Tag: celtics

The NBA Time Machine: 1981

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published July 1, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1981

Cowboy Season

Done Deal, Dallas

The NBA had hit a point of significant growth, welcoming thirteen teams in the past fifteen years. Yet another owner was interested in expanding the league’s horizon – businessman Don Carter pitched a request to establish a franchise in Dallas, Texas. The primary inspiration for this decision was his wife, who loved basketball and encouraged the idea.

Voters officially admitted the Dallas Mavericks during the 1980 All-Star Game, preparing for a debut in the 1980-81 season. The name derived from the 50’s television series Maverick, which starred the successful actor – and now ownership member of the team – James Garner.

Kiki Vandeweghe, who led the UCLA Bruins to the 1980 NCAA Division I Finals, was selected by Dallas with the eleventh pick. The rookie refused to play for the team, largely influenced by his father’s disapproval of joining an non-established organization. As a result, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets a month into the season in return for a couple first-round draft picks.

The team, as expected, was largely awful in its inaugural run. Frequent losing – including fifteen straight dropped games from January to February – characterized their identity. Their sixty-seven losses was tied for the second-most in league history, only behind the pitiful 1973 Philadelphia 76ers.

Realignment

Due to the introduction of the Mavericks, the NBA reconsidered the construction of both conferences. Ultimately, the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs joined their new inter-state rival in the Midwest Division of the Western Conference.

Conversely, the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls joined nearby teams – such as the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers – in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.

Not So Magic

After a strong start to the season – in which the Los Angeles Lakers went 15-5 – Magic Johnson tore the cartilage in his left knee and was sidelined for the majority of the season. This caused the sophomore to miss the All-Star Game and entirely stripped him of All-NBA eligibility, despite his all-around statistical improvements.

The guard returned in time for the last month of the season, in which his quality play continued. He managed to check into enough games to qualify for the steals title, which he won with a whopping 3.4 a game. However, Johnson’s reinstation frustrated some of his teammates – the spotlight was immediately on him again, and their labor over his three-month absence went unrecognized.

Regardless, the Lakers finished on an 11-6 run and clinched a playoff berth yet again.

Pacific Exchange

In surprising fashion, two inter-divisional rivals traded their franchise cornerstones for each other. The Seattle SuperSonics sent former Finals M.V.P. Dennis Johnson to the Phoenix Suns, receiving four-time All-Star Paul Westphal in return.

On paper, the deal was quality – Seattle would gain a premier scorer to bolster their offense, and Phoenix’s backcourt would see an immense improvement on defense. However, only the Suns truly benefited – Johnson helped them win a franchise record fifty-seven games, also seeing their first divisional championship.

On the contrary, Westphal missed forty-six matches to injuries and posted his worst production since joining the Suns five years ago. Seattle also missed the playoffs entirely, seemingly ending a brief reign that included three straight Conference Finals appearances and a championship.

Turn-Arounds

The NBA introduced the Comeback Player of the Year award, which was designated to a talent who showed out after a subpar season. It became the third seasonal award, and was inaugurally presented to Bernard King.

Trouble had accompanied the former first-round pick during his one-year stint with the Utah Jazz – he was arrested and suspended by the league for cocaine possession, missing sixty-three games. He was then followed by sexual assault charges off-the-court, entirely tearing apart his reputation. His combination of improvement in character and returning to quality play influenced his receival of the honor.

Standout Players

Julius Erving

While Erving’s statistical season wasn’t any different than usual, the 76ers broke the sixty-win barrier for the first time since the days of Wilt Chamberlain. The Doctor was there every step of the way, playing all eighty-two games in preparation for his first league M.V.P. award.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Despite Magic Johnson missing over half of the year, Abdul-Jabbar maintained his composure. The reigning M.V.P. snatched his highest scoring average since 1977, and the Lakers still won fifty-eight games.

Larry Bird

A sophomore slump was not part of Bird’s plans. The Celtics superstar increased his assists average, stole the ball twice a game, and manifested a sixty-two win run. He finished in a narrow second place for the M.V.P. award.

Micheal Ray Richardson

Now in the media’s eye, Richardson continued fixing the damaged nature of New York City. Alongside Bill Cartwright, he brought the Knicks their first fifty-win campaign since 1973. The guard also led all players in steals once more.

Moses Malone

While the Rockets were subpar, Malone had the best statistical output of his career. He reached highs in scoring and blocks while also earning the rebounds title. Regardless of his supporting cast, the big man was unstoppable.

Artis Gilmore

Gilmore’s production regressed, but in good faith – he adjusted his role to make way for the breakout of teammate Reggie Theus. Gilmore’s sixty-seven percent from the field was the highest in the NBA, and he was still a top-tier shot blocker to boot. This contributed to Chicago’s first winning season and playoff berth in four years.

Around the League

Team Standings

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

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*6220Milwaukee Bucks*6022
Philadelphia 76ers*6220Chicago Bulls*4537
New York Knicks*5032Indiana Pacers*4438
Washington Bullets3943Atlanta Hawks3151
New Jersey Nets2458Cleveland Cavaliers2854
Detroit Pistons2161
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
San Antonio Spurs*5230Phoenix Suns*5725
Kansas City Kings*4042Los Angeles Lakers*5428
Houston Rockets*4042Portland Trail Blazers*4537
Denver Nuggets3745Golden State Warriors3943
Utah Jazz2854San Diego Clippers3646
Dallas Mavericks1567Seattle SuperSonics3448

Fun Facts

  • The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics tied for first place in the league, with sixty-two wins apiece.
    • Tiebreaker rules ultimately earned Boston leadership of the Atlantic Division.
  • Following the changes to the Midwest Division, it immediately became the weakest in the NBA.
    • Its only winning member was the San Antonio Spurs – no other team won over forty matches.
  • With Gus Williams holding out and injuries ravaging the roster, the Seattle SuperSonics worsened by twenty-two games and fell to the bottom of the Pacific Division.
  • The Milwaukee Bucks’ sixty wins was their most in eight years.
  • For the first time since joining the NBA, the Indiana Pacers achieved a winning record and became playoff eligible.
  • With David Thompson healthy, the Denver Nuggets posted the top-ranked offense in the league.
    • However, their defense was ranked at a pitiful twenty-second place, only above the expansion Dallas Mavericks team.

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		Golden State Warriors
Utah Jazz
Boston Celtics
Chicago Bulls
Denver Nuggets
New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
Philadelphia 76ers
San Diego Clippers
Portland Trail Blazers		Joe Barry Carroll
Darrell Griffith
Kevin McHale
Kelvin Ransey
James Ray
Mike O’Koren
Mike Gminski
Andrew Toney
Michael Brooks
Ronnie Lester

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
June 4, 1980Paul WestphalPhoenix SunsTradedSeattle SuperSonics(21.9p/5.1a/1.5s)
June 4, 1980Dennis JohnsonSeattle SuperSonicsTradedPhoenix Suns(19p/5.1r/4.1a)
August 28, 1980Lloyd FreeSan Diego ClippersTradedGolden State Warriors(30.2p/3.5r/4.2a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
May 20, 1980Coach Paul WestheadLos Angeles LakersHiredRecord: n/a
May 21, 1980Coach Paul SilasSan Diego ClippersHiredRecord: n/a
May 27, 1980Coach Dick MottaWashington BulletsResignedRecord: 39-43
May 27, 1980Coach Gene ShueWashington BulletsHiredRecord: n/a
June 2, 1980Coach Jack McKinneyIndiana PacersHiredRecord: n/a
June 5, 1980Coach Scotty RobertsonDetroit PistonsHiredRecord: n/a
June 11, 1980Coach Bill MusselmanCleveland CavaliersHiredRecord: n/a
July 16, 1980Coach Dick MottaDallas MavericksHiredRecord: n/a
December 17, 1980Coach Donnie WalshDenver NuggetsFiredRecord: 11-20
December 17, 1980Coach Doug MoeDenver NuggetsAppointed (Interim)Record: 26-25
December 22, 1980Coach Kevin LougheryNew Jersey NetsResignedRecord: 12-23
December 22, 1980Coach Bob MacKinnonNew Jersey NetsAppointed (Interim)Record: 12-35
March 13, 1981Coach Bill MusselmanCleveland CavaliersReassignedRecord: 25-46
March 13, 1981Coach Don DelaneyCleveland CavaliersHiredRecord: 3-8
March 18, 1981Coach Larry BrownNew Jersey NetsHiredRecord: n/a
March 26, 1981Coach Hubie BrownAtlanta HawksFiredRecord: 31-48
March 26, 1981Coach Mike FratelloAtlanta HawksAppointed (Interim)Record: 0-3

