Tag: bucks

The NBA Time Machine: 1974

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published May 19, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1974

No Roadblocks

Re-Divide

Criticism of the divisional format adopted during this decade led to some significant changes. The league no longer tied playoff appearances to divisional placement, instead rewarding the top four teams from each Conference. This allowed teams in competitive divisions to have a better chance, while others could not coast their way through a weak group of rivals.

This most notably benefited the Detroit Pistons, who had been absent from the post-season for over half a decade. Having two regular season juggernauts like the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls in their way made affairs tough, but their fifty-two-win crusade paid off this time around.

Wilting

Wilt Chamberlain got involved in controversy with the Los Angeles Lakers due to contract miscommunications. The front office failed to contact him in a reasonable timeframe, which upset the center and prompted him to sign with the San Diego Conquistadors of the ABA instead. He had intentions to be a player-coach in the rival league, awaiting six-hundred-thousand dollars – it was expected be the largest salary in professional basketball history.

The Lakers sued Chamberlain, as he still owed them another year of play due to specifications in his contract. He was still permitted to coach the Conquistadors, but could not suit up by any means – the idea of only doing the former bored him, and he left coaching duties to assistant Stan Albeck as a result. Dissatisfaction with the ABA’s poor attendance numbers and the overall frustration of the situation brought Chamberlain to a personal ultimatum – he would retire from basketball, after just experiencing back-to-back Finals appearances and a championship.

Rewarding Defense

The NBA began to officially recognize two new statistics – steals and blocks. The former was achieved by taking the ball from the opponent, thus forcing a turnover – the latter’s registration stemmed from altering a player’s shot, therefore preventing it from entering the basket.

Many analysts had recorded these categories unofficially for years, but it took the league much longer to embrace the trend. The rival ABA may have influenced this choice, as it begun acknowledging the two figures a year prior.

Larry Steele of the Portland Trail Blazers became the first official steals leader, registering 2.7 per game. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting center – Elmore Smith – led his contemporaries with a whopping 4.9 blocks a match.

Offensive rebounds were also officially recognized as a subset of rebounds. These were obtained by rebounding the ball on your team’s own offensive possession, therefore extending your opportunity to score. Defensive rebounds were gained through acquiring the ball on the opponent’s offensive possession. Washington’s Elvin Hayes dominated both categories.

The Fall-Off

The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks had been carrying the NBA’s reputation, as two large-market teams that had formed a traceable rivalry. However, their dominance suddenly seemed a lot less insurable – the loss of Wilt Chamberlain was significant for Los Angeles, and Jerry West only totaled thirty-one games.

New York was also littered with injuries – Earl Monroe missed the first couple months of the season, and Willis Reed went out for nearly the entire year. Gail Goodrich and Walt Frazier each kept their clubs afloat, but championship aspirations seemed a tad optimistic for both sides.

Claiming the Capital

The Baltimore Bullets relocated to Landover, Maryland in the off-season. Such a shift led to them claiming a new moniker, the Capital Bullets.

Standout Players

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

While the Bucks did not reach sixty wins like the previous few seasons, they were still convincingly the best team in the NBA. Their leader, Abdul-Jabbar, finished top four in scoring, rebounding, and blocks, which encouraged the gifting of his third M.V.P. award.

Bob McAdoo

The sophomore became the first true superstar to represent one of the ’71 expansion teams. Not only did McAdoo lead the league in scoring, but he finished top three in both rebounds and blocks. The Braves saw their first playoff berth behind his developments.

Bob Lanier

Detroit had not seen a winning record for a few years, but Lanier had an answer for that. His leadership and prowess on both ends of the ball resulted in a fifty-two-win campaign and the first Pistons playoff appearance since the late-60’s.

Elvin Hayes

Not only did Hayes lead the league in rebounds, but he helped the newly-relocated Capital Bullets claim forty-seven victories. With teammate Wes Unseld dealing with nagging injury issues, Hayes provided a defensive continuity that saved the franchise’s year.

John Havlicek

This was Havlicek’s worst statistical season of the decade, but he was still integral to Boston’s success. He led the squad in both scoring and assists, and hardly missed any games as per usual. It’s also worth mentioning that when he was out, they struggled.

Ernie DiGregorio

The eventual Rookie of the Year had one of the league’s most impressive first-year runs in a long time. He led all players in assists, and it would be unwise to deny that his presence didn’t help the Buffalo Braves improve from the previous year.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*5626Capital Bullets*4735
New York Knicks*4933Atlanta Hawks3547
Buffalo Braves*4240Houston Rockets3250
Philadelphia 76ers2557Cleveland Cavaliers2953
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
Milwaukee Bucks*5923Los Angeles Lakers*4735
Chicago Bulls*5428Golden State Warriors4438
Detroit Pistons*5230Seattle SuperSonics3646
Kansas City-Omaha Kings3349Phoenix Suns3052
Portland Trail Blazers2755

Fun Facts

  • Parity was this season’s theme – for the first time since 1969, no team won sixty or more games.
    • This was also the first instance since 1970 where no team finished below twenty wins.
  • Partially thanks to the new divisional system, certain teams were no longer penalized for being among tough company.
    • The Detroit Pistons made the playoffs for the first time in six seasons, and the Buffalo Braves experienced their first trip to the post-season as well.
  • This was the Milwaukee Bucks‘ fifth consecutive season of over fifty wins.
    • This streak had been alive since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s drafting in 1969.
  • The Boston Celtics’ defensive identity saw a minor decline – this was their first placement outside the top five defenses since 1970.
  • With Jerry West absent for most of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ offense unsurprisingly collapsed. They dropped by nine places in the NBA’s offensive ranks.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists
s – steals
b – blocks

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Philadelphia 76ers
Cleveland Cavaliers
Buffalo Braves
Seattle SuperSonics
Los Angeles Lakers
Houston Rockets
Kansas City-Omaha Kings
Phoenix Suns
Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks		Doug Collins
Jim Brewer
Ernie DiGregorio
Mike Green+
Kermit Washington
Ed Ratleff
Ron Behagen
Mike Bantom
Dwight Jones
John Brown

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
October 30, 1973Connie HawkinsPhoenix SunsTradedLos Angeles Lakers(11.3p/5.4r/3.5a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
May 11, 1973Coach Bill RussellSeattle SuperSonicsHiredRecord: n/a
June 15, 1973Coach K.C. JonesCapital BulletsHiredRecord: n/a
November 22, 1973Coach Bob CousyKansas City-Omaha KingsResignedRecord: 6-14
November 22, 1973Coach Draff YoungKansas City-Omaha KingsAppointed (Interim)Record: 0-4
November 29, 1973Coach Phil JohnsonKansas City-Omaha KingsHiredRecord: 27-31

