1977–78 New Orleans Jazz season

NBA professional basketball team season

NBA professional basketball team season

1977–78 New Orleans Jazz season

Head coach| Elgin Baylor
Arena| Louisiana Superdome
Results
Record| 39-43 (.476)
Place| Division: 5th (Central)
Conference: 7th (Eastern)
Playoff finish| Did not qualify
Local media
Television| WGNO
Radio| WWL
| < 1976–77  | 1978–79 >

|

The 1977–78 New Orleans Jazz season was the team's fourth in the NBA. They began the season hoping to improve upon their 35–47 output from the previous season. They started the season going 6-2 and later in the season with a 16-24 record, the team managed to go on a 10-game winning streak and we're still in a playoff hunt with a 36-37 record before a 6-game losing streak dashed any playoff hopes for the fourth straight season, but still they finished the season with a 3-game winning streak and improved their 35-47 one year earlier by four wins, finishing 39–43.[1]

## Draft picks[edit]

Main article: 1977 NBA draft

## Roster[edit]

1977–78 New Orleans Jazz roster

Players  | Coaches
| Pos. | No. | Name | Height | Weight | DOB | From

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G | 4 | Boyd, Freddie | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)  | 180 lb (82 kg)  |  | Oregon State
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
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 | 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
C | 31 | Meriweather, Joe C. | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)  | 215 lb (98 kg)  |  | Southern Illinois
F | 21 | Robinson, Truck | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)  | 225 lb (102 kg)  |  | Tennessee State
G/F | 22 | Williams, Nate | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)  | 215 lb (98 kg)  |  | Utah State

Head coach

*   * Elgin Baylor

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* (DP) Unsigned draft pick
* (FA) Free agent
* (S) Suspended
* Injured

## Regular season[edit]

### Season standings[edit]

Central Division

* v
* t
* e

|  W  |  L  |  PCT  |  GB  |  Home  |  Road  |  Div

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y-San Antonio Spurs | 52 | 30 | .634 | – | 32–9 | 20–21 | 15–5
x-Washington Bullets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 8 | 29–12 | 15–26 | 14–6
x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 9 | 27–14 | 16–25 | 9–11
x-Atlanta Hawks | 41 | 41 | .500 | 11 | 29–12 | 12–29 | 8–12
New Orleans Jazz | 39 | 43 | .476 | 13 | 27–14 | 12–29 | 8–12
Houston Rockets | 28 | 54 | .341 | 24 | 21-20 | 7-34 | 6–14
#  |

Eastern Conference

* v
* t
* e

|

Team  |  W  |  L  |  PCT  |  GB
1  | z-Philadelphia 76ers | 55 | 27 | .671 | –
2  | y-San Antonio Spurs | 52 | 30 | .634 | 3
3  | x-Washington Bullets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 11
4  | x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 12
5  | x-New York Knicks | 43 | 39 | .524 | 12
6  | x-Atlanta Hawks | 41 | 41 | .500 | 14
7  | New Orleans Jazz | 39 | 43 | .476 | 16
8  | Boston Celtics | 32 | 50 | .390 | 23
9  | Houston Rockets | 28 | 54 | .341 | 27
10  | Buffalo Braves | 27 | 55 | .329 | 28
11  | New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | .293 | 31

z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents[edit]

1977–78 NBA records

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

## Awards and records[edit]

* Pete Maravich, All-NBA Second Team

## References[edit]

1. ^ 1977–78 New Orleans Jazz

* v
* t
* e

1977–78 NBA season by team

* 1977 NBA draft
* All-Star Game
* Playoffs
* Finals
* Transactions

Eastern|

| Atlantic|

* Boston
* Buffalo
* New Jersey
* New York
* Philadelphia

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Central|

* Atlanta
* Cleveland
* Houston
* New Orleans
* San Antonio
* Washington

Western|

| Midwest|

* Chicago
* Denver
* Detroit
* Indiana
* Kansas City
* Milwaukee

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Pacific|

* Golden State
* Los Angeles
* Phoenix
* Portland
* Seattle

* v
* t
* e

Utah Jazz seasons

* Franchise
* Seasons

1970s|

|  |  |  |  |  |  1974–75 |  1975–76 |  1976–77 |  1977–78 |  1978–79

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1980s|

|  1979–80 |  1980–81 |  1981–82 |  1982–83 |  1983–84 |  1984–85 |  1985–86 |  1986–87 |  1987–88 |  1988–89

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1990s|

|  1989–90 |  1990–91 |  1991–92 |  1992–93 |  1993–94 |  1994–95 |  1995–96 |  1996–97 |  1997–98 |  1998–99

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2000s|

|  1999–00 |  2000–01 |  2001–02 |  2002–03 |  2003–04 |  2004–05 |  2005–06 |  2006–07 |  2007–08 |  2008–09

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2010s|

|  2009–10 |  2010–11 |  2011–12 |  2012–13 |  2013–14 |  2014–15 |  2015–16 |  2016–17 |  2017–18 |  2018–19

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2020s|

|  2019–20 |  2020–21 |  2021–22 |  2022–23 |  2023–24 |  |  |  |  |

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*[Pos.]: Position
*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[ W ]: Games won
*[ L ]: Games lost
*[ PCT ]: Winning percentage
*[ GB ]: Games behind
*[ Home ]: Home record
*[ Road ]: Road record
*[ Div ]: Division record