1994–95 New Jersey Nets season explained

The 1994–95 New Jersey Nets season was the Nets' 28th season in the National Basketball Association, and 19th season in East Rutherford, New Jersey.^[1] During the off-season, the Nets re-signed free agent Sleepy Floyd,^{[2] [3]} signed Sean Higgins,^[4] and undrafted rookie guard Chris Childs.^{[3] [5]} Under new head coach Butch Beard,^{[6] [7] [8]} the Nets fell apart like a cheap suit losing five of their first six games, then after a 12–15 start, the team lost eight of their next nine games and played below .500 for the entire season, holding a 19–31 record at the All-Star break.^[9] Derrick Coleman missed 26 games with assorted aches and pains, and a wrist injury,^{[10] [11] [12]} while Kevin Edwards only played just 14 games before sitting out the remainder of the season with a partly torn Achilles tendon,^{[13] [14]} Benoit Benjamin missed 21 games with a lower back injury,^{[15] [16]} and top draft pick Yinka Dare missed all but one game due to knee injuries.^{[17] [18]} Both Coleman and Kenny Anderson had a public feud with their new coach,^{[19] [20]} as the Nets lost 15 of their final 19 games and missed the playoffs, finishing fifth in the Atlantic Division with a disappointing 30–52 record.^[21]

Coleman led the team with 20.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, while Anderson averaged 17.6 points, 9.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and Armen Gilliam provided the team with 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. In addition, Edwards contributed 14.0 points and 1.4 steals per game, while Chris Morris provided with 13.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, Benjamin averaged 11.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, second-year forward P.J. Brown contributed 8.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, and second-year guard Rex Walters contributed 6.5 points per game.^[22]

Following the season, Morris signed as a free agent with the Utah Jazz,^{[23] [24] [25]} while Benjamin was left unprotected in the 1995 NBA Expansion Draft, where he was selected by the newly expansion Vancouver Grizzlies,^{[26] [27] [28] [29] [30]} and Floyd retired.

Draft picks

See main article: article and 1994 NBA draft.

