1992–93 New Jersey Nets season
| 1992–93 New Jersey Nets season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Chuck Daly |
| General manager | Willis Reed |
| Arena | Brendan Byrne Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 43–39 (.524) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Atlantic) Conference: 6th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | First round (lost to Cavaliers 2–3) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WWOR-TV SportsChannel New York |
| Radio | WNEW |
The 1992–93 New Jersey Nets season was the Nets' 26th season in the National Basketball Association, and 17th season in East Rutherford, New Jersey.[1] During the off-season, the Nets hired Chuck Daly as their new head coach; Daly led the Detroit Pistons to two consecutive NBA championships between 1989 and 1990.[2][3][4] The team also acquired Rumeal Robinson from the Atlanta Hawks,[5][6][7] acquired Jayson Williams from the Philadelphia 76ers,[8][9] and signed free agents Chucky Brown and Rick Mahorn.[10][11]
Under Daly and with the addition of Robinson, the Nets struggled with a 4–7 start to the regular season, but then posted a six-game winning streak between November and December afterwards, and later on held a 30–21 record at the All-Star break.[12] However, the team lost second-year star Kenny Anderson for the remainder of the season due to a wrist injury after 55 games.[13][14][15] At mid-season, the team signed free agents, former All-Star guard Maurice Cheeks,[16][17][18] and former All-Star forward Bernard King.[19][20][21] Despite losing ten of their final eleven games of the season, which included a seven-game losing streak in April, the Nets finished in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 43–39 record, and earned the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference; it was the team's first winning season above .500 in winning percentage since the 1983–84 season.[22]
Dražen Petrović averaged 22.3 points, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while Derrick Coleman averaged 20.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 blocks per game, and Anderson showed improvement becoming the Nets' starting point guard, as he provided the team with 16.9 points, 8.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. In addition, Chris Morris contributed 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game, while Sam Bowie provided with 9.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, and Robinson contributed 8.4 points, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Off the bench, King avareged 7.0 points per game in 32 games, while Rafael Addison contributed 6.3 points per game, Brown provided with 5.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, Mahorn averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, Cheeks contributed 3.6 points and 3.1 assists per game in 35 games, and Chris Dudley provided with 3.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.[23]
Petrović and Coleman were both named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Anderson finished in third place in Most Improved Player voting, with Coleman and Petrović both finishing in eighth and tied in eleventh place respectively,[24][25] and Daly finished in fifth place in Coach of the Year voting.[26][25] Despite stellar seasons, neither Petrović, Coleman or Anderson were selected for the 1993 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah.[27][28]
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1993 NBA playoffs, and for the second consecutive year, the Nets faced off against the 3rd–seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, who were led by the All-Star trio of Brad Daugherty, Mark Price and Larry Nance. With Anderson out due to his season-ending wrist injury, the Nets used Robinson as their starting point guard in his absence. The Cavaliers took a 2–1 series lead before the Nets won Game 4 at home, 96–79 at the Brendan Byrne Arena to even the series. However, the Nets lost Game 5 to the Cavaliers on the road, 99–89 at the Coliseum at Richfield, thus losing in a hard-fought five-game series.[29][30][31]
The Nets finished 15th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 620,416 at the Brendan Byrne Arena during the regular season.[23][32] Following the season, Bowie was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers after four seasons with the Nets,[33][34][35] while Dudley signed as a free agent with the Portland Trail Blazers,[36][37][38] Brown signed with the Dallas Mavericks, Addison was released to free agency, and King and Cheeks both retired.
Tragedy struck the Nets in the following off-season, as Petrović was killed in a car accident in Germany at the age of 28 on June 7, 1993; Petrović was a passenger in a car driven by his girlfriend, which lost control and crashed head-on into a truck on a rain-drenched highway near Munich, Germany. Shortly before his death, Petrović last played for the Croatian national basketball team in the European Championships in Wroclaw, Poland.[39][40][41] The Nets retired Petrović's number 3 jersey later on that year, during a game against the Indiana Pacers at the Brenden Byrne Arena on November 11, during the next season; he would later on be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame posthumously in 2002.[42][43][44]
Petrović's girlfriend, Hungarian model and basketball player, Klara Szalantzy, 23, was not seriously hurt in the accident, while another passenger, Hilal Edebal, 23, was seriously injured with certain lifelong consequences. Edebal was also a basketball player, and played overseas in Turkey, but had to retire after the accident; reports of the accident misidentified her name as "Hilal Haene", and her age as 53.[44]
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 29 | P. J. Brown | PF | United States | Louisiana Tech |
| 2 | 40 | Steve Rogers | SG | United States | Alabama State |
Roster
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
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- Roster notes
- Point guard Rumeal Robinson holds both American and Jamaican citizenships.
