1973–74 Capital Bullets season

1973–74 Capital Bullets season
1973–74 Capital Bullets season
Division champions
Head coach	K. C. Jones
General manager	Bob Ferry
Owner(s)	Abe Pollin
Arena	Capital Centre; Cole Field House (until Dec)
Results
Record	47–35 (.573)
Place	Division: 1st (Central); Conference: 2nd (Eastern)
Playoff finish	Conference Semifinals; (Lost to Knicks 3–4)
	Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WDCA
Radio	WTOP; (Frank Herzog)
< 1972–73	1974–75 >

The 1973–74 Capital Bullets season was the team's first in Washington, D.C. area, southeast from nearby Baltimore. Prior to the 1973–74 season, the Baltimore Bullets relocated to Landover, Maryland, a suburb east of Washington, and became the Capital Bullets.^[1]

The Bullets finished with a 47–35 record and won the Central Division. Wes Unseld was limited to 56 games due to injuries. In the playoffs, the Bullets fell to the New York Knicks for the fifth time in six years, eliminated in seven games.^[1] Following the season, the team was renamed as the Washington Bullets.

The new Capital Centre opened on December 2, 1973; the Bullets played their earlier home games this season at Cole Field House at the University of Maryland in College Park. They played several home games at Cole during their last seasons in Baltimore.^[2]^[3]

Draft picks

Roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Height	Weight	From
G	45	Chenier, Phil	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	California
G	21	Clark, Archie	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Minnesota
C	11	Hayes, Elvin	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Houston
PF	22	Kozelko, Tom	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Toledo
G	15	Nelson, Louie	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Washington
PG	10	Porter, Kevin	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Saint Francis (PA)
SG	6	Riordan, Mike	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Providence
F	41	Unseld, Wes	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	Louisville
F	12	Weatherspoon, Nick	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	197 lb (89 kg)	Illinois
C	44	Wesley, Walt	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Kansas

Head coach

K. C. Jones

Legend

(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
y-Capital Bullets	47	35	.573	–	31–10	15–25	1–0	14–8
Atlanta Hawks	35	47	.427	12	23–18	12–25	0–4	13–9
Houston Rockets	32	50	.390	15	18–23	13–25	1–2	9–13
Cleveland Cavaliers	29	53	.354	18	18–23	11–28	0–2	8–14

#	Eastern Conference v t e
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Boston Celtics	56	26	.683	–
2	x-New York Knicks	49	33	.598	7
3	y-Capital Bullets	47	35	.573	9
4	x-Buffalo Braves	42	40	.512	14

5	Atlanta Hawks	35	47	.427	21
6	Houston Rockets	32	50	.390	24
7	Cleveland Cavaliers	29	53	.354	27
8	Philadelphia 76ers	25	57	.305	31

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	—	1–5	2–4	4–4	1–3	4–3	0–4	1–3	5–2	1–3	4–0	1–3	1–5	3–3	1–3	2–2	4–0
Boston	5–1	—	5–2	2–4	2–2	4–2	3–1	3–1	4–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	5–2	7–1	3–1	4–0	2–2
Buffalo	4–2	2–5	—	3–3	1–3	5–1	1–3	1–3	4–2	2–2	0–4	1–3	4–4	6–1	3–1	3–1	2–2
Capital	4–4	4–2	3–3	—	1–3	6–1	2–2	3–1	4–3	3–1	2–2	1–3	3–3	4–2	2–2	3–1	2–2
Chicago	3–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	—	4–0	5–2	4–2	4–0	5–2	1–5	3–3	2–2	3–1	4–2	4–2	4–2
Cleveland	3–4	2–4	1–5	1–6	0–4	—	2–2	0–4	4–4	0–4	3–1	0–4	1–5	5–1	1–3	4–0	2–2
Detroit	4–0	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–5	2–2	—	5–1	3–1	4–2	4–2	3–4	1–3	2–2	6–0	5–1	5–1
Golden State	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	2–4	4–0	1–5	—	4–0	3–3	4–2	3–3	1–3	3–1	5–2	3–4	3–3
Houston	2–5	2–4	2–4	3–4	0–4	4–4	1–3	0–4	—	2–2	2–2	0–4	4–2	4–2	2–2	3–1	1–3
Kansas City-Omaha	3–1	1–3	2–2	1–3	2–5	4–0	2–4	3–3	2–2	—	1–5	0–7	1–3	1–3	4–2	4–2	2–4
Los Angeles	0–4	2–2	4–0	2–2	5–1	1–3	2–4	2–4	2–2	5–1	—	4–2	2–2	4–0	4–2	4–3	4–3
Milwaukee	3–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–3	4–0	4–3	3–3	4–0	7–0	2–4	—	2–2	4–0	5–1	6–0	4–2
New York	5–1	2–5	4–4	3–3	2–2	5–1	3–1	3–1	2–4	3–1	2–2	2–2	—	4–3	3–1	2–2	4–0
Philadelphia	3–3	1–7	1–6	2–4	1–3	1–5	2–2	1–3	2–4	3–1	0–4	0–4	3–4	—	3–1	2–2	0–4
Phoenix	3–1	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–4	3–1	0–6	2–5	2–2	2–4	2–4	1–5	1–3	1–3	—	3–3	4–3
Portland	2–2	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–4	0–4	1–5	4–3	1–3	2–4	3–4	0–6	2–2	2–2	3–3	—	3–3
Seattle	0–4	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–4	2–2	1–5	3–3	3–1	4–2	3–4	2–4	0–4	4–0	3–4	3–3	—

Playoffs

1974 playoff game log

Conference Semifinals: 3–4 (home: 2–1; road: 1–3)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	March 29	@ New York	L 91–102	Elvin Hayes (40)	Elvin Hayes (14)	Hayes, Porter (4)	Madison Square Garden 19,694	0–1
2	March 31	New York	W 99–87	Phil Chenier (35)	Elvin Hayes (21)	Kevin Porter (7)	Capital Centre 16,522	1–1
3	April 2	@ New York	W 88–79	Kevin Porter (22)	Elvin Hayes (13)	Kevin Porter (5)	Madison Square Garden 19,694	2–1
4	April 5	New York	L 93–101 (OT)	Hayes, Porter (20)	Elvin Hayes (17)	Kevin Porter (7)	Capital Centre 19,035	2–2
5	April 7	@ New York	L 105–106	Elvin Hayes (27)	Wes Unseld (12)	Wes Unseld (8)	Madison Square Garden 19,694	2–3
6	April 10	New York	W 109–92	Elvin Hayes (31)	Elvin Hayes (23)	Wes Unseld (5)	Capital Centre 19,025	3–3
7	April 12	@ New York	L 81–91	Phil Chenier (21)	Phil Chenier (14)	Elvin Hayes (5)	Madison Square Garden 19,694	3–4

1974 schedule

Awards and honors

Elvin Hayes, All-NBA Second Team
Nick Weatherspoon, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team

References

^ ^a ^b Washington Wizards (1963–Present)
^ "Yule-conscious Bullets facing crowded schedule". Baltimore Afro-American. December 26, 1970. p. 16.
^ "Bullets set 8 games at College Park". Baltimore Afro-American. July 24, 1971. p. D9.

on Basketball Reference

[Washington_Wizards_1963-Present-1] Washington Wizards (1963–Present)

[yulecon-2] "Yule-conscious Bullets facing crowded schedule". Baltimore Afro-American. December 26, 1970. p. 16.

[bsegacp-3] "Bullets set 8 games at College Park". Baltimore Afro-American. July 24, 1971. p. D9.

[1]

[2]

[3]