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1997–98 Denver Nuggets season

The 1997–98 NBA season was the Nuggets’ 22nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 31st season as a franchise.[1] The Nuggets received the fifth overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft, and selected Tony Battie out of Texas Tech University.[2][3][4][5][6] During the off-season, the team acquired Eric Williams from the Boston Celtics,[7][8][9] acquired Johnny Newman, Joe Wolf and top draft pick Danny Fortson out of the University of Cincinnati from the Milwaukee Bucks,[2][3][4] first round draft pick Bobby Jackson from the Seattle SuperSonics,[10] second round draft pick Eric Washington from the Orlando Magic,[10] and signed free agent Dean Garrett.[11][12][13] However, Williams suffered a devastating knee injury after only just four games, and was out for the remainder of the season, averaging 19.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game,[14][15][16] while Bryant Stith only played just 31 games due to ankle and foot injuries.[17] At midseason, the team signed free agent Cory Alexander, who was previously released by the San Antonio Spurs.[18]

The Nuggets set numerous unwanted records during this season, which started off with the team losing their first twelve games under new head coach, former Nuggets player Bill Hanzlik.[19][20][21] The Nuggets finished with the league's worst record at 11–71, which was also the team's worst record in franchise history.[22] Their eleven wins equaled the third-fewest in an 82-game NBA season along with the 1992–93 Dallas Mavericks, and just like the Mavericks were for a long time viewed as likely to beat the 1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers record of winning only nine games in a full season, and the 2015–16 76ers, who only won just ten games. Incidentally, the NFL's Denver Broncos had won the Super Bowl earlier in 1998 and would go towards the Super Bowl again in the same year when this occurred.[23][24] After 40 games and a dreadful 23-game losing streak, which was tied with the 1995–96 Vancouver Grizzlies, the Nuggets had a 2–38 record (winning percentage .050), a mark equalled only by the 1993–94 Mavericks,[25][26][27] With the team holding a 4–42 record at the All-Star break,[28] General Manager Allan Bristow was fired.[29][30] The Nuggets later on lost sixteen consecutive games between February and March,[22] before finally avoiding a possibility of the worst-ever NBA record against the Golden State Warriors on March 27.

Newman played a sixth man role, leading the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game off the bench, while LaPhonso Ellis averaged 14.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, and Jackson provided the team with 11.6 points, 4.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In addition, Fortson averaged 10.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while Anthony Goldwire contributed 9.2 points and 3.4 assists per game, Battie provided with 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, Garrett averaged 7.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, Washington contributed 7.7 points per game, and Stith contributed 7.6 points per game.[31] The Nuggets had the worst team defensive rating in the NBA.[32]

The unfortunate season meant Hanzlik was fired after a single season in charge of the team.[33][34][35] Following the season, Ellis signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Hawks,[36][37] while Newman re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers,[38] Garrett and Jackson were both traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Battie was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers,[39][40] who then traded him to the Boston Celtics several months later,[41] and Goldwire and Wolf were both released to free agency.[42]

In his 2007 study The NBA from Top to Bottom, basketball enthusiast Kyle Wright argued that in fact the 1997–98 Nuggets were a worse team than the 1972–73 76ers, saying that they played a worse schedule in the Midwest Division than the 1972–73 76ers did in their Atlantic Division where a dominant Boston Celtics team was played seven times by the 76ers.[43] In contrast, Wright says, "the Nuggets got to play the 62–20 Utah Jazz only four times".