Regular season
Season standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-New York Knicks | 60 | 22 | .732 | — | 37–4 | 23–18 | 23–5 |
| x-Boston Celtics | 48 | 34 | .585 | 12 | 28–13 | 20–21 | 19–9 |
| x-New Jersey Nets | 43 | 39 | .524 | 17 | 26–15 | 17–24 | 14–14 |
| Orlando Magic | 41 | 41 | .500 | 19 | 27–14 | 14–27 | 15–13 |
| Miami Heat | 36 | 46 | .439 | 24 | 26–15 | 10–31 | 9–19 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 26 | 56 | .317 | 34 | 15–26 | 11–30 | 11–17 |
| Washington Bullets | 22 | 60 | .268 | 38 | 15–26 | 7–34 | 7–21 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | c-New York Knicks | 60 | 22 | .732 | – |
| 2 | y-Chicago Bulls | 57 | 25 | .695 | 3 |
| 3 | x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 54 | 28 | .659 | 6 |
| 4 | x-Boston Celtics | 48 | 34 | .585 | 12 |
| 5 | x-Charlotte Hornets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 16 |
| 6 | x-New Jersey Nets | 43 | 39 | .524 | 17 |
| 7 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 43 | 39 | .524 | 17 |
| 8 | x-Indiana Pacers | 41 | 41 | .500 | 19 |
| 9 | Orlando Magic | 41 | 41 | .500 | 19 |
| 10 | Detroit Pistons | 40 | 42 | .488 | 20 |
| 11 | Miami Heat | 36 | 46 | .439 | 24 |
| 12 | Milwaukee Bucks | 28 | 54 | .341 | 32 |
| 13 | Philadelphia 76ers | 26 | 56 | .317 | 36 |
| 14 | Washington Bullets | 22 | 60 | .268 | 38 |
- z – clinched division title
- y – clinched division title
- x – clinched playoff spot
Game log
Regular season
| 1992–93 game log Total: 49–33 (Home: 26–15; Road: 23–18) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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November: 7–7 (home: 2–4; road: 5–3)
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December: 9–5 (home: 5–3; road: 4–2)
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January: 8–7 (home: 6–1; road: 2–6)
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February: 7–5 (home: 5–1; road: 2–4)
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March: 10–5 (home: 7–1; road: 3–4)
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April: 2–10 (home: 1–5; road: 1–5)
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| 1992–93 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playoffs
| 1993 playoff game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Eastern Conference First Round: 2–3 (home: 1–1; road: 1–2)
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| 1993 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Player statistics
| 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 |
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dražen Petrović | 70 | 67 | 38.0 | .518 | .449 | .870 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 22.3 |
| Derrick Coleman | 76 | 73 | 36.3 | .460 | .232 | .808 | 11.2 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 20.7 |
| Kenny Anderson | 55 | 55 | 36.5 | .435 | .280 | .776 | 4.1 | 8.2 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 16.9 |
| Chris Morris | 77 | 57 | 29.9 | .481 | .224 | .794 | 5.9 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 14.1 |
| Sam Bowie | 79 | 65 | 26.5 | .450 | .333 | .779 | 7.0 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 9.1 |
| Rumeal Robinson | 80 | 28 | 19.8 | .423 | .357 | .574 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 8.4 |
| Bernard King | 32 | 2 | 13.4 | .514 | .286 | .684 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 7.0 |
| Rafael Addison | 68 | 15 | 17.1 | .443 | .206 | .814 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 6.3 |
| Chucky Brown | 77 | 20 | 15.4 | .483 | .000 | .724 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 5.1 |
| Jayson Williams | 12 | 2 | 11.6 | .457 | .389 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 4.1 | |
| Rick Mahorn | 74 | 9 | 14.6 | .472 | .333 | .800 | 3.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 3.9 |
| Maurice Cheeks | 35 | 0 | 14.6 | .548 | .000 | .889 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 3.6 |
| Chris Dudley | 71 | 16 | 19.7 | .353 | .518 | 7.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 3.5 | |
| Tate George | 48 | 1 | 7.9 | .378 | .000 | .833 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.5 |
| Dwayne Schintzius | 5 | 0 | 7.0 | .286 | 1.000 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.4 | |
| Dan O'Sullivan | 3 | 0 | 3.3 | .667 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | ||
| Doug Lee | 5 | 0 | 6.6 | .286 | .333 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.0 | |
| Dave Hoppen | 2 | 0 | 5.0 | 1.000 | .000 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
Playoffs
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derrick Coleman | 5 | 5 | 45.0 | .532 | .417 | .806 | 13.4 | 4.6 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 26.8 |
| Chris Morris | 5 | 4 | 32.6 | .557 | .375 | .917 | 6.4 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 17.0 |
| Dražen Petrović | 5 | 5 | 38.6 | .455 | .333 | .800 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 15.6 |
| Rumeal Robinson | 5 | 5 | 27.2 | .429 | .286 | .714 | 2.4 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 9.8 |
| Chucky Brown | 4 | 0 | 15.5 | .409 | .857 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 6.0 | |
| Dwayne Schintzius | 5 | 0 | 21.2 | .448 | .500 | 5.0 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 5.8 | |
| Maurice Cheeks | 5 | 0 | 16.4 | .478 | .000 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 4.4 | |
| Rafael Addison | 5 | 0 | 10.6 | .333 | 1.000 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 3.4 | |
| Sam Bowie | 3 | 3 | 23.7 | .444 | 1.000 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 3.3 | |
| Bernard King | 3 | 1 | 8.0 | .571 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 2.7 | ||
| Rick Mahorn | 4 | 2 | 15.8 | .400 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.0 | ||
| Tate George | 2 | 0 | 11.0 | .286 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
Player statistics citation:[23]
Awards, Records and Honors
References
- ^ 1992–93 New Jersey Nets
