1971–72 Phoenix Suns season
1971–72 Phoenix Suns season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Cotton Fitzsimmons |
General manager | Jerry Colangelo |
Owners | Karl Eller, Don Pitt, Don Diamond, Bhavik Darji, Marvin Meyer, Richard L. Bloch |
Arena | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
Results | |
Record | 49–33 (.598) |
Place | Division: 3rd (Midwest) Conference: 5th (Western) |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | KTAR-TV |
Radio | KTAR |
The 1971–72 Phoenix Suns season was the fourth season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. With a 49–33 record, the Suns hold the NBA record as the team with the best winning percentage to not make the playoffs. The team broke the record they set the previous year with a 48–34 finish. Head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons led the Suns in their debut season as members of the Pacific division. All home games were played at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Paul Silas again led the team in rebounds, averaging 11.9 per game, while also leading the Suns in assists with a 4.3 average. Connie Hawkins's 21 points a game led the club, while Dick Van Arsdale was second with his 19.7 average. Silas averaged 17.5 for the season, while both Clem Haskins and Neal Walk averaged 15.7.
Draft picks
[edit]Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 14 | John Roche | Guard | United States | South Carolina |
3 | 48 | Dennis "Mo" Layton | Guard | United States | USC |
4 | 65 | Walt Szczerbiak | Forward | United States | George Washington |
5 | 82 | Ken Gardner | Forward | United States | Utah |
5 | 84 | Bob Kissane | Center | United States | Holy Cross |
6 | 99 | William Graham | Forward | United States | Kentucky State |
7 | 116 | Ralph Brateris | Forward | United States | Trenton State |
8 | 133 | Vernell Ellzy | Forward | United States | Florida State |
9 | 149 | Mike Johnson | Guard | United States | Kansas State |
10 | 165 | Tom Newell | Guard | United States | Hawaii |
11 | 179 | Paul Leitz | Forward | United States | Western Carolina |
12 | 192 | Floyd Mason | Forward | United States | Alcorn A&M |
13 | 204 | Ron Dorsey | Guard | United States | Tennessee State |
14 | 213 | Ken Booker | Guard | United States | UCLA |
15 | 222 | Curtis Carter | Forward | United States | Bishop |
Roster
[edit]Phoenix Suns roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Regular season
[edit]Standings
[edit]W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
y-Milwaukee Bucks | 63 | 19 | .768 | – | 31–5 | 27–12 | 5–2 | 13–5 |
x-Chicago Bulls | 57 | 25 | .695 | 6 | 29–12 | 26–12 | 2–1 | 12–6 |
Phoenix Suns | 49 | 33 | .598 | 14 | 30–11 | 19–20 | 0–2 | 7–11 |
Detroit Pistons | 26 | 56 | .317 | 37 | 16–25 | 9–30 | 1–1 | 4–14 |
# | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | PCT | |
1 | z-Los Angeles Lakers | 69 | 13 | .841 |
2 | y-Milwaukee Bucks | 63 | 19 | .768 |
3 | x-Chicago Bulls | 57 | 25 | .695 |
4 | x-Golden State Warriors | 51 | 31 | .622 |
5 | Phoenix Suns | 49 | 33 | .598 |
6 | Seattle SuperSonics | 47 | 35 | .573 |
7 | Houston Rockets | 34 | 48 | .415 |
8 | Detroit Pistons | 26 | 56 | .317 |
9 | Portland Trail Blazers | 18 | 64 | .220 |
Record vs. opponents
[edit]1971–72 NBA records | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | ATL | BAL | BOS | BUF | CHI | CIN | CLE | DET | GSW | HOU | LAL | MIL | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SEA |
Atlanta | — | 2–4 | 0–4 | 4–2 | 0–5 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 0–5 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 4–0 | 1–4 |
Baltimore | 4–2 | — | 2–2 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 0–5 | 2–4 | 4–0 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 2–3 |
Boston | 4–0 | 2–2 | — | 6–0 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 5–0 | 2–3 | 5–0 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 2–3 | 4–0 | 2–3 |
Buffalo | 2–4 | 3–3 | 0–6 | — | 1–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 0–4 | 2–4 | 0–4 |
Chicago | 5–0 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 3–1 | — | 3–1 | 4–0 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 1–3 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 2–3 |
Cincinnati | 3–3 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 1–3 | — | 6–2 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 0–4 | 1–4 | 0–5 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 0–5 |
Cleveland | 2–4 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 0–4 | 2–6 | — | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 0–4 | 4–2 | 0–4 |
Detroit | 2–3 | 2–3 | 0–5 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 3–1 | — | 0–5 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 2–2 | 0–4 |
Golden State | 2–3 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 4–0 | 5–0 | — | 5–1 | 1–5 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 |
Houston | 4–1 | 2–3 | 0–5 | 4–0 | 1–5 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 1–5 | — | 1–5 | 0–5 | 0–5 | 4–1 | 1–3 | 4–2 | 3–3 |
Los Angeles | 5–0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 | — | 4–1 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 5–1 |
Milwaukee | 3–2 | 5–0 | 3–2 | 4–0 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 4–0 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 5–0 | 1–4 | — | 2–3 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 6–0 |
New York | 1–3 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 1–4 | 3–2 | — | 3–3 | 1–4 | 3–1 | 3–2 |
Philadelphia | 3–3 | 0–4 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 0–5 | 1–4 | 3–3 | — | 1–4 | 2–2 | 4–1 |
Phoenix | 2–3 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 4–0 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 4–0 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 4–1 | 4–1 | — | 6–0 | 3–2 |
