The J-Notes
Fansided

Ranking every season in Utah Jazz franchise history

By James Piercey

Utah Jazz. (JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)
Utah Jazz. (JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
8 of 43
Next
Utah Jazz
Gail Goodrich of the New Orleans Jazz (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

1976-77 New Orleans Jazz record: 35-47, missed playoffs

There isn’t much separating the 1976-77 New Orleans Jazz from the rest of the franchise’s seasons in the Big Easy. Once again, Pistol Pete Maravich dazzled crowds with ahead-of-his-time passing and dribbling wizardry, and once again, the team lost more games than they won and missed the playoffs.

The biggest difference was probably the Pistol’s individual performance. He racked up an incredible 31.1 points and 5.4 assists per game for the future Utah Jazz in 1976-77. Once again, his supporting cast was a little below par, as the team’s second leading scorer was a past-his-prime, 33-year-old Gail Goodrich at 12.6 points per game.

Otherwise, this club’s list of scoring leaders is populated by names recognizable only to Jazz diehards. Nate Williams, Aaron James and Jim McElroy may easily have been solid pros, but they’re the types of names that even a J-Notes site expert may not recognize (for example).

In some ways, the 1976-77 season encapsulates the New Orleans Jazz experience: NBA legend Pete Maravich, a significantly aged Gail Goodrich, little else and a losing season.