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1978–79 New Orleans Jazz season

1978–79 New Orleans Jazz season
Head coachElgin Baylor
ArenaLouisiana Superdome
Results
Record26–56 (.317)
PlaceDivision: 6th (Central)
Conference: 11th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWGNO
RadioWWL
< 1977–78 1979–80 >

The 1978–79 New Orleans Jazz season was their fifth season in the NBA and its last in New Orleans. The Jazz averaged 108.3 points per game (ranked 15th in NBA) while allowing an average of 114.6 points per game (ranked 21st in NBA).[1] The attendance was 364,205 (ranked 18th in NBA).

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club Team
1 11 James Hardy  United States San Francisco

[2]

Roster

1978–79 New Orleans Jazz roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
F 12 Byrnes, Marty 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1956-04-30 Syracuse
G 25 Goodrich, Gail 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) UCLA
F/C 30 Griffin, Paul 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Western Michigan
PF 11 Hardy, James 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1956–12–01 San Francisco
F 24 Haywood, Spencer 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1949-04-22 Detroit Mercy
F 23 James, Aaron 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Grambling State
C 53 Kelley, Rich 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Stanford
G 18 Lee, Ron 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 193 lb (88 kg) 1952-11-02 Oregon
G 7 Maravich, Pete 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 197 lb (89 kg) LSU
G 33 McElroy, Jim 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Central Michigan
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-San Antonio Spurs 48 34 .585 – 29–12 19–22 11–9
x-Houston Rockets 47 35 .573 1 30–11 17–24 12–8
x-Atlanta Hawks 46 36 .561 2 34–7 12–29 14–6
Cleveland Cavaliers 30 52 .366 18 20–21 10–31 6–14
Detroit Pistons 30 52 .366 18 22–19 8–33 9–11
New Orleans Jazz 26 56 .317 22 21–20 8–33 9–15
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Washington Bullets 54 28 .659 –
2 y-San Antonio Spurs 48 34 .585 6
3 x-Philadelphia 76ers 47 35 .573 7
4 x-Houston Rockets 47 35 .573 7
5 x-Atlanta Hawks 46 36 .561 8
6 x-New Jersey Nets 37 45 .451 17
7 New York Knicks 31 51 .378 23
8 Cleveland Cavaliers 30 52 .366 24
8 Detroit Pistons 30 52 .366 24
10 Boston Celtics 29 53 .354 25
11 New Orleans Jazz 26 56 .317 28

Record vs. opponents

1978–79 NBA records
Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NJN NOJ NYK PHI PHO POR SAS SDC SEA WAS
Atlanta — 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–1 3–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–2
Boston 2–2 — 1–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 1–3 2–2 3–1 2–2 0–4 1–3 0–4 1–3 2–2 0–4
Chicago 1–3 2–1 — 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 4–0 0–3 0–4 0–4 1–3
Cleveland 1–3 2–2 3–1 — 1–2 1–3 2–1 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 0–4 0–4 0–4 2–2 2–2 0–4
Denver 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–1 — 2–2 4–0 1–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 4–0 3–1 3–1 0–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3
Detroit 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 — 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–1 0–4 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 0–3 1–3
Golden State 3–1 1–2 1–3 1–2 0–4 3–1 — 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2
Houston 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 — 0–4 3–1 2–1 2–2 3–1 4–0 4–0 0–4 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 2–2 2–2
Indiana 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 4–0 — 1–3 0–4 2–2 1–2 2–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 0–4 1–3
Kansas City 2–2 3–1 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 1–3 3–1 — 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–0
Los Angeles 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–2 4–0 2–2 — 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–0 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2
Milwaukee 0–3 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 — 2–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3
New Jersey 2–2 3–1 2–2 1–3 0–4 4–0 3–1 1–3 2–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 — 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–0 2–2 0–4 2–2 0–4 1–3
New Orleans 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 0–4 1–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 — 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 0–4 0–3 0–4
New York 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 1–3 0–4 2–2 1–2 0–3 3–1 3–1 2–2 — 2–2 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 1–3
Philadelphia 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 3–0 3–1 1–3 4–0 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 — 1–3 1–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 3–1
Phoenix 1–2 4–0 3–1 4–0 1–3 4–0 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 0–3 3–1 4–0 3–1 — 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 1–3
Portland 2–2 3–1 0–4 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 1–3 — 2–1 2–2 1–3 3–1
San Antonio 1–3 4–0 3–0 4–0 1–3 3–1 3–1 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2 3–1 4–0 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–2 — 4–0 2–2 1–3
San Diego 1–3 3–1 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 0–4 — 2–2 0–3
Seattle 3–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 1–3 3–0 1–3 2–2 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 4–0 3–0 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 — 2–2
Washington 2–2 4–0 3–1 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 0–3 2–2 3–1 3–1 4–0 3–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 3–0 2–2 —

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
Jim McElroy 79 215 453 148 49 1337
Rich Kelley 80 1026 285 126 166 1253
Pete Maravich 79 422 488 120 18 1700
Truck Robinson 43 577 74 29 63 1039
Gail Goodrich 74 183 357 90 13 938
Spencer Haywood 34 327 71 30 53 816
Aaron James 73 248 78 28 21 727
James Hardy 68 310 65 52 61 453
Paul Griffin 77 391 138 54 36 303
Tommie Green 59 68 140 61 6 232
Joe C. Meriweather 36 184 31 17 41 219
Marty Byrnes 36 94 43 12 8 189
Ira Terrell 31 109 26 15 22 153
Ron Lee 17 55 73 38 2 114
Gus Bailey 2 2 2 0 0 4

[1]

Relocation to Utah

By 1979, the Jazz were sinking under the weight of $5 million in losses over five years. Original owner Sam Battistone decided to move to Salt Lake City, even though it was a smaller market than New Orleans at the time. However, Salt Lake City had proven it could support a pro basketball team when it played host to the American Basketball Association's Utah Stars from 1970 to 1976.

Professional basketball returned to New Orleans, when the Charlotte Hornets relocated there, in 2002. The team became the Pelicans in 2013 season, and the 1988-2002 history of the Hornets returned to the Bobcats, who reinstated the Hornets name prior to the 2014–15 season.

References

  1. ^ a b "1978-79 New Orleans Jazz Roster and Stats".
  2. ^ "1978 NBA draft".
Retrieved from "https://en.Wik.ipedia.Pro.org/w/index.php?title=1978–79_New_Orleans_Jazz_season&oldid=1244097725"

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