Oregonlive Dave Twardzik Photos

[e_blazer]

For those of us old enough to remember Dave Twardzik's time as a Blazers point guard, this photo piece on Oregonlive is a trip down memory lane. Worth it for the perm afro if nothing else.

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2016/03/dave_twardzik_blazers_throwback_thursday.html#0

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Loved the pic with the little girl.

I really liked Twardzik, but wish he wasn't in the rafters.

 

[42N8Bounce]

Those are great pics. Thanks for sharing.

I got to meet Twardzik a few years back for a season ticket holder event when they brought a lot of the championship team back to Portland. A lot of the players were standoffish to the fans (as could be expected at fan events), but Twardzick was very engaged and actively talking with everyone. He came across as vey personable and honest.

I remember watching him play as a kid. His use of the spin off the backboard had/has no equal.

 

[Natebishop3]

That's a great example of a dude that would never in a million years be in the league right now.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

Loved Photo #4. Classic Twardzik taking the charge. That guy never, ever flopped. He took it the hard way like a man (too bad Harden doesn't read this blog). Of course, his willingness to take the charge definitely shortened his career some. But it helped bring this city a championship. For all the little things Dave did for his team, his jersey most definitely belongs in the rafters.......

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

That's a great example of a dude that would never in a million years be in the league right now.

 

[e_blazer]

As long as we're doing a look back at the championship-era Blazers, here's a clip of a game in 1978 between the Blazers and Pistol Pete Maravich's New Orleans Jazz.

 

[Natebishop3]

I had no idea that Dr. Cox played basketball for the Lakers.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

That's a great example of a dude that would never in a million years be in the league right now.

Looks like he had a decent vert. There a major difference between DT and Matthew Dellevadova?

 

[Natebishop3]

Looks like he had a decent vert. There a major difference between DT and Matthew Dellevadova?

Based on extensive analysis.... I'm going to say the short shorts.

 

[MarAzul]

That's a great example of a dude that would never in a million years be in the league right now.

Wow! Geez I don't know!

I didn't list Dave T as one of my favorites but he is, right there with Strickland and Porter in the PG list.
I loved the way Dr. Jack use the man, brought him in to run a PG controlled offense when he sat Walton down. It resulted in a complete shift in style of play for the Blazers, often they appeared to get better, but the reality is the opponent was usually not ready to deal with the change in style. Brilliant coach maximizing the use of talent available. I doubt Dr. Jack would agree with your take.

 

[Boob-No-More]

That's a great example of a dude that would never in a million years be in the league right now.

Kinda like this guy:

Old, slow with no 3-point shot, has always played an under the rim, old man's game that relies more on smarts and toughness than raw athleticism. Yeah, there's no place in today's NBA for a guy like that, let alone playing significant minutes on the second best team in the league.

BNM

 

[KeepOnRollin]

Kinda like this guy:

Old, slow with no 3-point shot, has always played an under the rim, old man's game that relies more on smarts and toughness than raw athleticism. Yeah, there's no place in today's NBA for a guy like that, let alone playing significant minutes on the second best team in the league.

BNM

While I agree with you that there is certainly room for someone like Andre Miller in today's NBA you are embellishing the significant minutes part. He started a game due to Tony Parker getting a rest day and had 24 minutes of playing time. In his other 6 games with the team he has had a max of 7 minutes on the court.

 

[Boob-No-More]

While I agree with you that there is certainly room for someone like Andre Miller in today's NBA you are embellishing the significant minutes part. He started a game due to Tony Parker getting a rest day and had 24 minutes of playing time. In his other 5 games with the team he has had a max of 7 minutes on the court.

Ok, point taken, but he's also the oldest player in the league and was a starter well into his mid-30s.

Point being, there has always been, and will always be room in the NBA for guys who are not super athletic (both white and black), but rely on smarts, hard work and toughness. There have been guys like that for as long as the NBA has existed.