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Rick BarryGolden State Warriors
Houston Rockets		1x Champion
1x Finals MVP
6x All-NBA
8x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
1966 Rookie of the Year
1966 All-Rookie Team
1x Scoring Leader
1x Steals Leader
Walt FrazierNew York Knicks
Cleveland Cavaliers		2x Champion
6x All-NBA
7x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
7x All-Defensive
1968 All-Rookie Team
Pete MaravichAtlanta Hawks
Utah Jazz
Boston Celtics		4x All-NBA
5x All-Star
1971 All-Rookie Team
1x Scoring Leader
Earl MonroeBaltimore Bullets
New York Knicks		1x Champion
1x All-NBA
4x All-Star
1968 Rookie of the Year
1968 All-Rookie Team
Charlie ScottPhoenix Suns
Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Lakers
Denver Nuggets		1x Champion
3x All-Star
Paul SilasAtlanta Hawks
Phoenix Suns
Boston Celtics
Denver Nuggets
Seattle SuperSonics		3x Champion
2x All-Star
5x All-Defensive

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)
3P% – three-point field goal percentage (percentage of three-point shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGAdrian Dantley (30.6)
Moses Malone (27.8)
George Gervin (27.1)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (26.2)
David Thompson (25.5)
RPGMoses Malone (14.8)
Swen Nater (12.4)
Larry Smith (12.1)
Larry Bird (10.9)
Jack Sikma (10.4)
APGKevin Porter (9.1)
Norm Nixon (8.8)
Phil Ford (8.8)
Micheal Ray Richardson (7.9)
Tiny Archibald (7.7)
SPGMagic Johnson (3.4)
Micheal Ray Richardson (2.9)
Quinn Buckner (2.4)
Maurice Cheeks (2.4)
Ray Williams (2.3)
BPGGeorge Johnson (3.4)
Tree Rollins (2.9)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2.9)
Robert Parish (2.6)
Artis Gilmore (2.4)
FG%Artis Gilmore (67%)
Darryl Dawkins (60%)
Cedric Maxwell (58%)
Bernard King (58%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (57%)
FT%Calvin Murphy (95%)
Ricky Sobers (93%)
Mike Newlin (88%)
Jim Spanarkel (88%)
Junior Bridgeman (88%)
3P%Brian Taylor (38%)
Freeman Williams (34%)
Joe Hassett (34%)
Mike Bratz (33%)
Henry Bibby (33%)

Playoffs

First Round

East / Chicago Bulls beat New York Knicks, 2-0
The guard-center tandem was predicted to be a significant selling point of this series. Reggie Theus vs. Micheal Ray Richardson, and Artis Gilmore vs. Bill Cartwright. This was also the first meeting between the two franchises, as Chicago was recently moved to the Eastern Conference.

An ugly scoring game was victorious for Chicago thanks to Ricky Sobers’ eighteen points off the bench. Cartwright seemed to be dealing with poor conditioning or a nagging injury, given his low minutes and usage. The New York center continued to struggle in Game 2, recording only nine points and five fouls in a one-point overtime loss. Conversely, Chicago’s Reggie Theus poured in thirty-seven points, eleven assists, and four steals to close out.
East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Indiana Pacers, 2-0
In Indiana’s first playoff appearance, they were faced with the tall ask of usurping the defending Eastern Conference Champions. It also proposed an interesting narrative of George McGinnis facing his former team for the first time in the playoffs.

The Pacers had no counter to Julius Erving’s bag of tricks, enabling him to average twenty-seven points in two blowout wins for the 76ers. Rookie Andrew Toney also had a phenomenal performance in Game 1, delivering fifteen points and eleven assists off the bench. Simply put, there was an unbreakable talent gap at play.
West / Houston Rockets beat Los Angeles Lakers, 2-1
On paper, this was easy pickings for Los Angeles. They were a deep, star-studded team that had outperformed Houston in the regular season. The Rockets may have had two great players in Moses Malone and Calvin Murphy, but that did not remotely compare to the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and more.

Unfazed by predictions, Houston pulled off a shocking upset loss on the road in which Malone dropped thirty-eight points. His heavy lifting – alongside some productive Murphy minutes – was enough to ward off a Lakers team with six double digit scorers. Los Angeles fought back with a road win of their own despite a near-perfect Malone game, only to flatten in Game 3.

Abdul-Jabbar, despite his high scoring, was inefficient and turnover-prone – Magic Johnson also had a terrible night, scoring ten points on two-for-fourteen shooting. What makes matters even more absurd is that the Rockets were just as putrid offensively – their win was truly because of Los Angeles’ complacency.

This was the biggest upset the post-season had seen in quite some time, and immediately opened up the Western Conference race.
West / Kansas City Kings beat Portland Trail Blazers, 2-1
Competition was tense from the start, with Game 1 going to overtime and ending in a one-point Kansas City victory. Otis Birdsong’s twenty-nine points was the catalyst for success, giving the Kings a promising advantage.

The second match saw yet another overtime, in which the Blazers rode Mychal Thompson’s forty-point outing. Portland’s offense was much less explosive in the tiebreaker – it was only sophomore Billy Ray Bates with a performance to remember, while the Kings benefited from five double-digit scorers.

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Chicago Bulls, 4-0
During their Eastern Conference conquest, the Bulls were up against the juggernaut Celtics next. They were outmatched in terms of depth, but Reggie Theus and Artis Gilmore entered the post-season with the right mentality to win.

Unfortunately, that bode out poorly for them. The Celtics demolished Chicago entirely, winning every match comfortably. They were simply too talented, and Larry Bird was unreal – he delivered a gaudy 24/17/10 stat-line in Game 3, and thirty-five points in the closing fourth match.
East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-3
Two sixty-win teams guaranteed a fierce matchup. The 76ers and Bucks immediately ran to a 2-2 series tie, largely led by franchise stars Julius Erving and Marques Johnson. The latter was particularly lethal, averaging twenty-eight points per game in this stretch.

Philadelphia dished out a convincing blowout win in Game 5, and things finally looked to be in their favor. However, Mickey Johnson and Bob Lanier rooted Milwaukee in further success to prolong their year.

Despite Marques, Lanier, and Sidney Moncrief combining for seventy-nine points in Game 7, they still fell short to the 76ers. Twenty-eight points from Erving and twenty-one from Bobby Jones solidified their fourth Conference Finals appearance in the last five seasons.
West / Houston Rockets beat San Antonio Spurs, 4-3
In back-to-back years, San Antonio had to face their inter-state rival to advance in the playoffs. They seemed much more advantaged this time, coming off a great regular season – however, this Rockets team was clearly resilient. They had just knocked out the defending champions in the first round, and had an intoxicating amount of control over games.

The first four games were split even, with Game 2 featuring an uncanny duel between Houston’s Calvin Murphy and the Spurs’ Mark Olberding. Moses Malone was the more inconsistent of superstars between him and George Gervin – however, his thirty-four points and thirteen rebounds gave the Rockets a 3-2 series lead. San Antonio fought back in spite of his heroics in Game 6, which set up a seventh match.

Murphy was the star of the show, dropping forty-two efficient points to uphold Houston. They had now pulled off consecutive upsets, and it was beginning to look like they could take on anybody.
West / Kansas City Kings beat Phoenix Suns, 4-3
Coming off the best season in franchise history, Phoenix seemed primed for an easy series win. Kansas City was a good defensive team with some solid pieces all-around, but lacked the personnel quality of their foes.

Phoenix won Game 1 convincingly, profiting from an injury to Otis Birdsong that immediately dampened the Kings’ chances. However, they proceeded to drop three straight matches in baffling fashion as they fell to a 3-1 deficit. It was now up to them to compile an improbable comeback, which they inched towards with back-to-back wins.

Game 7 was anybody’s to take – Kansas City had proven their ability to win, but were also playing on the road. They took advantage of the Suns’ lifeless offense, jumping to a twelve-point lead by the fourth quarter. Dennis Johnson attempted to will his teammates into a late-game comeback, but they had already tapped out. The Kings closed out the series without their best player, setting up an unpredictable Conference Finals featuring them and the Houston Rockets.

