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1996–97 Indiana Pacers season
NBA professional basketball team season
NBA professional basketball team season
Fox Sports Midwest
The 1996–97 Indiana Pacers season was the 21st season for the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association, and their 30th season as a franchise. During the off-season, the Pacers acquired Jalen Rose and Reggie Williams from the Denver Nuggets; the team also received the tenth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft from the Nuggets, and selected center Erick Dampier out of Mississippi State University.
However, after only playing just two games for the Pacers, Williams was then traded to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Vincent Askew. Injuries and sluggish play would hamper the Pacers all season long as Rik Smits only played 52 games due to a foot injury, while Derrick McKey only appeared in just 50 games due to a foot injury, and a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Haywoode Workman was out with a season-ending knee injury after only playing just four games.
The Pacers got off to a slow 3–8 start to the regular season, then won five straight games, but continued to struggle playing around .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, holding a 23–23 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded Askew, and Eddie Johnson to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for former Pacers guard Mark Jackson, and former Pacers forward LaSalle Thompson. Despite the return of Jackson after a brief stint with the Nuggets, the Pacers finished in sixth place in the Central Division with a disappointing 39–43 record, and missed the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 1988–89 season.
Reggie Miller led the Pacers in scoring with 21.6 points per game, and also led the league with 229 three-point field goals, while Smits averaged 17.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and Antonio Davis provided the team with 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. In addition, Dale Davis provided with 10.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, while second-year guard Travis Best contributed 9.9 points, 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game, Jackson averaged 9.0 points, 9.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 30 games after the trade, and McKey contributed 8.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Rose contributed 7.3 points per game, while Duane Ferrell provided with 6.4 points per game, and Dampier averaged 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, Dampier was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference Rookie team. The Pacers finished 21st in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 636,735 at the Market Square Arena during the regular season.
Following the season, head coach Larry Brown, who won his 600th game during the regular season, was forced to resign after coaching the Pacers for four seasons; he would later on take a coaching job with the Philadelphia 76ers. Also following the season, Dampier and Ferrell were both traded to the Golden State Warriors, and Thompson retired after playing in his second stint with the Pacers.
Offseason
Draft picks
Main article: 1996 NBA draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Erick Dampier | C | United States | Mississippi State |
| 2 | 52 | Mark Pope | PF/C | United States | Kentucky |
Roster
- Larry Brown
- Bill Blair
- Gar Heard
- Billy King
Regular season
Season standings
:z – clinched division title :y – clinched division title :x – clinched playoff spot
Game log
|- || || || || || || |- || || || || || || |- || || || || || || |- || || || || || || |- || || || || || || |- || || || || || || |-
Player statistics
Regular season
| Player | POS | GP | GS | MP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PF | **82** | 28 | 2,335 | 598 | 65 | 42 | **84** | 858 | 28.5 | 7.3 | .8 | .5 | 1.0 | 10.5 | |
| SG | 81 | **81** | **2,966** | 286 | 273 | 75 | 25 | **1,751** | **36.6** | 3.5 | 3.4 | .9 | .3 | **21.6** | |
| PF | 80 | 76 | 2,589 | **772** | 59 | 60 | 77 | 832 | 32.4 | **9.7** | .7 | .8 | 1.0 | 10.4 | |
| PG | 76 | 46 | 2,064 | 166 | **318** | **98** | 5 | 754 | 27.2 | 2.2 | 4.2 | 1.3 | .1 | 9.9 | |
| C | 72 | 21 | 1,052 | 294 | 43 | 19 | 73 | 370 | 14.6 | 4.1 | .6 | .3 | 1.0 | 5.1 | |
| SF | 66 | 6 | 1,188 | 121 | 155 | 57 | 18 | 482 | 18.0 | 1.8 | 2.3 | .9 | .3 | 7.3 | |
| SF | 62 | 18 | 1,115 | 141 | 66 | 38 | 6 | 394 | 18.0 | 2.3 | 1.1 | .6 | .1 | 6.4 | |
| C | 52 | 52 | 1,518 | 361 | 67 | 22 | 59 | 887 | 29.2 | 6.9 | 1.3 | .4 | **1.1** | 17.1 | |
| † | SG | 51 | 1 | 692 | 65 | 109 | 27 | 0 | 164 | 13.6 | 1.3 | 2.1 | .5 | .0 | 3.2 |
| SF | 50 | 49 | 1,449 | 241 | 135 | 47 | 30 | 400 | 29.0 | 4.8 | 2.7 | .9 | .6 | 8.0 | |
| SG | 47 | 0 | 572 | 81 | 41 | 27 | 6 | 224 | 12.2 | 1.7 | .9 | .6 | .1 | 4.8 | |
| † | SG | 41 | 0 | 822 | 98 | 90 | 17 | 6 | 233 | 20.0 | 2.4 | 2.2 | .4 | .1 | 5.7 |
| † | PG | 30 | 30 | 1,053 | 124 | 294 | 46 | 3 | 271 | 35.1 | 4.1 | **9.8** | **1.5** | .1 | 9.0 |
| † | SF | 28 | 0 | 306 | 40 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 147 | 10.9 | 1.4 | .6 | .2 | .0 | 5.3 |
| PF | 16 | 0 | 55 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 3.4 | .6 | .2 | .1 | .1 | 1.2 | |
| † | C | 9 | 0 | 35 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3.9 | .9 | .2 | .0 | .0 | .3 |
| PG | 4 | 2 | 81 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 20.3 | 1.8 | 2.8 | .8 | .0 | 5.5 | |
| † | SF | 2 | 0 | 33 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 16.5 | 3.5 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 2.5 |
| † | SF | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5.0 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 | .0 | 3.0 |
- † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Pacers only.
