1970–71 Phoenix Suns Season
The 1970–71 Phoenix Suns season was the third season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association.
This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (January 2011) |
Head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons lead the Suns, in the NBA's first season which separated the teams into both conferences and divisions as the league continued to gain more teams. It was the first season the Suns would be without the services of All-Star guard Gail Goodrich. With a 48–34 record (fourth best in the league), the Suns set the NBA record for the team with the best winning percentage not to make the playoffs. The team would break their own record the next year with a 49–33 finish. All home games were played at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
| 1970–71 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 | 48–34 (.585) |
| 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 Suns were led in scoring by Dick Van Arsdale with 21.9 points per game. Connie Hawkins finished the season averaging 20.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest. Paul Silas led the Suns with 12.5 rebounds per game, the highest-ever average in Suns history, while Neal Walk garnered 8.2 rebounds to go with his 12.9 points a game.
Goodrich, a native of Los Angeles and who played college ball at UCLA, was traded before the season back to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he had played before being acquired in the expansion draft of 1968. In exchange, the Suns obtained the 29-year-old 7-footer Mel Counts, who was coming off a career-high 12.6 average in points. Goodrich would go on to play nine more seasons in the NBA, six of those with the Lakers. During those six years, he would average 22.3 points per game, appear in four All-Star Games and be named to an All-NBA First Team. Meanwhile, Counts averaged 11 points and 6.3 rebounds in his first of two seasons with the Suns.
Offseason
NBA draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Greg Howard | Forward |  United States | New Mexico |
| 2 | 27 | Fred Taylor | Guard | United States | Texas-Pan Am |
| 3 | 29 | Joe DePre | Guard | United States | St. John's |
| 3 | 44 | Greg McDivitt | Forward | United States | Ohio |
| 3 | 48 | Vann Williford | Forward | United States | North Carolina State |
| 4 | 61 | Bob Lienhard | Center | United States | Georgia |
| 5 | 78 | John Canine | Guard | United States | Ohio |
| 6 | 95 | Joe Thomas | Forward | United States | Marquette |
| 7 | 112 | Heyward Dotson | Guard | United States | Columbia |
| 8 | 129 | Steve Patterson | Center | United States | UCLA |
| 9 | 146 | Carl Ashley | Forward | United States | Wyoming |
| 10 | 163 | Gerhardus Schreur | Forward | United States | Arizona State |
| 11 | 178 | Jim Walls | Guard | United States | Clark |
| 12 | 190 | Ric Cobb | Center | United States | Marquette |
| 13 | 200 | Fred Carpenter | Forward | United States | Hawaii |
| 14 | 210 | Chad Calabria | Guard | United States | Iowa |
| 15 | 219 | Walt Williams | Forward | United States | Miami (Ohio) |
Roster
| Phoenix Suns roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Regular season
Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Milwaukee Bucks | 66 | 16 | .805 | – | 34–2 | 28–13 | 4–1 | 14–4 |
| x-Chicago Bulls | 51 | 31 | .622 | 15 | 30–11 | 17–19 | 4–1 | 7–11 |
| Phoenix Suns | 48 | 34 | .585 | 18 | 27–14 | 19–20 | 2–0 | 9–9 |
| Detroit Pistons | 45 | 37 | .549 | 21 | 24–17 | 20–19 | 1–1 | 6–12 |
| # | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | |
| 1 | z-Milwaukee Bucks | 66 | 16 | .805 |
| 2 | y-Los Angeles Lakers | 48 | 34 | .585 |
| 3 | x-Chicago Bulls | 51 | 31 | .622 |
| 4 | x-San Francisco Warriors | 41 | 41 | .500 |
| 5 | Phoenix Suns | 48 | 34 | .585 |
| 6 | Detroit Pistons | 45 | 37 | .549 |
| 7 | San Diego Rockets | 40 | 42 | .488 |
| 8 | Seattle SuperSonics | 38 | 44 | .463 |
| 9 | Portland Trail Blazers | 29 | 53 | .354 |
Record vs. opponents
| 1970–71 NBA Records | |||||||||||||||||
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| Team | ATL | BAL | BOS | BUF | CHI | CIN | CLE | DET | LAL | MIL | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SDR | SFW | SEA |
| Atlanta | — | 3–3 | 2–4 | 3–1 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 4–0 | 0–5 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 3–2 |
| Baltimore | 3–3 | — | 3–3 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 4–0 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 |
| Boston | 4–2 | 3–3 | — | 4–0 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 0–6 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 |
| Buffalo | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–4 | — | 0–4 | 0–4 | 5–7 | 1–5 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 6–6 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
| Chicago | 4–1 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 4–0 | — | 4–0 | 4–0 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 6–0 | 4–2 | 3–2 |
| Cincinnati | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–0 | 0–4 | — | 5–1 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 1–4 |
| Cleveland | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 7–5 | 0–4 | 1–5 | — | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–10 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 |
| Detroit | 5–0 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 2–2 | — | 2–3 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 1–4 | 3–1 |
| Los Angeles | 2–3 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 3–2 | — | 1–4 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 4–0 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 |
| Milwaukee | 4–1 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 4–0 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 5–1 | 4–1 | — | 1–4 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 6–0 | 5–1 |
