1974-75 NBA season
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The 1974-75 NBA Season was the 29th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Golden State Warriors winning the NBA Championship, sweeping the Washington Bullets 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals.
The Warriors with a record of 48-34 were not expected to be a match for either the Boston Celtics or the Bullets, both who finished with records of 60-22. However they were able to pull a surprise and not only win series, but do it in a 4 game sweep over the much fancied Bullets.
At the start of the 74-75 season, the Warriors underwent numerous changes, trading away Nate Thurmond for Clifford Ray, a first round draft pick and $500,000 cash, which was the cause of the trade in the first place. This led some sports writers to not even predict the Warriors to make the playoffs.
Drafting Jamaal Wilkes (rookie of the year) proved a master stroke as many questioned his ability to handle the rigours of play in the NBA. His play along with finals MVP Rick Barry, (First Team All NBA) and ably supported by such players as Clifford Ray, Butch Beard and the rest of an able supporting cast, proved to be enough to combat the tough and flash Bullets who had a very balanced and strong team with the likes of Wes Unsled, Kevin Porter and Elvin Hayes.
This is the only win the Warriors have has as the Golden State Warriors, however before they became the warriors, they won twice before as the Philidelphia Warriors - a team featuring the likes of Wilt Chamberlain. In fact it was the first time since 1967 that they had returned to the finals where they faced Chamberlain, who was then playing for the Philiadelphia 76ers.
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[edit] Notable Occurrences
- The New Orleans Jazz become the league's 18th franchise.
- The NBA All-Star Game was played at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona, with the East beating the West 108-102. Walt Frazier of the New York Knicks wins the game's MVP award.
- The Capitol Bullets are renamed the Washington Bullets.
[edit] Final standings
[edit] Eastern Conference
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 60 | 22 | .732 | - |
| Buffalo Braves | 49 | 33 | .598 | 11 |
| New York Knicks | 40 | 42 | .488 | 20 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 34 | 48 | .415 | 26 |
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Bullets | 60 | 22 | .732 | - |
| Houston Rockets | 41 | 41 | .500 | 19 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 40 | 42 | .488 | 20 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 31 | 51 | .378 | 29 |
| New Orleans Jazz | 23 | 59 | .280 | 37 |
[edit] Western Conference
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bulls | 47 | 35 | .573 | - |
| Kansas City-Omaha Kings | 44 | 38 | .537 | 3 |
| Detroit Pistons | 40 | 42 | .488 | 7 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 38 | 44 | .463 | 9 |
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden State Warriors C | 48 | 34 | .585 | - |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 43 | 39 | .524 | 5 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 38 | 44 | .463 | 10 |
| Phoenix Suns | 32 | 50 | .390 | 16 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 30 | 52 | .366 | 18 |
C - NBA Champions
[edit] NBA awards
- Most Valuable Player: Bob McAdoo, Buffalo Braves
- Rookie of the Year: Keith Wilkes, Golden State Warriors
- Coach of the Year: Phil Johnson, Kansas City-Omaha Kings
- All-NBA First Team:
- Nate Archibald, Kansas City-Omaha Kings
- Walt Frazier, New York Knicks
- Elvin Hayes, Washington Bullets
- Rick Barry, Golden State Warriors
- Bob McAdoo, Buffalo Braves
- All-NBA Rookie Team:
- Scott Wedman, Kansas City-Omaha Kings
- Tom Burleson, Seattle SuperSonics
- Keith Wilkes, Golden State Warriors
- Brian Winters, Los Angeles Lakers
- John Drew, Atlanta Hawks
Note: All information on this page were obtained on the History section on NBA.com