- ^ Araton, Harvey (May 29, 1992). "BASKETBALL; Call It Daly's Passion: A New Nets Era Begins". The New York Times. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ Meinecke, Corky (May 29, 1992). "Nets Show They're Serious, Hiring Daly". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ Hubbard, Jan (May 30, 1992). "By Hiring Daly, No One Can Laugh at Nets Now". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ Berger, Phil (November 4, 1992). "BASKETBALL; Nets Reduce Logjam by Trading Blaylock to Hawks". The New York Times. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ "New Jersey Trades Blaylock to Atlanta". Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. November 4, 1992. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ "Nets Ship Blaylock to Hawks". Deseret News. Associated Press. November 4, 1992. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ Araton, Harvey (October 9, 1992). "BASKETBALL; Williams Rebounds, All the Way to Nets". The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Groller, Keith (October 9, 1992). "76ers Trade Williams to Find Spot for Weatherspoon". The Morning Call. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ Harvin, Al (November 5, 1992). "BASKETBALL; Nets Set Sights on Signing Mahorn". The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ Freeman, Mike (December 10, 1992). "PRO BASKETBALL; Nets' Bench Strength Is Merely a Weakness". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ "NBA Games Played on February 18, 1993". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ Freeman, Mike (March 2, 1993). "PRO BASKETBALL; Broken Wrist Sidelines Anderson and Angers Nets". The New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- ^ "Nets Lose Anderson for Rest of the Season". Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. March 9, 1993. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ Cooper, Barry (March 13, 1993). "Anderson's Injury Not Unusual, Just a Part of the Game". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ Freeman, Mike (December 30, 1992). "PRO BASKETBALL; Nets Making a Pitch for Former Knick Cheeks". The New York Times. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Nets Sign Cheeks". United Press International. January 7, 1993. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ Harvin, Al (January 8, 1993). "Pro Basketball; Nets Sign Cheeks, Adding Ballast to Backcourt". The New York Times. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ Araton, Harvey (February 6, 1993). "PRO BASKETBALL; Nets Are Close to Signing Bernard King". The New York Times. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^ Aldridge, David (February 6, 1993). "Former Bullet King Ready to Join Nets". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Harvin, Al (February 7, 1993). "PRO BASKETBALL; Interview Goes Well, So King Gets the Call". The New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ "1992–93 New Jersey Nets Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ a b c "1992–93 New Jersey Nets Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Nugget Wins Improved Player Award". The New York Times. May 13, 1993. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ a b "1992–93 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ "Coach of Year: NBA Honors Riley as League's Finest". Deseret News. May 18, 1993. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
- ^ Freeman, Mike (February 10, 1993). "BASKETBALL; Nets Fail to Land an All-Star Position". The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ "1993 NBA All-Star Game: West 135, East 132 (OT)". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ Freeman, Mike (May 10, 1993). "PRO BASKETBALL; The Nets Never Say Die, But They're Done". The New York Times. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ "NBA PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: Reserve Brandon Fuels Cavaliers to Victory". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 10, 1993. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ "1993 NBA Eastern Conference First Round: Nets vs. Cavaliers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "1992–93 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ "Lakers Trade Benjamin to Nets". United Press International. June 21, 1993. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ Freeman, Mike (June 22, 1993). "PRO BASKETBALL; Nets Get Benjamin in Swap for Bowie". The New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ Elliott, Helene (June 22, 1993). "Lakers Trade Benjamin to True Believer: Basketball: He Is Dealt to Nets for Bowie and Draft Choice and Will Be Reunited with College Coach, Willis Reed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ "Dudley Signs with Trail Blazers". Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. August 4, 1993. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "NBA Nixes Dudley Contract". United Press International. August 5, 1993. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ "BASKETBALL; Dudley's Blazer Contract Gets Final Approval". The New York Times. October 28, 1993. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ Freeman, Mike (June 8, 1993). "BASKETBALL; Nets' Petrovic Dies in Auto Accident in Germany". The New York Times. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ Lawrence, Mitch (June 8, 1993). "Nets' Petrovic Dies in Auto Accident". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ "A World Apart, Nets' Petrovic Is Mourned: Basketball: In New Jersey and the Former Yugoslavia, 28-Year-Old Guard Is Remembered After Being Killed in Car Crash". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. June 9, 1993. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ Araton, Harvey (November 11, 1993). "PRO BASKETBALL; Pilgrimage to End With Honors". The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ^ Araton, Harvey (November 12, 1993). "PRO BASKETBALL; Family and Nets Bid Another Farewell". The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ^ a b "Crash That Killed Drazen Petrović 18 Years Ago Crushed the Dreams of One Broken Passenger". New York Daily News. August 27, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2025.