1976–77 New Orleans Jazz season

1976–77 New Orleans Jazz season
Head coachButch Van Breda Kolff, Elgin Baylor
ArenaLouisiana Superdome
Results
Record35–47 (.427)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Central)
Conference: 8th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Local media
TelevisionWGNO
RadioWWL

The 1976–77 New Orleans Jazz season was the team's third in the NBA. They began the season hoping to improve upon their 38–44 output from the previous season. They came up three wins shy of tying it, finishing 35–47, and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third straight season.[1]

Pre-season

The Jazz previously had the rights to Moses Malone, having selected him with the first pick of the NBA's supplemental draft of former ABA players who were underclassmen. However, to retain Malone the Jazz had to forfeit the #1 pick in the 1977 NBA Draft. They chose to relinquish Malone's rights and retain the pick, which they packaged in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire Gail Goodrich and the Lakers' 1978 1st round pick. The Lakers received the Jazz' 1977, 1978, and 1979 first round picks and their 1980 second round pick in return. The 1979 pick the Lakers acquired would be the #1 pick in that year's draft, which they used to select Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

Draft picks

Roster

Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
F 11 Ron Behagen 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Minnesota
G 4 Freddie Boyd 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Oregon State
F 12 E. C. Coleman 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Houston Baptist
G 25 Gail Goodrich 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) UCLA
F/C 30 Paul Griffin 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Western Michigan
G 14 Mo Howard 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Maryland
F 23 Aaron James 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Grambling State
C 53 Rich Kelley 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Stanford
G 7 Pete Maravich 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 197 lb (89 kg) LSU
G 33 Jim McElroy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Central Michigan
C 34 Otto Moore 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Texas–Pan American
F 15 Bud Stallworth 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Kansas
F 41 Andy Walker 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Niagara
G/F 22 Nate Williams 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Utah State
Head coach

Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Regular season

Season standings

W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Houston Rockets 49 33 .598 34–7 15–26 13–7
x-Washington Bullets 48 34 .585 1 32–9 16–25 11–9
x-San Antonio Spurs 44 38 .537 5 31–10 13–28 9–11
x-Cleveland Cavaliers 43 39 .524 6 29–12 14–27 8–12
35 47 .427 14 26–15 9–32 10–10
Atlanta Hawks 31 51 .378 18 19–22 12–29 9–11
#
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Philadelphia 76ers 50 32 .610
2 y-Houston Rockets 49 33 .598 1
3 x-Washington Bullets 48 34 .585 2
4 x-Boston Celtics 44 38 .537 6
5 x-San Antonio Spurs 44 38 .537 6
6 x-Cleveland Cavaliers 43 39 .524 7
7 New York Knicks 40 42 .488 10
8 35 47 .427 15
9 Atlanta Hawks 31 51 .378 19
10 Buffalo Braves 30 52 .366 20
11 New York Nets 22 60 .268 28
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1976–77 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS BUF CHI CLE DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NOJ NYK NYN PHI PHO POR SAS SEA WAS
Atlanta 0–4 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 0–4 0–4 1–3 0–4 1–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 1–3 0–4 3–1 4–0 1–2 1–3
Boston 4–0 3–1 2–2 1–3 3–1 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–2 3–1 2–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 4–0 2–2 0–4
Buffalo 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 0–3 1–3 1–3 0–3 1–3 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 0–4 3–1 0–4
Chicago 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 4–0 2–2 2–1 2–2 2–2 0–4 3–1 2–2 1–2
Cleveland 2–2 3–1 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 2–1 3–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 2–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3
Denver 2–2 1–3 2–2 3–1 2–2 3–1 2–2 3–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 1–2 4–0 2–2
Detroit 4–0 2–2 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 4–0 1–3 3–1 3–1 1–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–2 1–3 1–3
Golden State 4–0 3–1 3–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–1 4–0 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 1–3 3–1 3–1 4–0 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1
Houston 3–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–1 0–3 2–2 1–2 4–0 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 3–1 3–1 2–2 3–1 3–1
Indiana 4–0 2–1 3–1 2–2 1–2 1–3 2–2 0–4 0–4 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 4–0 2–2 2–2 0–4 2–2 2–2 0–4
Kansas City 2–1 1–3 3–0 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–4 3–1 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 4–0 4–0 1–3 3–1 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2
Los Angeles 2–2 1–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–1 3–0 1–3 4–0 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–1 3–1 4–0
Milwaukee 2–2 1–3 1–3 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–3 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–2 1–3 3–1 1–2 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3
3–1 2–2 1–3 0–4 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 0–3 2–1 3–1 2–2 0–4 3–1 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2
N.Y. Knicks 3–1 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 0–4 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 1–2 2–2
N.Y. Nets 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–2 1–3 1–3 1–3 1–3 2–2 0–4 0–4 0–4 1–3 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 0–3 1–3 1–3 1–3
Philadelphia 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 3–1 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–1 4–0 3–1 3–1 1–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 3–1
Phoenix 4–0 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–2 1–3 2–2 0–4 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–1 1–3 1–3 3–1 1–3
Portland 1–3 3–1 3–1 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 4–0 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–0 2–2 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–2
San Antonio 0–4 0–4 4–0 1–3 2–2 2–1 2–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 3–1 3–1 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 3–1 2–2
Seattle 2–1 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 0–4 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–3 3–1 3–1 2–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 1–3 1–3 3–1
Washington 3–1 4–0 4–0 2–1 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 4–0 2–2 0–4 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–1 2–2 1–3

Awards and records

References