Transactions
Overview
| **Players added** | **Players Lost** |
|---|
Trades
| February 20, 1997 | To **Indiana Pacers**Mark Jackson, LaSalle Thompson, and Darvin Ham | To **Denver Nuggets**Vincent Askew, Eddie Johnson, Jerome Allen, and 1997 and 1998 Second Round draft picks |
|---|
Free agents
| Additions | Player | Date signed | Former team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerome Allen | August 17, 1996 | Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| Brent Scott | September 27, 1996 | Olitalia Forli (Italy) |
| Subtractions | Player | Reason Left | New team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Haskin | Unknown | None | |
| Dwayne Schintzius | Free Agency | Los Angeles Clippers | |
| Adrian Caldwell | Free Agency | New Jersey Nets |
Player Transactions Citation:
References
References
- [https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/IND/1997.html 1996–97 Indiana Pacers]
- (June 13, 1996). "Pacers Trade Jackson, Pierce to Denver". United Press International.
- (June 14, 1996). "PRO BASKETBALL; Nuggets Trade Abdul-Rauf, Acquire Pacers' Jackson". The New York Times.
- (June 14, 1996). "In One of Two Deals, Abdul-Rauf Is Traded". Los Angeles Times.
- Heisler, Mark. (June 27, 1996). "The Surprises Are Few". Los Angeles Times.
- Cotton, Anthony. (June 27, 1996). "For 76ers, Iverson Is No. 1 Choice". The Washington Post.
- "1996 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.
- Roberts, Selena. (November 5, 1996). "Nets Trade Askew for Pacers' Williams". The New York Times.
- (November 5, 1996). "Pacers Trade Williams for Askew". Los Angeles Times.
- (November 5, 1996). "Nets, Pacers Trade Forwards". Deseret News.
- Thompson, Jack. (September 9, 1996). "Pacers' Smits Has Surgery on Both Feet". Chicago Tribune.
- (October 24, 1996). "Smits Is Still Not Ready". The New York Times.
- (October 24, 1996). "Pacers' Smits Won't Start the Season". Los Angeles Times.
- (February 6, 1997). "Pacers Lose McKey". The New York Times.
- (December 20, 1997). "Pacers Deny Stackhouse". Los Angeles Times.
- Shapiro, Mark. (November 11, 1996). "Pacers' Workman Out for Year with Torn Ligament". Chicago Tribune.
- (November 11, 1996). "Pacers Lose Workman for Season". Orlando Sentinel.
- "NBA Games Played on February 6, 1997". Basketball-Reference.
- Brown, Clifton. (February 21, 1997). "Jackson Is Back with Pacers". The New York Times.
- (February 21, 1997). "Trading Deadline Becomes Much Ado About a Little". Los Angeles Times.
- (February 21, 1997). "Pacers Make Point in Reacquiring Jackson". The Washington Post.
- "1996–97 Indiana Pacers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.
- "1996–97 Indiana Pacers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.
- Fry, Darrell. (February 8, 1997). "On to the Next Stage". Tampa Bay Times.
- "1997 NBA Rising Stars: East 96, West 91". Basketball-Reference.
- "1996–97 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.
- Baker, Chris. (January 15, 1997). "Opponent--Indiana Pacers.Site--Sports Arena.Time--7:30.TV--Fox Sports West.Radio--KGIL (1260).Records--Clippers 14-21,...". Los Angeles Times.
- (April 20, 1997). "Brown Reportedly Is Out". Los Angeles Times.
- (May 1, 1997). "Carr, Brown Resign as Coaches". The Washington Post.
- (May 1, 1997). "You Can Color Brown Gone from the Pacers". Deseret News.
- (May 3, 1997). "Larry Brown Meets with 76ers' Brass". The New York Times.
- (May 5, 1997). "Brown Expected to Coach 76ers". Los Angeles Times.
- Adande, J.A.. (May 6, 1997). "76ers Hire Brown for 5 Years". The Washington Post.
- (August 12, 1997). "Warriors Trade Mullin to Pacers". The New York Times.
- (August 13, 1997). "Pacers Get Mullin from Warriors for Two Players". Los Angeles Times.
- Nevius, C.W.. (August 13, 1997). "Mullin Gets His Wish; Warrior Great Goes Quietly to Pacers". SFGate.
- "1996–97 Indiana Pacers Transactions". Basketball-Reference.
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