Charles Oakley couldn't jump over the Sear's catalog, but carved out a long successful career in the NBA. When you're nickname is The Professor (Andre Miller) or The Janitor (Brian Cardinal), chances are pretty good you don't have a 40" vertical. Yet, Miller is in his 17th season with a career PER of 17.5. He'll turn 40 a week from tomorrow. Cardinal was the definition of a journeyman, but managed to carve out a 12-year NBA career. What about John Stockton, Jeff Hornacek, Scott Skiles, and Steve Kerr? Would there be a place for any of those guys in today's NBA? Not based on size or athleticism, but there's more to the game than being 6'9" with a 40" vertical. Those guys got by, even thrived, based on hard work, knowledge, and determination. There's always room for guys like that in the NBA.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

Ok, point taken, but he's also the oldest player in the league and was a starter well into his mid-30s.

Point being, there has always been, and will always be room in the NBA for guys who are not super athletic (both white and black), but rely on smarts, hard work and toughness. There have been guys like that for as long as the NBA has existed.

Charles Oakley couldn't jump over the Sear's catalog, but carved out a long successful career in the NBA. When you're nickname is The Professor (Andre Miller) or The Janitor (Brian Cardinal), chances are pretty good you don't have a 40" vertical. Yet, Miller is in his 17th season with a career PER of 17.5. He'll turn 40 a week from tomorrow. Cardinal was the definition of a journeyman, but managed to carve out a 12-year NBA career. What about John Stockton, Jeff Hornacek, Scott Skiles, and Steve Kerr? Would there be a place for any of those guys in today's NBA? Not based on size or athleticism, but there's more to the game than being 6'9" with a 40" vertical. Those guys got by, even thrived, based on hard work, knowledge, and determination. There's always room for guys like that in the NBA.

BNM

Andre Miller's old rotten carcass doesn't even begin to resemble the player that he once was. He's in the league based on his reputation. If current Miller was just trying to come into the league, do you think anyone would pick him up?

How many shitty white point guards are currently in the league? How many were drafted last year? Guys like Hinrich, Ridnour, and Blake are getting by on the mere fact that they were, at one time, a decent player.

 

[STOMP]

That's a great example of a dude that would never in a million years be in the league right now...

Martell Webster is the league's next superstar & Allen Crabbe is going to get the max!

STOMP

 

[Natebishop3]

Martell Webster is the league's next superstar & Allen Crabbe is going to get the max!

STOMP

If I actually cared at all about what you post, I'd reel off a few of the things you've been wrong about over the years..... but I don't obsess over your opinions on this board (few as they may be.)

 

[dviss1]

As long as we're doing a look back at the championship-era Blazers, here's a clip of a game in 1978 between the Blazers and Pistol Pete Maravich's New Orleans Jazz.

Thank you for posting that!

 

[dviss1]

Kinda like this guy:

Old, slow with no 3-point shot, has always played an under the rim, old man's game that relies more on smarts and toughness than raw athleticism. Yeah, there's no place in today's NBA for a guy like that, let alone playing significant minutes on the second best team in the league.

BNM

BNM with a smacking!

 

[Boob-No-More]

Andre Miller's old rotten carcass doesn't even begin to resemble the player that he once was. He's in the league based on his reputation. If current Miller was just trying to come into the league, do you think anyone would pick him up?

How many shitty white point guards are currently in the league? How many were drafted last year? Guys like Hinrich, Ridnour, and Blake are getting by on the mere fact that they were, at one time, a decent player.

You just kind of made my point for me. In those photos, Twardzik was not a 39-year old rotting corpse. He was in his 20s. He was 26 when the Blazers won the title and played until he was 29. The year the Blazers won the title, he had a PER = 16.3 and led the entire NBA in TS% at .689. I'm pretty sure there will always be a place in the NBA for guys who play hard nosed defense and can shoot the basketball. All the guys you mentioned were "decent" NBA players in the 20s - as was Twardzik.

If Andre Miller was just coming into the league at nearly 40 years old, would anyone pick him up? Probably not, but if he was just coming into the league at 26 (the same age Twardzik was when he came to the NBA from the ABA), you bet someone would pick him up. His game was never predicated on athleticism. He played an old man's, below the rim game even in his 20s.

BNM

 

[riverman]

You just kind of made my point for me. In those photos, Twardzik was not a 39-year old rotting corpse. He was in his 20s. He was 26 when the Blazers won his title and played until he was 29. The year the Blazers won the title, he had a PER = 16.3 and led the entire NBA in TS% at .689. I'm pretty sure there will always be a place in the NBA for guys who play hard nosed defense and can shoot the basketball. All the guys you mentioned were "decent" NBA players in the 20s - as was Twardzik.

