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1996–97 Dallas Mavericks season

NBA professional basketball team season

NBA professional basketball team season

  • Frank Zaccanelli (through February 7, 1997)
  • Don Nelson (after February 7, 1997) Fox Sports Southwest

The 1996–97 Dallas Mavericks season was the 17th season for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association. The Mavericks received the ninth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, and selected power forward Samaki Walker from the University of Louisville. During the off-season, the team signed free agents Chris Gatling, Oliver Miller, and former Mavericks guard Derek Harper, and acquired Eric Montross from the Boston Celtics, and signed undrafted rookie point guard Erick Strickland.

Under new head coach Jim Cleamons, the Mavericks continued to struggle with a 4–10 start to the regular season in November. With the team not showing any improvement, they traded All-Star guard Jason Kidd along with Tony Dumas, and second-year center Loren Meyer to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for second-year star Michael Finley, Sam Cassell and A.C. Green in late December. The Mavericks held a 16–28 record at the All-Star break.

Gatling played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 19.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per during the first half of the regular season. At mid-season, he was traded along with Cassell, Montross, Jim Jackson and George McCloud to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Shawn Bradley, Robert Pack, Khalid Reeves and second-year forward Ed O'Bannon, while Jamal Mashburn was dealt to the Miami Heat in exchange for second-year guard Sasha Danilovic, second-year forward Kurt Thomas, and rookie forward Martin Muursepp, and Miller was released to free agency, and re-signed as a free agent with his former team, the Toronto Raptors.

In February, former Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson became the team's General Manager. The Mavericks suffered an 11-game losing streak between March and April, and lost 16 of their final 18 games of the season, finishing in fourth place in the Midwest Division with a 24–58 record, and missing the NBA playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.

For the players who were acquired in trades during the regular season, Finley averaged 15.6 points per game in 56 games with the Mavericks, while Bradley averaged 14.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game in 32 games, Pack contributed 11.5 points, 6.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game in 20 games, and Green contributed 7.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in 56 games. In addition, for the players who spent the entire season with the Mavericks this season, Harper provided with 10.0 points and 4.3 assists per game, and Strickland contributed 10.6 points per game in only just 28 games.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, and before the mid-season trade, Gatling was selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team; it was his first and only All-Star appearance. Meanwhile, Finley participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest for the second consecutive year, and Walker was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Western Conference Rookie team, but did not participate due to a knee injury.

The Mavericks finished 24th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 619,178 at the Reunion Arena during the regular season. Following the season, Harper and O'Bannon were both traded to the Orlando Magic, who released O'Bannon to free agency, and Danilovic was released after only two seasons in the NBA. On April 6, 1997, the Mavericks only scored just two points in the third quarter in an 87–80 road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers; it was the fewest points scored in a quarter of a game in NBA history.

Offseason

Draft picks

Main article: 1996 NBA draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege
19Samaki WalkerPFLouisville
234Shawn HarveyGWest Virginia State University
256Darnell RobinsonFArkansas

Roster

  • Jim Cleamons
  • Butch Beard
  • Jack Nolan
  • Charlie Parker
  • Bob Salmi
  • Lanny Van Eman

Roster Notes

  • Center Shawn Bradley holds both American and German citizenship.
  • Power forward Kurt Thomas was acquired by the Mavericks from the Miami Heat in a mid-season trade, but was placed on the injured reserve list due to an ankle injury he sustained with the Heat, and did not play with the Mavericks this season.

Regular season

Season standings

:z - clinched division title :y - clinched division title :x - clinched playoff spot

Game log

Player statistics

Ragular season

PlayerPOSGPGSMPREBASTSTLBLKPTSMPGRPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
PG**75**29**2,210**137**321****92**1275329.51.84.31.2.210.0
†PF56**54**1,944**518**52521544434.7**9.3**.9.9.37.9
†SF56361,9942521565020**897**35.64.52.8.9.416.0
†C47469842363293418220.95.0.7.2.73.9
†SG46461,6762271565715714**36.4**4.93.41.2.315.5
†PF4411,19134825353184027.17.9.6.8.7**19.1**
PF431260214717152221414.03.4.4.3.55.0
†C42083623358345018019.95.51.4.81.24.3
†SF41261,2071439252856329.43.52.21.3.213.7
C403389761187809.71.9.3.2.22.0
†SF37219751159335539426.43.12.5.9.110.6
†C33321,0602863217**88**48232.18.71.0.5**2.7**14.6
†PF3203216217121013910.01.9.5.4.34.3
SG2815759906827529727.13.22.41.0.210.6
†PG22227919020045821736.04.1**9.1****2.0**.49.9
†PG20115976012735322929.93.06.41.8.211.5
†PF1916259497637813.62.6.4.3.24.1
†SF190175361152469.21.9.6.3.12.4
†SG18022714221017212.6.81.2.6.14.0
†PG1613398505717619724.93.13.61.1.412.3
†PG1312384315611210229.52.44.3.8.27.8
†SG139438342515121633.72.61.91.2.116.6
PF1204010001223.3.8.0.0.11.8
†SF10621129231124521.12.92.31.1.24.5
SG806010410147.51.3.5.1.01.8
†C6070180201211.73.0.0.3.02.0
†SF207111023.5.5.5.5.01.0
  • † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Mavericks only.

