1968–69 Minnesota Pipers season
| 1968–69Minnesota Pipersseason | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Jim Harding (20–13) Vern Mikkelsen(6–6) Verl Young (10–23) |
| Arena | Met Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 36–42 (.462) |
| Place | Division: 4th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Lost in theEastern Division Semifinals |
The1968–69Minnesota Pipersseasonwas the only season of the Pipers in Minnesota and second overall season in theAmerican Basketball Association.The previous season,the Pipers had won the ABA Finals, but moved the team from Pittsburgh to Minnesota (which had just lost theMuskies) afterthe season.But the Pipers were not any more successful in Minnesota, and they moved back to Pittsburgh before next season. The team went through three coaches: Harding, who was fired after attacking the Pipers Chairman Gabe Rubin at the banquet of the All-Star Game. Mikkelsen (the general manager) took over for a while before Verl Young took the job permanently. Hawkins, Williams, Vaughn, and Heyman were nagged by injuries due to long practices, which affected the team, which fell in the Semifinals to the Miami Floridians. Minnesota would not have a pro basketball team again until 1989 with theMinnesota Timberwolves.
Roster
[edit]- 25Dan Anderson- Center
- 35Frank Card- Small forward
- 30Steve Chubin- Shooting guard
- 42Connie Hawkins- Power forward
- 12Art Heyman- Small forward
- 41Tom Hoover- Center
- 45Tony Jackson- Forward / Guard
- 20Jim Jarvis- Point guard
- 14Arvesta Kelly- Shooting guard
- 13Jim Kissane- Forward
- 23/41Tom Kondla- Center
- 24Mike Lewis- Center
- 30Willie Porter- Power forward
- 15George Sutor- Center
- 22Steve Vacendak- Point guard
- 10Chico Vaughn- Shooting guard
- 32Trooper Washington- Center
- 12Ken Wilburn- Small forward
- 44Charlie Williams- Point guard
- 13/24Leroy Wright- Power forward
Final standings
[edit]Eastern Division
[edit]| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Pacers | 44 | 34 | .564 | - |
| Miami Floridians | 43 | 35 | .551 | 1 |
| Kentucky Colonels | 42 | 36 | .538 | 2 |
| Minnesota Pipers | 36 | 42 | .462 | 8 |
| New York Nets | 17 | 61 | .218 | 27 |
Playoffs
[edit]Eastern Division Semifinals vs.Miami Floridians[1]
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 7 | Miami | 110–119 | 0–1 | 4,103 |
| 2 | April 9 | Miami | 106–99 | 1–1 | 1,688 |
| 3 | April 10 | Minnesota | 109–93 | 2–1 | 1,520 |
| 4 | April 12 | Minnesota | 109–116 | 2–2 | 2,532 |
| 5 | April 13 | Miami | 107–122 | 2–3 | 4,206 |
| 6 | April 15 | Minnesota | 105–100 | 3–3 | 1,345 |
| 7 | April 19 | Miami | 128–137 | 3–4 | 5,702 |
Pipers lose series, 4–3
Awards and honors
[edit]1969 ABA All-Star Gameselections (game played on January 28, 1969)
Hawkins had been selected, but he was injured. Harding was selected to coach the team, but Rhodes replaced him after his firing.
References
[edit]- ^"1968-69 ABA Regular Season Standings".Remembertheaba.com. Archived fromthe originalon October 17, 2007.RetrievedJuly 11,2016.