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Wilt ChamberlainSan Francisco Warriors
Philadelphia 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers		2x Champion
1x Finals MVP
4x MVP
10x All-NBA
13x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
2x All-Defensive
1960 Rookie of the Year
7x Scoring Leader
11x Rebounds Leader
Terry DischingerBaltimore Bullets
Detroit Pistons
Portland Trail Blazers		3x All-Star
1963 Rookie of the Year
1963 All-Rookie Team
Johnny GreenNew York Knicks
Baltimore Bullets
San Diego Rockets
Philadelphia 76ers
Kansas City-Omaha Kings		4x All-Star
Hal GreerPhiladelphia 76ers1x Champion
7x All-NBA
10x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
Gus JohnsonBaltimore Bullets
Phoenix Suns		4x All-NBA
5x All-Star
2x All-Defensive
1964 All-Rookie Team

League Leaders

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
SPG – steals per game
BPG – blocks per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGBob McAdoo (30.6)
Pete Maravich (27.7)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (27)
Gail Goodrich (25.3)
Rick Barry (25.1)
RPGElvin Hayes (18.1)
Dave Cowens (15.7)
Bob McAdoo (15.1)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (14.5)
Happy Hairston (13.5)
APGErnie DiGregorio (8.2)
Calvin Murphy (7.4)
Lenny Wilkens (7.1)
Walt Frazier (6.9)
Dave Bing (6.9)
SPGLarry Steele (2.7)
Steve Mix (2.6)
Randy Smith (2.5)
Jerry Sloan (2.4)
Rick Barry (2.1)
BPGElmore Smith (4.9)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (3.5)
Bob McAdoo (3.3)
Bob Lanier (3)
Elvin Hayes (3)
FG%Bob McAdoo (54%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (53%)
Rudy Tomjanovich (53%)
Calvin Murphy (52%)
Butch Beard (51%)
FT%Ernie DiGregorio (90%)
Rick Barry (89%)
Jeff Mullins (87%)
Chet Walker (87%)
Bill Bradley (87%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Buffalo Braves, 4-2
For the first time since the Bill Russell era, the Boston Celtics were facing an opponent other than Atlanta in the first round. Their typical rivals had a down year, which allowed the comparatively young Buffalo Braves to sneak their way into the playoffs. Playing the number-one team in the Eastern Conference would be a tough task, but nothing M.V.P. runner-up Bob McAdoo was afraid of.

The teams split wins initially, with McAdoo putting up an absurd twenty-three points and twenty rebounds to help Buffalo win Game 2. Forty-three points from John Havlicek overshadowed a dominant McAdoo outing in Game 3, but the Braves responded afterwards in the fourth match. McAdoo went on a scoring barrage, and a buzzer beater tip-in shot from Jim McMillian tied the series two apiece.

With an understanding that this may be a harder-fought series than expected, the Celtics ramped up their intensity. They managed to close up with consecutive wins – thirty-four bench points saved them in Game 6, considering McAdoo could not be contained.
East / New York Knicks beat Capital Bullets, 4-3
Moved to Landover? Doesn’t matter. Three things are guaranteed in life – death, taxes, and an early-70’s Knicks vs. Bullets series.

New York had thoroughly owned this matchup over the past half a decade, only falling short in ’71. Considering they were the defending champions, it would be foolish to doubt their capabilities – however, the Bullets’ roster only continued improving annually. They could also take advantage of a hobbled and unconditioned Willis Reed, who missed the majority of the season to reoccurring injuries.

The Knicks largely failed to contain Elvin Hayes, but still ended up taking a 3-2 lead behind well-rounded team efforts. The Bullets forced a tiebreaker thanks to big Hayes and Archie Clark performances, but ended up bowing out in Game 7 after a cold second half. Hayes scored only twelve points on five-for-fifteen shooting, and was no help to his team’s pre-existing turnover problem.
West / Chicago Bulls beat Detroit Pistons, 4-3
This version of the Pistons were a new face in the post-season. Want a better understanding of how long it had been? The last time Detroit made the playoffs, Dave DeBusschere was their secondary star. Dave Bing led the league in total points. It was THAT long ago.

Facing a stiff Bulls defense, they could not let their guard down by any means. The two teams saw an immediate 1-1 outcome, with the two Bobs – Love and Lanier – amidst some fierce duels. They both cooled off afterwards, but the interdivisional rivals entered Game 5 tied once more.

Love finally outplayed Lanier, a breakthrough that helped Chicago win by four points. Roles were reversed in the sixth contest, which resulted in a scheduled Game 7. The Bulls opened up matters with a strong lead at halftime, and staved off a hungry Pistons comeback attempt. Such efforts made history for the franchise – this was their first time winning a playoff series since their conception in 1967.
West / Milwaukee Bucks beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1
Bucks-Lakers was a classic rivalry at this point, but it was perhaps less exciting this time around – the lack of a great center like Wilt Chamberlain to duel with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar resulted in a somewhat lop-sided dynamic. To make matters even worse, Jerry West was still expected to be out with his persistent groin injury.

The Bucks expectedly took both games at home, reveling in Abdul-Jabbar’s unstoppable scoring. Upset with his team’s shortcomings, Jerry West attempted to play in Game 3 – he could only log in fourteen minutes and four points, but his presence was great for morale. The Lakers won by two thanks to a big-time outing from Elmore Smith.

Frustrated that they gave away such a winnable match, Milwaukee proceeded to close the series out and write a gentleman’s sweep in the history books. Such composure earned them their fourth Conference Finals appearance in the past five seasons.

Conference Finals

East / Boston Celtics beat New York Knicks, 4-1
If the Celtics had one painful adversary, it was the Knicks. They had lost to them in the Eastern Conference Finals for the past two years, even after their historic sixty-eight-win run. They once again looked like the better team on paper, but history had a tendency to repeat itself.

Boston’s depth was on full display in the opening two blowout wins, as they cruised to success while containing New York’s offense. Thanks to Walt Frazier’s thirty-eight points, the Knicks managed a road win to avoid going down 3-0 – however, John Havlicek responded with two huge scoring nights to wrap up the series. The Celtics finally had the upper edge in roster construction and star power – they let out a sigh of relief after a relatively low-intensity matchup, now focused on their first Finals appearance since 1969.
West / Milwaukee Bucks beat Chicago Bulls, 4-0
The Bucks and Bulls were the two top dogs of the Midwest Division, but had never met in the playoffs before. The most enticing narrative was how Chicago would contain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – the undersized Clifford Ray was a subpar one-on-one matchup, but the Bulls owned the highest-quality defense in the league.