Conference Finals

East / Boston Celtics beat Philadelphia 76ers, 4-3
In a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, the historic rivals were both looking to exploit a potentially weak Finals matchup. Both of the Western teams were sturdy, but flawed – this could be their greatest shot at a championship.

After splitting the first two meetings, the 76ers jumped to a 3-1 lead in preparation for another Finals appearance. However, Larry Bird had other ideas – in the face of defeat, he scored fifty-seven points over the next two matches to force Game 7.

This was the fourth Game 7 of this year’s post-season, and was expected to be a rigid slugfest that would come down to the wire. Both teams’ superstars delivered, with Bird and Julius Erving dropping twenty-three points each. Boston rallied in the late stages of the game, fueled by Bird’s jump shooting and tough defense from him, Cedric Maxwell, and Robert Parish. After Maurice Cheeks missed a vital free throw, the 76ers failed to execute a late-game play and settled with a one-point loss.

In a fashion reminiscent of the 1968 Eastern Division Finals, the Celtics had overcome a 3-1 deficit to defeat Philadelphia and continue their search for a title.
West / Houston Rockets beat Kansas City Kings, 4-1
For the first time since 1957, two teams with losing records faced off in the final four. The outcome of this series was unforeseeable – the Rockets had upset two divisional champions, but Kansas City displayed the ability to win in spite of their biggest star’s absence.

The first two games were split, but Houston caught some much-needed victories to take a sizable lead. Moses Malone totaled forty-two points and twenty-three rebounds in Game 4, which was an offensive masterclass the Kings could not mirror. A healthy Birdsong was dearly missed, and it showed.

In Game 5, Malone served a thirty-six-point whooping to send Houston to their very first NBA Finals. The former M.V.P. was achieving the impossible, left with only one more adversary in his way.

Finals

Boston Celtics beat Houston Rockets, 4-2
The Celtics and Rockets had met in the past, but only in Semifinals rounds – as Houston was now a Western Conference team, this was the first Finals meet between the two. Boston was heavily favored, given their all-around better roster and interior presence. That could spell trouble for Moses Malone, who would have to fight especially hard to reach his typical production.

A near triple-double from Larry Bird opened up the series as Boston secured Game 1. Thirty-one Malone points tied the series, forcing the Celtics to respond on the road. Bird was quite awful offensively – only managing to score eight points – but a balanced team effort saved the green team. Houston refused to give up, backpacking off Mike Dunleavy’s twenty-eight points to establish a 2-2 tie.

Game 5 was all about Cedric Maxwell, who masked yet another mediocre exhibit from Bird with twenty-eight points and fifteen rebounds of his own. Houston could stay in the race with a win at home, which they failed to accomplish. Fifty combined points from Robert Reid and Malone was not enough to spoil Bird’s resurgence – the Celtics forward bounced back with twenty-seven points and thirteen rebounds, sealing the championship run in clutch fashion.

Maxwell was rendered as the Finals MVP favorite, stepping up big in moments where Bird failed to deliver. His scoring average of nineteen in Boston’s wins outshined Bird’s sixteen, which influenced voters.

Regardless of media awards, though, one thing was true – the Celtics’ historical dominance was unparalleled, managing their fourteenth championship in thirty-five years of existence.
The Boston Celtics win the 1981 NBA championship!
Cedric Maxwell 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 MVP
Darrell GriffithJulius ErvingCedric Maxwell
Coach of the YearComeback Player of the Year
Jack McKinneyBernard King

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Dennis Johnson
George Gervin
Julius Erving
Larry Bird
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Tiny Archibald
Otis Birdsong
Adrian Dantley
Marques Johnson
Moses Malone

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Dennis Johnson
Micheal Ray Richardson
Bobby Jones
Caldwell Jones
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Quinn Buckner
Dudley Bradley
Michael Cooper
Dan Roundfield
Kermit Washington
George Johnson

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Tiny Archibald*
Larry Bird
Julius Erving
Artis Gilmore
Eddie Johnson
Marques Johnson
Bobby Jones
Mike Mitchell (IR)
Robert Parish
Micheal Ray Richardson
Dan Roundfield
Reggie Theus		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Otis Birdsong
Adrian Dantley
Walter Davis
George Gervin
Dennis Johnson
Moses Malone
Truck Robinson
Jack Sikma
Paul Westphal
Jamaal Wilkes
East beats West, 123-120

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Joe Barry Carroll
Darrell Griffith
Kevin McHale
Kelvin Ransey
Larry Smith

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
Celtics141957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969, 1974
1976, 1981
Lakers71949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
1980
Warriors31947, 1956
1975
76ers21955, 1967
Knicks21970, 1973
Kings11951
Hawks11958
Bucks11971
Trail Blazers11977
Bullets11978
SuperSonics11979

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: 1973

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published May 15, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1973

Relocating Royalty

Moving west

Since 1968, Cincinnati Royals personnel had been eyeing game opportunities in Omaha, Nebraska. They had played plenty of “home” matches in the city over the past half a decade, ranging from twelve to forty-two in a season.

This was the year the franchise permanently committed, dubbing themselves the Kansas City-Omaha Kings and splitting their home schedule between the two cities. They adopted the “Kings” surname to avoid confusion with the Kansas City Royals MLB team.

Due to this relocation, there were divisional re-assignments:

  • The Kansas City-Omaha Kings were moved from the Central Division to the Midwest Division, also placing them in the Western Conference.
  • The Houston Rockets were moved from the Pacific Division to the Central Division, also placing them in the Eastern Conference.
  • The Phoenix Suns were moved from the Midwest Division to the Pacific Division.

In other good news for the squad, they improved by six games and saw starting guard Tiny Archibald receive his first All-Star Game invitation.

9-and-73ers?

During the off-season, Philadelphia 76ers superstar Billy Cunningham jumped ship to the ABA. This was already seen as a catastrophic loss for the team, who were coming off an underwhelming thirty-win run – to make matters worse, coach Jack Ramsay departed to coach the Buffalo Braves. This left the 76ers’ locker room in disrepair, hinting towards an inevitably messy year.

After starting the season 0-15, the pitiful club finally managed a narrow two-point win against the Houston Rockets in early November. They won a couple of contests on occasion, but were largely amidst pathetic losing streaks. They lost fourteen straight from December to early January, and then completed a separate spell of twenty consecutive defeats from January to February.

While the roster was already awful, coach Roy Rubin was also heavily criticized for his lack of aptitude, being deemed fraudulent. He lacked insight and failed to encourage players during practice, which instilled bad habits in them. Rubin was replaced with 76ers guard Kevin Loughery, who neglected his playing duties to coach instead. They managed a grand five wins in February under his lead, but finished the season with the worst winning percentage of all-time.

E For “Exit”

A shocking trade during the off-season sent Houston Rockets star Elvin Hayes to the Baltimore Bullets in exchange for Jack Marin. Statistically speaking, this swap was incredibly lop-sided. Hayes was an absolute two-way behemoth, anchoring elite defenses while ranking sixth all-time in points per game. Marin was a talented forward coming off of his first All-Star selection, but the gap in talent was clear.

This generated skepticism regarding Hayes’ place in Houston culture. It was known that he frequently argued with coach Tex Winter, which was perhaps a breaking point for the front office – they were not interested in tantrums from a superstar, and opted to build around somebody else. Funnily enough, Winter was fired by the team seven months later.

The Bullets ultimately benefitted from the newfound acquirement, improving by fourteen games and finishing with a top five defense. Hayes’ impact on the glass was also profound, as Baltimore improved to the fifth spot league-wide in rebounds per game.

Barry’s Back!

During the summer of 1972, ABA star Rick Barry was prohibited by law from playing for any team besides the Golden State Warriors once his current contract ended. This was a byproduct of the various disputes the forward had with the franchise when he initially left them in 1967.

Upon his return, Barry posted a noticeably different style in comparison to his two first seasons. He was far less geared towards scoring, now adopting an unfamiliar “point forward” role in which he would often orchestrate his team’s offense. He led Golden State in assists, and his average of 4.9 was the highest of his NBA career.

Despite the return of their former superstar, the Warriors seemed to decline slightly. It’s hard to deduce whether this is his wrongdoing – their overall defense took a slight dip, and star Cazzie Russell had a down year.

Almost There

On their fifth game of the season, the Boston Celtics faced the Buffalo Braves. They had a field day dominating their divisional rival, leading by a thick forty-three points by the fourth quarter.