If Andre Miller was just coming into the league at nearly 40 years old, would anyone pick him up? Probably not, but if he was just coming into the league at 26 (the same age Twardzik was when he came to the NBA from the ABA), you bet someone would pick him up. His game was never predicated on athleticism. He played an old man's, below the rim game even in his 20s.

BNM

Good to see you posting wisdom here again BNM!!!

 

[BBert]

Twardzik was a whirling dervish around the basket with an uncanny ability to get the ball up and spin it in off the glass. He went all out all the time. He was very exciting and a joy to watch.

 

[e_blazer]

Twardzik was a whirling dervish around the basket with an uncanny ability to get the ball up and spin it in off the glass. He went all out all the time. He was very exciting and a joy to watch.

"Ol' Pinball" was one of my favorite players from that era. I also thought he was great as a color guy next to Schonz after he retired from playing.

 

[STOMP]

If I actually cared at all about what you post, I'd reel off a few of the things you've been wrong about over the years..... but I don't obsess over your opinions on this board (few as they may be.)

If you don't care, why respond every single time?

And lol that I'm obsessed. Your stuff just consistently stands out as ridiculous as if you're begging a response. Are all the others who are pointing out the stupidity of your Twardzic take obsessed? It seems you like to chum the waters and then cry about people taking the bait.

STOMP

 

[BBert]

"Ol' Pinball" was one of my favorite players from that era. I also thought he was great as a color guy next to Schonz after he retired from playing.

Haha. Pinball. I hadn't even thought of that.

 

[MarAzul]

You just kind of made my point for me. In those photos, Twardzik was not a 39-year old rotting corpse. He was in his 20s. He was 26 when the Blazers won the title and played until he was 29. The year the Blazers won the title, he had a PER = 16.3 and led the entire NBA in TS% at .689. I'm pretty sure there will always be a place in the NBA for guys who play hard nosed defense and can shoot the basketball. All the guys you mentioned were "decent" NBA players in the 20s - as was Twardzik.

If Andre Miller was just coming into the league at nearly 40 years old, would anyone pick him up? Probably not, but if he was just coming into the league at 26 (the same age Twardzik was when he came to the NBA from the ABA), you bet someone would pick him up. His game was never predicated on athleticism. He played an old man's, below the rim game even in his 20s.

BNM

Dave Twardzik had the highest A/M of any PG to have played for Portland. He averaged 1.30 for his NBA career. While this is the best of any Portland PG, his Championship season was even better with an A/M of 1.48. Rod Strickland is next with an A/M of 1.23 during his Portland career and a top season of 1.31 Terry Porter is next in this list.

While this computed stat does not make any claim for Twardzik being the best PG, it does indicate just how effective Dave T. was and how difficult it would have been to play Portland while he was on the court, running the show. He wasn't starting most of that Championship year, but he sure wasn't a backup player, he was the change up leader, on an excellent team.

 

[MarAzul]

I also thought he was great as a color guy next to Schonz after he retired from playing

That must have been great. I would have liked to have been around for few of those radio games.

 

[STOMP]

That must have been great. I would have liked to have been around for few of those radio games.

They were great together... it was very apparent that they were close friends too. Iirc back when they were working together in the early 80s, it was Pinball Dave who largely saved Schonely's life after he suffered a heart attack while playing golf. Twardzik sprinted off the course returning lickety brindle up the middle driving his Chevy Luv pickup to rush him to the hospital.

STOMP

 

[e_blazer]

That must have been great. I would have liked to have been around for few of those radio games.

 

[BBert]

They were great together... it was very apparent that they were close friends too. Iirc back when they were working together in the early 80s, it was Pinball Dave who largely saved Schonely's life after he suffered a heart attack while playing golf. Twardzik sprinted off the course returning lickety brindle up the middle driving his Chevy Luv pickup to rush him to the hospital.

STOMP

A Chevy Luv pickup? My roommate got one of those. It was like the cheapest car you could buy. LOL