Abdul-Jabbar faced little resistance throughout the series, averaging thirty-four points on great efficiency. Meanwhile, Chicago’s Bob Love struggled mightily on offense – he only shot thirty-five-percent from the field, a large drop-off from his regular season efficiency. The only game that was even remotely close was the second, where Chicago nearly pulled off a comeback win – however, they simply lacked the personnel to limit the best player in the NBA.

Thanks to these triumphant performances, Milwaukee joined Los Angeles as the only franchise to pull off multiple series sweeps in the 70’s. Their first was in the 1971 Finals, against the Baltimore Bullets.

Finals

Boston Celtics beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-3
With the Lakers and Knicks dethroned, the stage was set for a brand new Finals matchup. The Bucks were looking for their second title of the decade, and the Celtics coveted their first championship in the post-Bill Russell era. The outcome was quite unpredictable – the two were 7-6 (in Milwaukee’s favor) over the past three seasons.

The teams split games on the Bucks’ turf – Boston had no clear answer for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but the Celtics were a much more well-rounded and deep team. Game 2 ended up going to overtime, in which Milwaukee pulled away by nine points to win.

Through four matches, Abdul-Jabbar was averaging thirty-two points. After a Game 5 win on the road from Boston, the Bucks were in serious trouble – they had to head to the Garden, one of the most hostile environments in basketball, to force a tiebreaker. They had a solid lead for the majority of the game, but a game-tying shot from Dave Cowens led to an overtime period.

The overtime was a grueling, tense stretch where the two teams only scored eight points combined – Milwaukee looked ready to pull away, but John Havlicek made a game-tying goal with five seconds left to force a double overtime. This was the first instance of such since the 1957 Finals, in which the Celtics experienced two separate double overtimes against the St. Louis Hawks.

The second overtime was far more electric, with the teams – most notably John Havlicek on Boston’s end – trading baskets until the very end. Down one point, Abdul-Jabbar hit a running hook shot – which extended to thirteen feet in the air – to bring the Bucks up one point. This moment was the mainstream breakthrough of his signature “skyhook”, which just saved his franchise’s season.

With homecourt advantage, Milwaukee had a bit of momentum heading into the final game of the season. Despite this, Boston broke through with a powerful eleven-point lead by halftime and never quite looked back. Cowens won the center battle between him and Abdul-Jabbar – he tied or exceeded the three-time M.V.P. in all statistical categories, and such heroics grabbed the Celtics their twelfth world title.
The Boston Celtics win the 1974 NBA championship!
John Havlicek was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVPCoach of the Year
Ernie DiGregorioKareem Abdul-JabbarJohn HavlicekRay Scott

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Walt Frazier
Gail Goodrich
John Havlicek
Rick Barry
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Norm Van Lier
Dave Bing
Spencer Haywood
Elvin Hayes
Bob McAdoo

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Walt Frazier
Norm Van Lier
Jerry Sloan
John Havlicek
Dave DeBusschere
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Jim Price
Dick Van Arsdale
Don Chaney
Bob Love
Elvin Hayes
Nate Thurmond

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Austin Carr
Phil Chenier
Dave Cowens
Dave DeBusschere
Walt Frazier
John Havlicek
Elvin Hayes
Lou Hudson
Pete Maravich
Bob McAdoo
Rudy Tomjanovich
Jo Jo White		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Rick Barry
Dave Bing
Gail Goodrich
Spencer Haywood
Bob Lanier*
Geoff Petrie
Charlie Scott (IR)
Nate Thurmond
Norm Van Lier
Chet Walker
Jerry West
Sidney Wicks
West beats East, 134-123

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Mike Bantom
Ron Behagen
John Brown
Ernie DiGregorio
Nick Weatherspoon

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics121957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969, 1974
Lakers61949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
Warriors21947, 1956
76ers21955, 1967
Knicks21970, 1973
Kings11951
Hawks11958
Bucks11971

The NBA Time Machine: 1971

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published April 15, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1971

The NBA’s World

Conferences

After adding four expansion teams in the past five years, the NBA continued taking advantage of its opportunities to grow. Therefore came three new faces – the Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trail Blazers.

Cleveland had briefly experienced ties to the league in the inaugural season, with the Cleveland Rebels. That franchise folded immediately after, but this was a welcoming addition that gave the Cincinnati Royals an inter-state rival. Buffalo and Portland were entirely new destinations – they added depth to the already established northeast and rapidly growing west coast, respectively.

Due to the sheer amount of clubs filling the NBA, the standings format was re-imagined. Instead of simply having Eastern and Western Divisions, the league now adopted conferences.

  • The Eastern Conference included:
    • The Atlantic Division (i.e., Knicks), comprised of teams located in the northeast.
    • The Central Division (i.e., Bullets), comprised of eastern teams close to the Atlantic Ocean, but south of New England.
  • The Western Conference included:
    • The Midwest Division (i.e., Bulls), comprised of teams located in the “mid-west” region of the U.S., as well as the distant Phoenix Suns.
    • The Pacific Division (i.e., Rockets), comprised of teams located along the Pacific Ocean.

The playoff eligibility format also saw change – each conference still had four representatives, but it was simply the top two from each division. The advantage of this format was the increase in competitive rigor, but it incentivized mediocre teams in a bad division. For example, the Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs while finishing five games below .500.

Going All In

A messy season under new coach Bob Cousy – as well as complications regarding his financial future with the Cincinnati Royals – left Oscar Robertson eager to leave his hometown. Many attempts to move the superstar ensued, including a failed trade proposal to the Baltimore Bullets, denied by Robertson himself.

By April of 1970, it seemed almost definitive that his future destination was the budding Milwaukee Bucks. They boasted a solid infrastructure for such an inexperienced team, including three All-Stars in the past two seasons and an M.V.P. contender in Lew Alcindor. By the third week of April, transactions had brought Robertson over in exchange for star guard Flynn Robinson. A large influence on the success of this trade was former Royal Wayne Embry, who now held a front office role in Milwaukee.

The trade was considered one of the biggest blockbuster moves in league history, pairing a former M.V.P. with a potential future one – a new contender had arrived.

Standout Players

Lew Alcindor

In his sophomore season, Alcindor was already the best player in the NBA. He led everybody in scoring, finished top five in rebounds, and guided Milwaukee to a sixty-win effort. This won him an unsurprising first M.V.P. award.

