1980–81 Utah Jazz season

1980–81 Utah Jazz season
Head coachTom Nissalke
General managerFrank Layden
Owners
  • Sam Battistone
  • Larry Hatfield
ArenaSalt Palace
Results
Record28–54 (.341)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Midwest)
Conference: 11th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKSL-TV
RadioKSL
< 1979–80 1981–82 >

The 1980–81 Utah Jazz season was the team's seventh in the NBA. They began the season hoping to improve upon their 24–58 output from the previous season. The team started the season 12–6 but lost 15 of the next 17 games, however they bested it by four wins, finishing 28–54, but failed to qualify for the playoffs for the seventh straight season.[1]

Draft picks

Main article: 1980 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 2 Darrell Griffith SG  United States Louisville
1 19 John Duren PG  United States Georgetown
4 72 Alan Taylor  United States Brigham Young
5 94 Wally West  United States Boston University
6 118 Ken Cunningham G  United States Western Michigan
7 140 Dave Colescott  United States North Carolina
8 163 Jim Brandon  United States St. Peter's
9 181 Paul Renfro  United States Texas-Arlington
10 201 Leroy Coleman  United States Middle Tennessee State

Roster

1980–81 Utah Jazz roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
PF 33 Bennett, Mel 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1955–01–04 Pittsburgh
SF 44 Bristow, Allan 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1951–08–23 Virginia Tech
SG 24 Boone, Ron 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1946–09–06 Idaho State
SF 4 Dantley, Adrian 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 208 lb (94 kg) 1955–02–28 Notre Dame
PG 18 Duren, John 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1958–10–30 Georgetown
F/C 40 Cooper, Wayne 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1956–11–16 New Orleans
PG 14 Green, Ricky 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1954–08–18 Michigan
SG 35 Griffith, Darrell 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1958–06–16 Louisville
PF 11 Hardy, James 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1956–12–01 San Francisco
F 5 Judkins, Jeff 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1956–03–23 Utah
G 12 Nicks, Carl 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1958–10–06 Indiana State
C 50 Poquette, Ben 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1955–05–07 Central Michigan
C 45 Wilkins, Jeff 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1955–03–09 Illinois State
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-San Antonio Spurs 52 30 .634 – 34–7 18–23 21–9
x-Kansas City Kings 40 42 .488 12.0 24–17 16–25 19–11
x-Houston Rockets 40 42 .488 12.0 25–16 15–26 19–11
Denver Nuggets 37 45 .451 15.0 23–18 14–27 13–17
Utah Jazz 28 54 .341 24.0 20–21 8–33 13–17
Dallas Mavericks 15 67 .183 37.0 11–30 4–37 5–25
#
Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Phoenix Suns 57 25 .695 –
2 y-San Antonio Spurs 52 30 .634 5
3 x-Los Angeles Lakers 54 28 .659 3
4 x-Portland Trail Blazers 45 37 .549 12
5 x-Kansas City Kings 40 42 .488 17
6 x-Houston Rockets 40 42 .488 17
7 Golden State Warriors 39 43 .476 18
8 Denver Nuggets 37 45 .451 20
9 San Diego Clippers 36 46 .439 21
10 Seattle SuperSonics 34 48 .415 23
11 Utah Jazz 28 54 .341 29
12 Dallas Mavericks 15 67 .183 42