Buffalo shocked the Massachusetts audience in the fourth, scoring a record-breaking fifty-eight points to attempt a comeback. This was well over twice the amount scored by Boston, who truly only won because of the enormous cushion they built prior. The Braves’ sophomore guard Randy Smith was the star of the show, with an efficient twenty-nine points anchoring the failed comeback.

Standout Players

Dave Cowens

In light of the Celtics having their best season in franchise history, Cowens became Boston’s first M.V.P. winner since Bill Russell. He showed up in every game, averaging career highs in points, rebounds, and assists on the way.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Despite Cowens’ marvelous run, Abdul-Jabbar was still the league’s best player. His scoring declined slightly, but he still finished top two in points average despite that. His career high mark of five assists is perhaps the most notable breakthrough, establishing him among the best playmaking bigs in the NBA.

Tiny Archibald

Archibald made history by becoming the first player to lead the league in both points and assists in the same season – Oscar Robertson had done so prior with averages, but the league identified leaders off of totals at the time. Tiny’s acrobatics catapulted the Kings to the top ranked league offense.

Wilt Chamberlain

At the age of thirty-six, Chamberlain remained a force. While he saw a career low in scoring – only supplying a little over ten points a game – his defensive impact was still near-untouchable. Once again, he played every night and averaged over forty minutes en route to another sixty-win Lakers campaign.

Pete Maravich

The Hawks returned to the win column thanks to Pistol Pete’s best year-long performance yet. He averaged career highs in all three major categories, also putting together four forty-point games.

John Havlicek

Hondo’s eleventh season was yet another great one. Cowens got a lot of media attention and favoritism for the M.V.P. award – and rightfully so – but Havlicek was arguably just as vital to the Celtics’ success. He was the team’s offensive engine, leading them in both points and assists.

Around the League

Team Standings

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

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*6814Baltimore Bullets*5230
New York Knicks*5725Atlanta Hawks*4636
Buffalo Braves2161Houston Rockets3349
Philadelphia 76ers973Cleveland Cavaliers3250
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
Milwaukee Bucks*6022Los Angeles Lakers*6022
Chicago Bulls*5131Golden State Warriors*4735
Detroit Pistons4042Phoenix Suns3844
Kansas City-Omaha Kings3646Seattle SuperSonics2656
Portland Trail Blazers2161

Fun Facts

  • Yet another headline-worthy campaign was completed by the Boston Celtics, who won a colossal sixty-eight games.
    • This winning percentage was good for the third-best in NBA history, and the highest of the franchise to date.
    • The gritty identity they claimed in their last couple seasons finally reached its maximum potential, with them ranking first in defense league-wide.
  • The Philadelphia 76ers finished with the lowest win total and worst winning percentage professional basketball had seen to date.
  • For the first time since its conception, the new divisional system seemed balanced – all eight teams in the win column made the playoffs, and all nine with a losing record missed it.
  • While the Kansas City-Omaha Kings managed to boast the number-one-ranked offense, they settled with a pathetic seventeenth-place finish on the other end of the ball – good for last in the league.
  • The Milwaukee Bucks ended the year in the top five for both offense and defense – this was their third consecutive year of doing 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		Portland Trail Blazers
Buffalo Braves
Cleveland Cavaliers
Phoenix Suns
Philadelphia 76ers
Milwaukee Bucks
Seattle SuperSonics
New York Knicks
Detroit Pistons
Boston Celtics		LaRue Martin
Bob McAdoo
Dwight Davis
Corky Calhoun
Freddie Boyd
Russ Lee
Bud Stallworth
Tom Riker
Bob Nash
Paul Westphal

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
June 23, 1972Elvin HayesHouston RocketsTradedBaltimore Bullets(25.2p/14.6r/3.3a)
June 23, 1972Jack MarinBaltimore BulletsTradedHouston Rockets(22.3p/6.8r/2.2a)
July 1, 1972Rick BarryNew York Americans (ABA)SignedGolden State Warriors(31.5p/7.5r/4.1a)
August 1, 1972Jimmy WalkerDetroit PistonsTradedHouston Rockets(21.3/4r/3a)
August 2, 1972John BriskerPittsburgh Condors (ABA)SignedSeattle SuperSonics(28.9p/9.1r/4.1a)
August 23, 1972Butch BeardCleveland CavaliersTradedSeattle SuperSonics(15.4p/4.1r/6.7a)
August 23, 1972Lenny WilkensSeattle SuperSonicsTradedCleveland Cavaliers(18p/4.2r/9.6a)
January 26, 1973Tom Van ArsdaleKansas City-Ohama KingsTradedPhiladelphia 76ers(12.4p/3.5r/1.8a)
January 26, 1973John BlockPhiladelphia 76ersTradedKansas City-Ohama Kings(17.9p/9.2r/2a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
June 15, 1972Coach Roy RubinPhiladelphia 76ersHiredRecord: n/a
January 10, 1973Coach Tom NissalkeSeattle SuperSonicsFiredRecord: 13-32
January 10, 1973Coach Bucky BuckwalterSeattle SuperSonicsAppointed (Interim)Record: 13-24
January 21, 1973Coach Tex WinterHouston RocketsFiredRecord: 17-30
January 21, 1973Coach Johnny EganHouston RocketsHiredRecord: 16-19
January 23, 1973Coach Roy RubinPhiladelphia 76ersFiredRecord: 4-47
January 23, 1973Coach Kevin LougheryPhiladelphia 76ersAppointed (Interim)Record: 5-26
March 30, 1973Coach John MacLeodPhoenix SunsHiredRecord: n/a

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Elgin BaylorLos Angeles Lakers10x All-NBA
11x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
1959 Rookie of the Year
Billy Cunningham
(jumped to ABA)		Philadelphia 76ers1x Champion
4x All-NBA
4x All-Star
1966 All-Rookie Team

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
PPGTiny Archibald (34)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (30.2)
Spencer Haywood (29.2)
Lou Hudson (27.1)
Pete Maravich (26.1)
RPGWilt Chamberlain (18.6)
Nate Thurmond (17.1)
Dave Cowens (16.2)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (16.1)
Wes Unseld (15.9)
APGTiny Archibald (11.4)
Lenny Wilkens (8.4)
Dave Bing (7.8)
Oscar Robertson (7.5)
Norm Van Lier (7.1)
FG%Wilt Chamberlain (72%)
Matt Guokas (57%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (55%)
Curtis Rowe (51%)
Jim Fox (51%)
FT%Rick Barry (90%)
Calvin Murphy (88%)
Mike Newlin (88%)
Jimmy Walker (88%)
Bill Bradley (87%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Atlanta Hawks, 4-2
Boston and Atlanta were slated for their second straight first round matchup. The Hawks went home in six last time, and entered the Boston Garden seeking a different outcome.

John Havlicek immediately made a statement, powering the Celtics with fifty-four points in Game 1 – the fourth-highest single scoring game in playoffs history. Both this and the succeeding Game 2 were blowout wins for the home team, who had hopes to extend their lead back down south.

The Hawks protected their turf, winning two hard-fought matches under Lou Hudson and Pete Maravich’s lead. Matters were now up to the final three games, which Boston dominated – two shooting clinics from Jo Jo White sealed the deal, while M.V.P. Dave Cowens owned the glass.

New year, same old outcome.
East / New York Knicks beat Baltimore Bullets, 4-1
At this point, the Knicks-Bullets duel was disturbingly guaranteed – this was their FIFTH straight head-to-head in the post-season. Historically speaking, New York had the upper edge, with three of the last four rounds won.

While the Bullets’ roster seemed better than in previous years – largely thanks to having two of the game’s best big men – they immediately fell into a 3-0 deficit. They had no reliable perimeter defense, struggling to contain the Knicks’ new backcourt of Walt Frazier and former Bullet Earl Monroe. They finally managed a Game 4 win at home, holding their foes to only eighty-nine points – Elvin Hayes also put together his second-straight thirty-point outing.

However, a statement closing from the Knicks was inevitable – three of their starters exceeded twenty points to ensure their fifth consecutive Conference Finals appearance.
West / Golden State Warriors beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-2
The Bucks and Warriors now met for the third year in a row, establishing yet another tense inter-conference rivalry. Golden State had never beaten Milwaukee, but were looking to change tides with the re-acquisition of Rick Barry.

