1984–85 Los Angeles Clippers season

1984–85 Los Angeles Clippers season
Head coach	Jim Lynam Don Chaney
General manager	Carl Scheer
Owner(s)	Donald Sterling
Arena	Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
Results
Record	31–51 (.378)
Place	Division: 5th (Pacific) Conference: 10th (Western)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television	KTTV (Al Albert, Ted Green, Eddie Doucette)
Radio	KLAC (Eddie Doucette, Ted Green, Pete Arbogast)

The 1984–85 Los Angeles Clippers season was their 15th season in the NBA, their first season in the city of Los Angeles. Team owner and real estate mogul Donald Sterling, who for the past two seasons had been trying to move the team from San Diego, finally succeeded.

Draft picks

Main article: 1984 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	8	Lancaster Gordon	G	United States	Louisville
1	14	Michael Cage	F	United States	San Diego State
4	75	Marc Glass	G	United States	Montana
5	98	Alonza Allen	F	United States	Louisiana-Lafayette
6	121	Phillip Haynes	G	United States	Memphis
7	144	David Brantley	F	United States	Oregon
8	167	Jim McLoughlin	G	United States	Temple
9	189	Dave Schultz	F	United States	Westmont College
10	211	Dick Mumma	C	United States	Penn State

Roster

1984–85 Los Angeles Clippers roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From G 2 Junior Bridgeman 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Louisville F 7 Michael Brooks  (IN) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) La Salle F/C 44 Michael Cage 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) San Diego State F 42 Harvey Catchings 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 218 lb (99 kg) Hardin–Simmons C 40 James Donaldson 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 278 lb (126 kg) Washington State G 14 Franklin Edwards 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Cleveland State C 36 Chris Engler 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 248 lb (112 kg) Wyoming G 4 Lancaster Gordon 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Louisville F 8 Marques Johnson 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 224 lb (102 kg) UCLA F 46 Jay Murphy 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Boston College G 10 Norm Nixon 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Duquesne G 18 Derek Smith 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 218 lb (99 kg) Louisville C 32 Bill Walton 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 235 lb (107 kg) UCLA G 13 Bryan Warrick (waived) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Saint Joseph's F 22 Rory White 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) South Alabama F 38 Dale Wilkinson 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Idaho State

Head coach Jim Lynam Assistant(s) Brad Greenberg Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Roster Notes

• With the team moving from San Diego to Los Angeles, point guard Norm Nixon becomes the first former Laker to play with its crosstown rival, the new Los Angeles Clippers.

Regular season

Season standings

Pacific Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Los Angeles Lakers	62	20	.756	–	36–5	26–15	18–12
x-Portland Trail Blazers	42	40	.512	20	33–8	15–26	17–13
x-Phoenix Suns	36	46	.439	26	32–9	10–31	14–16
Seattle SuperSonics	31	51	.378	31	31–10	10–31	16–14
Los Angeles Clippers	31	51	.378	31	27–14	10–31	13–17
Golden State Warriors	22	60	.268	40	25–16	5–36	12–18

#	Western Conference
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	c-Los Angeles Lakers	62	20	.756	–
2	y-Denver Nuggets	52	30	.634	10
3	x-Houston Rockets	48	34	.585	14
4	x-Dallas Mavericks	44	38	.537	18
5	x-Portland Trail Blazers	42	40	.512	20
6	x-Utah Jazz	41	41	.500	21
7	x-San Antonio Spurs	41	41	.500	21
8	x-Phoenix Suns	36	46	.439	26
9	Seattle SuperSonics	31	51	.378	31
10	Los Angeles Clippers	31	51	.378	31
11	Kansas City Kings	31	51	.378	31
12	Golden State Warriors	22	60	.268	40

