The 1996–97 Dallas Mavericks season was the 17th season for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association.
Season summary
Off-season The Mavericks received the ninth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, and selected power forward Samaki Walker from the University of Louisville. During the off-season, the team signed free agents Chris Gatling, Oliver Miller, and former Mavericks guard Derek Harper, acquired Eric Montross from the Boston Celtics, and signed undrafted rookie point guard Erick Strickland. The team also hired Jim Cleamons as their new head coach.
Regular season Under Cleamons and with the addition of Gatling, Harper, Montross, Miller and Walker, the Mavericks continued to struggle losing 10 of their first 14 games of the regular season in November. In late December, the team traded All-Star guard Jason Kidd, Tony Dumas, and second-year center Loren Meyer to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for second-year star Michael Finley, Sam Cassell and A.C. Green. The Mavericks lost 11 of their 15 games in January, and later on held a 16–28 record at the All-Star break. Gatling played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 19.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game during the first half of the season.
At mid-season, the Mavericks traded Gatling, Cassell, Montross, Jim Jackson and George McCloud to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Shawn Bradley, Robert Pack, Khalid Reeves and second-year forward Ed O'Bannon; the team also traded Jamal Mashburn to the Miami Heat in exchange for second-year guard Sasha Danilović, second-year forward Kurt Thomas, and rookie power forward Martin Müürsepp, while Miller was released to free agency, and re-signed as a free agent with his former team, the Toronto Raptors. In February, former Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson became the team's General Manager. The Mavericks posted a seven-game losing streak between February and March, then suffered an 11-game losing streak between March and April, and lost 16 of their final 18 games of the season. The Mavericks finished in fourth place in the Midwest Division with a 24–58 record, and missed the NBA playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.
Finley averaged 16.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 56 games after the trade, while Danilović contributed 16.6 points per game in 13 games, and Bradley averaged 14.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game in 32 games. In addition, Pack provided the team with 11.5 points, 6.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game in 20 games, while Strickland contributed 10.6 points per game in 28 games, Harper provided with 10.0 points and 4.3 assists per game, and Green averaged 7.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in 56 games. Meanwhile, Reeves contributed 7.8 points and 4.3 assists per game in 13 games, and Walker provided with 5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 43 games.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, and before the mid-season trade, Gatling was selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team; it was his first and only All-Star appearance. Meanwhile, Finley participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest for the second consecutive year, and Walker was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Western Conference Rookie team, but did not participate due to a knee injury.
The Mavericks finished 24th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 619,178 at the Reunion Arena during the regular season.
Notable highlights One notable game of the regular season occurred on April 6, 1997, in a road game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Great Western Forum. After leading 51–37 at halftime, the Mavericks struggled only scoring just two points in the third quarter, as the Lakers outscored them 23–2 in that quarter; the Mavericks lost to the Lakers by a score of 87–80. The Mavericks' two points were the fewest points scored in a quarter of a game in NBA history.
Aftermath Following the season, Harper and O'Bannon were both traded to the Orlando Magic, who released O'Bannon to free agency, and Danilović was released after only two seasons in the NBA.
Offseason Draft picks
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 9 Samaki Walker PF Louisville 2 34 Shawn Harvey G West Virginia State University 2 56 Darnell Robinson F Arkansas
Roster
Roster Notes Center Shawn Bradley holds both American and German citizenship. Power forward Kurt Thomas was acquired by the Mavericks from the Miami Heat in a mid-season trade, but was placed on the injured reserve list due to an ankle injury he sustained with the Heat, and did not play with the Mavericks this season.