Notes

  • z, y – division champions
  • x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1980-81 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NJN NYK PHI PHO POR SAS SDC SEA UTA WAS
Atlanta — 2–4 2–4 1–5 2–0 1–1 4–2 2–0 1–1 1–5 1–1 0–2 1–5 3–2 2–4 1–5 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–4
Boston 4–2 — 5–1 4–1 2–0 2–0 4–1 1–1 2–0 3–3 1–1 2–0 3–3 6–0 5–1 3–3 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 5–1
Chicago 4–2 1–5 — 5–1 1–1 1–1 5–1 1–1 1–1 3–2 2–0 1–1 3–3 3–2 3–3 2–4 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 5–1
Cleveland 5–1 1–4 1–5 — 2–0 1–1 3–3 1–1 0–2 2–4 0–2 0–2 0–6 3–3 0–5 0–6 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 4–2
Dallas 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 — 3–3 0–2 2–3 0–6 0–2 0–6 0–5 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–4 1–4 1–5 2–3 1–4 1–5 0–2
Denver 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–3 — 2–0 3–2 2–4 1–1 4–2 3–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–4 2–3 2–4 3–2 3–2 2–4 0–2
Detroit 2–4 1–4 1–5 3–3 2–0 0–2 — 0–2 1–1 2–4 1–1 0–2 1–5 3–3 1–5 1–4 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–5
Golden State 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–2 2–3 2–0 — 3–2 1–1 5–0 1–5 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 2–4 2–4 1–4 2–4 3–3 4–1 1–1
Houston 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 6–0 4–2 1–1 2–3 — 1–1 2–4 2–3 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 1–4 3–2 3–3 1–4 4–1 4–2 0–2
Indiana 5–1 3–3 2–3 4–2 2–0 1–1 4–2 1–1 1–1 — 2–0 0–2 2–4 5–1 3–2 0–6 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 4–2
Kansas City 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–0 6–0 2–4 1–1 0–5 4–2 0–2 — 0–5 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–2 3–2 3–2 2–4 3–2 2–3 5–1 1–1
Los Angeles 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–0 5–0 2–3 2–0 5–1 3–2 2–0 5–0 — 0–2 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–4 3–3 2–3 3–3 6–0 3–2 1–1
Milwaukee 5–1 3–3 3–3 6–0 2–0 1–1 5–1 1–1 2–0 4–2 1–1 2–0 — 5–1 3–3 3–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 4–1
New Jersey 2–3 0–6 2–3 3–3 1–1 1–1 3–3 1–1 0–2 1–5 0–2 0–2 1–5 — 0–6 1–5 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–3
New York 4–2 1–5 3–3 5–0 1–1 2–0 5–1 0–2 2–0 2–3 1–1 0–2 3–3 6–0 — 3–3 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–0 2–0 2–0 4–2
Philadelphia 5–1 3–3 4–2 6–0 2–0 1–1 4–1 2–0 2–0 6–0 2–0 1–1 2–3 5–1 3–3 — 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 4–2
Phoenix 2–0 0–2 2–0 1–1 4–1 4–1 2–0 4–2 4–1 1–1 2–3 4–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 — 3–3 3–2 6–0 5–1 5–0 1–1
Portland 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 4–1 3–2 2–0 4–2 2–3 2–0 2–3 3–3 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–3 — 2–3 4–2 4–2 2–3 2–0
San Antonio 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 5–1 4–2 2–0 4–1 3–3 0–2 4–2 3–2 1–1 2–0 2–0 0–2 2–3 3–2 — 4–1 3–2 5–1 1–1
San Diego 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–2 2–3 1–1 4–2 4–1 1–1 2–3 3–3 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–6 2–4 1–4 — 5–1 3–2 0–2
Seattle 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 4–1 2–3 2–0 3–3 1–4 2–0 3–2 0–6 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–5 2–4 2–3 1–5 — 4–1 1–1
Utah 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 5–1 4–2 2–0 1–4 2–4 1–1 1–5 2–3 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–5 3–2 1–5 2–3 1–4 — 0–2
Washington 4–1 1–5 1–5 2–4 2–0 2–0 5–1 1–1 2–0 2–4 1–1 1–1 1–4 3–3 2–4 2–4 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 —

Game log

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
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Mel Bennett
Ron Boone
Allan Bristow
Wayne Cooper
Adrian Dantley
John Duren
Rickey Green
Darrell Griffith
James Hardy
Jeff Judkins
Billy McKinney
Dick Miller
Carl Nicks
Ben Poquette
Brett Vroman
Jeff Wilkins

Awards and records

Transactions

Free agents

Subtractions
Player Date signed New team
Jerome Whitehead Expansion Draft May 28, 1980 Dallas Mavericks
Paul Dawkins October 6, 1980

References

  1. ^ 1980-81 Utah Jazz