1987–88 New Jersey Nets season

Off-season

The Nets received the third overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Dennis Hopson out of Ohio State University.^[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team acquired John Bagley and Keith Lee from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade,^[5][6][7] acquired rookie power forward Dallas Comegys from the Atlanta Hawks,^[8] and later on signed free agent Dudley Bradley in December.^[9] However, Lee would miss the entire regular season due to a left leg injury.^[10][11]

Regular season

Despite the addition of Hopson and Bagley, the Nets struggled losing 15 of their first 17 games of the regular season, which included an 11-game losing streak between November and December. After a 2–13 start to the season, head coach Dave Wohl was fired and replaced with assistant General Manager Bob MacKinnon as an interim coach.^[12] In January, the team traded Mike Gminski, and Ben Coleman to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Roy Hinson, and Tim McCormick.^[13][14][15] The Nets held a 10–34 record at the All-Star break,^[16] and posted a six-game losing streak in February; at the end of the month, the team hired retired All-Star, and former New York Knicks center Willis Reed as their new coach.^[17] The Nets suffered a dreadful 15-game losing streak between March and April, and finished in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 19–63 record.^[18]

Buck Williams averaged 18.3 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, while Hinson averaged 17.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in 48 games after the trade. In addition, Orlando Woolridge provided the team with 16.4 points and 3.7 assists per game, but only played just 19 games due to a right hand injury and drug abuse,^[10][19][20] while McCormick provided with 14.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in 47 games, and Bagley contributed 12.0 points, 5.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Meanwhile, Otis Birdsong averaged 10.9 points per game, Hopson contributed 9.6 points per game, second-year guard Pearl Washington provided with 9.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game, Bradley contributed 6.7 points per game, and Comegys averaged 5.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.^[21] Williams also finished tied in 14th place in Most Valuable Player voting.^[22]

The Nets finished 15th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 476,054 at the Brendan Byrne Arena during the regular season.^[21][23]

Aftermath

Following the season, Woolridge signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers,^[24][25][26] while McCormick was traded to the Houston Rockets,^[27][28][29] and Washington was left unprotected in the 1988 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the Miami Heat expansion team.^[30][31][32] Meanwhile, Comegys was traded to the San Antonio Spurs,^[33][34] and Birdsong and Bradley were both released to free agency.

Roster notes

• Power forward Keith Lee was on the injured reserve list due to a left leg injury, and missed the entire regular season.

Season standings

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

Regular season