1991–92 New Jersey Nets season

The 1991–92 New Jersey Nets season was the Nets' 25th season in the National Basketball Association, and 16th season in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Nets received the second overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft, and selected point guard Kenny Anderson out of Georgia Tech University. However, Anderson held out early into the regular season due to a contract dispute, and Roy Hinson would miss the entire season due to a knee injury.

With the addition of Anderson, the Nets struggled losing 11 of their first 13 games of the regular season, and later on held a 7–18 start to the season. The team posted a five-game winning streak in January, and later on held a 19–28 record at the All-Star break. The Nets posted an eight-game losing streak between January and February, but won nine of their final twelve games of the season, finishing in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 40–42 record, and earning the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference; the team qualified for the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 1985–86 season.

Dražen Petrović showed improvement becoming the team's starting shooting guard, averaging 20.6 points and 1.3 steals per game, and also leading the Nets with 123 three-point field goals, while second-year star Derrick Coleman averaged 19.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, and Sam Bowie provided the team with 15.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. In addition, Mookie Blaylock contributed 13.8 points, 6.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game, while Chris Morris provided with 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. Off the bench, second-year forward Terry Mills averaged 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while Anderson played a role as backup point guard for Blaylock, averaging 7.0 points and 3.2 assists per game, second-year guard Tate George contributed 6.0 points per game, Rafael Addison provided with 5.8 points per game, and Chris Dudley averaged 5.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida, Petrović participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout; he also finished in second place in Most Improved Player voting, behind Pervis Ellison of the Washington Bullets, while Blaylock finished tied in eleventh place, and head coach Bill Fitch finished in sixth place in Coach of the Year voting.

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1992 NBA playoffs, the Nets faced off against the 3rd–seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, who were led by the trio of All-Star center Brad Daugherty, All-Star guard Mark Price, and Larry Nance. The Nets lost the first two games to the Cavaliers on the road at the Coliseum at Richfield, but managed to win Game 3 at home, 109–104 at the Brendan Byrne Arena. However, the Nets lost Game 4 to the Cavaliers at home, 98–89, thus losing the series in four games.

The Nets finished 23rd in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 517,356 at the Brendan Byrne Arena during the regular season, which was the fifth-lowest in the league. Following the season, Blaylock and Hinson were both traded to the Atlanta Hawks, while Mills signed as a free agent with the Detroit Pistons, and Fitch resigned after clashing with his young stars.

For the season, the Nets changed their road uniforms, replacing the light blue jerseys from the previous season with darker blue jerseys; these uniforms would remain in use until 1997.

Draft picks

Roster

Roster notes

• Power forward Roy Hinson was on the injured reserve list due to a knee injury, and missed the entire regular season.

Regular season

Season standings

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

|- | 1 | November 2 | @ Charlotte | W 116–108 | | | | | 1–0 |- | 2 | November 6 | @ Philadelphia | L 105–107 | | | | | 1–1 |- | 3 | November 7 | Miami | L 89–111 | | | | | 1–2 |- | 4 | November 9 | Detroit | L 100–110 | | | | | 1–3 |- | 5 | November 12 | @ New York | L 96–98 | | | | | 1–4 |- | 6 | November 13 | Utah | L 92–98 | | | | | 1–5 |- | 7 | November 15 | Washington | L 111–116 (OT) | | | | | 1–6 |- | 8 | November 16 | @ Orlando | L 100–102 | | | | | 1–7 |- | 9 | November 19 | Sacramento | W 122–118 | | | | | 2–7 |- | 10 | November 21 | @ Cleveland | L 112–116 | | | | | 2–8 |- | 11 | November 23 | Boston | L 107–125 | | | | | 2–9 |- | 12 | November 26 | @ Houston | L 109–118 | | | | | 2–10 |- | 13 | November 27 | @ San Antonio | L 100–106 | | | | | 2–11 |- | 14 | November 29 | @ Dallas | W 97–91 | | | | | 3–11 |- | 15 | November 30 | @ Denver | L 97–107 | | | | | 3–12

|- | 16 | December 3 | Philadelphia | W 88–86 | | | | | 4–12 |- | 17 | December 5 | @ Milwaukee | W 109–101 | | | | | 5–12 |- | 18 | December 6 | L. A. Lakers | L 89–98 | | | | | 5–13 |- | 19 | December 10 | New York | L 88–114 | | | | | 5–14 |- | 20 | December 12 | Denver | W 121–81 | | | | | 6–14 |- | 21 | December 14 | Charlotte | L 102–109 | | | | | 6–15 |- | 22 | December 17 | @ New York | L 94–102 | | | | | 6–16 |- | 23 | December 18 | Cleveland | W 102–93 | | | | | 7–16 |- | 24 | December 20 | Chicago | L 98–115 | | | | | 7–17 |- | 25 | December 21 | @ Indiana | L 109–118 (OT) | | | | | 7–18 |- | 26 | December 23 | Atlanta | W 105–93 | | | | | 8–18 |- | 27 | December 26 | Houston | W 99–93 | | | | | 9–18 |- | 28 | December 27 | @ Charlotte | W 136–120 | | | | | 10–18 |- | 29 | December 30 | Orlando | W 122–112 | | | | | 11–18

