1973–74 Phoenix Suns season

The 1973–74 Phoenix Suns season was the sixth for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. It was the first of 14 seasons head coach John MacLeod spent with Phoenix. The season would also be the last for former All-Star forward/center Connie Hawkins, traded to the Los Angeles Lakers after appearing in nine games for the Suns. Charlie Scott would repeat as an All-Star, but who missed 30 games due to injury despite his NBA career-high 25.4 points a game. The team went on to finish the season 30–52, a career-worst for MacLeod and the franchise's poorest record since their inaugural season.

1973–74 Phoenix Suns season
Head coachJohn MacLeod
General managerJerry Colangelo
OwnersRichard Bloch
ArenaArizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Results
Record30–52 (.366)
PlaceDivision: 4th (Pacific)
Conference: 8th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKTAR-TV
RadioKTAR

Dick Van Arsdale averaged 17.8 points on the season, while Neal Walk averaged 16.8 points and a team-high 10.2 rebounds per contest. Keith Erickson, obtained by the Suns along with a future second round pick in the Hawkins trade, enjoyed a career-high 14.6 points a game in his ninth year in the NBA and first with Phoenix.

Van Arsdale was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, while Mike Bantom, a rookie out of Saint Joseph's, was named to the All-Rookie Team.

Offseason

NBA Draft
Main article: 1973 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 8 Mike Bantom Forward  United States Saint Joseph's
2 33 Gary Melchionni Guard  United States Duke
3 42 Joe Reaves Forward  United States Bethel (Tennessee)
3 43 Steve Mitchell Center  United States Kansas State
4 60 Ron Robinson Forward  United States Memphis State
5 77 Clinton Harris Forward  United States Iowa State
6 94 Gene Doyle Center  United States Holy Cross
7 111 Jerry Bisbano Guard  United States Southwestern Louisiana
8 128 Jim Owens Forward  United States Arizona State
9 144 Sandy Smith Guard  United States Winston-Salem
10 158 Claude White Guard  United States Elmhurst
11 170 Lynn Greer Guard  United States Virginia State
12 179 Lyman Williamson Forward  United States Samford
13 186 Kalevi Sarkalahti Forward  Finland Brigham Young

Roster
Phoenix Suns roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#Nat.NameHeightWeightDOB (Y-M-D)From
F 40 Bantom, Mike 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1951-12-03 Saint Joseph's
F 20 Calhoun, Corky 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1950-11-01 Pennsylvania
F 24 Chamberlain, Bill 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1949-12-16 North Carolina
C 31 Christian, Bob 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1946-05-11 Grambling State
G/F 14 Erickson, Keith 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1944-04-19 UCLA
F 16 Green, Lamar 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1947-03-22 Morehead State
G 11 Haskins, Clem 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1943-07-11 Western Kentucky
G 25 Melchionni, Gary 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1951-01-19 Duke
G/F 45 Owens, Jim 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1950-05-01 Arizona State
G 33 Scott, Charlie  6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1948-12-15 North Carolina
G/F 5 Van Arsdale, Dick 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1943-02-22 Indiana
C 41 Walk, Neal 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1948-07-29 Florida
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Regular season

Standings
Pacific Division W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
y-Los Angeles Lakers 4735.573–30–1117–24–14–12
Golden State Warriors 4438.537323–1820–201–015–11
Seattle SuperSonics 3646.4391122–1914–27–12–14
Phoenix Suns 3052.3661724–176–340–111–15
Portland Trail Blazers 2755.3292022–195–340–213–13
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Milwaukee Bucks5923.720–
2 x-Chicago Bulls5428.6595
3 x-Detroit Pistons5230.6347
4 y-Los Angeles Lakers4735.57312
5 Golden State Warriors4438.53715
6 Seattle SuperSonics3646.43923
7 Kansas City–Omaha Kings3349.40226
8 Phoenix Suns3052.36629
9 Portland Trail Blazers2755.32932