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Player statistics

Awards and records

Transactions

References

  1. ^ 1997–98 Denver Nuggets
  2. ^ a b Wise, Mike (June 26, 1997). "After Duncan, Utah Forward Steals Show". The New York Times. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Heisler, Mark (June 26, 1997). "Draft Over, But Not Finished". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Cotton, Anthony (June 26, 1997). "No. 1 Pick Turns Duncan Into Spur of Moment". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  5. ^ "First Round Selections in the 1997 NBA Draft Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C." Hartford Courant. June 26, 1997. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  6. ^ "1997 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  7. ^ Gardner, Kris (August 21, 1997). "Celtics Trade Williams to Denver". The Houston Roundball Review. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  8. ^ "Celtics Send Eric Williams to Nuggets". Tampa Bay Times. August 22, 1997. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  9. ^ Greenberg, Alan (October 23, 1997). "One of Pitino's Slick Moves". Hartford Courant. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Gardner, Kris (June 25, 1997). "ARCHIVE: Houston Roundball Review NBA Trade Analyses -- 1997 NBA Draft Day Deals". The Houston Roundball Review. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  11. ^ "The Denver Nuggets Continued Their Massive Rebuilding..." Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. September 6, 1997. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  12. ^ Harding, Jim (September 7, 1997). "Garrett Latest Addition to New-Look Nuggets". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  13. ^ Kurkjian, Tim (November 10, 1997). "NO.5: Denver Nuggets". Sports Illustrated Vault. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  14. ^ "Nuggets' Williams Is Out". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. November 10, 1997. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  15. ^ "NBA -- Nuggets Rocked by Bad News: Eric Williams Out for Season". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. November 10, 1997. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  16. ^ "Sonics Not Looking Past Tarnished Nuggets". The Spokesman-Review. Tacoma News Tribune. November 22, 1997. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  17. ^ Johnson, Dave (July 5, 1999). "Losses, Injuries Numb Stith's Zest for the Game". Daily Press. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  18. ^ "D'Antoni New Skipper in Denver". CBS News. CBS News.com Staff. September 22, 1998. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  19. ^ "Nuggets Set to Hire Hanzlik". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 29, 1997. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  20. ^ "Denver Hires Former Player to Lead Team". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. May 30, 1997. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  21. ^ "Kings 97, Nuggets 93". United Press International. November 26, 1997. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  22. ^ a b "1997–98 Denver Nuggets Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  23. ^ "Nuggets Falter Again: Lose 87–75"; in Rocky Mountain News; December 24, 1997
  24. ^ "Warriors Pound Nuggets 81–69; Wizards Win 97–95"; in Point Pleasant Register; December 27, 1997; p. 5
  25. ^ "N.B.A.: LAST NIGHT; Denver Ties Record for Futility in N.B.A." The New York Times. Associated Press. January 24, 1998. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  26. ^ "At 23, Nuggets Almost Loss Leaders". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. January 24, 1998. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  27. ^ "Suns 93, Nuggets 77". The Washington Post. January 24, 1998. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  28. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 5, 1998". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  29. ^ "Bristow Fired by 4-42 Nuggets". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. February 6, 1998. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  30. ^ Thompson, Jack (March 26, 1998). "Issel Gets Task of Rebuilding Nuggets". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  31. ^ "1997–98 Denver Nuggets Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  32. ^ "Teams Defense". NBA.com. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  33. ^ Mitchell, Don (April 20, 1998). "Denver Nuggets Fire Coach Hanzlik". Associated Press. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  34. ^ "Nuggets Quickly Oust Hanzlik". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. April 21, 1998. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  35. ^ "Hanzlik Axed After Dismal Season". CBS News. Associated Press. April 21, 1998. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  36. ^ Jorgensen, Loren (January 26, 1999). "Fans Enjoy Scrimmage, Jazz Win That One, But Pursuit of LaPhonso Ellis Is Still Up in Air". Deseret News. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  37. ^ "Hawks to Sign LaPhonso Ellis". United Press International. January 30, 1999. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  38. ^ "Cavaliers Sign Free Agent Newman". Associated Press. January 24, 1999. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  39. ^ "Clippers Pick Olowokandi No. 1". CBS News. CBS News.com Staff. June 24, 1998. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  40. ^ "Van Exel Act Gets Him Exiled to the Nuggets". Deseret News. Associated Press. June 25, 1998. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  41. ^ "Knight's Out". Hartford Courant. January 20, 1999. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  42. ^ Wise, Mike (February 4, 1999). "PRO BASKETBALL; A Scrum for the Title". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  43. ^ Wright, Kyle; The NBA from Top to Bottom: A History of the NBA from the No. 1 Team to the No. 1,153; pp. 80-87. ISBN 9780595697960

See also