Walt Frazier

While teammate Willis Reed was also great, Frazier drove the bus this year. He remained one of the best guards in the NBA, putting effort in on both ends to clinch the Knicks their third consecutive fifty-win season.

John Havlicek

After a rough down year, Havlicek made an undeniable jump into superstardom as the best forward in the league. Boston returned to the win column, and the sixth man-turned-cornerstone finished top four in both scoring and assists.

Bob Love

On a Bulls team sneakily loaded with talent, Love was the best player. He was a two-way force that was consistently available at high minutes, nearly always on the floor for the fifty-win club. His efforts helped Chicago snag the third-best record league-wide.

Jerry West

West enjoyed an excellent campaign for most of the season, leading Los Angeles to forty-four wins before going down with a season-ending knee injury. He totaled the highest assists average of his career, and would have finished second league-wide if not for the omitted time. The Lakers plummeted in his absence, posting a pitiful 4-9 record in his missed matches.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
New York Knicks*5230Baltimore Bullets*4240
Philadelphia 76ers*4735Atlanta Hawks*3646
Boston Celtics4438Cincinnati Royals3349
Buffalo Braves2260Cleveland Cavaliers1567
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
Milwaukee Bucks*6616Los Angeles Lakers*4834
Chicago Bulls*5131San Francisco Warriors*4141
Phoenix Suns4834San Diego Rockets4042
Detroit Pistons4537Seattle SuperSonics3844
Portland Trail Blazers2953

Fun Facts

  • The Milwaukee Bucks joined the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Philadelphia 76ers as the only teams to win over sixty games in a season.
    • They were also the first expansion team to accomplish such.
    • Their win percentage of .805 was the third-highest in NBA history, behind the ’67 Philadelphia 76ers and ’47 Washington Capitols.
  • Not only was this the Chicago Bulls’ first season above fifty wins, but their first winning record since the franchise’s emergence.
  • The Milwaukee Bucks ranked first in both offense and defense, something no NBA team had ever done.
    • They were also the first team to shoot over fifty-percent from the field for the entire season.
  • After an identity crisis following Bill Russell’s retirement, the Boston Celtics returned to form with a top three defense.
    • This can be attributed to the gritty, high-energy playstyle encouraged by coach Tom Heinsohn.
  • The new divisional playoff format created some eligibility oddities:
    • The Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and Detroit Pistons missed the playoffs despite having a winning record.
    • The Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs despite having a losing record.
  • The Cleveland Cavaliers’ fifteen wins tied for the second-lowest total of all-time, next to the ’68 San Diego Rockets.
    • First was the now-defunct Denver Nuggets, who only picked up eleven in the 1949-50 season.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Detroit Pistons
San Diego Rockets
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Cincinnati Royals
Seattle SuperSonics
Cleveland Cavaliers
Portland Trail Blazers
Baltimore Bullets
Phoenix Suns		Bob Lanier
Rudy Tomjanovich
Pete Maravich
Dave Cowens
Sam Lacey
Jim Ard+
John Johnson
Geoff Petrie
George Johnson
Greg Howard

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
April 21, 1970Oscar RobertsonCincinnati RoyalsTradedMilwaukee Bucks(25.3p/6.1r/8.1a)
April 21, 1970Flynn RobinsonMilwaukee BucksTradedCincinnati Royals(21.8p/3.2r/5.5a)
May 20, 1970Gail GoodrichPhoenix SunsTradedLos Angeles Lakers(20p/4.2r/7.5a)
December 30, 1970Spencer Haywoodn/a (ABA free agency)SignedSeattle SuperSonics(30p/19.5r/2.3a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
March 19, 1970Coach Bill FitchCleveland CavaliersHired
Record: n/a
March 31, 1970Coach Dolph SchayesBuffalo BravesHiredRecord: n/a
April 21, 1970Coach Rolland ToddPortland Trail BlazersHiredRecord: n/a
April 8, 1971Coach Alex HannumSan Diego RocketsResignedRecord: 40-42

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Joe Caldwell
(jumped to ABA)		Detroit Pistons
Atlanta Hawks		2x All-Star
1x All-Defensive
1965 All-Rookie Team
Bob Cousy
(re-retirement)		Boston Celtics
Cincinnati Royals		6x Champion
1x MVP
12x All-NBA
13x All-Star
2x All-Star Game MVP
8x Assists Leader
Richie Guerin
(re-retirement)		New York Knicks
Atlanta Hawks		3x All-NBA
6x All-Star
Don OhlDetroit Pistons
Baltimore Bullets
Atlanta Hawks		5x All-Star
Guy RodgersSan Francisco Warriors
Chicago Bulls
Cincinnati Royals
Milwaukee Bucks		4x All-Star
2x Assists Leader

League Leaders

If a stat is not listed, it was not recorded at the time. As time goes on, this section will begin to include steals per game, blocks per game, etc.

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGLew Alcindor (31.7)
John Havlicek (28.9)
Elvin Hayes (28.7)
Dave Bing (27)
Lou Hudson (26.8)
RPGWilt Chamberlain (18.2)
Wes Unseld (16.9)
Elvin Hayes (16.6)
Lew Alcindor (16)
Jerry Lucas (15.8)
APGNorm Van Lier (10.1)
Lenny Wilkens (9.2)
Oscar Robertson (8.2)
John Havlicek (7.5)
Walt Frazier (6.7)
FG%Johnny Green (58%)
Lew Alcindor (57%)
Wilt Chamberlain (54%)
Jon McGlocklin (53%)
Dick Snyder (53%)
FT%Chet Walker (85%)
Oscar Robertson (85%)
Ron Williams (84%)
Jeff Mullins (84%)
Dick Snyder (83%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Baltimore Bullets beat Philadelphia 76ers, 4-3
Both of these teams, while successful in the regular season, had seen some mediocrity in the playoffs for some time. The 76ers had not left the first round since Wilt Chamberlain’s departure, and Baltimore’s last – and only – playoff series win was six years ago. They both had a chance for a Conference Finals appearance.

A vintage Hal Greer performance opened up affairs, but the Bullets quickly took charge with a 3-1 lead. Earl Monroe led the effort alongside Jack Marin and Kevin Loughery, while Wes Unseld played a vital defensive role.

Facing elimination, Philadelphia’s Billy Cunningham and Archie Clark combined for sixty-three points to grab a one-point win. Cunningham continued his dominance in Game 6, which forced a tiebreaker – the Bullets were now in trouble.