Surprisingly, the two clubs split victories in Milwaukee Arena. Game 1 was a landslide win from the home team, but stiff defense left the series tied. What makes Golden State’s feat even more impressive was that Rick Barry went out two minutes into the first quarter – Cazzie Russell responded with a twenty-five point heater off the bench.

Milwaukee won in yet another blowout behind thirty-four points from Oscar Robertson, but an overwhelming takeover game from Rick Barry resulted in yet another series tie. Golden State shockingly took a road win afterwards – Nate Thurmond was instrumental in their success, limiting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to nineteen points on terrible efficiency. The two-time M.V.P. also shot three-for-ten at the foul line, a blunder that cost them the game.

With momentum on their side, the Warriors handled business at home with a blowout victory. This was their first time beating the Bucks in a playoff series, and the franchise’s first Conference Finals trip since 1968.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Chicago Bulls, 4-3
As per usual, repeated first round matchups were this post-season’s narrative. The Lakers and Bulls were scheduled for their third straight first-round series, of which Chicago had never emerged triumphant.

The pedigree of the defending champions was on full display during their 2-0 series lead, of which Gail Goodrich was the clear leader. Surprisingly, Chicago responded head-on with two wins of their own, citing big games from Chet Walker and Bob Love for their resilience.

After a dominant Lakers Game 5 victory – in which Chamberlain had a 21/29/4 stat-line – it seemed easy for the Californian club to advance. However, Chicago simply refused to let down their fans – yet another home victory followed the Bulls, who were determined to upset their rivals. They nearly achieved such in the tiebreaker, which they only lost by three – Wilt Chamberlain was an unstoppable force, totaling over twenty points and rebounds again.

The Bulls had fallen short once more, still unable to advance past the first round. Fans at least had Norm Van Lier to be excited for, though – the 6’1″ guard was truly sensational, with twenty-eight points and fourteen (!) rebounds in the deflating loss.

Conference Finals

East / New York Knicks beat Boston Celtics, 4-3
The Eastern Conference playoffs were a direct mirror of last year thus far, with yet another Atlantic Division clash. New York got the best of Boston last time, but the sixty-eight-win Celtics looked like a different beast. This was especially true after winning by twenty-six points in the opener, with Jo Jo White and John Havlicek compiling masterclasses.

Simply put, that sort of defeat enraged the Knicks. They proceeded to win the next three matches in convincing fashion, including a fierce double overtime in Game 4. A lot of New York’s victories were balanced efforts, but Walt Frazier’s thirty-seven points defined that night.

On the brink of elimination, the Celtics managed to take Game 5 by a single point. The M.V.P. solidified his selection in a must-win moment, with thirty-two points and sixteen rebounds. Boston proceeded to force Game 7 two nights later, putting their foes under immense pressure to deliver.

A hard-fought, defensively-inclined final contest was controlled by the Knicks, who had five double-digit scorers. Frazier continued to assert himself, being only three assists short of a triple-double. The defending Eastern Conference Champions had now upset one of the best regular season teams ever, avoiding the scrutiny tied to blowing a 3-1 lead.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Golden State Warriors, 4-1
Any sense of reason would lead everybody to overwhelmingly favor Los Angeles in this Western Conference Finals. Still, it would be unwise to doubt a hungry Golden State team that just eliminated a perennial powerhouse in Milwaukee.

The depth of the Lakers was truly baffling. In their three consecutive wins to open the series, somebody different dominated each game. First it was Jim McMillian, then Jerry West – scoring was more balanced in Game 3, but McMillian continued to assert himself.

The Warriors refused to go out sad, at least avoiding the sweep in the fourth meet. Rick Barry continued to have a very disappointing series, but Cazzie Russell delivered a thirty-three-point bomb off the bench that secured a somewhat narrow win.

Did it truly matter, though? Gail Goodrich thought not. The star delivered forty-four points and eight assists to dismantle his inter-state rivals, earning the Lakers their fourth Finals appearance in the last five seasons.

Finals

New York Knicks beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1
Twice had this matchup defined the final stage, and now was the third instance of it occurring. New York and Los Angeles had both won a championship in these cases, and now would be the true decisive tiebreaker.

The Lakers won the first match behind a big Gail Goodrich scoring performance, with the Knicks narrowly taking Game 2 to head home tied. The two matches in New York were both Knicks wins by slight amounts – Willis Reed delivered some quality efforts, and Dave DeBusschere showed up big in Game 4. This 3-1 lead was their biggest during any of the three Finals versus Los Angeles.

Halfway through the fifth meet, the game was relatively even – however, a massive third quarter from New York practically guaranteed a championship. The defense on Jerry West had been good all series, and it especially stood out here – his efficiency was awful, and a vintage Wilt Chamberlain performance could not save him.

In a reverse of last year, the Los Angeles Lakers were gentleman’s swept at the highest level. New York became the first team to win multiple championships in the 70’s, and looked prepared to be the next great dynasty.
The New York Knicks win the 1973 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
Bob McAdooDave CowensWillis ReedTom Heinsohn

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Tiny Archibald
Jerry West
John Havlicek
Spencer Haywood
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Walt Frazier
Pete Maravich
Rick Barry
Elvin Hayes
Dave Cowens

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Walt Frazier
Jerry West
John Havlicek
Dave DeBusschere
Wilt Chamberlain		Norm Van Lier
Don Chaney
Mike Riordan
Paul Silas
Nate Thurmond

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
John Block
Bill Bradley
Dave Cowens*
Dave DeBusschere
Walt Frazier
John Havlicek
Lou Hudson
Bob Kauffman
Pete Maravich
Jack Marin
Wes Unseld
Jo Jo White
Lenny Wilkens		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Tiny Archibald
Rick Barry
Dave Bing
Wilt Chamberlain
Bob Dandridge
Gail Goodrich
Connie Hawkins (IR)
Spencer Haywood
Bob Lanier
Bob Love (IR)
Charlie Scott
Nate Thurmond
Chet Walker
Jerry West
Sidney Wicks
East beats West, 104-84

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Freddie Boyd
Dwight Davis
Bob McAdoo
Lloyd Neal
Jim Price

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
Lakers61949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
Warriors21947, 1956
76ers21955, 1967
Knicks21970, 1973
Kings11951
Hawks11958
Bucks11971

The NBA Time Machine: 1969

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published March 16, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1969

End of an Era

Rise and Shine

Even when considering the fact that two expansion teams infiltrated the NBA in the prior season, the league refused to be complacent. Entering the mix were the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, two unique club choices with the goal of making professional basketball a nation-wide staple.

Milwaukee hadn’t hosted a team in fourteen years, with the last representative being the Milwaukee Hawks, who left for St. Louis in 1956. The Suns, on the other hand, were unfamiliar territory – Arizona had never seen a professional sports franchise at all, and the decision was heavily criticized. Many saw the recently growing Phoenix as too hot, irrelevant, and distant to be a reasonable location for expansion. Such concerns did not phase owners, as the promise of the city’s recent growth was too good to pass up.

The Bucks and Suns fit comfortably into the Eastern and Western Divisions, respectively.

The Superteam

Uncertainty hit the Philadelphia 76ers when storied coach Alex Hannum committed to coaching the Oakland Oaks of the ABA. The rival league’s influence was clearly growing, and NBA franchises grew weary.

Wilt Chamberlain was initially disappointed by the move – Hannum had coached him to two Finals appearances and a championship in his career, and the famed superstar was very active in questioning how the coaching search was going. Chamberlain eventually entertained the idea of being a player-coach, and there seemed to be some momentum building in determining their personnel.

Philadelphia was subsequently shocked when Chamberlain, fresh off a trip to the west coast, demanded to be traded. He wanted to join the Western Division – his preferred spots were the Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle Supersonics, or San Diego Rockets. The 76ers did not tolerate his request, only to be retaliated with claims that he’d otherwise move to the ABA’s Los Angeles Stars. Former league superstar Rick Barry’s mindset of “player freedom” had now caught on to other talents, and it was leaving managers in a tough situation.

Chamberlain was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for former All-Stars Archie Clark and Darrell Imhoff, as well as the young Jerry Chambers. The trade seemed blatantly lop-sided, but Philadelphia was not given much leverage – getting a few solid pieces was the best option possible. This was the first time a reigning M.V.P. was traded the season after.

Now paired with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, Chamberlain became the third of a monstrous “big three” in Los Angeles that seemed overwhelmingly favored to win an NBA championship. The league had not seen a roster of such proportions before, featuring three superstar players amidst their primes.

