1979–80 Denver Nuggets season

The 1979–80 NBA season was the Nuggets' 4th season in the NBA and 13th season as a franchise.

1979–80 Denver Nuggets season
Head coach	Donnie Walsh
Arena	McNichols Sports Arena
Results
Record	30–52 (.366)
Place	Division: 4th (Midwest) Conference: 9th (Western)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	KWGN-TV
Radio	KOA

Draft picks

Main article: 1979 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
2	30	Gary Garland	G	United States	DePaul
5	102	Larry Williams		United States	Louisville
6	122	Odell Bell		United States	Marquette
7	144	John Johnson		United States	Creighton
8	162	Matt Teahan		United States	Denver
9	179	Emmett Lewis		United States	Colorado

Roster

1979–80 Denver Nuggets roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From F 31 Ellis, Bo 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 197 lb (89 kg) Marquette SF 2 English, Alex 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) South Carolina G 24 Garland, Gary 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) DePaul F 22 Gondrezick, Glen 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 218 lb (99 kg) UNLV C 35 Hughes, Kim 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Wisconsin C 44 Issel, Dan 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Kentucky F 20 Johnson, George L. 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) St. John's C 41 Kramer, Arvid 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Augustana (SD) G 10 Roche, John 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) South Carolina G 11 Scott, Charlie 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 175 lb (79 kg) North Carolina SF 33 Thompson, David  6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) NC State G 32 Wilkerson, Bob 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Indiana

Head coach Donnie Walsh Assistant coach(es) George Irvine Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Milwaukee Bucks	49	33	.598	–	28–12	21–21	15–9
x-Kansas City Kings	47	35	.573	2	30–11	17–24	18–6
Chicago Bulls	30	52	.366	19	21–20	9–32	8–16
Denver Nuggets	30	52	.366	19	24–17	6–35	10–14
Utah Jazz	24	58	.293	25	17–24	7–34	9–15

#	Western Conference
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	c-Los Angeles Lakers	60	22	.732	–
2	y-Milwaukee Bucks	49	33	.598	11
3	x-Seattle SuperSonics	56	26	.683	4
4	x-Phoenix Suns	55	27	.671	5
5	x-Kansas City Kings	47	35	.573	13
6	x-Portland Trail Blazers	38	44	.463	22
7	San Diego Clippers	35	47	.427	25
8	Chicago Bulls	30	52	.366	30
9	Denver Nuggets	30	52	.366	30
10	Utah Jazz	24	58	.293	36
11	Golden State Warriors	24	58	.293	36

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1979-80 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHI	CLE	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	KCK	LAL	MIL	NJN	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAS	SDC	SEA	UTA	WAS
Atlanta	—	2–4	1–1	4–2	1–1	6–0	2–0	2–4	4–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	4–2	4–2	4–2	1–1	2–0	5–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	3–3
Boston	4–2	—	2–0	4–2	2–0	6–0	2–0	6–0	4–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	5–1	5–1	3–3	1–1	2–0	4–2	2–0	0–2	2–0	4–2
Chicago	1–1	0–2	—	2–0	2–4	1–1	4–2	1–1	0–2	3–3	1–5	1–5	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–5	3–3	0–2	4–2	2–4	2–4	0–2
Cleveland	2–4	2–4	0–2	—	1–1	6–0	2–0	2–4	2–4	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–3	3–3	1–5	1–1	0–2	4–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–3
Denver	1–1	0–2	4–2	1–1	—	1–1	3–3	1–1	1–1	0–6	1–5	3–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–5	2–4	1–1	3–3	1–5	3–3	1–1
Detroit	0–6	0–6	1–1	0–6	1–1	—	1–1	1–5	1–5	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–4	2–4	1–5	0–2	0–2	2–4	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–4
Golden State	0–2	0–2	2–4	0–2	3–3	1–1	—	1–1	1–1	3–3	1–5	0–6	2–0	0–2	0–2	2–4	2–4	0–2	3–3	0–6	3–3	0–2
Houston	4–2	0–6	1–1	4–2	1–1	5–1	1–1	—	4–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	3–3	3–3	2–4	1–1	1–1	3–3	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–4
Indiana	2–4	2–4	2–0	4–2	1–1	5–1	1–1	2–4	—	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–4	4–2	1–5	0–2	2–0	2–4	1–1	0–2	1–1	4–2
Kansas City	2–0	1–1	3–3	0–2	6–0	2–0	3–3	2–0	1–1	—	2–4	3–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–5	1–5	1–1	5–1	3–3	6–0	2–0
Los Angeles	1–1	2–0	5–1	1–1	5–1	2–0	5–1	2–0	2–0	4–2	—	3–3	2–0	2–0	1–1	3–3	2–4	2–0	5–1	4–2	6–0	1–1
Milwaukee	1–1	0–2	5–1	2–0	3–3	1–1	6–0	1–1	2–0	3–3	3–3	—	1–1	1–1	0–2	4–2	5–1	0–2	4–2	2–4	4–2	1–1
New Jersey	2–4	1–5	1–1	3–3	1–1	4–2	0–2	3–3	4–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	—	2–4	1–5	1–1	0–2	3–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–3
New York	2–4	1–5	2–0	3–3	1–1	4–2	2–0	3–3	2–4	1–1	0–2	1–1	4–2	—	0–6	2–0	2–0	4–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–3
Philadelphia	2–4	3–3	1–1	5–1	2–0	5–1	2–0	4–2	5–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	5–1	6–0	—	1–1	2–0	4–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	5–1
Phoenix	1–1	1–1	5–1	1–1	5–1	2–0	4–2	1–1	2–0	5–1	3–3	2–4	1–1	0–2	1–1	—	6–0	1–1	2–4	4–2	6–0	2–0
Portland	0–2	0–2	3–3	2–0	4–2	2–0	4–2	1–1	0–2	5–1	4–2	1–5	2–0	0–2	0–2	0–6	—	1–1	4–2	1–5	3–3	1–1
San Antonio	1–5	2–4	2–0	2–4	1–1	4–2	2–0	3–3	4–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	3–3	2–4	2–4	1–1	1–1	—	2–0	1–1	1–1	4–2
San Diego	1–1	0–2	2–4	1–1	3–3	2–0	3–3	0–2	1–1	1–5	1–5	2–4	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–2	2–4	0–2	—	3–3	5–1	1–1
Seattle	2–0	2–0	4–2	2–0	5–1	2–0	6–0	1–1	2–0	3–3	2–4	4–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–4	5–1	1–1	3–3	—	5–1	1–1
Utah	0–2	0–2	4–2	1–1	3–3	1–1	3–3	0–2	1–1	0–6	0–6	2–4	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–6	3–3	1–1	1–5	1–5	—	0–2
Washington	3–3	2–4	2–0	3–3	1–1	4–2	2–0	4–2	2–4	0–2	1–1	1–1	3–3	3–3	1–5	0–2	1–1	2–4	1–1	1–1	2–0	—

Game log

Regular season

1979–80 game log Total: 30–52 (home: 24–17; road: 6–35)
October: 2–8 (home: 2–4; road: 0–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
November: 7–9 (home: 4–3; road: 3–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
December: 5–9 (home: 5–1; road: 0–8) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
January: 5–11 (home: 4–4; road: 1–7) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
February: 6–5 (home: 5–3; road: 1–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record All-Star Break 61 February 15 Atlanta W 111–98 McNichols Sports Arena 22–39
March: 5–10 (home: 4–2; road: 1–8) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 68 March 2 @ Atlanta L 93–100 The Omni 25–43
1979–80 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

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG

See also

• 1979-80 NBA season