Select Page

1978–79 Indiana Pacers season

The 1978–79 NBA season was Indiana's third season in the NBA and 12th season as a franchise.[1]

Offseason

Draft picks

Main article: 1978 NBA draft

This table only lists picks through the second round.

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 3 Rick Robey PF/C  United States Kentucky
2 27 Wayne Radford SG  United States Indiana

Roster

Indiana Pacers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
PF 42 Mike Bantom 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Saint Joseph's
SF 10 Corky Calhoun 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Penn
PG 20 Brad Davis 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Maryland
PG 16 Johnny Davis 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Dayton
C 40 James Edwards 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Washington
C 41 Len Elmore 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Maryland
SF 22 Alex English 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) South Carolina
SF 24 Steve Green 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Indiana
SF 25 Billy Knight 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Pittsburgh
SG 21 Wayne Radford 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Indiana
SG 14 Ricky Sobers 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 198 lb (90 kg) UNLV
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division
 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
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 —

Player statistics

Ragular season

Player POS GP GS MP REB AST STL BLK PTS MPG RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
James Edwards C 82 82 2,546 693 92 60 109 1,366 31.0 8.5 1.1 .7 1.3 16.7
Ricky Sobers SG 81 2,825 301 450 138 23 1,404 34.9 3.7 5.6 1.7 .3 17.3
Alex English SF 81 2,696 655 271 70 78 1,299 33.3 8.1 3.3 .9 1.0 16.0
Mike Bantom PF 81 2,528 650 223 99 62 1,191 31.2 8.0 2.8 1.2 .8 14.7
Corky Calhoun SF 81 1,332 238 104 37 19 378 16.4 2.9 1.3 .5 .2 4.7
Len Elmore C 80 1,264 402 75 62 79 334 15.8 5.0 .9 .8 1.0 4.2
Johnny Davis PG 79 2,971 191 453 95 22 1,444 37.6 2.4 5.7 1.2 .3 18.3
Wayne Radford SG 52 649 68 57 30 1 202 12.5 1.3 1.1 .6 .0 3.9
Kevin Stacom† SG 44 571 61 77 14 1 183 13.0 1.4 1.8 .3 .0 4.2
Rick Robey† C 43 849 254 53 25 12 370 19.7 5.9 1.2 .6 .3 8.6
Billy Knight† SF 39 976 174 86 32 5 575 25.0 4.5 2.2 .8 .1 14.7
Steve Green SF 39 265 52 21 11 3 104 6.8 1.3 .5 .3 .1 2.7
Brad Davis† PG 22 233 16 43 14 2 59 10.6 .7 2.0 .6 .1 2.7
  • † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Pacers only.

Awards and records

References

  1. ^ "1978-79 Indiana Pacers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.