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1980–81 Phoenix Suns season

NBA team season

NBA team season

FieldValue
teamPhoenix Suns
end_year1981
DivisionWinyes
wins57
losses25
divisionPacific
division_place1
conf_place1
coachJohn MacLeod
gmJerry Colangelo
ownersKarl Eller, Don Pitt, Don Diamond, Bhavik Darji, Marvin Meyer, Richard L. Bloch
arenaArizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
playoffs[Conference semifinals](1981-nba-playoffs-bracket)
(lost to [Kings](1980-81-kansas-city-kings-season) 3–4)
bbr_teamPHO
televisionKNXV
radioKTAR

(lost to Kings 3–4) The 1980–81 Phoenix Suns season was the 13th season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. At 57–25, the team had finished with its best regular season record. For the Suns, they had appeared in their first Finals five years ago but never could claim a divisional title as their own. Atop the Western Conference standings for the first time, the Suns had earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The offense was highlighted by a balanced attack, with four starters averaging 15 points or more a game, but none greater than 19. This, despite a trade that meant the departure of four-time All-NBA Paul Westphal, who was swapped for fourth year All-Star guard Dennis Johnson. In the conference semifinals, the Suns would meet the Kansas City Kings, a team they had defeated in the first round one season ago but found more difficult to handle this season. After a 22-point win in game one, the Suns would go on to lose game seven and the series. The Suns were led by head coach John MacLeod and played all home games in Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Johnson was a tough defender and later earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors. He was also named to the All-NBA First Team. In the All-Star Game, Johnson was joined by teammates Walter Davis and Truck Robinson. It was the first time the Suns sent three players to the All-Star Game.

Johnson and Robinson shared top scoring marks for the Suns with an average of 18.8 points a game, while Robinson also led the team in rebounds per game at 9.6. Davis averaged 18.0 points per game and Alvan Adams chipped in 14.9 for the second consecutive season. Adams, a 6'9" center/forward led the team in assists at 4.6 a game.

Offseason

NBA draft

Main article: 1980 NBA draft

Phoenix Suns}}" width="10%"RoundPhoenix Suns}}" width="10%"PickPhoenix Suns}}" width="20%"PlayerPhoenix Suns}}" width="15%"PositionPhoenix Suns}}" width="15%"NationalityPhoenix Suns}}" width="20%"College
242Kimberly BeltonCenterUnited StatesStanford
359John CampbellForwardUnited StatesClemson
365Doug TrueForwardUnited StatesCalifornia
488Leroy StampleyGuardUnited StatesLoyola (IL)
5111Mark StevensForwardUnited StatesNorthern Arizona
6134Coby LeavittCenterUnited StatesUtah
7157Ron WilliamsForwardUnited StatesWestern Montana
8175Jim ConollyForwardUnited StatesLa Salle
9196Keith FrenchForwardUnited StatesNorth Park
10211Randy CarrollForwardUnited StatesKansas

This was the first year in franchise history that none of the team's draft picks played for the franchise. Not only did no selection play for the Suns, none ever played a game in the NBA.

Roster

  • John MacLeod
  • Al Bianchi
  • John Wetzel
  • Joe Proski

Regular season

Standings

Playoffs

Game log

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | April 7 | Kansas City | W 102–80 | Johnson, Davis (16) | Jeff Cook (12) | three players tied (4) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 12,660 | 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | April 8 | Kansas City | L 83–88 | Dennis Johnson (31) | Truck Robinson (8) | Alvan Adams (4) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 12,660 | 1–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 3 | April 10 | @ Kansas City | L 92–93 | Johnson, Adams (19) | Dennis Johnson (9) | three players tied (4) | Kemper Arena 13,776 | 1–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 4 | April 12 | @ Kansas City | L 95–102 | Truck Robinson (23) | Truck Robinson (13) | Alvan Adams (4) | Kemper Arena 11,089 | 1–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 5 | April 15 | Kansas City | W 101–89 | Walter Davis (20) | Truck Robinson (20) | Johnson, Davis (4) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 12,660 | 2–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 6 | April 17 | @ Kansas City | W 81–76 | Dennis Johnson (17) | Truck Robinson (10) | Alvan Adams (7) | Kemper Arena 15,232 | 3–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 7 | April 19 | Kansas City | L 88–95 | Dennis Johnson (28) | Johnson, Adams (7) | Dennis Johnson (5) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 12,660

3–4

Awards and honors

All-Star

  • Walter Davis was voted as a starter for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his fourth consecutive All-Star selection. Davis finished second in voting among Western Conference forwards with 172,479 votes.
  • Dennis Johnson was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his third consecutive All-Star selection. Johnson finished fifth in voting among Western Conference guards with 123,287 votes.
  • Truck Robinson was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his second All-Star selection.
  • John MacLeod coached the Western Conference All-Star team in a 120–123 loss to the East.