ATL

Throughout their more recent years in Missouri, the St. Louis Hawks began to run into problems with hosting. They were not fond of their arena selection – their current location, the Kiel Auditorium, was old and small, while the alternative St. Louis Arena had a size advantage but much worse maintenance.

Owner Ben Kerner was denied the request for a bigger arena, and as a result looked to sell the Hawks. They nearly moved to New Orleans, but talks dissipated and they were eventually sold to developers in Atlanta. They did not immediately have access to an area, so they utilized Georgia Tech’s Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

While there was potential for high profit long-term the newfound Atlanta Hawks had a geographical dilemma – they were even further from their Western Division rivals now. The closest one – the Chicago Bulls – was 720 miles out. The next up in proximity was Phoenix at a whopping 1,815.

Youth is Power

Top two draft picks Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes had phenomenal seasons, both some of the best for rookies in a long time. Unseld led the Baltimore Bullets to a league-best fifty-seven wins, winning the M.V.P. award in the process – he was the first rookie to be honored with such since Wilt Chamberlain in 1960.

Hayes finished first in scoring average and led the San Diego Rockets to a twenty-two game improvement, earning them a playoff berth in just their second season of existence. His phenomenal defense also established them as a top three defensive team in the NBA.

All-Defensive

To parallel the All-NBA Teams, the league introduced an “All-Defensive Team” as part of its regular season awards. Much like its counterpart, the teams were positionally comprised of two guards, two forwards, and a center.

Standout Players

Wes Unseld

Unseld had one of the best rookie seasons in NBA history. While not flashy on the box score, his impact as a defender and rebounder was remarkable. His efforts alongside teammate Earl Monroe helped Baltimore improve by twenty-one games, earning the franchise its first winning record.

Elvin Hayes

The first overall pick lived up to the hype, leading the NBA in scoring and lifting the Rockets to a twenty-two game improvement. Such play brought them to the post-season in only their second year – a rare accomplishment for an expansion franchise.

Willis Reed

Reed was undeniably a superstar at this point. His leadership helped New York see its first ever fifty-win season, and he was a quiet runner-up for the M.V.P. award. Being separated from Walt Bellamy also brought him back to his natural center position, resulting in career highs for scoring and efficiency.

Wilt Chamberlain

The Big Dipper was clouded in controversy this year, due to the dramatic circumstances of his trade demand. He was seen as a locker room cancer and frequently butt heads with coach Butch van Breda Kolff, leaving him with a sour reputation that left him off many seasonal accolades. Regardless, he was effectively their best player during the regular season, leading the league in rebounds and efficiency once again.

Billy Cunningham

Cunningham was the leader of an unexpected 76ers fifty-win season. Many expected them to decline heavily after trading Wilt Chamberlain, but they only worsened by seven games. “The Kangaroo Kid” having his first All-Star season created that reality, alongside the play of teammate Hal Greer.

Oscar Robertson

While Robertson regressed a bit offensively, he still led the league in assists and finished top five in scoring average. The Royals also finished as the top-ranked offense for the first time since 1965, but it was unfortunately still not enough for a playoff berth.

Around the League

Team Standings

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

Eastern DivisionWLWestern DivisionWL
Baltimore Bullets*5725Los Angeles Lakers*5527
Philadelphia 76ers*5527Atlanta Hawks*4834
New York Knicks*5428San Francisco Warriors*4141
Boston Celtics*4834San Diego Rockets*3745
Cincinnati Royals4141Chicago Bulls3349
Detroit Pistons3250Seattle SuperSonics3052
Milwaukee Bucks2755Phoenix Suns1666

Fun Facts

  • This season was historic for the Baltimore Bullets, including:
    • The first winning record in franchise history.
    • Their first time as the first seed of any division.
  • The New York Knicks won their first fifty-win season behind the heroics of Willis Reed and Walt Frazier.
  • The Boston Celtics finished under fifty wins for the first time since 1958, as well as under the second seed in the Eastern Division for the first time since 1955.
  • The Cincinnati Royals bathed in mediocrity for the third season straight, leaving them incapable of seeing the post-season yet again.
    • Their defense was ranked as the worst in the NBA for the second consecutive year, placing below both expansion teams and the undisciplined Detroit Pistons.
  • With a whopping four expansion teams, the Western Division continued to be in a terrible state competitively.
    • The third seed – the San Francisco Warriors – would have finished second-to-last in the Eastern Division.
    • Even the Atlanta Hawks, who boasted a winning record, would have finished fifth in the East – not even adequate for playoff contention.

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		San Diego Rockets
Baltimore Bullets
Seattle SuperSonics
Chicago Bulls
Cincinnati Royals
Detroit Pistons
Milwaukee Bucks
Phoenix Suns
San Francisco Warriors
New York Knicks		Elvin Hayes
Wes Unseld
Bob Kauffman
Tom Boerwinkle
Don Smith
Otto Moore
Charlie Paulk
Gary Gregor
Ron Williams
Bill Hosket

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
July 9, 1968Wilt ChamberlainPhiladelphia 76ersTradedLos Angeles Lakers(24.3p/23.8r/8.6a)
July 9, 1968Archie ClarkLos Angeles LakersTradedPhiladelphia 76ers(19.9p/4.2r/4.4a)
October 12, 1968Walt HazzardSeattle SuperSonicsTradedAtlanta Hawks(24p/4.2r/6.2a)
October 12, 1968Lenny WilkensAtlanta HawksTradedSeattle SuperSonics(20p/5.3r/8.3a)
December 19, 1968Dave DeBusschereDetroit PistonsTradedNew York Knicks(16.3p/12.2r/2.2a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
April 24, 1968Coach Red KerrChicago BullsResignedRecord: 29-53
April 24, 1968Coach Red KerrPhoenix SunsHiredRecord: n/a
May 1968Coach Bill SharmanSan Francisco WarriorsResignedRecord: 43-39
May 14, 1968Coach George LeeSan Francisco WarriorsHiredRecord: n/a
December 2, 1968Coach Donnie ButcherDetroit PistonsFiredRecord: 10-12
December 2, 1968Coach Paul SeymourDetroit PistonsHiredRecord: 22-38

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Larry CostelloPhiladelphia Warriors
Philadelphia 76ers		1x Champion
1x All-NBA
6x All-Star

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
PPGElvin Hayes (28.4)
Earl Monroe (25.8)
Billy Cunningham (24.8)
Elgin Baylor (24.8)
Oscar Robertson (24.7)
RPGWilt Chamberlain (21.1)
Nate Thurmond (19.7)
Bill Russell (19.3)
Jerry Lucas (18.4)
Wes Unseld (18.2)
APGOscar Robertson (9.8)
Lenny Wilkens (8.2)
Walt Frazier (7.9)
Dave Bing (7.1)
Guy Rodgers (6.9)
FG%Wilt Chamberlain (58%)
Jerry Lucas (55%)
Willis Reed (52%)
Terry Dischinger (51%)
Walt Bellamy (51%)
FT%Larry Siegfried (86%)
Jeff Mullins (84%)
Jon McGlocklin (84%)
Flynn Robinson (83%)
Oscar Robertson (83%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Philadelphia 76ers, 4-1
For the fifth straight season, the Celtics and 76ers met in the playoffs. The stark difference in this year’s duel was the absence of Wilt Chamberlain – now on the Los Angeles Lakers, the reigning MV.P. left Philadelphia with a bit of a different makeup.

With Boston declining in the regular season, it was questioned whether they would have the same firepower as usual entering the post-season. They finished seven games worse than their rival, but still possessed the overwhelming advantage of experience. It was clearly a strong enough factor to win some games, as they opened the series with a 3-0 lead.

The 76ers’ biggest issue was Hal Greer’s scoring struggles – it was not until the fourth match, where he finally managed a solid combination of production and efficiency, that they could snatch a victory. That was good enough to avoid a sweep, but the Celtics pulled away on the road to earn a Division Finals appearance.
East / New York Knicks beat Baltimore Bullets, 4-0
After leading the NBA in winning percentage, expectations of Baltimore were high. Anything short of a solid playoff run would be a disappointment, especially given their roster – multiple All-Stars, one of which was the M.V.P., and a slew of talented role players. The only major concern was the lack of star forward Gus Johnson, who had been out with injury since February.

The Knicks were not shy by any means. They only finished three games worse in the regular season, and proved their worth with an efficient statement win on the road in Game 1. Game 2 was an even greater blowout win thanks to the Walt Frazier-Dick Barnett backcourt, who combined for fifty points.