Regular season Season standings
z - clinched division title y - clinched division title x - clinched playoff spot
Game log
| 1 | November 1 | @ Denver | W 92–91 | Jim Jackson (28) | Jim Jackson (11) | Jason Kidd (9) | McNichols Sports Arena16,104 | 1–0 |- | 2 | November 2 | Sacramento | L 94–107 | Jim Jackson (26) | Jim Jackson (10) | Jason Kidd (9) | Reunion Arena18,042 | 1–1 |- | 3 | November 5 | @ Toronto | L 96–100 | Chris Gatling (22) | Chris Gatling (11) | Jason Kidd (5) | SkyDome17,065 | 1–2 |- | 4 | November 6 | @ Detroit | L 84–103 | Tony Dumas (15) | George McCloud (8) | Jim Jackson (4) | The Palace of Auburn Hills14,473 | 1–3 |- | 5 | November 9 | Miami | L 84–91 | Jamal Mashburn (19) | Chris Gatling (11) | Jason Kidd (8) | Reunion Arena15,021 | 1–4 |- | 6 | November 12 | Indiana | W 103–82 | Derek Harper (17) | Oliver Miller (11) | Jason Kidd (11) | Reunion Arena14,153 | 2–4 |- | 7 | November 14 | @ Minnesota | L 90–100 | Chris Gatling (26) | Chris Gatling (14) | Jamal Washburn (8) | Target Center14,079 | 2–5 |- | 8 | November 16 | Utah | L 87–88 | Chris Gatling (23) | Chris Gatling (20) | Kidd, Harper (7) | Reunion Arena15,947 | 2–6 |- | 9 | November 19 | @ Milwaukee | L 97–100 | Jason Kidd (25) | Jason Kidd (13) | Jason Kidd (8) | Bradley Center13,225 | 2–7 |- | 10 | November 21 | L. A. Clippers | W 105–94 | Chris Gatling (27) | Chris Gatling (9) | Jason Kidd (9) | Reunion Arena13,510 | 3–7 |- | 11 | November 23 | @ New Jersey | L 91–114 | George McCloud (13) | Loren Meyer (9) | Jason Kidd (12) | Continental Airlines Arena15,701 | 3–8 |- | 12 | November 24 | @ Boston | L 91–105 | Jackson, Gatling (23) | Chris Gatling (11) | Jason Kidd (8) | Fleet Center15,244 | 3–9 |- | 13 | November 26 | San Antonio | W 105–101 | Chris Gatling (26) | Chris Gatling (6) | Jason Kidd (10) | Reunion Arena14,567 | 4–9 |- | 14 | November 29 | Chicago | L 96–116 | Chris Gatling (35) | Chris Gatling (11) | Jason Kidd (17) | Reunion Arena18,042 | 4–10
| 72 | April 1 | Detroit | L 82–100 | Finley, Pack (15) | A. C. Green (10) | Robert Pack (9) | Reunion Arena15,291 | 22–50 |- | 73 | April 3 | @ Golden State | L 90–106 | Derek Harper (19) | A. C. Green (8) | Derek Harper (7) | San Jose Arena13,669 | 22–51 |- | 74 | April 5 | @ Seattle | L 84–103 | Sasha Danilović (18) | Shawn Bradley (10) | Derek Harper (4) | KeyArena at Seattle Center17,072 | 22–52 |- | 75 | April 6 | @ L. A. Lakers | L 80–87 | Derek Harper (18) | A. C. Green (14) | Robert Pack (10) | Great Western Forum17,364 | 22–53 |- | 76 | April 8 | Portland | W 87–82 | Sasha Danilović (22) | Robert Pack (9) | A. C. Green (14) | Reunion Arena13,590 | 23–53 |- | 77 | April 10 | Seattle | L 82–90 | Michael Finley (25) | Shawn Bradley (8) | Robert Pack (5) | Reunion Arena13,687 | 23–54 |- | 78 | April 12 | Vancouver | L 