1978–79 Milwaukee Bucks season

The 1978–79 NBA season was the Bucks' 11th season in the NBA.^[1]

1978–79 Milwaukee Bucks season
Head coach	Don Nelson
Arena	MECCA Arena
Results
Record	38–44 (.463)
Place	Division: 5th (Midwest) Conference: 9th (Western)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WVTV
Radio	WTMJ
< 1977–78 1979–80 >

Draft picks

Main article: 1978 NBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	12	George Johnson	PF	United States	St. John's
3	59	Pat Cummings	PF	United States	Cincinnati
4	80	Otis Howard	F	United States	Austin Peay State
5	103	Russ Coleman		United States	Pacific
6	124	Dave Kyle		United States	Cleveland State
7	146	Kim Anderson		United States	Missouri
8	164	Tom Zaligaris		United States	North Carolina
9	182	Gary Rosenberger		United States	Marquette
10	196	Tom Anderson		United States	Wisconsin-Green Bay

Roster

1978–79 Milwaukee Bucks roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From C 54 Benson, Kent 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Indiana SF 2 Bridgeman, Junior 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Louisville SG 21 Buckner, Quinn 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Indiana C 40 Gianelli, John 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Pacific SG 20 Grunfeld, Ernie 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Tennessee F 24 Johnson, George L. 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) St. John's SF 8 Johnson, Marques 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 218 lb (99 kg) UCLA F 18 Restani, Kevin 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) San Francisco F 5 Smith, Sam 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) UNLV PG 11 Walton, Lloyd 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Marquette SG 32 Winters, Brian 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) South Carolina

Head coach Don Nelson Assistant coach(es) John Killilea Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended   Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Kansas City Kings	48	34	.585	–	32–9	16–25	12–4
x-Denver Nuggets	47	35	.573	1	29–12	18–23	8–8
Indiana Pacers	38	44	.463	10	25–16	13–28	6–10
Milwaukee Bucks	38	44	.463	10	28–13	10–31	9–7
Chicago Bulls	31	51	.378	17	19–22	12–29	5–11

#	Western Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Seattle SuperSonics	52	30	.634	–
2	y-Kansas City Kings	48	34	.585	4
3	x-Phoenix Suns	50	32	.610	2
4	x-Denver Nuggets	47	35	.573	5
5	x-Los Angeles Lakers	47	35	.573	5
6	x-Portland Trail Blazers	45	37	.549	7
7	San Diego Clippers	43	39	.524	9
8	Indiana Pacers	38	44	.463	14
9	Milwaukee Bucks	38	44	.463	14
10	Golden State Warriors	38	44	.463	14
11	Chicago Bulls	31	51	.378	21