A battle between Marin and Clark defined the seventh match, but Baltimore’s depth won them the series. Backup guard Fred Carter delivered an efficient eighteen points, which was instrumental in such a close contest.
East / New York Knicks beat Atlanta Hawks, 4-1
Not much was expected of this series – the defending champions were facing a losing team, guaranteeing a relatively easy advance. Surprisingly enough, the two teams split wins in New York – consider that a result of Lou Hudson’s perseverance in Game 2.

The Knicks quickly put together a gentleman’s sweep in the remaining three matches. Atlanta had good performances from many of its players, but never all in tandem. For example, a twenty-nine-point outing from Walt Bellamy was accompanied by slow night from Hudson – and when the latter would put things together, Pete Maravich treaded inefficient territory.

Post-loss, the Hawks had one question – what needed to be done to win? With an aging team, the chance at a championship seemed slimmer every day.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Chicago Bulls, 4-3
Typically, Los Angeles would be favored to win this series. However, the absence of Jerry West was a gut punch to their offense – Chicago finished with a better record, and was aiming for their first series win.

An ugly start for the Bulls resulted in an 0-2 deficit, with only Bob Love looking competent. Love eventually received much-needed help once back in Chicago, leading back-to-back home victories to tie the series. Matters eventually entered strange territory, as the two teams traded blowout wins on their home courts en route to a Game 7.

Los Angeles made efforts to begin the decisive contest with energy, assembling a slight lead at the half. They held on thanks to twenty-point outings from three players – Gail Goodrich, Happy Hairston, and Wilt Chamberlain. It was especially refreshing to see the latter’s aggression, considering his general apathy towards scoring in the previous games. L.A.’s hopes for a fourth consecutive Finals appearance were not out of the equation.
West / Milwaukee Bucks beat San Francisco Warriors, 4-1
Perhaps the most lopsided Semifinals duel, the dominant Bucks were slated to face a blatantly average Warriors team. The most interesting narrative was the battle of big men, featuring Lew Alcindor and Nate Thurmond.

Milwaukee took the first three matches behind good individual performances from Alcindor and Oscar Robertson on different nights. Thurmond’s offensive impact was greatly dampened by Alcindor, and Jerry Lucas looked awful on the road. San Francisco managed to take Game 4 – largely thanks to a Lucas comeback – but their efforts were pointless. The Bucks handed them a pathetic fifty-point loss to advance, with Jon McGlocklin as the star of the show.

Conference Finals

East / Baltimore Bullets beat New York Knicks, 4-3
Baltimore’s first Conference Finals appearance was a revenge tour, to say the least – they had bowed out to the Knicks in both of the past two post-seasons, building a light rivalry. The matchups to look out for were Earl Monroe vs. Walt Frazier, which would be a shootout – and Wes Unseld vs. Willis Reed, considering the former’s defensive aptitude.

The first game went down to the wire, only seeing a Knicks win by a mere point. New York won another home game thanks to a big step-up from their backcourt, but Unseld did an excellent job on Reed once more. Back-to-back blowout wins from the Bullets followed, thanks to their swallowing defense – no Knicks player exceeded seventeen points during either night. The two teams proceeded to exchange home wins once more, but Baltimore’s was another blowout – they gave up some tough losses to their adversary, but held a marginal point differential in their wins.

As a result, it was not bizarre to expect a Bullets victory in Game 7. It would be a tough feat, considering they were targets in the heart of New York City – however, they fought against the odds. Great overall defense and a quality 17/20 night from Unseld kept things in control for the ball club, lifting them to their first Finals appearance in franchise history.
West / Milwaukee Bucks beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1
An exciting aspect of this series was the head-to-head battle between Lew Alcindor and Wilt Chamberlain. It had “passing of the torch” potential – would the seasoned veteran prove it was still his playground, or would crowds flock towards the new and exciting sophomore?

Back-to-back Milwaukee wins to open the series favored the latter narrative, but not all was lost. Chamberlain played very well, especially defensively – while not officially recorded, it is assumed that he averaged over five blocks in these games. L.A.’s loss of forward Keith Erickson in Game 2 motivated The Big Dipper to increase his aggression, aware of the club’s underdog status while littered with injuries.

The Lakers looked all-around effective in a Game 3 victory, with Chamberlain holding Alcindor to a sub-par amount of field goal attempts and multiple rotational players stepping up. Milwaukee responded with an angry blowout win afterwards, where Alcindor overwhelmed his competition with thirty-one points and twenty rebounds. After such a victory, the Bucks never looked back – Chamberlain outplayed their center once more, but the depth of the sixty-win squad was simply too impactful.

Finals

Milwaukee Bucks beat Baltimore Bullets, 4-0
The 1971 Finals had a lot of unique qualities. It was the first since 1956 to include neither Bill Russell nor Wilt Chamberlain, as well as the first to feature two expansion franchises. It marked what was certainly the beginning of a new era, featuring two young M.V.P.-winning centers in Lew Alcindor and Wes Unseld.

Fun facts aside, the Bucks were overwhelmingly favored. They had a much better regular season, deeper personnel, and most of all, Alcindor. Wes Unseld was no slouch on defense, but having to combat a player half a foot taller than him was a tall ask.

Alcindor immediately dismantled Baltimore in the opening two games, providing on offense and helping anchor a swarming Bucks defense. The Bullets appreciated a big game from Earl Monroe in the opening match, but his feats proved unsustainable as he disappeared in Game 2.

Even with backup guard Kevin Loughery delivering nineteen points in Game 3, Baltimore failed to get over the hump. They lost three straight with miserable defense on display, a flaw Bucks sophomore Bob Dandridge abused. Thanks to a big thirty-point outing from Oscar Robertson in the fourth match, Milwaukee completed a series sweep. It was only the second in league history, and first in twelve seasons.

