1996–97 Indiana Pacers season

1996–97 Indiana Pacers season
Head coachLarry Brown
General managerDonnie Walsh
OwnerHerbert Simon
ArenaMarket Square Arena
Results
Record39–43 (.476)
PlaceDivision: 6th (Central)
Conference: 10th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
TelevisionWTTV
Fox Sports Midwest
RadioWIBC

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.[1] During the off-season, the Pacers acquired Jalen Rose and Reggie Williams from the Denver Nuggets;[2][3][4] 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.[5][6][7]

However, after only playing just two games for the Pacers, Williams was then traded to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Vincent Askew.[8][9][10] Injuries and sluggish play would hamper the Pacers all season long as Rik Smits only played 52 games due to a foot injury,[11][12][13] while Derrick McKey only appeared in just 50 games due to a foot injury, and a ruptured Achilles tendon,[14][15] and Haywoode Workman was out with a season-ending knee injury after only playing just four games.[16][17]

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.[18] 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.[19][20][21] 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.[22]

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.[23]

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.[24][25] Following the season, head coach Larry Brown, who won his 600th game during the regular season,[26] was forced to resign after coaching the Pacers for four seasons;[27][28][29] he would later on take a coaching job with the Philadelphia 76ers.[30][31][32]

Also following the season, Dampier and Ferrell were both traded to the Golden State Warriors,[33][34][35] 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

1996–97 Indiana Pacers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
G 4 Travis Best 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 182 lb (83 kg) 1972–07–12 Georgia Tech
C 25 Erick Dampier 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 265 lb (120 kg) 1975–07–14 Mississippi State
F 33 Antonio Davis 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1968–10–31 UTEP
F 32 Dale Davis 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1969–03–25 Clemson
F 27 Duane Ferrell 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 209 lb (95 kg) 1965–02–28 Georgia Tech
F 24 Darvin Ham 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1973–07–23 Texas Tech
G 20 Fred Hoiberg 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 203 lb (92 kg) 1972–10–15 Iowa State
G 13 Mark Jackson 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1965–04–01 St. John's
F 9 Derrick McKey  6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1966–10–10 Alabama
G 31 Reggie Miller 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1965–08–24 UCLA
F 5 Jalen Rose 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1973–01–30 Michigan
F 55 Brent Scott 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1971–06–15 Rice
C 45 Rik Smits 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1966–08–23 Marist
C 41 LaSalle Thompson  6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1961–06–23 Texas
G 3 Haywoode Workman  6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1966–01–23 Oral Roberts
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Chicago Bulls 69 13 .841 – 39–2 30–11 24–4
x-Atlanta Hawks 56 26 .683 13 36–5 20–21 17–11
x-Detroit Pistons 54 28 .659 15 30–11 24–17 17–11
x-Charlotte Hornets 54 28 .659 15 30–11 24–17 14–14
Cleveland Cavaliers 42 40 .512 27 25–16 17–24 13–15
Indiana Pacers 39 43 .476 30 21–20 18–23 11–17
Milwaukee Bucks 33 49 .402 36 20–21 13–28 10–18
Toronto Raptors 30 52 .366 39 18–23 12–29 6–22
1996–97 NBA East standings
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Chicago Bulls 69 13 .841 –
2 y-Miami Heat 61 21 .744 8
3 x-New York Knicks 57 25 .695 12
4 x-Atlanta Hawks 56 26 .683 13
5 x-Detroit Pistons 54 28 .659 15
6 x-Charlotte Hornets 54 28 .659 15
7 x-Orlando Magic 45 37 .549 24
8 x-Washington Bullets 44 38 .537 25
9 Cleveland Cavaliers 42 40 .512 27
10 Indiana Pacers 39 43 .476 30
11 Milwaukee Bucks 33 49 .402 36
12 Toronto Raptors 30 52 .366 39
13 New Jersey Nets 26 56 .317 43
14 Philadelphia 76ers 22 60 .268 47
15 Boston Celtics 15 67 .183 54
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

1996–97 game log
November
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
December
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
January
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
February
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
March
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
April
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
1996–97 schedule