Regular season

Season standings

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1994-95 NBA Records
width=100	Team	ATL	BOS	CHA	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MIA	MIL	MIN	NJN	NYK	ORL	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	UTA	WAS
Atlanta	–	3–1	2–2	1–4	1–4	2–0	2–0	3–2	2–0	0–2	1–4	2–0	0–2	2–2	1–3	2–0	4–0	2–2	1–3	3–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	4–0
Boston	1–3	–	1–3	0–4	2–2	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–2	0–2	1–1	4–1	1–3	2–0	2–3	0–5	2–3	3–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	3–1
Charlotte	2–2	3–1	–	2–2	3–2	0–2	1–1	5–0	2–0	0–2	1–4	2–0	0–2	3–1	4–1	1–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	3–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	3–1
Chicago	4–1	4–0	2–2	–	2–3	1–1	1–1	5–0	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	3–1	1–4	2–0	2–2	3–1	1–3	4–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–2
Cleveland	4–1	2–2	2–3	3–2	–	0–2	1–1	2–2	2–0	0–2	2–3	1–1	1–1	1–3	4–0	1–1	4–0	2–2	1–3	3–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	3–1
Dallas	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	–	1–4	1–1	3–1	2–3	1–1	3–1	1–3	0–2	1–1	4–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–0	0–4	3–1	2–2	2–3	0–4	2–4	1–1
Denver	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–1	–	1–1	1–3	1–4	1–1	4–0	2–2	2–0	2–0	6–0	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–3	3–1	2–2	1–4	1–3	1–4	2–0
Detroit	2–3	1–3	0–5	0–5	2–2	1–1	1–1	–	1–1	0–2	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	2–3	1–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	4–0	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–1
Golden State	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–3	3–1	1–1	–	0–4	0–2	3–2	3–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–2	1–4	0–5	1–3	1–4	2–2	2–0
Houston	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	3–2	4–1	2–0	4–0	–	1–1	3–1	0–4	2–0	1–1	3–2	2–0	0–2	0–2	2–0	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–5	0–4	2–3	2–0
Indiana	4–1	2–2	4–1	2–2	3–2	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–0	1–1	–	2–0	1–1	2–2	3–2	2–0	3–1	1–3	2–2	4–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–1
L.A. Clippers	0–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	0–4	1–1	2–3	1–3	0–2	–	2–3	0–2	1–1	1–3	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–4	0–5	1–4	0–4	0–5	1–3	0–2
L.A. Lakers	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–2	2–0	2–3	4–0	1–1	3–2	–	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–4	2–3	3–2	1–3	4–1	2–2	2–0
Miami	2–2	1–4	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–0	0–2	3–1	1–1	0–2	2–2	2–0	1–1	–	4–0	1–1	1–3	1–4	1–3	1–4	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	4–1
Milwaukee	3–1	3–1	1–4	4–1	0–4	1–1	0–2	3–2	2–0	1–1	2–3	1–1	1–1	0–4	–	1–1	2–2	2–2	0–4	3–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–1
Minnesota	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–4	0–6	1–1	3–1	2–3	0–2	3–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	–	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–4	0–4	1–3	0–5	0–4	1–4	1–1
New Jersey	0–4	3–2	1–3	2–2	0–4	1–1	1–1	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	2–0	0–2	3–1	2–2	1–1	–	1–4	2–2	2–3	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–3
New York	2–2	5–0	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–0	2–0	3–1	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	2–0	4–1	2–2	2–0	4–1	–	2–3	4–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	0–2	4–0
Orlando	3–1	3–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–0	2–0	3–1	2–0	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	3–1	4–0	1–1	2–2	3–2	–	4–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–2
Philadelphia	1–3	1–3	1–3	0–4	1–3	0–2	1–1	0–4	1–1	0–2	0–4	1–1	1–1	4–1	1–3	1–1	3–2	0–4	1–4	–	0–2	2–0	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–2
Phoenix	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	4–0	3–1	1–1	2–3	1–3	1–1	4–1	4–1	2–0	2–0	4–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	–	5–0	4–1	2–2	4–1	2–2	2–0
Portland	1–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–3	2–0	4–1	3–1	1–1	5–0	3–2	2–0	2–0	4–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–5	–	3–2	1–3	2–3	1–3	2–0
Sacramento	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–2	2–2	1–1	5–0	1–3	0–2	4–1	2–3	2–0	1–1	3–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–4	2–3	–	0–4	3–2	0–4	1–1
San Antonio	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	3–2	4–1	2–0	3–1	5–1	0–2	4–0	3–1	2–0	2–0	5–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	3–1	4–0	–	2–2	3–2	2–0
Seattle	2–0	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–0	4–0	3–1	2–0	4–1	4–0	1–1	5–0	1–4	2–0	2–0	4–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–4	3–2	2–3	2–2	–	1–3	2–0
Utah	2–0	2–0	0–2	2–0	1–1	4–2	4–1	2–0	2–2	3–2	2–0	3–1	2–2	2–0	2–0	4–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	3–1	4–0	2–3	3–1	–	2–0
Washington	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–1	0–2	1–3	0–2	0–2	1–3	2–0	0–2	1–4	1–3	1–1	3–2	0–4	2–3	2–3	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	—

Game log

Regular season

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 1| November 4, 1994
8:30p.m. EST| @ Houston| L 86–90| Coleman (20)| Coleman (15)| Anderson (8)| The Summit
16,611| 0–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 6| November 12, 1994
7:30p.m. EST| Houston| L 84–100| Anderson (26)| Coleman (14)| Anderson (8)| Brendan Byrne Arena
20,049| 1–5|- align="center"|colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break|- style="background:#cfc;"|- bgcolor="#bbffbb"

Player statistics

Season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Derrick Coleman	56	54	37.6	.424	.233	.767	10.6	3.3	0.6	1.7	20.5
Kenny Anderson	72	70	37.3	.399	.330	.841	3.5	9.4	1.4	0.2	17.6
Armen Gilliam	82	30	30.1	.503	.000	.770	7.5	1.2	0.8	1.1	14.8
Kevin Edwards	14	14	33.3	.448	.400	.952	2.6	1.9	1.4	0.4	14.0
Chris Morris	71	49	30.0	.410	.334	.728	5.7	2.1	1.2	0.7	13.4
Benoit Benjamin	61	57	26.2	.510		.760	7.2	0.6	0.4	1.0	11.1
P.J. Brown	80	63	30.8	.446	.167	.671	6.1	1.7	0.9	1.7	8.1
Rex Walters	80	30	17.9	.439	.362	.769	1.2	1.5	0.5	0.2	6.5
Chris Childs	53	11	19.3	.380	.328	.753	1.3	4.1	0.8	0.1	5.8
Jayson Williams	75	6	13.1	.461	.000	.533	5.7	0.5	0.3	0.4	4.8
Sean Higgins	57	7	12.9	.385	.295	.875	1.4	0.5	0.2	0.2	4.7
Sleepy Floyd	48	1	17.3	.335	.284	.698	1.1	2.6	0.3	0.1	4.1
Rick Mahorn	58	7	10.9	.523	.333	.796	2.8	0.4	0.2	0.2	3.4
Dwayne Schintzius	43	11	7.4	.380		.545	1.9	0.3	0.1	0.4	2.0
Yinka Dare	1	0	3.0	.000			1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Player Statistics Citation:

See also

• 1994–95 NBA season

Notes and References

1. https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NJN/1995.html 1994–95 New Jersey Nets
2. News: PRO BASKETBALL; Floyd Returns to the Nets . The New York Times . October 7, 1994 . June 27, 2022.
3. News: Wise . Mike . BASKETBALL; Nets' Floyd Looking for Just a Few More Minutes . The New York Times . October 19, 1994 . December 31, 2021.
4. News: Wise . Mike . PRO BASKETBALL; It's Payback Time for Nets' Higgins . The New York Times . October 23, 1994 . November 10, 2022.
5. News: Eastern Conference . The Washington Post . November 4, 1994 . September 22, 2022.
6. News: PRO BASKETBALL; Beard to Replace Daly as Nets Coach . The New York Times . June 28, 1994 . November 8, 2022.
7. News: PRO BASKETBALL; Beard Quietly Takes Over Nets' Helm . The New York Times . June 29, 1994 . November 19, 2022.
8. News: Staff and Wire Reports . Nets Hire Howard’s Beard, 47 . Los Angeles Times . June 29, 1994 . October 13, 2023.
9. News: NBA Games Played on February 9, 1995 . Basketball-Reference . January 3, 2023.
10. News: Diamos . Jason . PRO BASKETBALL; Coleman Is Set to Give Nets a Needed Lift . The New York Times . February 21, 1995 . September 30, 2022.
11. News: Wise . Mike . BASKETBALL; Add Insult to Injury: Coleman Is Hurt . The New York Times . March 31, 1995 . July 1, 2022.
12. News: BASKETBALL; Nets Are Reeling Once Again . The New York Times . April 1, 1995 . December 3, 2022.
13. News: Wise . Mike . PRO BASKETBALL; Edwards's Injury Has Nets Waiting . The New York Times . November 29, 1994 . September 30, 2022.
14. News: PRO BASKETBALL; Higgins Back for the Nets . The New York Times . January 20, 1995 . July 1, 2022.
15. News: SPORTS PEOPLE: N.B.A.; Benjamin's Lower-Back Trouble Presents a Problem for the Nets . The New York Times . March 8, 1995 . December 3, 2022.
16. News: Wise . Mike . PRO BASKETBALL; 76ers Give the Nets Their Ticket for the Lottery . The New York Times . April 16, 1995 . December 3, 2022.
17. News: PRO BASKETBALL; Dare May Need Knee Surgery . The New York Times . January 23, 1995 . September 30, 2022.
18. News: Willis . George . PRO BASKETBALL; Bickering Ends, But Will Nets Be Better? . The New York Times . November 3, 1995 . March 10, 2017.
19. News: Wise . Mike . PRO BASKETBALL; Beard Asks for Some New Nets Next Year . The New York Times . April 4, 1995 . July 1, 2022.
20. News: Araton . Harvey . ON PRO BASKETBALL; A Tuneup? The Nets Need an Overhaul . The New York Times . April 12, 1995 . April 7, 2023.
21. Web site: 1994–95 New Jersey Nets Schedule and Results. Basketball-Reference. July 1, 2021.
22. Web site: 1994–95 New Jersey Nets Roster and Stats. Basketball-Reference. July 1, 2021.
23. News: Ex-Net Chris Morris Joins Jazz . Deseret News . October 6, 1995 . January 29, 2023.
24. News: Wise . Mike . PRO BASKETBALL; Morris Finds the Grass Indeed Is Greener . The New York Times . October 20, 1995 . September 22, 2022.
25. News: Rock . Brad . Jazz Bet Morris Air Will Fly Right . Deseret News . October 20, 1995 . October 13, 2021.
26. News: Wise . Mike . PRO BASKETBALL; Anthony Is No. 2 of the Secaucus 27 . The New York Times . June 25, 1995 . October 5, 2022.
27. News: Heisler . Mark . Armstrong Becomes Top Expansion Pick: NBA: Raptors Take Guard from Bulls. Massenburg Also Headed to Toronto, While Lakers Lose Harvey to Vancouver . Los Angeles Times . June 25, 1995 . December 20, 2022.
28. News: Smith . Sam . Toronto Picks Armstrong; May Not Trade Him . Chicago Tribune . June 25, 1995 . July 8, 2023.
29. News: Associated Press . NBA Expansion Draft -- Point Guards Are Top Priority for Young Raptors, Grizzlies . The Seattle Times . June 25, 1995 . January 31, 2023.
30. Web site: 1995 NBA Expansion Draft . Basketball-Reference . July 8, 2023.