1988–89 New Jersey Nets season
NBA professional basketball team season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1988–89 New Jersey Nets season was the Nets' 13th season in the National Basketball Association, and also their 13th season in East Rutherford, New Jersey.[1]
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| 1988–89 New Jersey Nets season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Willis Reed |
| General manager | Harry Weltman |
| Arena | Brendan Byrne Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 26–56 (.317) |
| Place | Division: 5th (Atlantic) Conference: 11th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WWOR-TV SportsChannel New York |
| Radio | WNEW |
Season summary
Off-season
The Nets received the fourth overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft, and selected small forward Chris Morris from the University of Auburn.[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team acquired Walter Berry from the San Antonio Spurs,[5][6][7] and acquired Mike McGee from the Sacramento Kings.[8][9][10] Before the start of the regular season, the Nets acquired former All-Star center Joe Barry Carroll, and Lester Conner from the Houston Rockets.[11][12][13]
Regular season
With the addition of Morris, Barry Carroll, McGee and Conner, the Nets played around .500 in winning percentage with a 7–7 start to the regular season, but then posted a six-game losing streak between November and December afterwards, and later on held an 18–29 record at the All-Star break.[14] In January, Berry was released to free agency and signed with the Rockets at mid-season;[15][16] he averaged 8.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in 29 games with the Nets.[17] The Nets struggled posting a 10-game losing streak in March, and lost 20 of their final 23 games of the season, finishing in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with a 26–56 record.[18]
Roy Hinson averaged 16.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, while Morris averaged 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and Barry Carroll provided the team with 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. In addition, Buck Williams provided with 13.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, while McGee contributed 13.0 points per game and led the Nets with 93 three-point field goals, and second-year guard Dennis Hopson provided with 12.7 points per game. Meanwhile, Conner replaced John Bagley as the Nets' starting point guard during the regular season, as he averaged 10.3 points, 7.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game, while Bagley contributed 7.4 points and 5.8 assists per game, and Keith Lee provided with 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.[17]
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas, Morris participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.[19][20] Morris also finished in third place in Rookie of the Year voting,[21][22] while Williams finished tied in seventh place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.[22] The Nets finished 21st in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 378,397 at the Brendan Byrne Arena during the regular season, which was the fifth-lowest in the league.[17][23]
Aftermath
Following the season, Williams was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers after eight seasons with the Nets,[24][25][26] while McGee was released to free agency, Bagley was traded to the Boston Celtics,[27][28] and Lee was left unprotected in the 1989 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the Orlando Magic expansion team.[29][30][31]
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Chris Morris | SF |  United States | Auburn |
| 2 | 32 | Charles Shackleford | PF/C | United States | North Carolina State |
| 3 | 52 | Derrick Hamilton | SF | United States | Southern Mississippi |
Roster
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
|
Regular season
Season standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-New York Knicks | 52 | 30 | .634 | – | 35–6 | 17–24 | 18–12 |
| x-Philadelphia 76ers | 46 | 36 | .561 | 6 | 30–11 | 16–25 | 19–11 |
| x-Boston Celtics | 42 | 40 | .512 | 10 | 32–9 | 10–31 | 19–11 |
| Washington Bullets | 40 | 42 | .488 | 12 | 30–11 | 10–31 | 17–13 |
| New Jersey Nets | 26 | 56 | .317 | 26 | 17–24 | 9–32 | 9–21 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 20 | 62 | .244 | 32 | 12–29 | 8–33 | 8–22 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | z-Detroit Pistons | 63 | 19 | .768 | – |
| 2 | y-New York Knicks | 52 | 30 | .634 | 11 |
| 3 | x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 57 | 25 | .695 | 6 |
| 4 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 52 | 30 | .634 | 11 |
| 5 | x-Milwaukee Bucks | 49 | 33 | .598 | 14 |
| 6 | x-Chicago Bulls | 47 | 35 | .573 | 16 |
| 7 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 46 | 36 | .561 | 17 |
| 8 | x-Boston Celtics | 42 | 40 | .512 | 21 |
| 9 | Washington Bullets | 40 | 42 | .488 | 23 |
| 10 | Indiana Pacers | 28 | 54 | .341 | 35 |
| 11 | New Jersey Nets | 26 | 56 | .317 | 37 |
| 12 | Charlotte Hornets | 20 | 62 | .244 | 43 |
- z – clinched division title
- y – clinched division title
- x – clinched playoff spot
Awards and records
- Chris Morris, NBA All-Rookie Team 2nd Team
Transactions
- June 23, 1988: Dwayne Washington drafted in the NBA expansion draft by the Miami Heat.
- July 1, 1988: Released Dudley Bradley.
- July 19, 1988: Signed Anthony Bowie as a free agent.
- August 10, 1988: Orlando Woolridge signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers.
- August 29, 1988: Traded Dallas Comegys to the San Antonio Spurs for Walter Berry.
- August 30, 1988: Signed Kevin Williams as a free agent.
- August 31, 1988: Waived Otis Birdsong.
- October 4, 1988: Signed Frank Johnson as a free agent.
- October 31, 1988: Traded a 1991 2nd round draft pick and a 1996 2nd round draft pick to the Sacramento Kings for Mike McGee.
- November 1, 1988: Waived Anthony Bowie.
- November 2, 1988: Traded Tony Brown, Frank Johnson, Tim McCormick and Lorenzo Romar to the Houston Rockets for Joe Barry Carroll and Lester Conner.
- November 23, 1988: Signed Ron Cavenall as a free agent.
- December 27, 1988: Waived Ron Cavenall.
- January 30, 1989: Waived Walter Berry.
- January 31, 1989: Signed Bill Jones as a free agent.
- February 7, 1989: Signed Corey Gaines to the first of two 10-day contracts.
- February 27, 1989: Signed Corey Gaines as a free agent.
- March 3, 1989: Waived Kevin Williams.
Player Transactions Citation:[32]