This achievement not only guaranteed Lew Alcindor a Hall of Fame career, but helped Robertson snatch the one missing piece on his accolades list – a world title.
The Milwaukee Bucks win the 1971 NBA championship!
Lew Alcindor was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVPCoach of the Year
Geoff Petrie
Dave Cowens		Lew AlcindorLew AlcindorDick Motta

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Dave Bing
Jerry West
John Havlicek
Billy Cunningham
Lew Alcindor		Walt Frazier
Oscar Robertson
Gus Johnson
Bob Love
Willis Reed

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Walt Frazier
Jerry West
Dave DeBusschere
Gus Johnson
Nate Thurmond		Norm Van Lier
Jerry Sloan
John Havlicek
Paul Silas
Lew Alcindor

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Billy Cunningham
Dave DeBusschere
Walt Frazier
Johnny Green
John Havlicek
Lou Hudson
Gus Johnson
John Johnson
Bob Kauffman
Earl Monroe
Willis Reed
Wes Unseld
Tom Van Arsdale
Jo Jo White		Lew Alcindor
Dave Bing
Wilt Chamberlain
Connie Hawkins
Elvin Hayes
Bob Love
Jerry Lucas
Jeff Mullins
Geoff Petrie
Oscar Robertson
Dick Van Arsdale
Chet Walker
Jerry West
Lenny Wilkens*
West beats East, 108-107

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Dave Cowens
Bob Lanier
Pete Maravich
Calvin Murphy
Geoff Petrie

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics111957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969
Lakers51949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954
Warriors21947, 1956
76ers21955, 1967
Royals11951
Hawks11958
Knicks11970
Bucks11971

The NBA Time Machine: 1970

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published April 1, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1970

Six To Seven

The New Lew

Excitement defined the 1969 NBA draft with the incoming arrival of young basketball phenomenon Lew Alcindor. A skilled center that tore through leagues at the high school and college level, he was the most sought-after prospect since Wilt Chamberlain. From 1967-69, he won three consecutive NCAA championships with the UCLA Bruins and was undeniably considered the best talent in college basketball. The dunk was even banned at that level because of his dominance.

Once he completed his education, Alcindor was unsurprisingly bombarded with offers from teams everywhere. The most notable bidders were the Harlem Globetrotters, the ABA’s New York Nets, and whoever won the first pick in the NBA draft. That eventually became the Milwaukee Bucks, who won a coin toss with the Phoenix Suns for the opportunity.

Among the three, Milwaukee’s financial commitment appealed to Alcindor the most. It was four-hundred-thousand more dollars than what the Globetrotters offered, and towered above the Nets’ proposal as well. New York eventually tried to land Alcindor by guaranteeing over three million dollars, but he declined – the abrupt increase in money had an underlying tone of degradation, with Alcindor feeling like an object in a bidding war.

The Bucks improved substantially with their new rookie, improving by twenty-nine games and finishing second in the Eastern Division. Alcindor finished third in M.V.P. voting and assured a playoff berth in the franchise’s second season of existence.

Goodnight, Beantown

The changing of decades also signified a new era in NBA history – over the off-season, Boston Celtics greats Bill Russell and Sam Jones both retired. Russell immediately stepped down as coach of the Celtics as well.

The two biggest backbones of the dynasty that ruled basketball for thirteen years were now both missing, making the chase for a title an open race. This had enormous implications for Eastern Division teams, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers, who had a disturbing 0-7 record against Boston in the Finals.

Down Goes the Dipper

After what was arguably the worst post-season of his career, Wilt Chamberlain had to make changes going into the next year. Brand new coach Joe Mullaney wanted him to be the focal point of L.A.’s offense, similarly to how he was utilized during his years with the Warriors. Chamberlain complied, averaging 32.2 points per game in his first nine games of the season on fifty-seven-percent shooting.

However, the four-time-M.V.P. sustained a tendon injury in the ninth match of the year that had career-ending potential. He was sidelined indefinitely, but surprisingly made a return for the last few games of the season. The rustiness was apparent, although the fact he bounced back from such a travesty was already impressive as is – there was a clear want to show commitment to Los Angeles.

In the meantime, the Lakers persevered – forty-six wins still orbited the team, something to thank Jerry West for. Forwards Elgin Baylor and Happy Hairston did their fair of heavy lifting, but also missed a good chunk of games. L.A.’s success despite so many injuries was remarkable.

Coaching Chaos

Personnel matters were a mess this season, with eight of the fourteen NBA teams seeing some kind of coaching change. There was also a rise in player-coaches, with Bob Cousy (who came out of retirement), Lenny Wilkens, and Al Attles all suiting up at some point in the year.

pER gAME!

Starting with this season, the league began to base statistical titles on “per game” production, as opposed to totals over the season.

To briefly break the fourth wall – this blog has always based its information on “per game” statistics, for the sake of continuity with later years.

Standout Players

Willis Reed

Reed continued his superstar play with a slightly increased career high in scoring, locking up sixty wins for the first time in New York City. All eyes were on the center as he grabbed every accolade imaginable – the M.V.P., All-Star Game M.V.P., All-NBA First Team, and All-Defensive First Team.

Lew Alcindor

Alcindor achieved arguably the greatest rookie season of all-time. He may have not grabbed an M.V.P. out of the gate like Wilt Chamberlain or Wes Unseld, but he took a young expansion franchise to fifty-six wins. It was not absurd to consider him the best talent in the NBA, despite his relative inexperience.

Jerry West

You would think a decade of superstar play would indicate an incoming decline for West, but he wanted no part of it. The point guard achieved his best season to date, seeing career highs in scoring and assists while lifting an injury-riddled Lakers team to the second seed.

Walt Frazier

While Reed deservingly got the media attention, Frazier was arguably just as important – if not more – to the Knicks’ success. This breakout campaign saw him amongst the top five scoring point guards, as well as a narrow second place on the Knicks. He became an elite and efficient playmaker as well, a development that made New York even more dangerous from all places.

Wes Unseld

Despite a disappointing playoff outing in the previous year, Unseld continued to show out. He led the Bullets through another fifty wins, while also improving massively on the offensive end.

Connie Hawkins

Hawkins was a rare example of an ABA player favoring to play in the NBA, despite his sustained success in the rival league. The small forward became an instant star for Phoenix, finishing top ten in scoring average and blessing the young franchise with their first playoff berth.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern DivisionWLWestern DivisionWL
New York Knicks*6022Atlanta Hawks*4834
Milwaukee Bucks*5626Los Angeles Lakers*4636
Baltimore Bullets*5032Chicago Bulls*3943
Philadelphia 76ers*4240Phoenix Suns*3943
Cincinnati Royals3646Seattle SuperSonics3646
Boston Celtics3448San Francisco Warriors3052
Detroit Pistons3151San Diego Rockets2755

