1992–93 New Jersey Nets season

The 1992–93 New Jersey Nets season was the Nets' 26th season in the National Basketball Association, and 17th season in East Rutherford, New Jersey. During the off-season, the Nets hired Chuck Daly as head coach; Daly led the Detroit Pistons to two straight championships in 1989 and 1990. The team also acquired Rumeal Robinson from the Atlanta Hawks,  acquired Jayson Williams from the Philadelphia 76ers,   and signed free agents Chucky Brown and Rick Mahorn. Under Daly, the Nets continued to improve holding a 30–21 record at the All-Star break. However, they would lose second-year star Kenny Anderson for the remainder of the season to a wrist injury after 55 games. At midseason, the Nets signed free agents, former All-Star guard Maurice Cheeks,  and former All-Star forward Bernard King. Despite losing ten of their final eleven games, the team finished third in the Atlantic Division with a 43–39 record.

Dražen Petrović and Derrick Coleman were both selected to the All-NBA Third Team, as Petrović led the team in scoring averaging 22.3 points per game, and Coleman averaged 20.7 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. In addition, Anderson became the team's starting point guard, as he provided the team with 16.9 points, 8.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and finished in third place in Most Improved Player voting,  while Chris Morris contributed 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game, and Sam Bowie provided with 9.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Daly finished in fifth place in Coach of the Year voting. The club qualified for the playoffs, but were eliminated in the Eastern Conference First Round by the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.

Following the season, tragedy struck as Petrović was killed in a car accident in Germany at the age of 28 on June 7, 1993; Petrović was a passenger in a car driven by his girlfriend, which lost control and crashed head-on into a truck on a rain-drenched highway near Munich, Germany. His girlfriend, Klara Szalantzy, 23, and another passenger, Hilal Haene, 53, were both seriously injured. Shortly before his death, Petrović last played for the Croatian national basketball team in the European Championships in Wroclaw, Poland. The Nets retired his #3 jersey, as Petrović would later on be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame posthumously.

Also following the season, Bowie was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers,  while Chris Dudley signed as a free agent with the Portland Trail Blazers,  Brown signed with the Dallas Mavericks, and King and Cheeks both retired.

Roster

 * Roster notes
 * Point guard Rumeal Robinson holds both American and Jamaican citizenships.

Season standings

 * z – clinched division title
 * y – clinched division title
 * x – clinched playoff spot

Regular season

 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 3
 * November 10, 1992
 * @ New York
 * L 96–99
 * Madison Square Garden
 * 1–2
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 7
 * November 17, 1992
 * Utah
 * L 97–108
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 3–4
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 11
 * November 24, 1992
 * @ Seattle
 * L 97–103
 * Seattle Center Coliseum
 * 4–7
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 12
 * November 25, 1992
 * @ L.A. Lakers
 * W 100–98
 * Great Western Forum
 * 5–7
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 13
 * November 27, 1992
 * @ Utah
 * W 112–110
 * Delta Center
 * 6–7
 * Great Western Forum
 * 5–7
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 13
 * November 27, 1992
 * @ Utah
 * W 112–110
 * Delta Center
 * 6–7
 * W 112–110
 * Delta Center
 * 6–7
 * Delta Center
 * 6–7
 * 6–7


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 16
 * December 4, 1992
 * San Antonio
 * W 108–103 (OT)
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 9–7
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 18
 * December 8, 1992 7:30p.m. EST
 * Phoenix
 * L 100–105
 * Morris (25)
 * Morris (12)
 * Anderson (7)
 * Brendan Byrne Arena 16,514
 * 10–8
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 19
 * December 10, 1992
 * L.A. Clippers
 * W 111–105
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 10–9
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 20
 * December 12, 1992 8:30p.m. EST
 * @ Chicago
 * L 89–95
 * Petrović (25)
 * Bowie (17)
 * Anderson, Petrović (6)
 * Chicago Stadium 18,232
 * 11–9
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 21
 * December 15, 1992
 * New York
 * L 94–108
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 11–10
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 26
 * December 26, 1992
 * @ Cleveland
 * W 119–114
 * Richfield Coliseum
 * 14–12
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 27
 * December 28, 1992
 * Charlotte
 * W 104–103
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 15–12
 * Richfield Coliseum
 * 14–12
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 27
 * December 28, 1992
 * Charlotte
 * W 104–103
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 15–12
 * W 104–103
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 15–12
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 15–12
 * 15–12