Player statistics

Regular season

Player POS GP GS MP REB AST STL BLK PTS MPG RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Antonio Davis PF 82 28 2,335 598 65 42 84 858 28.5 7.3 .8 .5 1.0 10.5
Reggie Miller SG 81 81 2,966 286 273 75 25 1,751 36.6 3.5 3.4 .9 .3 21.6
Dale Davis PF 80 76 2,589 772 59 60 77 832 32.4 9.7 .7 .8 1.0 10.4
Travis Best PG 76 46 2,064 166 318 98 5 754 27.2 2.2 4.2 1.3 .1 9.9
Erick Dampier C 72 21 1,052 294 43 19 73 370 14.6 4.1 .6 .3 1.0 5.1
Jalen Rose SF 66 6 1,188 121 155 57 18 482 18.0 1.8 2.3 .9 .3 7.3
Duane Ferrell SF 62 18 1,115 141 66 38 6 394 18.0 2.3 1.1 .6 .1 6.4
Rik Smits C 52 52 1,518 361 67 22 59 887 29.2 6.9 1.3 .4 1.1 17.1
Jerome Allen† SG 51 1 692 65 109 27 0 164 13.6 1.3 2.1 .5 .0 3.2
Derrick McKey SF 50 49 1,449 241 135 47 30 400 29.0 4.8 2.7 .9 .6 8.0
Fred Hoiberg SG 47 0 572 81 41 27 6 224 12.2 1.7 .9 .6 .1 4.8
Vincent Askew† SG 41 0 822 98 90 17 6 233 20.0 2.4 2.2 .4 .1 5.7
Mark Jackson† PG 30 30 1,053 124 294 46 3 271 35.1 4.1 9.8 1.5 .1 9.0
Eddie Johnson† SF 28 0 306 40 17 5 1 147 10.9 1.4 .6 .2 .0 5.3
Brent Scott PF 16 0 55 9 3 1 1 19 3.4 .6 .2 .1 .1 1.2
LaSalle Thompson† C 9 0 35 8 2 0 0 3 3.9 .9 .2 .0 .0 .3
Haywoode Workman PG 4 2 81 7 11 3 0 22 20.3 1.8 2.8 .8 .0 5.5
Reggie Williams† SF 2 0 33 7 2 0 0 5 16.5 3.5 1.0 .0 .0 2.5
Darvin Ham† 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.

Awards and records

Transactions

Overview

Players added

Via draft

Via trade

Via free agency

Players Lost

Via trade

Via free agency

Trades

June 13, 1996 To Indiana Pacers
Reggie Williams, Jalen Rose and the draft rights to Erick Dampier 		To Denver Nuggets
Mark Jackson, Ricky Pierce, and a first round draft pick
November 4, 1996 To Indiana Pacers
Vincent Askew 		To New Jersey Nets
Reggie Williams
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:[36]

References

  1. ^ 1996–97 Indiana Pacers
  2. ^ "Pacers Trade Jackson, Pierce to Denver". United Press International. June 13, 1996. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  3. ^ "PRO BASKETBALL; Nuggets Trade Abdul-Rauf, Acquire Pacers' Jackson". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 14, 1996. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  4. ^ "In One of Two Deals, Abdul-Rauf Is Traded". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. June 14, 1996. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  5. ^ Heisler, Mark (June 27, 1996). "The Surprises Are Few". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  6. ^ Cotton, Anthony (June 27, 1996). "For 76ers, Iverson Is No. 1 Choice". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  7. ^ "1996 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  8. ^ Roberts, Selena (November 5, 1996). "Nets Trade Askew for Pacers' Williams". The New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  9. ^ "Pacers Trade Williams for Askew". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. November 5, 1996. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  10. ^ "Nets, Pacers Trade Forwards". Deseret News. Associated Press. November 5, 1996. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  11. ^ Thompson, Jack (September 9, 1996). "Pacers' Smits Has Surgery on Both Feet". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  12. ^ "Smits Is Still Not Ready". The New York Times. October 24, 1996. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  13. ^ "Pacers' Smits Won't Start the Season". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. October 24, 1996. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  14. ^ "Pacers Lose McKey". The New York Times. February 6, 1997. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  15. ^ "Pacers Deny Stackhouse". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. December 20, 1997. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  16. ^ Shapiro, Mark (November 11, 1996). "Pacers' Workman Out for Year with Torn Ligament". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  17. ^ "Pacers Lose Workman for Season". Orlando Sentinel. November 11, 1996. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  18. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 6, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  19. ^ Brown, Clifton (February 21, 1997). "Jackson Is Back with Pacers". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  20. ^ "Trading Deadline Becomes Much Ado About a Little". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. February 21, 1997. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  21. ^ "Pacers Make Point in Reacquiring Jackson". The Washington Post. February 21, 1997. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  22. ^ "1996–97 Indiana Pacers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  23. ^ "1996–97 Indiana Pacers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  24. ^ Fry, Darrell (February 8, 1997). "On to the Next Stage". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  25. ^ "1997 NBA Rising Stars: East 96, West 91". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  26. ^ 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. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  27. ^ "Brown Reportedly Is Out". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. April 20, 1997. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  28. ^ "Carr, Brown Resign as Coaches". The Washington Post. May 1, 1997. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  29. ^ "You Can Color Brown Gone from the Pacers". Deseret News. Associated Press. May 1, 1997. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  30. ^ "Larry Brown Meets with 76ers' Brass". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 3, 1997. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  31. ^ "Brown Expected to Coach 76ers". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 5, 1997. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  32. ^ Adande, J.A. (May 6, 1997). "76ers Hire Brown for 5 Years". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  33. ^ "Warriors Trade Mullin to Pacers". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 12, 1997. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  34. ^ "Pacers Get Mullin from Warriors for Two Players". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. August 13, 1997. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  35. ^ Nevius, C.W. (August 13, 1997). "Mullin Gets His Wish; Warrior Great Goes Quietly to Pacers". SFGate. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  36. ^ "1996–97 Indiana Pacers Transactions". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 3, 2021.

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.