Fun Facts

  • For the first time since 1950, the Boston Celtics finished with a losing record.
  • The Eastern Division continued to tower over the Western Division – the latter had no fifty-win teams and two playoff representatives with more losses than wins.
  • Despite being the worst team in the NBA, the San Diego Rockets were phenomenal defensively.
    • This served as a testament to the tenacity of sophomore Elvin Hayes.
  • Thanks to star player Connie Hawkins, the Phoenix Suns performed good enough for the fourth seed and a playoff appearance.
  • The Milwaukee Bucks‘ twenty-nine win elevation was the greatest season-to-season improvement in NBA history.
  • The Cincinnati Royals‘ struggles continued – this was their fourth consecutive year with a .500 record or worse.
    • The final of .439 was also their second-worst during Oscar Robertson’s tenure, only slightly hovering above his rookie season.
  • A year after getting the franchise to fifty wins for the first time, New York Knicks stars Willis Reed and Walt Frazier rose that bar to sixty.
    • New York joined the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers as the only teams to achieve such.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Milwaukee Bucks
Phoenix Suns
Seattle SuperSonics
Detroit Pistons
Chicago Bulls
San Diego Rockets
San Francisco Warriors
Cincinnati Royals
Boston Celtics
Atlanta Hawks		Lew Alcindor
Neal Walk
Lucius Allen
Terry Driscoll+
Larry Cannon+
Bingo Smith
Bob Portman
Herm Gilliam
Jo Jo White
Butch Beard

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
June 20, 1969Connie Hawkinsn/a (ABA free agency)SignedPhoenix Suns(30.2p/11.4r/3.9a)
September 2, 1969Chet WalkerPhiladelphia 76ersTradedChicago Bulls(18p/7.8r/1.8a)
October 25, 1969Jerry LucasCincinnati RoyalsTradedSan Francisco Warriors(10.3p/11.3r/2.3a)
November 18, 1969Bob CousyBoston CelticsTradedCincinnati Royals(13.2p/2.5r/6.8a)
November 21, 1969Bob CousyCincinnati RoyalsUn-retiredn/an/a

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
May 9, 1969Coach Ed JuckerCincinnati RoyalsFiredRecord: 41-41
May 9, 1969Player-coach Bob CousyCincinnati RoyalsHiredRecord: n/a
May 19, 1969Coach Butch Van Breda KolffLos Angeles LakersResignedRecord: 55-27
May 21, 1969Coach Butch Van Breda KolffDetroit PistonsHiredRecord: n/a
June 30, 1969Player-coach Bill RussellBoston CelticsRetiredRecord: 48-34
June 30, 1969Coach Joe MullaneyLos Angeles LakersHiredRecord: n/a
July 11, 1969Coach Al BianchiSeattle SuperSonicsResignedRecord: 30-52
Summer 1969Player-coach Lenny WilkensSeattle SuperSonicsHiredRecord: n/a
September 15, 1969Coach Tom HeinsohnBoston CelticsHiredRecord: 34-48
December 9, 1969Coach Jack McMahonSan Diego RocketsFiredRecord: 9-17
December 10, 1969Coach Alex HannumSan Diego RocketsHiredRecord: 18-38
January 2, 1970Coach Red KerrPhoenix SunsFiredRecord: 15-23
January 2, 1970Interim Coach Jerry ColangeloPhoenix SunsAppointedRecord: 24-20
January 27, 1970Coach George LeeSan Francisco WarriorsFiredRecord: 22-30
January 27, 1970Player-coach Al AttlesSan Francisco WarriorsHiredRecord: 8-22

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Zelmo Beaty
(jumped to ABA)		Atlanta Hawks2x All-Star
1963 All-Rookie Team
Wayne EmbryCincinnati Royals
Boston Celtics
Milwaukee Bucks		1x Champion
5x All-Star
Sam JonesBoston Celtics10x Champion
3x All-NBA
5x All-Star
Rudy LaRussoLos Angeles Lakers
San Francisco Warriors		5x All-Star
1x All-Defensive
Bill RussellBoston Celtics11x Champion
5x MVP
11x All-NBA
12x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
1x All-Defensive
4x Rebounds Leader

League Leaders

If a stat is not listed, it was not recorded at the time. As time goes on, this section will begin to include steals per game, blocks per game, etc.

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGJerry West (31.2)
Lew Alcindor (28.8)
Elvin Hayes (27.5)
Billy Cunningham (26.1)
Lou Hudson (25.4)
RPGElvin Hayes (16.9)
Wes Unseld (16.7)
Lew Alcindor (14.5)
Bill Bridges (14.4)
Gus Johnson (13.9)
APGLenny Wilkens (9.1)
Walt Frazier (8.2)
Clem Haskins (7.6)
Jerry West (7.5)
Gail Goodrich (7.5)
FG%Johnny Green (55%)
Darrall Imhoff (54%)
Lou Hudson (53%)
Jon McGlocklin (53%)
Dick Snyder (52%)
FT%Flynn Robinson (89%)
Chet Walker (85%)
Jeff Mullins (84%)
John Havlicek (84%)
Bob Love (84%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Milwaukee Bucks beat Philadelphia 76ers, 4-1
Rolling into the post-season, the Bucks were favored going into this series. They were significantly better than the 76ers in the regular season, and Lew Alcindor was a nightmare matchup for Philly. Considering he never delivered less than thirty-three points – and maintained a killer efficiency along the way – there were no surprises at hand.

The 76ers avoided a sweep thanks to a strong outing from Billy Cunningham in Game 2, but it meant nothing. Not even fifty points from the star bought a Game 4 win – Philadelphia’s overall defensive effort was terrible. This would become their second consecutive 4-1 loss in the first round of the playoffs.
East / New York Knicks beat Baltimore Bullets, 4-3
The Bullets looked to reverse their disappointment of the previous year, and had a large task at hand facing the Knicks. The teams ultimately split the series with two home court victories each – Earl Monroe influenced Baltimore’s second, amassing thirty-four points.

Game 5 featured an offensive meltdown from the Bullets, who had no players posting positive efficiency or over twenty points. Willis Reed feasted on Wes Unseld, managing a 36/36/3 effort. He was conversely much quieter in the following sixth match, which Baltimore ran away with to force a final tiebreaker.

New York generally maintained control over the seventh game, sporting six double-digit scorers and particularly good efforts from Dave DeBusschere and Dick Barnett. The magnifying glass was on Unseld for the loss – a pathetic two points characterized his night, while teammates Earl Monroe and Gus Johnson put everything on the floor with a combined fifty-five.

Baltimore’s effort was better this year, but they had now experienced back-to-back first-round exits.
West / Atlanta Hawks beat Chicago Bulls, 4-1
The Bulls were back in the playoffs after a down year, and had to face the first-seeded Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks were notorious for their calculated, diverse offensive mechanics that made them difficult to outscore. Such a strategy was immediately on display, as they won by a combined forty-eight points in their first two wins of the series. Chicago’s perimeter defense was poor, giving Joe Caldwell and Lou Hudson whatever shots they wanted.