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 29
 * January 2, 1993
 * @ Charlotte
 * L 117–118
 * Charlotte Coliseum
 * 16–13
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 34
 * January 13, 1993
 * Cleveland
 * W 104–98
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 19–15
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 38
 * January 21, 1993 7:30p.m. EST
 * Chicago
 * L 94–107
 * Anderson, Coleman (22)
 * Coleman (12)
 * Anderson (12)
 * Brendan Byrne Arena 20,049
 * 22–16
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 40
 * January 24, 1993
 * Houston
 * W 100–83
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 23–17
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 41
 * January 26, 1993
 * L.A. Lakers
 * W 106–91
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 24–17
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 43
 * January 30, 1993
 * @ Houston
 * L 105–108
 * The Summit
 * 24–19
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 24–17
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 43
 * January 30, 1993
 * @ Houston
 * L 105–108
 * The Summit
 * 24–19
 * L 105–108
 * The Summit
 * 24–19
 * The Summit
 * 24–19
 * 24–19


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 45
 * February 2, 1993
 * @ San Antonio
 * L 93–111
 * HemisFair Arena
 * 25–20
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 46
 * February 4, 1993
 * Seattle
 * W 113–103 (OT)
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 26–20
 * - align="center"
 * colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break
 * - style="background:#cfc;"
 * - bgcolor="#bbffbb"
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 52
 * February 23, 1993
 * @ Charlotte
 * L 95–104
 * Charlotte Coliseum
 * 30–22
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 55
 * February 28, 1993
 * New York
 * W 102–76
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 31–24
 * Charlotte Coliseum
 * 30–22
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 55
 * February 28, 1993
 * New York
 * W 102–76
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 31–24
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 31–24
 * 31–24


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 56
 * March 2, 1993 8:00p.m. EST
 * Chicago
 * L 80–87
 * Coleman (22)
 * Dudley (13)
 * Coleman, George (4)
 * Brendan Byrne Arena 20,049
 * 31–25
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 59
 * March 10, 1993
 * @ L.A. Clippers
 * W 109–98
 * Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
 * 34–25
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 61
 * March 13, 1993 9:30p.m. EST
 * @ Phoenix
 * W 124–93
 * Petrović (29)
 * Coleman (12)
 * Robinson (10)
 * America West Arena 19,023
 * 36–25
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 67
 * March 24, 1993
 * Charlotte
 * W 118–116
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 40–27
 * W 118–116
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 40–27
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 40–27
 * 40–27


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 72
 * April 2, 1993 8:00p.m. EST
 * @ Chicago
 * L 105–118
 * Coleman (30)
 * Mahorn (11)
 * Coleman (7)
 * Chicago Stadium 18,676
 * 42–30
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 73
 * April 4, 1993
 * @ Cleveland
 * L 99–105
 * Richfield Coliseum
 * 42–31
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 76
 * April 10, 1993
 * Cleveland
 * L 99–100
 * Brendan Byrne Arena
 * 42–34
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 80
 * April 21, 1993
 * @ New York
 * L 74–105
 * Madison Square Garden
 * 43–37
 * 80
 * April 21, 1993
 * @ New York
 * L 74–105
 * Madison Square Garden
 * 43–37
 * Madison Square Garden
 * 43–37
 * 43–37

Playoffs

 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 1
 * April 29, 1993
 * @ Cleveland
 * L 98–114
 * Coleman (31)
 * Coleman (10)
 * Cheeks, George (5)
 * Richfield Coliseum 18,339
 * 0–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 2
 * May 1, 1993
 * @ Cleveland
 * W 101–99
 * Coleman (27)
 * Coleman (14)
 * Robinson (9)
 * Richfield Coliseum 20,273
 * 1–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 3
 * May 5, 1993
 * Cleveland
 * L 84–93
 * Coleman (22)
 * Coleman (13)
 * Robinson (9)
 * Brendan Byrne Arena 16,453
 * 1–2
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 4
 * May 7, 1993
 * Cleveland
 * W 96–79
 * Morris (22)
 * Coleman (14)
 * Coleman, Robinson (8)
 * Brendan Byrne Arena 15,238
 * 2–2
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 1
 * May 9, 1993
 * @ Cleveland
 * L 89–99
 * Coleman (33)
 * Coleman (16)
 * Robinson (6)
 * Richfield Coliseum 17,388
 * 2–3

Playoffs
Player Statistics Citation:

Awards, Records and Honors

 * Dražen Petrović, All-NBA Third Team
 * Derrick Coleman, All-NBA Third Team