1968–69 New York Nets season

1968–69 New York Nets season
Head coachMax Zaslofsky
ArenaLong Island Arena
Results
Record17–61 (.218)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Eastern (ABA))
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball Reference
RadioWBAB

The 1968–69 New York Nets season was the first season of the Nets playing in New York and second overall season in the American Basketball Association (ABA). After one year in New Jersey as the New Jersey Americans, the team elected to play their games at Commack Arena in New York, the same place that they had tried to use for their one-game playoff against the Kentucky Colonels that they forfeited due to unplayable conditions. Low attendance plagued the team at times, with the October 29 game drawing only 384 people to see the Nets play the Denver Rockets. Only 249 attended the game played on December 25, 1968, which was also against the Rockets. The December 27 game was notable for a collision between Ken Wilburn and Rick Barry that cost Barry the rest of his season for the Oakland Oaks due to injury (though the Oaks would win the 1969 ABA Finals Championship despite Barry's injury). Factors for the low attendance ranged from a lack of star power to the conditioning of the court, which was over the hockey rink that was involved with the venue due to the Arena doubling as a hockey arena as well.[1] Their 17–61 record would be the worst record in ABA history at the time (in terms of win percentage) until the 1974–75 Virginia Squires season broke that record.

Draft picks

Player School/Club Team
Dick Cunningham Murray State
Rodney Knowles Davidson
Don Smith Iowa State
Steve Adelman Boston College
Eddie Biedenbach North Carolina State
Ron Gruziak Duquesne
Pete ODea St. Peter's
Bill Soens Miami (FL)
Bill Butler St. Bonaventure
John Chamberlain C. W. Post
Tony Koski Providence
Bill Langheld Fordham
Art Stephenson Rhode Island
Harry Laurie St. Peter's

This draft would be the last draft the New York Nets would operate as their original New Jersey Americans team name.

Roster

1968–69 New York Nets roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
C 20 Dan Anderson 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1943-02-15 Augsburg
PF 32 Tom Bowens 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1940-07-07 Grambling State
SG 22 Steve Chubin 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1944-02-08 Rhode Island
PF 8 Ollie Darden 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1944-07-28 Michigan
C 30 Wilbert Frazier 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1942-08-24 Grambling State
C 10 Tom Hoover 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1941-01-23 Villanova
SF 32 Tony Jackson 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1942-11-07 St. John's
PF 10 Stew Johnson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1944-08-19 Murray State
C 42 Rod Knowles 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1946-02-27 Davidson
SF 27 Tony Koski 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1946-06-26 Providence
C 9 Manny Leaks 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1945-11-27 Niagara
SF 27 Leary Lentz 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1945-02-23 Houston
PG 3 Bob Lloyd 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 184 lb (83 kg) 1946-01-03 Rutgers
PF 20 Randolph Mahaffey 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1945-09-28 Clemson
SG 22 Maurice McHartley 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1942-08-01 North Carolina A&T
SG 22 Ron Perry 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1943-12-29 Virginia Tech
SF 4 Walt Simon 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1939-12-01 Benedict
PG 33 Willie Somerset 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1942-03-17 Duquesne
SG 40 Levern Tart 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1942-06-01 Bradley
SG 27 Bob Verga 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1945-09-07 Duke
PF 11 Hank Whitney 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1939-04-28 Iowa State
SF 10 Ken Wilburn 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1944-06-08 Central State
PG 33 Willie Worsley 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1945-11-13 UTEP
Head coach
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster

Playoffs

Main article: 1969 ABA playoffs

The Nets did not qualify for the playoffs this year. This would be the second straight season they would fail to quality for the ABA Playoffs after previously missing it via forced forfeiture on a one-game playoff match against the Kentucky Colonels.

References

  1. ^ "Remember the ABA: New York Nets". Archived from the original on March 3, 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
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