Game 3 was a better effort from the Bulls, but they fell apart in the second half and found themselves down 0-3. They fought away elimination with a phenomenal outing from Jerry Sloan, Chet Walker, and Clem Haskins – the three combined for ninety-one points, managing great efficiency in the process.

The decisive fifth match was more defensive, but ultimately leaned in Atlanta’s favor. They just had the better personnel to ensure victory.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Phoenix Suns, 4-3
With Wilt Chamberlain returning to play, the Lakers were heavily favored to dismantle the inexperienced Phoenix Suns. All went as expected in the first match, with L.A.’s big three combining for eighty-eight points.

What was surprising was three consecutive Suns victories as a response, something nobody could have predicted. The Lakers failed to score efficiently or contain Phoenix, who had an arsenal of scorers prepared to go off on any given night. Elgin Baylor going down with an injury in Game 4 didn’t help either – he was sidelined halfway through the first quarter.

The reigning Western Division champions got their act together behind the dominance of Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West, as well as a hobbled Baylor. This included a convincing Game 6 road victory and blowout in the seventh game, which completed the second comeback down 3-1 in league history.

Division Finals

East / New York Knicks beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-1
The Knicks were the biggest story of the year, but the gap between them and Milwaukee wasn’t as large as some would assume. The Bucks only won four less games, and possessed one of the league’s best offenses. This was thanks to Lew Alcindor, who remained un-guardable against the best defense in the NBA. He averaged thirty-six points in the two opening Milwaukee losses, one of which was by a single point.

The Bucks caught fire at home for a Game 3 victory, but New York returned to form in the fourth match. Nobody on the Knicks performed as well as – or could effectively contain – Alcindor, but Milwaukee’s supporting cast was marginally worse and surely less experienced. They had hopes of avoiding elimination in Game 5, but were disrespectfully blown out behind thirty-two points from Willis Reed. This was perhaps Alcindor’s worst game of the series, although twenty-seven points on average efficiency could be much less compelling.

With this series victory, the Knicks were headed to the Finals for the first time since 1953.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Atlanta Hawks, 4-0
If there was one mistake the Lakers could not afford to make, it was letting their guard down again. Jerry West and Elgin Baylor looked phenomenal in the opener, and they won another at home to secure a 2-0 lead. Atlanta fought harder moving forward, with everybody but West struggling on the road against them – an overtime-accompanied Game 3 made for some intense basketball and a narrow L.A. victory. They only needed one more win to advance, which would be the first series sweep of the “big three” era.

Concern was non-existent in Game 4, as the Lakers blew their rivals out amidst a vintage West-Baylor exhibition. The most interesting quality of the match was a rare appearance from Hawks player-coach Richie Guerin, who was far removed from his days of stardom. Despite this, he managed to lead his team in scoring with thirty-one points. He made great usage of the set shot, a scoring form that had died down in usage for many years now.

Talk about a veteran performance, sweep or not.

Finals

New York Knicks beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3
This was now the Lakers’ third Finals appearance in a row, going against a new Eastern opponent in the Knicks. The two clubs split wins in Madison Square Garden, with L.A. winning by a narrow two points in the final moments of Game 2. The story wasn’t much different than that of the Celtics Finals a year prior – Jerry West carried the offensive load, Elgin Baylor was efficient but less aggressive than needed, and Wilt Chamberlain was not scoring enough.

Willis Reed was relentless in Game 3, willing his team to a road win in overtime behind his impactful thirty-eight points. The following match was yet another overtime thriller, this time featuring a defining Game 4 victory by the Lakers. West accounted for sixty-percent of his squad’s production when you considered his gaudy assists total.

Darkness loomed over New York when Willis Reed went down in Game 5 with a leg injury, only managing to play a portion of the first quarter. This greatly hurt the chances of a Knicks championship – how would they pull through without their leader? The answer was Walt Frazier, who nearly achieved a triple-double en route to a Knicks upset victory.

Los Angeles had no choice but to respond at home, now down 3-2. Chamberlain immediately took advantage of Reed’s absence, with a performance reminiscent of his Warriors days. He scored forty-five points and grabbed twenty-seven rebounds, hardly missing any field goals along the way. This resulted in a blowout win for the Lakers that forced a Game 7.

The last match was in New York, a comforting environment for the disadvantaged Knicks. A legendary moment was made when a hobbled Reed walked onto the court during warmups, igniting the fans and motivating his teammates. He proceeded to make the first two field goals off his classic mid-range jumper on a hurt leg, as well as limiting Wilt Chamberlain to poor shooting from the jump.

Reed eventually had to sit once the injury was re-aggravated, but it did not matter – New York led 69-42 at the end of the first half, a relieving cushion. Walt Frazier was the unsung hero of the game, compiling thirty-six points, seven rebounds, and nineteen assists on exceptional efficiency.

The Lakers were unable to overcome the deficit behind constant turnovers and mediocrity from Jerry West. The Knicks became the last of the “original three teams” to win their first championship, and their opponent was now 0-7 in the Finals since moving to Los Angeles.
The New York Knicks win the 1970 NBA championship!
Willis Reed was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVPCoach of the Year
Lew AlcindorWillis ReedWillis ReedRed Holzman

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Walt Frazier
Jerry West
Billy Cunningham
Connie Hawkins
Willis Reed		Oscar Robertson
John Havlicek
Lou Hudson
Gus Johnson
Lew Alcindor

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Walt Frazier
Jerry West
Dave DeBusschere
Gus Johnson
Willis Reed		John Havlicek
Joe Caldwell
Jerry Sloan
Bill Bridges
Lew Alcindor

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Lew Alcindor
Billy Cunningham
Dave DeBusschere
Walt Frazier
Hal Greer
John Havlicek
Gus Johnson
Willis Reed*
Oscar Robertson
Flynn Robinson
Tom Van Arsdale
Jimmy Walker		Elgin Baylor
Bill Bridges
Joe Caldwell
Connie Hawkins
Elvin Hayes
Lou Hudson
Jeff Mullins
Bob Rule (IR)
Nate Thurmond
Dick Van Arsdale
Chet Walker
Jerry West
Lenny Wilkens
East beats West, 142-135

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Lew Alcindor
Bob Dandridge
Mike Davis
Dick Garrett
Jo Jo White

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics111957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969
Lakers51949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954
Warriors21947, 1956
76ers21955, 1967
Royals11951
Hawks11958
Knicks11970