Transactions

Main article: List of 1996–97 NBA season transactions

References

References

  1. "1996-97 Dallas Mavericks". Basketball-reference.com.
  2. Heisler, Mark. (June 27, 1996). "The Surprises Are Few". Los Angeles Times.
  3. Cotton, Anthony. (June 27, 1996). "For 76ers, Iverson Is No. 1 Choice". The Washington Post.
  4. "1996 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.
  5. (July 17, 1996). "Mavericks Sign Gatling to 5-Year Deal". United Press International.
  6. Brown, Clifton. (July 18, 1996). "PRO BASKETBALL; Lakers Up Offer to O'Neal to $140 Million". The New York Times.
  7. (July 18, 1996). "Magic Said to Be Keeping Grant". Los Angeles Times.
  8. (October 17, 1996). "Mavericks Sign Miller to One-Year Deal". United Press International.
  9. Sheridan, Chris. (October 27, 1996). "Winners and Losers in Off-Season Action". Los Angeles Times.
  10. Brown, Clifton. (July 26, 1996). "BASKETBALL; Harper Appears Headed to Mavs". The New York Times.
  11. (July 26, 1996). "Harper Returns to Mavericks". United Press International.
  12. (July 27, 1996). "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Harper Back with Mavericks". The New York Times.
  13. (June 22, 1996). "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Celtics Trade Montross to Mavericks". The New York Times.
  14. (June 22, 1996). "Celtics Trade Montross, Move Up in Draft". Los Angeles Times.
  15. Greenberg, Alan. (June 22, 1996). "Mavs Trade Sixth Pick to Celtics". Hartford Courant.
  16. (May 31, 1996). "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Mavericks Hire Bulls' Cleamons". The New York Times.
  17. (May 31, 1996). "Mavericks to Hire Cleamons; Kupchak Interviews for GM Job". Los Angeles Times.
  18. (December 27, 1996). "Kidd Traded to Suns in a Six-Player Deal". The New York Times.
  19. (December 27, 1996). "Kidd Is Traded to Suns for Cassell, Finley, Green". Los Angeles Times.
  20. (December 27, 1996). "Kidd Sent to Suns in 6-Player Deal". The Washington Post.
  21. "NBA Games Played on February 6, 1997". Basketball-Reference.
  22. "1996–97 Dallas Mavericks Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.
  23. Roberts, Selena. (February 18, 1997). "Nets and Mavericks Clean House and Start Over". The New York Times.
  24. (February 18, 1997). "Overhaul Ends for Mavericks". Los Angeles Times.
  25. Canavan, Tom. (February 18, 1997). "Mavericks, Nets Swap 9 Players". The Washington Post.
  26. Brown, Clifton. (February 15, 1997). "Miami Acquires Mashburn from Dallas to Bolster Its Firepower". The New York Times.
  27. (February 15, 1997). "Heat Acquires Mashburn from Mavericks". Los Angeles Times.
  28. (February 15, 1997). "A Move Forward: Mashburn". Sun Sentinel.
  29. (February 14, 1997). "Sloan Gets a Longer Deal". Los Angeles Times.
  30. (November 28, 1997). "Raptors Sign Center Oliver Miller". Associated Press.
  31. (February 7, 1997). "Don Nelson Named Dallas Mavericks' G.M.". United Press International.
  32. Roberts, Selena. (February 8, 1997). "All-Stars Are Tepid on Return of Nelson". The New York Times.
  33. Heisler, Mark. (February 19, 1997). "A Tiny Comfort Zone in Dallas". Los Angeles Times.
  34. "1996–97 Dallas Mavericks Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.
  35. Fry, Darrell. (February 8, 1997). "On to the Next Stage". Tampa Bay Times.
  36. (September 13, 2021). "1997 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com.
  37. "1997 NBA All-Star Game: East 132, West 120". Basketball-Reference.
  38. "NBA & ABA All-Star Game Contest Winners". Basketball-Reference.
  39. (February 6, 1997). "Stars Are Out for Ewing; Groin Injury K.O.'s Patrick". New York Daily News.
  40. "1997 NBA Rising Stars: East 96, West 91". Basketball-Reference.
  41. "1996–97 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.
  42. (September 25, 1997). "PLUS: BASKETBALL; Dallas-Orlando Trade". The New York Times.
  43. (September 25, 1997). "Nelson Still Dealing, Gets Scott from Magic". Los Angeles Times.
  44. Johnson, L.C.. (September 25, 1997). "Trade Lets Magic Get Rid of Scott". Orlando Sentinel.
  45. (April 7, 1997). "Mavs Score Just 2 Points in a Quarter". The New York Times.
  46. Howard-Cooper, Scott. (April 7, 1997). "Lakers Exploit the Bad and Ugly". Los Angeles Times.
  47. "Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 6, 1997". Basketball-Reference.
  48. (November 14, 1997). "Mavs' Thomas Breaks Ankle Again". Associated Press.
  49. (November 14, 1997). "Mavs' Thomas Breaks Ankle Again". United Press International.
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