85–96 | Robert Pack (22) | Shawn Bradley (13) | Robert Pack (6) | Reunion Arena14,060 | 23–55 |- | 79 | April 14 | L. A. Clippers | L 93–99 | Shawn Bradley (32) | Shawn Bradley (16) | Michael Finley (6) | Reunion Arena15,461 | 23–56 |- | 80 | April 16 | @ Minnesota | W 92–77 | Michael Finley (19) | A. C. Green (14) | Michael Finley (4) | Target Center16,444 | 24–56 |- | 81 | April 18 | @ Houston | L 102–112 | Sasha Danilović (23) | A. C. Green (13) | Robert Pack (12) | The Summit16,285 | 24–57 |- | 82 | April 19 | Denver | L 95–100 | Shawn Bradley (25) | Robert Pack (9) | Shawn Bradley (16) | Reunion Arena16,183 | 24–58
Player statistics
Ragular season PlayerPG75 29 2,210 137 321 92 12 753 29.5 1.8 4.3 1.2 .2 10.0†PF 56 54 1,944 518 52 52 15 444 34.7 9.3 .9 .9 .3 7.9†SF 56 36 1,994 252 156 50 20 897 35.6 4.5 2.8 .9 .4 16.0†C 47 46 984 236 32 9 34 182 20.9 5.0 .7 .2 .7 3.9†SG 46 46 1,676 227 156 57 15 714 36.4 4.9 3.4 1.2 .3 15.5†PF 44 1 1,191 348 25 35 31 840 27.1 7.9 .6 .8 .7 19.1PF 43 12 602 147 17 15 22 214 14.0 3.4 .4 .3 .5 5.0†C 42 0 836 233 58 34 50 180 19.9 5.5 1.4 .8 1.2 4.3†SF 41 26 1,207 143 92 52 8 563 29.4 3.5 2.2 1.3 .2 13.7C 40 3 389 76 11 8 7 80 9.7 1.9 .3 .2 .2 2.0†SF 37 21 975 115 93 35 5 394 26.4 3.1 2.5 .9 .1 10.6†C 33 32 1,060 286 32 17 88 482 32.1 8.7 1.0 .5 2.7 14.6†PF 32 0 321 62 17 12 10 139 10.0 1.9 .5 .4 .3 4.3SG 28 15 759 90 68 27 5 297 27.1 3.2 2.4 1.0 .2 10.6†PG 22 22 791 90 200 45 8 217 36.0 4.1 9.1 2.0 .4 9.9†PG 20 11 597 60 127 35 3 229 29.9 3.0 6.4 1.8 .2 11.5†PF 19 16 259 49 7 6 3 78 13.6 2.6 .4 .3 .2 4.1†SF 19 0 175 36 11 5 2 46 9.2 1.9 .6 .3 .1 2.4†SG 18 0 227 14 22 10 1 72 12.6 .8 1.2 .6 .1 4.0†PG 16 13 398 50 57 17 6 197 24.9 3.1 3.6 1.1 .4 12.3†PG 13 12 384 31 56 11 2 102 29.5 2.4 4.3 .8 .2 7.8†SG 13 9 438 34 25 15 1 216 33.7 2.6 1.9 1.2 .1 16.6PF 12 0 40 10 0 0 1 22 3.3 .8 .0 .0 .1 1.8†SF 10 6 211 29 23 11 2 45 21.1 2.9 2.3 1.1 .2 4.5SG 8 0 60 10 4 1 0 14 7.5 1.3 .5 .1 .0 1.8†C 6 0 70 18 0 2 0 12 11.7 3.0 .0 .3 .0 2.0†SF 2 0 7 1 1 1 0 2 3.5 .5 .5 .5 .0 1.0
Transactions
Trades June 21, 1996 To Dallas Mavericks---- Eric Montross 1996 1st round draft pick To Boston Celtics---- 1996 1st round draft pick 1997 1st round draft pick July 23, 1996 To Dallas Mavericks---- Jimmy King 1998 2nd round draft pick To Toronto Raptors---- Popeye Jones December 26, 1996 To Dallas Mavericks---- Sam Cassell Michael Finley A. C. Green 1998 2nd round draft pick To Phoenix Suns---- Tony Dumas Jason Kidd Loren Meyer February 14, 1997 To Dallas Mavericks---- Sasha Danilović Martin Müürsepp Kurt Thomas To Miami Heat---- Jamal Mashburn February 17, 1997 To Dallas Mavericks---- Shawn Bradley Ed O'Bannon Robert Pack Khalid Reeves To New Jersey Nets---- Sam Cassell Chris Gatling Jim Jackson George McCloud Eric Montross
References
See also 1996-97 NBA season