–diving for loose balls and hitting the floor so often he was nicknamed “Pinball”–took a toll and he began to miss more time with back problems, finally sitting out the 1980-81 season before retiring in October 1981.

In four seasons in Portland, Twardzik averaged 9.5 points, 3.4 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 24.7 minutes per game, shooting .552/4-for-7/.823.

He was an ABA All-Star with Virginia in 1975, finishing fourth in the league in field goal percentage in 1974-75.

In retirement, Twardzik was an assistant coach for five seasons altogether for the Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit Pistons and served three stints as a general manager.

He was the boss for the Charlotte Hornets from July 1991 through May 1995, when he was hired by the Golden State Warriors for the same position, which he held until June 1997. He shared GM duties with Otis Smith with the Orlando Magic from March 2005 through May 2006.

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