Season

  • Dennis Johnson was named to the All-NBA First Team. Johnson also finished eighth in MVP voting.
  • Dennis Johnson was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
  • Alvan Adams had the league's best defensive rating, allowing 96.2 points per 100 possessions.
  • Truck Robinson finished 19th in MVP voting.
  • Walter Davis finished 24th in MVP voting.

Player statistics

Season

|- align="center" bgcolor="" | || 75 || 69 || 27.4 || .526 || . || .768 || 7.3 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 4.6 || 1.4 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | .9 || 14.9 |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | || 79 || 77 || 27.7 || .464 || .000 || .645 || 5.9 || 2.5 || 1.0 || .7 || 8.5 |- align="center" bgcolor="" | || 78 || 77 || 28.0 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | .539 || .412 || .836 || 2.6 || 3.9 || 1.2 || .2 || 18.0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | || 81 || 10 || 21.6 || .427 || .083 || .693 || 2.8 || 2.5 || 1.6 || .3 || 8.4 |- align="center" bgcolor="" | || 79 || 77 || 33.1 || .436 || .216 || .820 || 4.6 || 3.7 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 1.7 || .8 || 18.8 |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | || 81 || 13 || 20.8 || .506 || .000 || .758 || 5.4 || 3.5 || 1.0 || .8 || 7.0 |- align="center" bgcolor="" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 82 || 0 || 13.0 || .527 || .000 || .692 || 2.8 || 1.1 || .4 || .2 || 4.1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 82 || 0 || 17.9 || .511 || .235 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | .899 || 1.6 || 2.0 || .9 || .1 || 8.1 |- align="center" bgcolor="" | || 44 || 0 || 5.3 || .348 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | .500 || .459 || 1.3 || 0.3 || .2 || .0 || 2.6 |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 82 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 82 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 37.7 || .505 || . || .629 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 9.6 || 2.5 || .8 || .5 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 18.8 |- align="center" bgcolor="" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 82 || 5 || 17.4 || .497 || .167 || .764 || 3.3 || 1.4 || .7 || .9 || 5.4 |}

Playoffs

|- align="center" bgcolor="" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || 31.1 || .450 || . || .714 || 5.9 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 3.7 || .6 || .1 || 10.6 |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || 29.4 || .463 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 1.000 || .737 || 6.7 || 1.6 || .1 || .0 || 9.3 |- align="center" bgcolor="" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || 28.4 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | .481† || .000 || .588 || 2.7 || 3.1 || 1.0 || .1 || 16.0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || 0 || 16.7 || .424 || . || .643 || 2.7 || 0.9 || .9 || .3 || 5.3 |- align="center" bgcolor="" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 38.1 || .473 || .200 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | .762^ || 4.7 || 2.9 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 1.3 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 1.3 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 19.6 |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || 0 || 16.1 || .400 || .000 || .643 || 5.0 || 1.9 || .9 || .4 || 4.1 |- align="center" bgcolor="" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || 0 || 14.4 || .520† || . || .500 || 2.3 || 0.6 || .3 || .3 || 3.9 |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || 0 || 14.6 || .528† || .500 || 1.000^ || 1.9 || 1.6 || .7 || .0 || 7.0 |- align="center" bgcolor="" | || 2 || 0 || 2.0 || .000 || . || . || 0.0 || 0.0 || .5 || .0 || 0.0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || 33.3 || .351 || . || .588 || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 10.7 || 1.9 || .7 || .3 || 10.6 |- align="center" bgcolor="" | || style="background:#FF8800;color:#423189;" | 7 || 0 || 17.1 || .467 || . || .667 || 2.7 || 1.0 || .6 || .9 || 5.4 |}

† – Minimum 20 field goals made.

^ – Minimum 10 free throws made.

Transactions

Trades

February 3, 1981To **San Diego Clippers**To **Phoenix Suns**

Free agents

Additions

DatePlayerContractOld Team
June 25, 1980Mike NilesUndisclosed

Subtractions

DatePlayerReason leftNew team
May 28, 1980Mike Bratz[Expansion draft](1980-nba-expansion-draft)Dallas Mavericks
September 9, 1980Bayard ForrestRetired
October 8, 1980Wiley PeckWaived
October 14, 1980Garfield HeardFree agentSan Diego Clippers

References

References

  1. "Phoenix Suns Draft Picks". basketball-reference.com.
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