Game 3 was in the Bullets’ favor entering the fourth quarter, but they gave up a small lead to go down 3-0. The issue was not so much on offense as it was defense at this point – Earl Monroe, Wes Unseld, and Kevin Loughery scored decently, but nobody could contain the Knicks’ wild arsenal of scorers. A sweep ensued thanks to forty-three points and seventeen rebounds from Willis Reed in the fourth matchup, sending Baltimore home in disappointment.
West / Atlanta Hawks beat San Diego Rockets, 4-2
Even without Lenny Wilkens, the Hawks were a respectable club. They had two All-Stars in Lou Hudson and Joe Caldwell, as well as multiple quality rotational players that helped solidify a top five-ranked offense. On the contrary, the Rockets were a horrid scoring squad, but had a great defensive identity.

That seemed to dissipate when Lou Hudson scored thirty-nine in the first game on sixty-three-percent shooting, followed by a strong 31/13/2 outing from Zelmo Beaty a couple nights later. San Diego’s defense returned to form in their first home game, marking what would be one of two consecutive wins to tie the series at two apiece.

Closing wins from the Hawks were no surprise, given their simply better personnel. The efforts of Elvin Hayes were not enough to net the Rockets a playoff series win, but the rookie still showed out – dragging a young expansion franchise to two post-season victories is no easy feat.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat San Francisco Warriors, 4-2
The Warriors surprised fans with back-to-back victories to open the battle of California’s two best teams. Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain struggled in both, with Nate Thurmond routinely outplaying the latter. Chamberlain upped his aggression in a 22/28/5 effort on the Warriors’ floor, building some much-needed momentum.

Him and Baylor were nearly invisible offensively in the remaining matches, but the Lakers still managed to win four straight to snatch the series. Chamberlain’s defense was integral to their success, as Thurmond slowly worsened over time – The Bay’s center averaged only twelve points in the last three games, a surefire way to flush San Francisco’s aspirations down the drain.
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Division Finals

East / Boston Celtics beat New York Knicks, 4-2
A rematch of last year’s first-round matchup was looking more intense than ever. The Knicks improved greatly, but it was unwise to doubt Boston’s toughness – they were fresh off an upset against the 2nd-seeded 76ers.

The Celtics won both of their road games, depending on team play and defense for results. New York took the third thanks to Walt Frazier’s first playoffs triple-double, but made the mistake of dropping the next by one point. Bill Russell dominated that effort, having only his second twenty-point game of the year and bringing twenty-three rebounds along with it.

Frazier was one assist short of another triple-double in a Game 5 victory, which was aided by teammate Willis Reed – twenty-four points was his biggest contribution. The Knicks were looking to force a Game 7 on the floor of their foe, but John Havlicek went absolutely ballistic. He scored twenty-eight points, pulled down thirteen rebounds, piled up five dimes, and hit one game-winning shot. The Celtics had now beat two higher-seeded opponents to reach the Finals yet again.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Atlanta Hawks, 4-1
These franchises went head-to-head for the first time since 1966, with Los Angeles clearly favored. The series was incredibly defensive, with only one game exceeding two-hundred total points. Atlanta would see some great individual scoring performances from their players, but nothing could exceed L.A.’s game-changing depth.

The Lakers saw a horrible outing from their “big three” in Game 3, only totaling thirty-nine points on horrible all-around efficiency. Chamberlain flipped a switch in Game 4, scoring twenty-five points and missing no field goals. An Elgin Baylor triple-double proceeded to close the series in the decisive fifth match, setting the stage for yet another Finals war between Los Angeles and their long-term nemesis Boston.

Finals

Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3
Narratives implied this would be the greatest NBA Finals of all-time. The Celtics were underdogs on their last legs – Sam Jones planned to retire after this season, Bill Russell looked interested in doing the same, and John Havlicek wanted to cement his place as a legitimate superstar.

The Lakers had now lost to Boston in all six of their Finals matchups, and were desperate to get over that hump. The acquisition of Wilt Chamberlain was built for this moment – they finally had a Russell neutralizer, and depended on their star power to emerge victorious.

All of the first four games were won by their home team. Jerry West and John Havlicek were the clear attractions, averaging thirty-nine and thirty-three points respectively in that stretch. Sam Jones also hit a vital buzzer beater in the fourth game, helping the Celtics avoid a 3-1 deficit.

The Lakers’ victory in Game 5 was due to Hondo cooling off, whereas West continued to dominate. Chamberlain and Russell had been trading superior performances to the other every night, but the latter only grabbing thirteen boards definitely hurt the Celtics’ chances in that match. He took advantage of a non-aggressive Chamberlain shortly after, willing his teammates to force a tiebreaker.

After being up 2-0, L.A. was now required to stand their ground against a Boston team that just refused to go away. The Lakers ownership and fandom were incredibly arrogant, decorating the Forum as if they had won already and detailing interview plans of the stars after victory. These acts of egotism enraged the Celtics, particularly player-coach Russell – he used it as motivation to fight for an upset, and ordered the Celtics to abuse a worn-down L.A. squad with fast break offense.

After three quarters, the Celtics held a 91-76 lead. Their defense was a dense demotivator to the opposition, and Sam Jones was incredibly efficient from the field. However, he – alongside Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain – was in foul trouble, and eventually fouled out in the fourth quarter after biting on a Jerry West pump fake. He received a warm standing ovation from Lakers fans respecting the final outing of their rival.

Mid-way through the fourth quarter, Chamberlain seemingly twisted his knee – he was taken out of the game immediately and the Lakers subbed in backup Mel Counts, whose energy willed them to a late-game comeback while the Celtics struggled from the field. Boston persevered – largely thanks to a clutch mid-range bucket from Don Nelson that put them ahead with little time left – and they had now won against all odds.

The Celtics had now won eleven championships in thirteen years, sent Sam Jones off as a champion, and spoiled L.A.’s ill-advised party. It seemed impossible to stop Bill Russell’s dynasty at this point – if bringing three superstars together couldn’t change the odds, what possibly could?
The Boston Celtics win the 1969 NBA championship!
Jerry West 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
Wes UnseldWes UnseldJerry WestGene Shue

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Oscar Robertson
Earl Monroe
Elgin Baylor
Billy Cunningham
Wes Unseld		Jerry West
Hal Greer
John Havlicek
Dave DeBusschere
Willis Reed

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Walt Frazier
Jerry Sloan
Dave DeBusschere
Nate Thurmond
Bill Russell		Jerry West
John Havlicek
Tom Sanders
Bill Bridges
Rudy LaRusso

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Dave Bing
Billy Cunningham
Hal Greer
John Havlicek
Gus Johnson
Jerry Lucas
Jon McGlocklin
Earl Monroe
Willis Reed
Oscar Robertson*
Bill Russell
Wes Unseld		Elgin Baylor
Joe Caldwell
Wilt Chamberlain
Gail Goodrich (IR)
Elvin Hayes
Lou Hudson
Don Kojis
Rudy LaRusso
Jeff Mullins
Jerry Sloan
Dick Van Arsdale
Jerry West
Lenny Wilkens
East beats West, 123-112

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Gary Gregor
Art Harris
Elvin Hayes
Bill Hewitt
Wes Unseld

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, 1968
1969
Lakers51949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954
Warriors21947, 1956
76ers21955, 1967
Royals11951
Hawks11958

The NBA Time Machine: 1968

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published March 11, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1968

Working West

Twelve, YoU Say?

After the expansion Chicago Bulls team proved to be an initial success, the league continued to entertain growth in club size. This time around, the west coast got a couple more representatives – the Californian San Diego Rockets, and northwestern Seattle SuperSonics.

The choice for San Diego was inspired by a motivating love for sports in the area, particularly for hockey. With the San Diego International Sports Center considered, the potential for a franchise was high – profit presented itself at every corner.

Regarding other matters, a pair of Los Angeles businessmen – who happened to own the AFL’s San Diego Chargers – were awarded with an NBA franchise, inspiring the move to Seattle. The name “SuperSonics” was largely based on the city’s ties to the aviation industry.

With two new teams in the Western Division, the Detroit Pistons were moved to the East.

Rising Waters

After the American Basketball Association (ABA)’s development in the past year, it finally begun play this season with bold goals of challenging the NBA. The opportunity to start anew excited many established talents, most notably Rick Barry of the San Francisco Warriors.