Portland | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 4–2 | 0–6 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 0–6 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–6 | — | 0–6 |
Seattle | 4–1 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 0–6 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 6–0 | — |
Game log
[edit]1971–72 game log Total: 49–33 (home: 30–11; road: 19–22) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October: 3–4 (home: 2–3; road: 1–1)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
November: 8–7 (home: 4–0; road: 4–7)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
December: 11–5 (home: 7–3; road: 4–2)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
January: 9–8 (home: 5–3; road: 4–5)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
February: 11–5 (home: 7–1; road: 4–4)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
March: 7–4 (home: 5–1; road: 2–3)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1971–72 schedule |
Team-by-team results
[edit]Opponent | Home | Road | Total | All-time record | Suns leading scorer | Opp. leading scorer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlanta Hawks | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 10–12 (.455%) | Connie Hawkins (21.2) | Lou Hudson (26.8) |
Baltimore Bullets | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 6–16 (.273%) | Dick Van Arsdale (23.6) | Archie Clark (24.6) |
Boston Celtics | 3–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 10–12 (.455%) | Connie Hawkins (28.2) | John Havlicek (27.2) |
Buffalo Braves | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 7–1 (.875%) | Connie Hawkins (20.3) | Walt Hazzard (19.3) |
Chicago Bulls | 0–3 | 1–2 | 1–5 | 8–17 (.320%) | Paul Silas (19.8) | Bob Love (26.7) |
Cincinnati Royals | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 12–10 (.545%) | Dick Van Arsdale (23.6) | Tom Van Arsdale (23.4) |
Cleveland Cavaliers | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 8–0 (1.000%) | Dick Van Arsdale (21.0) | John Johnson (17.3) |
Detroit Pistons | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 13–11 (.542%) | Connie Hawkins (20.3) | Bob Lanier (25.7) |
Golden State Warriors | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 11–11 (.500%) | Clem Haskins (18.6) | Nate Thurmond (23.6) |
Houston Rockets | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 13–12 (.520%) | Dick Van Arsdale (19.8) | Elvin Hayes (24.0) |
Los Angeles Lakers | 2–1 | 0–3 | 2–4 | 10–15 (.400%) | Dick Van Arsdale (21.2) | Gail Goodrich (28.3) |
Milwaukee Bucks | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–4 | 6–20 (.231%) | Connie Hawkins (28.2) | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (37.8) |
New York Knicks | 2–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 6–16 (.273%) | Connie Hawkins (24.6) | Walt Frazier (23.4) |
Philadelphia 76ers | 3–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 9–13 (.409%) | Connie Hawkins (22.0) | Bob Rule (21.7) |
Portland Trail Blazers | 3–0 | 3–0 | 6–0 | 10–0 (1.000%) | Connie Hawkins (22.2) | Sidney Wicks (25.8) |
Seattle SuperSonics | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 13–10 (.565%) | Connie Hawkins (23.4) | Spencer Haywood (29.8) |
Awards and honors
[edit]All-Star
[edit]- Connie Hawkins was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his third consecutive All-Star selection.
- Paul Silas was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his first All-Star selection.
Season
[edit]- Paul Silas was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
Player statistics
[edit]Legend | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | Games played | MPG | Minutes per game | ||
FG% | Field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage | ||
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | ||
PPG | Points per game |
Season
[edit]Player | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mel Counts | 76 | 11.9 | .427 | .721 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 5.2 |
Lamar Green | 67 | 14.8 | .446 | .733 | 5.2 | 0.7 | 5.0 |
Art Harris | 21 | 6.9 | .329 | .429 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 2.6 |
Clem Haskins | 79 | 31.1 | .483 | .853^ | 3.4 | 3.7 | 15.7 |
Connie Hawkins | 76 | 36.8 | .459 | .807 | 8.3 | 3.9 | 21.0 |
Mo Layton | 80 | 23.1 | .424 | .739 | 2.1 | 3.1 | 9.1 |
Otto Moore | 81 | 20.0 | .436 | .603 | 6.7 | 1.1 | 7.6 |
Charlie Scott* | 6 | 29.5 | .425 | .810 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 18.8 |
Paul Silas | 80 | 38.5 | .470 | .773 | 11.9 | 4.3 | 17.5 |
Fred Taylor* | 13 | 5.3 | .222 | .308 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.2 |
Dick Van Arsdale | 82 | 37.8 | .463 | .845^ | 4.1 | 3.6 | 19.7 |
Neal Walk | 81 | 26.4 | .479 | .744 | 8.2 | 1.9 | 15.7 |
Jeff Webb* | 27 | 4.8 | .477 | .500 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 2.5 |
John Wetzel | 51 | 8.2 | .378 | .800 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.7 |
* – Stats with the Suns.
^ – Minimum 350 free throw attempts.
Transactions
[edit]Trades
[edit]April 2, 1971 | To Detroit Pistons 1972 first-round draft pick ( Bob Nash) | To Phoenix Suns Otto Moore |
August 13, 1971 | To Cleveland Cavaliers Greg Howard | To Phoenix Suns 1972 third-round draft pick ( Scott English)
|
December 27, 1971 | To Cincinnati Royals Fred Taylor | To Phoenix Suns 1973 third-round draft pick ( Joe Reaves) |
March 14, 1971 | To Boston Celtics Future considerations
| To Phoenix Suns Rights to Charlie Scott |
Free agents
[edit]Additions
[edit]Date | Player | Contract | Former Team |
---|---|---|---|
January 4, 1972 | Jeff Webb | Undisclosed | Milwaukee Bucks |
Subtractions
[edit]Date | Player | Reason Left | New Team |
---|---|---|---|
September 21, 1971 | Joe Thomas | Waived | n/a |