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1978-79 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHI	CLE	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	KCK	LAL	MIL	NJN	NOJ	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAS	SDC	SEA	WAS
Atlanta	—	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	1–3	2–2
Boston	2–2	—	1–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	3–1	2–2	0–4	1–3	0–4	1–3	2–2	0–4
Chicago	1–3	2–1	—	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	4–0	0–3	0–4	0–4	1–3
Cleveland	1–3	2–2	3–1	—	1–2	1–3	2–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	0–4	0–4	0–4	2–2	2–2	0–4
Denver	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–1	—	2–2	4–0	1–3	3–1	1–3	3–1	2–2	4–0	3–1	3–1	0–3	3–1	1–3	3–1	2–2	3–1	1–3
Detroit	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	—	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–1	0–4	2–2	1–3	1–3	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–2	0–3	1–3
Golden State	3–1	1–2	1–3	1–2	0–4	3–1	—	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–2
Houston	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	—	0–4	3–1	2–1	2–2	3–1	4–0	4–0	0–4	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–1	2–2	2–2
Indiana	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	4–0	—	1–3	0–4	2–2	1–2	2–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	1–3	0–4	1–3
Kansas City	2–2	3–1	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	—	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–0
Los Angeles	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–2	4–0	2–2	—	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–0	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2
Milwaukee	0–3	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	—	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3
New Jersey	2–2	3–1	2–2	1–3	0–4	4–0	3–1	1–3	2–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	—	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–0	2–2	0–4	2–2	0–4	1–3
New Orleans	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–4	1–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	—	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	0–4	0–3	0–4
New York	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	1–3	0–4	2–2	1–2	0–3	3–1	3–1	2–2	—	2–2	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–3
Philadelphia	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	3–0	3–1	1–3	4–0	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	—	1–3	1–2	3–1	3–1	1–3	3–1
Phoenix	1–2	4–0	3–1	4–0	1–3	4–0	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	0–3	3–1	4–0	3–1	—	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	1–3
Portland	2–2	3–1	0–4	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–1	1–3	—	2–1	2–2	1–3	3–1
San Antonio	1–3	4–0	3–0	4–0	1–3	3–1	3–1	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–2	3–1	4–0	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–2	—	4–0	2–2	1–3
San Diego	1–3	3–1	4–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	4–0	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	0–4	—	2–2	0–3
Seattle	3–1	2–2	4–0	2–2	1–3	3–0	1–3	2–2	4–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	4–0	3–0	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	—	2–2
Washington	2–2	4–0	3–1	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	0–3	2–2	3–1	3–1	4–0	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	3–1	3–0	2–2	—

Game log

1978–79 game log Total: 38–44 (Home: 0–0; Road: 0–0)
October: 1–1 (home: 0–0; road: 1–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 1 October 14, 1978 @ San Antonio L 111–153 HemisFair Arena 0—1 2 October 15, 1978 @ New Orleans W 123–112 Louisiana Superdome 1—1
November: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
December: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
January: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
February: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
March: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
1978–79 schedule

Player statistics

Legend

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

Statistics^[2]

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Marques Johnson	77		36.1	55.0		76.0	7.6	3.0	1.5	1.2	25.6
Brian Winters	79		32.6	49.3		85.6	2.2	4.8	1.1	0.5	19.8
Junior Bridgeman	82		23.9	50.6		82.9	3.6	2.0	1.1	0.5	15.5
Kent Benson	82		26.0	51.8		73.5	7.1	2.5	1.1	1.0	12.3
Ernie Grunfeld	82		21.7	49.3		76.1	4.4	2.6	0.7	0.2	10.3
Quinn Buckner	81		21.7	45.4		63.2	2.6	5.8	1.9	0.2	7.2
John Gianelli	82		25.1	48.6		70.6	5.0	2.0	0.5	0.7	7.1
Kevin Restani	81		19.7	49.5		69.9	4.8	1.5	0.4	0.3	7.1
George Johnson	67		17.3	48.2		71.8	5.4	1.2	1.1	0.7	6.2
Lloyd Walton	75		18.4	48.0		67.8	1.4	4.7	1.0	0.1	5.0
Sam Smith	16		7.8	40.4		75.0	0.6	1.0	0.5	0.4	3.5
Otis Howard	3		7.3	45.5		0.0	2.3	0.3	0.0	0.0	3.3
Norm Van Lier	38		14.6	39.0		90.4	1.1	4.2	1.1	0.1	2.8
Del Beshore	1		1.0	0.0		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Transactions

Trades

July 26, 1978	To Milwaukee Bucks---- C. J. Kupec	To Houston Rockets---- 1979 4th round pick (Sammy Drummer)
October 23, 1978	To Milwaukee Bucks---- 1979 4th round pick (Eugene Robinson)	To Detroit Pistons---- Otis Howard

Free Agents

Player	Signed	Former team
Del Beshore	September 14, 1978	California University of Pennsylvania
Norm Van Lier	October 26, 1978	Chicago Bulls

Awards and records

• Marques Johnson, All-NBA First Team

References

1. 1978-79 Milwaukee Bucks
2. "1978-79 Milwaukee Bucks Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2021-06-05.