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1984-85 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	KCK	LAC	LAL	MIL	NJN	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAS	SEA	UTA	WAS
Atlanta	–	1–4	3–3	3–3	0–2	0–2	1–5	2–0	0–2	6–0	0–2	2–0	0–2	2–4	3–3	3–3	0–5	2–0	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–0	3–3
Boston	4–1	–	4–2	6–0	2–0	1–1	4–2	2–0	2–0	5–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–4	5–1	6–0	3–3	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	5–1
Chicago	3–3	2–4	–	2–4	2–0	1–1	3–3	1–1	0–2	2–4	2–0	2–0	1–1	3–3	2–4	4–2	0–5	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	3–2
Cleveland	3–3	0–6	4–2	–	1–1	0–2	1–4	1–1	0–2	4–2	2–0	2–0	0–2	1–5	2–3	3–3	4–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–3
Dallas	2–0	0–2	0–2	1–1	–	2–4	0–2	4–1	2–4	2–0	5–1	3–2	1–4	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–3	4–1	4–2	5–0	1–5	1–1
Denver	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	4–2	–	0–2	5–0	2–4	2–0	4–2	2–3	2–3	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	4–1	4–1	3–3	3–2	4–2	2–0
Detroit	5–1	2–4	3–3	4–1	2–0	2–0	–	2–0	1–1	6–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–3	1–5	3–2	1–5	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	3–3
Golden State	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–4	0–5	0–2	–	2–3	0–2	2–3	2–4	1–5	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	2–4	2–4	1–4	3–3	1–4	1–1
Houston	2–0	0–2	2–0	2–0	4–2	4–2	1–1	3–2	–	1–1	5–1	2–3	1–4	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	4–1	3–2	4–2	3–2	3–3	0–2
Indiana	0–6	1–5	4–2	2–4	0–2	0–2	0–6	2–0	1–1	–	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–5	2–3	2–4	1–5	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–4
Kansas City	2–0	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–5	2–4	1–1	3–2	1–5	1–1	–	3–2	0–5	0–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–3	3–2	2–4	3–2	2–4	1–1
L.A. Clippers	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	2–3	3–2	1–1	4–2	3–2	2–0	2–3	–	0–6	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	4–2	1–5	2–3	2–4	3–2	1–1
L.A. Lakers	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	4–1	3–2	1–1	5–1	4–1	1–1	5–0	6–0	–	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	5–1	5–1	3–2	3–3	4–1	1–1
Milwaukee	4–2	4–1	3–3	5–1	1–1	1–1	3–3	2–0	2–0	5–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	–	3–3	5–0	3–3	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	4–2
New Jersey	3–3	1–5	4–2	3–2	1–1	0–2	5–1	1–1	1–1	3–2	0–2	2–0	0–2	3–3	–	6–0	2–4	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–0	0–2	4–2
New York	3–3	0–6	2–4	3–3	0–2	1–1	2–3	1–1	0–2	4–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–5	0–6	–	2–4	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–6
Philadelphia	5–0	3–3	5–0	2–4	1–1	1–1	5–1	2–0	1–1	5–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	3–3	4–2	4–2	–	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	4–2
Phoenix	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	3–2	1–4	0–2	4–2	1–4	2–0	3–2	2–4	1–5	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	–	3–3	1–4	5–1	3–2	1–1
Portland	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–4	1–4	1–1	4–2	2–3	2–0	2–3	5–1	1–5	0–2	2–0	2–0	0–2	3–3	–	3–2	4–2	3–2	1–1
San Antonio	2–0	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–4	3–3	1–1	4–1	2–4	1–1	4–2	3–2	2–3	0–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	4–1	2–3	–	4–1	1–5	0–2
Seattle	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–5	2–3	1–1	3–3	2–3	2–0	2–3	4–2	3–3	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–5	2–4	1–4	–	3–2	2–0
Utah	0–2	0–2	2–0	1–1	5–1	2–4	2–0	4–1	3–3	0–2	4–2	2–3	1–4	0–2	2–0	1–1	0–2	2–3	2–3	5–1	2–3	–	1–1
Washington	3–3	1–5	2–3	3–3	1–1	0–2	3–3	1–1	2–0	4–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–4	2–4	6–0	2–4	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	—

Player statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point 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

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Junior Bridgeman
Michael Cage
Harvey Catchings
James Donaldson
Franklin Edwards
Lancaster Gordon
Marques Johnson
Jay Murphy
Norm Nixon
Derek Smith
Bill Walton
Bryan Warrick
Rory White
Dale Wilkinson

Awards, records and milestones

Awards

• Center James Donaldson led the league in field goal percentage this season at .637 - still one of the ten highest percentages in NBA history.

All-Star

• Norm Nixon selected as a reserve guard for the Western Conference All-Stars. This is his second All-Star Game appearance. This also makes Nixon the very first Los Angeles Clipper All-Star selection and the first franchise All-Star since World B. Free then with the San Diego Clippers was selected in 1980.

Transactions

The Clippers were involved in the following transactions during the 1984–85 season.

Trades

June 19, 1984	To Los Angeles Clippers Draft rights to Jay Murphy	To Golden State Warriors Jerome Whitehead
August 29, 1984	To Los Angeles Clippers 1985 third-round draft pick	To Houston Rockets Hank McDowell
September 25, 1984	To Los Angeles Clippers Bryan Warrick	To Washington Bullets 1985 third-round draft pick
September 29, 1984	To Los Angeles Clippers Marques Johnson, Harvey Catchings, Junior Bridgeman and cash	To Milwaukee Bucks Terry Cummings, Craig Hodges and Ricky Pierce

Free agents

Additions

Player	Signed	Former team

Subtractions

Player	Left	New team