| New York | 3–3 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 4–1 | — | 2–4 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 |
| Philadelphia | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–0 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 4–2 | — | 3–2 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 |
| Phoenix | 4–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 2–3 | — | 4–0 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 3–2 |
| Portland | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 6–6 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 10–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | — | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–4 |
| San Diego | 3–2 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 0–6 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 4–0 | — | 2–4 | 5–1 |
| San Francisco | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 4–2 | — | 3–3 |
| Seattle | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | — |
Game log
| 1970–71 game log Total: 48–34 (home: 27–14; road: 21–20) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 3–6 (home: 3–2; road: 0–4)
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November: 11–6 (home: 5–1; road: 6–5)
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December: 9–7 (home: 7–4; road: 2–3)
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January: 11–4 (home: 7–2; road: 4–2)
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February: 9–4 (home: 3–2; road: 6–2)
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March: 5–7 (home: 2–3; road: 3–4)
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| 1970–71 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team-by-team results
| Opponent | Home | Road | Total | All-time record | Suns leading scorer | Opp. leading scorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks | 2–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 8–9 (.471%) | Dick Van Arsdale (21.8) | Lou Hudson (26.0) |
| Baltimore Bullets | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 5–12 (.294%) | Dick Van Arsdale (21.8) | Earl Monroe (26.0) |
| Boston Celtics | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 7–10 (.412%) | Dick Van Arsdale (24.4) | John Havlicek (32.0) |
| Buffalo Braves | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 (.750%) | Dick Van Arsdale (22.5) | Don May (20.0) |
| Chicago Bulls | 2–1 | 1–2 | 3–3 | 7–12 (.368%) | Connie Hawkins (21.8) | Bob Love (25.2) |
| Cincinnati Royals | 2–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 9–8 (.529%) | Clem Haskins (27.2) | Tom Van Arsdale (20.0) |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 (1.000%) | Dick Van Arsdale (23.0) | John Johnson (15.3) |
| Detroit Pistons | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 9–9 (.500%) | Dick Van Arsdale (25.3) | Dave Bing (28.3) |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 8–11 (.421%) | Dick Van Arsdale (19.7) | Jerry West (28.8) |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–4 | 4–16 (.200%) | Connie Hawkins (24.0) | Lew Alcindor (37.2) |
| New York Knicks | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 2–15 (.118%) | Dick Van Arsdale (22.8) | Dick Barnett (19.8) |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 5–12 (.294%) | Connie Hawkins (26.8) | Billy Cunningham (29.6) |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 (1.000%) | Dick Van Arsdale (28.5) | Geoff Petrie (27.5) |
| San Diego Rockets | 2–1 | 0–3 | 2–4 | 10–11 (.476%) | Connie Hawkins (20.8) | Elvin Hayes (31.3) |
| San Francisco Warriors | 1–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 8–9 (.471%) | Connie Hawkins (24.7) | Jerry Lucas (24.6) |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 3–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 10–8 (.556%) | Dick Van Arsdale (23.8) | Dick Snyder (17.8) |
Awards and honors
All-Star
- Connie Hawkins was voted as a starter for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his second consecutive All-Star selection.
- Dick Van Arsdale was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his third consecutive All-Star selection.
Season
- Paul Silas was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
Player statistics
| 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
| Player | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mel Counts | 80 | 20.9 | .457 | .753 | 6.3 | 1.7 | 11.0 |
| Lamar Green | 68 | 19.5 | .453 | .604 | 6.9 | 0.8 | 5.9 |
| Art Harris | 56 | 17.0 | .411 | .611 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 8.3 |
| Clem Haskins | 82 | 33.7 | .440 | .784 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 17.8 |
| Connie Hawkins | 71 | 37.5 | .434 | .816^ | 9.1 | 4.5 | 20.9 |
| Greg Howard | 44 | 9.7 | .393 | .638 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 3.9 |
| Paul Silas | 81 | 36.3 | .428 | .685 | 12.5 | 3.0 | 11.9 |
| Fred Taylor | 54 | 10.2 | .387 | .624 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 5.5 |
| Joe Thomas | 39 | 5.2 | .267 | .450 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| Dick Van Arsdale | 81 | 39.0 | .452 | .811 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 21.9 |
| Neal Walk | 82 | 24.8 | .451 | .765 | 8.2 | 1.4 | 12.9 |
| John Wetzel | 70 | 15.6 | .431 | .822^ | 2.2 | 1.6 | 4.7 |
^ – Minimum 350 free throw attempts.
Transactions
Trades
| April 23, 1970 | To Chicago Bulls Jim Fox 1971 second-round draft pick | To Phoenix Suns Clem Haskins |
| May 20, 1970 | To Los Angeles Lakers Gail Goodrich | To Phoenix Suns Mel Counts |
| July 8, 1970 | To New York Knicks Heywood Dotson | To Phoenix Suns 1971 fifth-round draft pick |
Free agents
Subtractions
| Date | Player | Reason Left | New Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 1970 | Jerry Chambers | Expansion Draft | Portland Trail Blazers |
| May 11, 1970 | Stan McKenzie | Expansion Draft | Portland Trail Blazers |
| July 27, 1970 | Neil Johnson | Waived | Virginia Squires (ABA) |
References
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