1978–79 New York Knicks season

The 1978-79 NBA season was the Knicks' 33rd season in the NBA.

1978–79 New York Knicks season
Head coach	Willis Reed Red Holzman
General manager	Eddie Donovan
Arena	Madison Square Garden
Results
Record	31–51 (.378)
Place	Division: 4th (Atlantic) Conference: 7th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WOR-TV MSG Network
Radio	WNEW

Draft picks

Main article: 1978 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	4	Micheal Ray Richardson	G	United States	Montana
2	32	John Rudd	SF	United States	McNeese State
2	34	Greg Bunch	SF	United States	Cal State Fullerton
3	55	Marc Iavaroni	F	United States	Virginia
4	79	Erving Giddings	SF	United States	Dayton
5	100	Greg Green		United States	Southern
6	121	Ed Warren		United States	Briar Cliff
7	144	Gary Pember		United States	Nasson College
8	162	Greg Sanders		United States	St. Bonaventure
9	178	Danny Fields		United States	UNC Wilmington
10	195	Ernest Simons		United States	Pace

Roster

1978–79 New York Knicks roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From C 6 Barker, Tom 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1955-03-11 Hawaiʻi G 9 Beard, Butch 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1947-05-04 Louisville F 14 Behagen, Ron 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1951-01-14 Minnesota F 30 Bunch, Greg 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1956-05-15 Cal State Fullerton G 35 Cleamons, Jim 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1949-09-13 Ohio State G 34 Glenn, Mike 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1955-09-10 Southern Illinois F 44 Gondrezick, Glen 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 1955-08-30 UNLV F 42 Haywood, Spencer 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1949-04-22 Detroit Mercy F 43 Knight, Toby 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1955-05-03 Notre Dame F 11 McAdoo, Bob 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1951-09-25 North Carolina C 50 Meriweather, Joe 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1953-10-26 Southern Illinois G 15 Monroe, Earl 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1944-11-21 Winston-Salem State G 20 Richardson, Michael Ray 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 189 lb (86 kg) 1955-04-11 Montana F 52 Rudd, John 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1955-08-07 McNeese State C 40 Webster, Marvin 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1952-04-03 Morgan State G 13 Williams, Ray 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1954-10-14 Minnesota

Head coach Willis Reed Red Holzman Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Washington Bullets	54	28	.659	–	31–10	23–18	11–5
x-Philadelphia 76ers	47	35	.573	7	31–10	16–25	9–7
x-New Jersey Nets	37	45	.451	17	25–16	12–29	7–9
New York Knicks	31	51	.378	23	23–18	8–33	7–9
Boston Celtics	29	53	.354	25	21–20	8–33	6–10

#	Eastern Conference
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Washington Bullets	54	28	.659	–
2	y-San Antonio Spurs	48	34	.585	6
3	x-Philadelphia 76ers	47	35	.573	7
4	x-Houston Rockets	47	35	.573	7
5	x-Atlanta Hawks	46	36	.561	8
6	x-New Jersey Nets	37	45	.451	17
7	New York Knicks	31	51	.378	23
8	Cleveland Cavaliers	30	52	.366	24
8	Detroit Pistons	30	52	.366	24
10	Boston Celtics	29	53	.354	25
11	New Orleans Jazz	26	56	.317	28

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1978-79 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHI	CLE	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	KCK	LAL	MIL	NJN	NOJ	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAS	SDC	SEA	WAS
Atlanta	—	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	1–3	2–2
Boston	2–2	—	1–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	3–1	2–2	0–4	1–3	0–4	1–3	2–2	0–4
Chicago	1–3	2–1	—	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	4–0	0–3	0–4	0–4	1–3
Cleveland	1–3	2–2	3–1	—	1–2	1–3	2–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	0–4	0–4	0–4	2–2	2–2	0–4
Denver	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–1	—	2–2	4–0	1–3	3–1	1–3	3–1	2–2	4–0	3–1	3–1	0–3	3–1	1–3	3–1	2–2	3–1	1–3
Detroit	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	—	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–1	0–4	2–2	1–3	1–3	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–2	0–3	1–3
Golden State	3–1	1–2	1–3	1–2	0–4	3–1	—	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–2
Houston	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	—	0–4	3–1	2–1	2–2	3–1	4–0	4–0	0–4	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–1	2–2	2–2
Indiana	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	4–0	—	1–3	0–4	2–2	1–2	2–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	1–3	0–4	1–3
Kansas City	2–2	3–1	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	—	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–0
Los Angeles	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–2	4–0	2–2	—	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–0	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2
Milwaukee	0–3	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	—	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3
New Jersey	2–2	3–1	2–2	1–3	0–4	4–0	3–1	1–3	2–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	—	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–0	2–2	0–4	2–2	0–4	1–3
New Orleans	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–4	1–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	—	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	0–4	0–3	0–4
New York	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	1–3	0–4	2–2	1–2	0–3	3–1	3–1	2–2	—	2–2	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–3
Philadelphia	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	3–0	3–1	1–3	4–0	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	—	1–3	1–2	3–1	3–1	1–3	3–1
Phoenix	1–2	4–0	3–1	4–0	1–3	4–0	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	0–3	3–1	4–0	3–1	—	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	1–3
Portland	2–2	3–1	0–4	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–1	1–3	—	2–1	2–2	1–3	3–1
San Antonio	1–3	4–0	3–0	4–0	1–3	3–1	3–1	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–2	3–1	4–0	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–2	—	4–0	2–2	1–3
San Diego	1–3	3–1	4–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	4–0	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	0–4	—	2–2	0–3
Seattle	3–1	2–2	4–0	2–2	1–3	3–0	1–3	2–2	4–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	4–0	3–0	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	—	2–2
Washington	2–2	4–0	3–1	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	0–3	2–2	3–1	3–1	4–0	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	3–1	3–0	2–2	—