The 1991–92 NBA season was the Nets' 25th season in the National Basketball Association, and 16th season in East Rutherford, New Jersey, following the season, Mookie Blaylock,an American, was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, for which second-year forward?
1991–92 New Jersey Nets season The 1991–92 NBA season was the Nets' 25th season in the National Basketball Association, and 16th season in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Nets selected point guard Kenny Anderson out of Georgia Tech with the second pick in the 1991 NBA draft. However, Anderson held out early and the Nets struggled losing 11 of their first 13 games, but after a 7–18 start, they managed to win nine of their next twelve games. With Anderson coming off the bench, the Nets finished third in the Atlantic Division with a 40–42 record. Dražen Petrović led the team in scoring averaging 20.6 points per game. The club qualified for the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games. Following the season, Mookie Blaylock was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, second-year forward Terry Mills signed as a free agent with the Detroit Pistons, and head coach Bill Fitch was fired after clashing with his young stars.
1977 NBA draft The 1977 NBA draft was the 31st annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 10, 1977, before the 1977–78 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each conference, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Milwaukee Bucks won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Kansas City Kings, who obtained the New York Nets first-round pick in a trade, were awarded the second pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. Before the draft, six college underclassmen were declared eligible for selection under the "hardship" rule. These players had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning their living by starting their professional careers earlier. Four former American Basketball Association (ABA) franchises who joined the NBA when both leagues merged, the Denver Nuggets, the Indiana Pacers, the New York Nets and the San Antonio Spurs, took part in the NBA Draft for the first time. Prior to the start of the season, the Nets relocated to New Jersey and became the New Jersey Nets. The draft consisted of 8 rounds comprising the selection of 170 players.