|- | 30 | January 3 | Washington | L 108–112 | | | | | 11–19 |- | 31 | January 4 | @ Chicago | L 96–140 | | | | | 11–20 |- | 32 | January 6 | L. A. Clippers | W 105–90 | | | | | 12–20 |- | 33 | January 8 | Minnesota | W 103–97 | | | | | 13–20 |- | 34 | January 10 | Milwaukee | W 104–97 | | | | | 14–20 |- | 35 | January 11 | @ Detroit | L 88–90 | | | | | 14–21 |- | 36 | January 14 | Dallas | W 97–88 | | | | | 15–21 |- | 37 | January 15 | @ Boston | W 130–120 | | | | | 16–21 |- | 38 | January 18 | @ Minnesota | W 112–100 | | | | | 17–21 |- | 39 | January 22 | Phoenix | W 106–104 | | | | | 18–21 |- | 40 | January 24 | Miami | W 123–117 | | | | | 19–21 |- | 41 | January 25 | @ Philadelphia | L 94–115 | | | | | 19–22 |- | 42 | January 28 | @ Sacramento | L 118–124 | | | | | 19–23 |- | 43 | January 29 | @ Phoenix | L 95–128 | | | | | 19–24 |- | 44 | January 31 | @ Portland | L 108–113 | | | | | 19–25

|- | 45 | February 1 | @ L. A. Clippers | L 88–99 | | | | | 19–26 |- | 46 | February 5 | Seattle | L 85–95 | | | | | 19–27 |- | 47 | February 6 | @ Washington | L 108–124 | | | | | 19–28 |- | 48 | February 11 | @ Chicago | L 113–133 | | | | | 19–29 |- | 49 | February 12 | @ Philadelphia | W 102–87 | | | | | 20–29 |- | 50 | February 14 | Philadelphia | W 107–99 | | | | | 21–29 |- | 51 | February 15 | @ Cleveland | L 92–128 | | | | | 21–30 |- | 52 | February 19 | Detroit | W 106–102 | | | | | 22–30 |- | 53 | February 21 | Indiana | W 105–101 | | | | | 23–30 |- | 54 | February 22 | @ Atlanta | L 107–119 | | | | | 23–31 |- | 55 | February 25 | Boston | W 109–95 | | | | | 24–31 |- | 56 | February 27 | Portland | W 98–96 | | | | | 25–31 |- | 57 | February 29 | @ Detroit | W 99–90 | | | | | 26–31

|- | 58 | March 1 | New York | W 90–75 | | | | | 27–31 |- | 59 | March 4 | @ L. A. Lakers | L 92–101 | | | | | 27–32 |- | 60 | March 6 | @ Utah | L 96–117 | | | | | 27–33 |- | 61 | March 7 | @ Seattle | L 98–109 | | | | | 27–34 |- | 62 | March 10 | @ Golden State | L 122–129 | | | | | 27–35 |- | 63 | March 13 | @ Boston | W 110–108 | | | | | 28–35 |- | 64 | March 14 | @ New York | W 96–94 (OT) | | | | | 29–35 |- | 65 | March 17 | Chicago | L 79–90 | | | | | 29–36 |- | 66 | March 20 | Washington | W 99–96 | | | | | 30–36 |- | 67 | March 22 | @ Miami | L 100–107 | | | | | 30–37 |- | 68 | March 23 | Charlotte | W 123–120 | | | | | 31–37 |- | 69 | March 25 | Boston | L 110–118 | | | | | 31–38 |- | 70 | March 28 | Golden State | L 148–153 (OT) | | | | | 31–39 |- | 71 | March 30 | San Antonio | W 117–109 | | | | | 32–39

|- | 72 | April 1 | @ Milwaukee | W 121–117 | | | | | 33–39 |- | 73 | April 3 | Milwaukee | W 122–103 | | | | | 34–39 |- | 74 | April 5 | @ Indiana | W 128–120 | | | | | 35–39 |- | 75 | April 7 | Atlanta | L 97–104 | | | | | 35–40 |- | 76 | April 8 | @ Washington | W 109–103 | | | | | 36–40 |- | 77 | April 10 | Cleveland | W 110–86 | | | | | 37–40 |- | 78 | April 11 | @ Atlanta | L 98–118 | | | | | 37–41 |- | 79 | April 13 | @ Orlando | W 110–104 | | | | | 38–41 |- | 80 | April 14 | @ Miami | W 105–100 | | | | | 39–41 |- | 81 | April 16 | Indiana | L 113–119 | | | | | 39–42 |- | 82 | April 18 | Orlando | W 127–111 | | | | | 40–42

Playoffs

|- | 1 | April 23 | @ Cleveland | L 113–120 | Dražen Petrović (40) | Derrick Coleman (11) | Derrick Coleman (9) | Richfield Coliseum<br>16,512 | 0–1 |- | 2 | April 25 | @ Cleveland | L 96–118 | Derrick Coleman (24) | Derrick Coleman (9) | Mookie Blaylock (6) | Richfield Coliseum<br>20,273 | 0–2 |- | 3 | April 28 | Cleveland | W 109–104 | Chris Morris (28) | Derrick Coleman (11) | Mookie Blaylock (12) | Brendan Byrne Arena<br>15,258 | 1–2 |- | 4 | April 30 | Cleveland | L 89–98 | Coleman, Morris (22) | Derrick Coleman (14) | Derrick Coleman (6) | Brendan Byrne Arena<br>13,071 | 1–3

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Player statistics citation:

References

• New Jersey Nets on Basketball Reference