1975–76 New York Knicks season

1975–76 New York Knicks season
Head coachRed Holzman
General managerEddie Donovan
ArenaMadison Square Garden
Results
Record38–44 (.463)
PlaceDivision: 4th (Atlantic)
Conference: 7th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWOR-TV
Manhattan Cable Television[1]
RadioWNEW[2]
< 1974–75 1976–77 >

The 1975–76 New York Knicks season was the 30th season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the regular season, the Knicks had a 38–44 win–loss record, finishing in fourth place in the Atlantic Division and failing to qualify for the 1976 NBA Playoffs. Earl Monroe was the leading scorer for the Knicks with 20.7 points per game. Spencer Haywood led New York in rebounding with 11.3 per game, and Walt Frazier averaged a team-best 5.9 assists per game.[3]

In the 1975 NBA draft, the Knicks had the ninth overall pick and used it to select Gene Short.[4] New York reached an agreement with American Basketball Association forward George McGinnis for a six-year contract, but it was rejected by the NBA because the Philadelphia 76ers held his rights after choosing him in the 1973 NBA draft. The Knicks were stripped of their first-round pick in the 1976 draft for attempting to sign McGinnis.[5][6] Attempts to sign retired center Wilt Chamberlain were also unsuccessful.[7]

Early in the season, the Knicks lost five consecutive games in November 1975, and by mid-December they had lost 20 of their first 30 games. At this time the Knicks went on a six-game winning streak, and in January 1976 they had another unbeaten run of six games that left their record at 24–23. This was the only point during the season when New York had a winning percentage above .500; they immediately lost five games in a row and remained under .500 for the rest of the season.[8] A March 30 loss to the Phoenix Suns officially eliminated the Knicks from postseason contention; it was the first season since 1965–66 that the team did not reach the playoffs.[9]

Roster

1975–76 New York Knicks roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
G 25 Barnett, Jim 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Oregon
SF 24 Bradley, Bill 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1943-07-28 Princeton
PF 31 Davis, Mel 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) St. John's
PG 10 Frazier, Walt 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1945-03-29 Southern Illinois
C 40 Gianelli, John 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1950-06-10 Pacific
F 42 Haywood, Spencer 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Detroit Mercy
PF 18 Jackson, Phil 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1945-09-17 North Dakota
G 15 Monroe, Earl 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1944-11-21 Winston-Salem State
C 41 Walk, Neal 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1948-07-29 Florida
PF 43 Wingo, Harthorne 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1947-09-09 Friendship College
Head coach
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Boston Celtics 54 28 .659 – 31–10 23–18 13–8
x-Philadelphia 76ers 46 36 .561 8 34–7 12–29 9–12
x-Buffalo Braves 46 36 .561 8 28–14 18–22 10–11
New York Knicks 38 44 .463 16 24–17 14–27 10–11
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Boston Celtics 54 28 .659 –
2 y-Cleveland Cavaliers 49 33 .598 5
3 x-Washington Bullets 48 34 .585 6
4 x-Philadelphia 76ers 46 36 .561 8
5 x-Buffalo Braves 46 36 .561 8
6 Houston Rockets 40 42 .488 14
7 New York Knicks 38 44 .463 16
8 New Orleans Jazz 38 44 .463 16
9 Atlanta Hawks 29 53 .354 25
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1975–76 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS BUF CHI CLE DET GSW HOU KCK LAL MIL NOJ NYK PHI PHO POR SEA WAS
Atlanta — 2–3 2–3 2–2 2–5 1–3 2–2 2–5 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–4 3–2 2–3 0–4 2–2 1–3 1–5
Boston 3–2 — 4–3 2–2 3–2 4–0 2–2 4–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 4–1 5–2 4–3 4–0 2–2 2–2 3–2
Buffalo 3–2 3–4 — 3–1 3–2 1–3 1–3 3–2 4–0 2–2 3–1 4–1 4–3 3–4 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–3
Chicago 2–2 2–2 1–3 — 0–4 3–4 1–4 1–3 1–6 3–2 3–4 2–2 0–4 0–4 2–3 1–4 2–3 0–4
Cleveland 5–2 2–3 2–3 4–0 — 2–2 1–3 2–4 1–3 2–2 4–0 4–3 3–2 3–2 3–1 4–0 3–1 4–2
Detroit 3–1 0–4 3–1 4–3 2–2 — 0–5 2–2 5–2 1–4 3–4 1–3 3–1 1–3 1–4 2–3 3–2 2–2
Golden State 2–2 2–2 3–1 4–1 3–1 5–0 — 2–2 4–1 5–2 5–0 2–2 4–0 3–1 4–2 4–2 4–3 3–1
Houston 5–2 1–4 2–3 3–1 4–2 2–2 2–2 — 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–4 3–2 3–2 0–4 3–1 2–2 3–4
Kansas City 2–2 2–2 0–4 6–1 3–1 2–5 1–4 2–2 — 2–3 2–5 1–3 1–3 1–3 3–2 0–5 2–3 1–3
Los Angeles 3–1 0–4 2–2 2–3 2–2 4–1 2–5 3–1 3–2 — 2–3 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–4 3–4 3–3 1–3
Milwaukee 2–2 2–2 1–3 4–3 0–4 4–3 0–5 2–2 5–2 3–2 — 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–2 2–3 2–3 2–2
New Orleans 4–2 1–4 1–4 2–2 3–4 3–1 2–2 4–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 — 2–3 1–4 1–3 3–1 1–3 4–3
New York 2–3 2–5 3–4 4–0 2–3 1–3 0–4 2–3 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–2 — 5–2 2–2 3–1 0–4 3–2
Philadelphia 3–2 3–4 4–3 4–0 2–3 3–1 1–3 2–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 4–1 2–5 — 3–1 4–0 2–2 2–3
Phoenix 4–0 0–4 1–3 3–2 1–3 4–1 2–4 4–0 2–3 4–2 2–3 3–1 2–2 1–3 — 5–2 4–3 0–4
Portland 2–2 2–2 2–2 4–1 0–4 3–2 2–4 1–3 5–0 4–3 3–2 1–3 1–3 0–4 2–5 — 3–3 2–2
Seattle 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–2 1–3 2–3 3–4 2–2 3–2 3–3 3–2 3–1 4–0 2–2 3–4 3–3 — 1–3
Washington 5–1 2–3 3–2 4–0 2–4 2–2 1–3 4–3 3–1 3–1 2–2 3–4 2–3 3–2 4–0 2–2 3–1 —

References

  1. ^ The Fourth Estate (PDF). New York Knicks. 2003. p. 331. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  2. ^ The Fourth Estate (PDF). New York Knicks. 2003. p. 330. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  3. ^ "1975–76 New York Knicks Roster and Statistics". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
  4. ^ "1975 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
  5. ^ "Basketball Briefs: Kennedy Charges Knicks Fouled In McGinnis Deal". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. June 3, 1975. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
  6. ^ "O'Brien punishes Knicks". The Deseret News. United Press International. June 6, 1975. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
  7. ^ "Knicks Close Door On Chamberlain". Lakeland Ledger. October 21, 1975. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
  8. ^ "1975–76 New York Knicks Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
  9. ^ "Westphal, Phoenix Eliminate Knicks". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press International. March 31, 1976. Retrieved December 30, 2011.