1976–77 Denver Nuggets season

1976–77 Denver Nuggets season
Division Champions
Head coach Larry Brown
Arena McNichols Sports Arena
Results
Record 50–32 (.610)
Place Division: 1st (Midwest)
Conference: 2nd (Western)
Playoff finish West Conference Semifinals
(Eliminated 2-4)

Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com

Local media
Television KWGN
Radio KOA

The 1976-77 season was Denver's first season in the NBA, after nine seasons in the ABA.

Offseason

ABA-NBA merger

With the conclusion of the 1975-76 season, the American Basketball Association came to an end with the ABA-NBA merger. Four ABA teams entered the NBA: the Nuggets, the Indiana Pacers, the New York Nets and the San Antonio Spurs. The other ABA teams were folded prior to the merger except for the Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis, both of which were folded as part of the league merger.

The Nuggets and the other ABA teams were given harsh obstacles as part of their entry to the NBA. Each team had to pay an entry fee; for the Nuggets it was $3.2 million.[1] The Denver and the other four ABA team also received no television money for their first three NBA seasons in the NBA, were not allowed to participate in the 1976 NBA draft, had to be classified as "expansion franchises" (despite longer histories and more success than many NBA teams) and had to go for two years without any vote regarding the distribution of NBA gate receipts or the realignment of NBA divisions.[2]

The Nuggets moved from the ABA to the NBA's Midwest Division.[3]

NBA Draft

As part of the terms of the ABA-NBA merger the Nuggets were prohibited from participating in both the 1976 NBA draft of college players and in the dispersal draft of ABA players from teams that did not enter the NBA.

Main article: 1976 NBA Draft

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Denver Nuggets 50 32 .610 – 36–5 14–27 15–5
x-Detroit Pistons 44 38 .537 6 30–11 14–27 12–8
x-Chicago Bulls 44 38 .537 6 31-10 13-28 10–10
Kansas City Kings 40 42 .488 10 28–13 12–29 7–13
Indiana Pacers 36 46 .439 14 25–16 11–30 9–11
Milwaukee Bucks 30 52 .366 20 24–17 6–35 7–13
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Los Angeles Lakers 53 29 .646 –
2 y-Denver Nuggets 50 32 .610 3
3 x-Portland Trail Blazers 49 33 .598 4
4 x-Golden State Warriors 46 36 .561 7
5 x-Detroit Pistons 44 38 .537 9
6 x-Chicago Bulls 44 38 .537 9
7 Kansas City Kings 40 42 .488 13
7 Seattle SuperSonics 40 42 .488 13
9 Indiana Pacers 36 46 .439 17
10 Phoenix Suns 34 48 .415 19
11 Milwaukee Bucks 30 52 .366 23

Game log

Game Date Opponent Result Pacers points Opponents Record Streak Notes
1

Playoffs

West First Round

The Nuggets had a first round bye.

West Conference Semifinals

(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (3) Portland Trail Blazers: Blazers win series 4-2

Awards, records, and honors

Player statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Season

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG

Playoffs

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG

References

  1. ↑ Remember the ABA: Denver Rockets/Nuggets Year-to-Year Rosters
  2. ↑ Remember the ABA: Denver Rockets/Nuggets Year-by-Year Notes
  3. ↑ Remember the ABA: Denver Nuggets
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