1976–77 Buffalo Braves season

1976–77 Buffalo Braves season
Head coach Tates Locke
Arena Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
Results
Record 30–52 (.366)
Place Division: 4th (Atlantic)
Conference: 10th (Eastern)
Playoff finish DNQ
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television WBEN-TV
Radio WBEN

The 1976–77 NBA season was the Braves seventh season in the NBA. The Braves were purchased by John Y. Brown, Jr., the former owner of the Kentucky Colonels in the now defunct American Basketball Association for $6.2 million.[1] As part of an agreement with the Braves' former owner, Paul Snyder, Brown would give Snyder money received in player deals to reduce the purchase price.[1] The sell-off began shortly after the season, as the Braves sold newly acquired Moses Malone. Malone was acquired in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers after the ABA dispersal draft. Malone was now off to the Houston Rockets. The selling of players continued into the season as Bob McAdoo was sold to the New York Knicks.[1] While the deals helped Brown pay virtually nothing for the franchise, it turned a promising franchise into a rebuilding one. Attendance fell off as the Braves finished in 4th place with a 30-52 record. The only spotlight was rookie Adrian Dantley, who captured Rookie of the Year honors with 20.3 points per game. However Dantley himself was traded following the season to the Indiana Pacers for Billy Knight.[1]

Offseason

ABA Dispersal Draft

The American Basketball Association joined the NBA with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. Of the teams remaining in the ABA, four joined the NBA. The remaining two ABA teams that did not join the NBA, the Kentucky Colonels and the Spirits of St. Louis, had their players assigned to a dispersal draft for draft purposes.

Pick Player Nationality NBA Team ABA Team Purchase Price
7 Bird Averitt (PG)  United States Buffalo Braves Kentucky Colonels $125,000

Roster

Buffalo Braves 1976–77 roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#Nat.NameHt.Wt.From
F 35 United States Abdul-Aziz, Zaid 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Iowa State
F 10 United States Adams, Don 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Northwestern
G 14 United States Averitt, Bird 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Pepperdine
G 44 United States Dantley, Adrian 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Notre Dame
G 15 United States DiGregorio, Ernie 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Providence
G 5 United States Foster, Fred 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Miami (OH)
F 22 United States Gerard, Gus 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Virginia
C 40 United States Gianelli, John 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Pacific
C 52 United States Johnson, George 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Dillard University
C 22 United States Malone, Moses 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 255 lb (116 kg) Petersburg H.S.
F 22 United States Mayes, Clyde 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Furman University
C 11 United States McAdoo, Bob 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) North Carolina
C 52 United States McMillen, Tom 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Maryland
G 21 United States Neumann, John 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Mississippi
G 25 United States Price, Jim 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Louisville
F 34 United States Shumate, John 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Notre Dame
G 9 United States Smith, Randy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Buffalo State
G 12 United States Terry, Claude 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Stanford
G 11 United States Williams, Chuck 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Colorado
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division
TeamWLPCT.GB
Philadelphia 76ers5032.610–
Boston Celtics4438.5376
New York Knicks4042.48810
Buffalo Braves3052.36620
New York Nets2260.26828

[2]

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 —0–44–02–22–22–20–40–41–30–41–22–22–21–31–33–11–30–43–14–01–21–3
Boston 4–0—3–12–21–33–12–21–32–21–23–12–13–12–22–23–11–32–21–34–02–20–4
Buffalo 0–41–3—1–32–22–23–10–31–31–30–31–33–13–11–32–22–23–11–30–43–10–4
Chicago 2–22–23–1—3–11–32–22–21–32–22–23–13–14–02–22–12–22–20–43–12–21–2
Cleveland 2–23–12–21–3—2–21–32–21–32–13–12–24–02–22–23–11–32–12–22–23–11–3
Denver 2–21–32–23–12–2—3–12–23–03–13–12–23–13–12–23–11–33–12–21–24–02–2
Detroit 4–02–21–32–23–11–3—3–12–22–24–01–33–13–11–23–12–22–22–21–21–31–3
Golden State 4–03–13–02–22–22–21–3—2–14–01–32–21–31–31–33–13–14–01–32–21–33–1
Houston 3–12–23–13–13–10–32–21–2—4–02–22–23–12–22–22–21–33–13–12–23–13–1
Indiana 4–02–13–12–21–21–32–20–40–4—2–21–32–22–22–24–02–22–20–42–22–20–4
Kansas City 2–11–33–02–21–31–30–43–12–22–2—1–32–22–24–04–01–33–12–21–31–32–2
Los Angeles 2–21–23–11–32–22–23–12–22–23–13–1—3–13–01–34–02–23–13–13–13–14–0
Milwaukee 2–21–31–31–30–41–31–33–11–32–22–21–3—1–21–33–11–21–32–23–11–31–3
New Orleans 3–12–21–30–42–21–31–33–12–22–22–20–32–1—3–12–20–43–12–21–31–32–2
N.Y. Knicks 3–12–23–12–22–22–22–13–12–22–20–43–13–11–3—2–21–32–21–31–31–22–2
N.Y. Nets 1–31–32–21–21–31–31–31–32–20–40–40–41–32–22–2—1–32–20–31–31–31–3
Philadelphia 3–13–12–22–23–13–12–21–33–12–23–12–22–14–03–13–1—1–22–21–32–23–1
Phoenix 4–02–21–32–21–21–32–20–41–32–21–31–33–11–32–22–22–1—1–31–33–11–3
Portland 1–33–13–14–02–22–22–23–11–34–02–21–32–22–23–13–02–23–1—2–23–11–2
San Antonio 0–40–44–01–32–22–12–12–22–22–23–11–31–33–13–13–13–13–12–2—3–12–2
Seattle 2–12–21–32–21–30–43–13–11–32–23–11–33–13–12–13–12–21–31–31–3—3–1
Washington 3–14–04–02–13–12–23–11–31–34–02–20–43–12–22–23–11–33–12–12–21–3—

Season Schedule

source

Player stats

Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average

Player GP REB AST STL BLK PTS AVG

Awards and honors

  • Ernie DiGregorio, Led NBA, Free Throw Percentage, .945

All-Star

  • Bob McAdoo selected as a starting forward for the Eastern Conference All-Stars. This is his fourth straight All-Star Game selection.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Buffalo Braves (1970-1978)
  2. ↑ 1970-71 NBA Season Summary - Basketball-Reference.com
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