The 1970–71 NBA season was the Buffalo Braves inaugural season in the NBA. With a roster made up primarily of castoffs, the Braves got off on the right foot by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 107–92 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium on October 14.[1] However, the Braves would drop their next nine as they took on established NBA teams on the way to finishing in last place in the Atlantic Division. The Braves' record was 22–60, which was 7 games better than the Cleveland Cavaliers, their partners in expansion.[1]
See main article: 1970 NBA draft. The 1970 NBA draft was held on March 23, 1970 in New York City. The Braves first ever draft pick was John Hummer from Princeton, as he was selected with the 15th overall selection at the 1970 NBA draft. Hummer, a 6'9" center from Washington, DC, averaged 17.5 points per game in 25 games with the Tigers during the 1969-70 season. Hummer led Princeton with a .487 field goal percentage, as well as leading the team with 9.5 rebounds per game.
Cornell Warner was selected by Buffalo in the second round, 24th overall. Warner, another center, played for Jackson State University from 1967-1970.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Center | Princeton | |||
| 2 | 24 | Center | Jackson State | |||
| 3 | 43 | Forward | Virginia | |||
| 4 | 58 | Forward | Austin State | |||
| 5 | 77 | Guard | Central State | |||
| 6 | 92 | Center | Toledo | |||
| 7 | 111 | Forward | Colorado State | |||
| 8 | 126 | Guard | West Virginia | |||
| 9 | 145 | Center | Henderson State | |||
| 10 | 160 | Forward | Dillard | |||
| 11 | 177 | Guard | Wake Forest |
The 1970 NBA Expansion Draft was held on May 11, 1970, with the Braves and two other expansion franchises, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers participating in the event.
The Braves most notable selection was power forward Bailey Howell from the Boston Celtics. Howell was a six time NBA all-star, however, immediately after the draft, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for power forward Bob Kauffman, who had played the 1969-70 season with the Chicago Bulls. Kauffman saw limited playing time with the Bulls, averaging 4.3 points per game while averaging 12.1 minutes per game in 64 games with Chicago.
Another selection was 10-year NBA veteran, forward/center Ray Scott from the Baltimore Bullets. The Braves management were looking forward to his leadership on the team; however, due to contradictory language in his Baltimore contract that provided him a loophole to become a free agent after the 1969-70 NBA season. The Braves did not exercise his option under the reserve clause because they believed it was a two-year contract. Scott was free to sign with the Virginia Squires in the American Basketball Association. The league compensated the Braves due to losing a chosen player from Expansion Draft by promoting their 3rd round pick to a 2nd round pick (24th overall) in the 1971 NBA Draft.[2]
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Emmette Bryant | Guard | Boston Celtics |
| Freddie Crawford | Guard | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Dick Garrett | Guard | L.A. Lakers |
| Herm Gilliam | Guard | Cincinnati Royals |
| Bill Hosket | Forward | New York Knicks |
| Bailey Howell | Forward | Boston Celtics |
| Paul Long | Guard | Detroit Pistons |
| Mike Lynn | Guard | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Don May | Guard | New York Knicks |
| Ray Scott | Center | Baltimore Bullets |
| George Wilson | Forward | Philadelphia 76ers |