Record vs. opponents
1973–74 NBA records
Team ATL BOS BUF CAP CHI CLE DET GSW HOU KCO LAL MIL NYK PHI PHO POR SEA
Atlanta —1–52–44–41–34–30–41–35–21–34–01–31–53–31–32–24–0
Boston 5–1—5–22–42–24–23–13–14–23–12–22–25–27–13–14–02–2
Buffalo 4–22–5—3–31–35–11–31–34–22–20–41–34–46–13–13–12–2
Capital 4–44–23–3—1–36–12–23–14–33–12–21–33–34–22–23–12–2
Chicago 3–12–23–13–1—4–05–24–24–05–21–53–32–23–14–24–24–2
Cleveland 3–42–41–51–60–4—2–20–44–40–43–10–41–55–11–34–02–2
Detroit 4–01–33–12–22–52–2—5–13–14–24–23–41–32–26–05–15–1
Golden State 3–11–33–11–32–44–01–5—4–03–34–23–31–33–15–23–43–3
Houston 2–52–42–43–40–44–41–30–4—2–22–20–44–24–22–23–11–3
Kansas City-Omaha 3–11–32–21–32–54–02–43–32–2—1–50–71–31–34–24–22–4
Los Angeles 0–42–24–02–25–11–32–42–42–25–1—4–22–24–04–24–34–3
Milwaukee 3–12–23–13–13–34–04–33–34–07–02–4—2–24–05–16–04–2
New York 5–12–54–43–32–25–13–13–12–43–12–22–2—4–33–12–24–0
Philadelphia 3–31–71–62–41–31–52–21–32–43–10–40–43–4—3–12–20–4
Phoenix 3–11–31–32–22–43–10–62–52–22–42–41–51–31–3—3–34–3
Portland 2–20–41–31–32–40–41–54–31–32–43–40–62–22–23–3—3–3
Seattle 0–42–22–22–22–42–21–53–33–14–23–42–40–44–03–43–3—

Game log
1973–74 game log
Total: 30–52 (Home: 24–17; Road: 6–35)
October: 2–8 (Home: 2–3; Road: 0–5)
November: 5–8 (Home: 3–1; Road: 2–7)
December: 8–8 (Home: 6–4; Road: 2–4)
January: 6–7 (Home: 5–3; Road: 1–4)
February: 4–12 (Home: 4–3; Road: 0–9)
March: 5–9 (Home: 4–3; Road: 1–6)
1973–74 schedule

Awards and honors

All-Star

Season

Player statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  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

Season
Player GP GS MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Mike Bantom763726.1.399.6626.82.1.7.610.1
Corky Calhoun775428.7.461.7605.31.8.9.48.2
Bill Chamberlain28113.1.438.6962.91.3.7.45.5
Bob Christian81115.4.486.7024.21.2.2.44.8
Keith Erickson*664830.8.477.8016.33.11.0.314.6
Lamar Green722015.3.407.5594.90.6.4.54.1
Clem Haskins812022.5.460.8422.73.21.0.211.1
Connie Hawkins*8727.9.486.6675.43.51.0.411.3
Gary Melchionni691518.1.460.860^2.12.1.6.17.2
Jim Owens1705.9.538†.7860.50.9.3.03.1
Joe Reaves*705.4.545†.3641.10.1.0.32.3
Charlie Scott525138.5+.459.7814.35.2+1.9+.425.4+
Dick Van Arsdale787636.3+.500†.853^2.84.2+1.2+.217.8+
Neal Walk828031.1.460.79110.24.0.9.716.8

* – Stats with the Suns.
† – Minimum 560 field goal attempts.
^ – Minimum 160 free throw attempts.
+ – Minimum 70 games played.

Transactions

Trades
October 8, 1973
 To Atlanta Hawks---- To Phoenix Suns----
October 9, 1973
 To Capital Bullets---- To Phoenix Suns----
October 30, 1973
 To Los Angeles Lakers---- To Phoenix Suns----
January 24, 1974
 To Golden State Warriors---- To Phoenix Suns----

Free agents
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