Due to a mouth-watering contract deal that involved profits exceeding over half a million dollars, Barry was convinced to join the ABA’s Oakland Oaks. This was an easy decision for the talented forward – not only did he have tension with Warriors owner Franklin Mieuli, but he could also play for his former coach and father-in-law Bruce Hale in the rival league.

Barry was ultimately held back from playing due to a one-year contract option exercised by the Warriors, but they had already lost his loyalty. That marked the second superstar in four years they gave up to stingy ownership, with the other being Wilt Chamberlain three years prior.

More and More Games!

The league made a decision to increase the game total from eighty-one to eighty-two games.

Playoff series were also expanded in size. Prior to this season, teams in the first round only needed three wins to advance – the total was increased to four to remain consistent with the Division Finals and Finals.

Dwindling

While the league pace hardly decreased, players were generally less productive. This can be attributed to the sixties’ favorite superstars aging, which influenced the reduction in ludicrous stat-lines. Nobody scored over thirty points per game for the first time since 1959, and nobody reached over ten assists per game for the first time since 1961.

As far as exciting statistical news went, though, Wilt Chamberlain became the first center of all-time to lead the league in total assists.

Standout Players

Wilt Chamberlain

Chamberlain continued his reign as a newly refined player, continuing to raise his assist totals – this year, he led the NBA in total assists. This, in tandem with another great 76ers campaign, earned Chamberlain his third straight M.V.P.

Elgin Baylor

With Jerry West missing over twenty games to injury, Baylor was forced to step up. He had silently accepted the “second option” role in the past few seasons, but this year proved he was still a superstar that could lead a successful team.

Oscar Robertson

While the Royals continued trending downwards, Robertson was still phenomenal. The point guard became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both scoring and assists averages, and he was the best free throw shooter as well. His status as a generational offensive talent was well beyond solidified.

Dave Bing

Bing’s sophomore season was a much-embraced success by Pistons fans. He increased his points average by seven per game, while also greatly improving as a playmaker. His focus led Detroit to their first playoff appearance in five years.

Lenny Wilkens

Wilkens had always been a quality star, but his development into the Hawks’ commander was remarkable. He led St. Louis to an unprecedented fifty-six wins, which was a seventeen-game improvement and good for first in the West. His exceptional passing abilities elevated the play of everybody on the roster.

Bill Russell

Russell continued to tread through the regular season silently, now putting up his worst numbers to date. He saw career low averages in scoring and rebounding, finishing with under twenty boards per game for the first time. Despite these struggles, the Celtics finished with the second seed in the East under his guidance as a player-coach.

Around the League

Team Standings

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

Eastern DivisionWLWestern DivisionWL
Philadelphia 76ers*6220St. Louis Hawks*5626
Boston Celtics*5428Los Angeles Lakers*5230
New York Knicks*4339San Francisco Warriors*4339
Detroit Pistons*4042Chicago Bulls*2953
Cincinnati Royals3943Seattle SuperSonics2359
Baltimore Bullets3646San Diego Rockets1567

Fun Facts

  • After losing their last match of the season to the New York Knicks, the Cincinnati Royals missed the playoffs by one game.
    • This was the first time the franchise had failed to see the post-season since 1961, which was Oscar Robertson’s rookie year.
  • There was a subtle “brag” moment for the St. Louis Hawks – this was the first season since their first (1950) that they finished with a better record than their fierce rival, the Boston Celtics.
  • The Boston Celtics finished below first in defensive rating for the first time since signing Bill Russell – this honor was now held by rival Wilt Chamberlain’s Philadelphia 76ers.
  • The Western Division’s diluted competition was on full display.
    • The Chicago Bulls – who were fourth in the West, and therefore eligible for the playoffs – would have finished seventh if they were in the Eastern Division.
  • The New York Knicks continued to slowly trend upwards, finishing with a winning record for the first time since 1959.
  • The Los Angeles Lakers’ turn-around was smooth and substantial, improving by a steep sixteen games.
    • This was the second biggest improvement in franchise history, trailing behind the record of an eighteen-game upgrade in 1962.

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
Baltimore Bullets
Chicago Bulls
Detroit Pistons
New York Knicks
Seattle SuperSonics
San Diego Rockets
St. Louis Hawks
Cincinnati Royals
San Francisco Warriors		Jimmy Walker
Earl Monroe
Clem Haskins
Sonny Dove
Walt Frazier
Al Tucker
Pat Riley
Tom Workman
Mel Daniels+
Craig Raymond

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
August 31, 1967Rudy LaRussoDetroit PistonsRights soldSan Francisco Warriors(12.8p/7.8r/1.7a)
October 20, 1967Guy RodgersChicago BullsTradedCincinnati Royals(10.3p/3.5r/7a)
January 21, 1968Don OhlBaltimore BulletsTradedSt. Louis Hawks(14.8p/2.9r/2.2a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
March 29, 1967Coach Jack McMahonCincinnati RoyalsResignedRecord: 39-42
March 29, 1967Coach Jack McMahonSan Diego RocketsHiredRecord: n/a
April 26, 1967Coach Fred SchausLos Angeles LakersRe-assignedRecord: 36-45
April 26, 1967Coach Butch Van Breda KolffLos Angeles LakersHiredRecord: n/a
May 2, 1967Coach Ed JuckerCincinnati RoyalsHiredRecord: n/a
December 27, 1967Coach Dick McGuireNew York KnicksFiredRecord: 15-23
December 27, 1967Coach Red HolzmanNew York KnicksHiredRecord: 28-16

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Rick Barry
(jumped to ABA)		San Francisco Warriors2x All-NBA
2x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
1966 Rookie of the Year
1966 All-Rookie Team
1x Scoring Leader
Richie GuerinNew York Knicks
St. Louis Hawks		3x All-NBA
6x All-Star

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
PPGOscar Robertson (29.2)
Dave Bing (27.1)
Elgin Baylor (26)
Wilt Chamberlain (24.3)
Earl Monroe (24.3)
RPGWilt Chamberlain (23.8)
Jerry Lucas (19)
Bill Russell (18.6)
Clyde Lee (13.9)
Ray Scott (13.7)
APGOscar Robertson (9.7)
Wilt Chamberlain (8.6)
Lenny Wilkens (8.3)
Dave Bing (6.4)
Walt Hazzard (6.2)
FG%Wilt Chamberlain (59%)
Walt Bellamy (54%)
Jerry Lucas (51%)
Jerry West (51%)
Len Chappell (51%)
FT%Oscar Robertson (87%)
Larry Siegfried (86%)
Dave Gambee (84%)
Fred Hetzel (83%)
Adrian Smith (82%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Detroit Pistons, 4-2
The Pistons’ post-season return was much like what the New York Knicks had to endure a season prior – a match-up against the Boston Celtics, which was not exactly a friendly welcome.

Surprisingly enough, the two clubs split the first four games, each winning once at home and on the road. Dave Bing was about the only consistent scorer throughout all four, but the Celtics managed to win behind their veteran experience. Game 4 was a statement victory for them, including a thirty-five-point bomb from John Havlicek and double-doubles from both Bill Russell and Don Nelson.

The Celtics eventually pulled away, largely thanks to Havlicek – he managed a triple-double in both efforts. Not even forty-four points from Bing in the decisive Game 6 was enough.
East / Philadelphia 76ers beat New York Knicks, 4-2
The first two matches were a battle between titans Wilt Chamberlain and Willis Reed, with each clinching one for their team. The 76ers managed a home win in a double-overtime brawl, denying the Knicks despite a double-double from Walt Bellamy and forty points from the sophomore Cazzie Russell.

The opposite was true three nights later – the Knicks surprisingly pulled through, staving off a 3-1 deficit. Philadelphia wrapped up business quite quickly afterwards, grabbing Game 5 thanks to having five players hitting double digits in rebounds. The closing match was a blowout, with Chamberlain and Hal Greer combining for sixty points in the road win.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Chicago Bulls, 4-1
Chicago’s chances going into this series were slim to say the least, considering Elgin Baylor and Jerry West were finally together – and healthy – in the playoffs for the first time in a few years.

They reminded the basketball world what they were made of, comfortably taking their first two games at home. Chicago managed an upset in Game 3 thanks to the young and promising point guard Flynn Robinson, who amassed forty-one points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Matters regressed to the mean moving forward, with Robinson quieting down offensively and the Lakers closing the series behind two big Baylor performances.
West / San Francisco Warriors beat