1980–81 Denver Nuggets season

The 1980–81 Denver Nuggets season was the Nuggets 5th season in the NBA and their 14th season as a franchise.

1980–81 Denver Nuggets season
Head coach	Donnie Walsh Doug Moe
Arena	McNichols Sports Arena
Results
Record	37–45 (.451)
Place	Division: 4th (Midwest) Conference: 8th (Western)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball Reference

Draft picks

Main article: 1980 NBA draft

The Denver Nuggets made twelve selections in the 1980 NBA Draft.

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club team
1	5	James Ray	PF	United States	Jacksonville
1	23	Carl Nicks	PG	United States	Indiana State
2	41	Jawann Oldham	C	United States	Seattle
3	47	Kurt Nimphius	C/PF	United States	Arizona State
3	48	Eddie Lee		United States	Cincinnati
3	51	Ronnie Valentine	PF	United States	Old Dominion
4	73	Sammie Ellis		United States	Pittsburgh
5	97	James Patrick		United States	Southwest Texas State
6	119	Ernie Hill		United States	Oklahoma City
7	143	Tommy Springer		United States	Vanderbilt
9	184	Jim Graziano		United States	South Carolina
10	202	Earl Sango		United States	Regis

Roster

1980–81 Denver Nuggets roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From SG 23 T.R. Dunn 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 192 lb (87 kg) Alabama SF 2 Alex English 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) South Carolina F 22 Glen Gondrezick 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 218 lb (99 kg) UNLV G 1 Kenny Higgs 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) LSU F 34 Cedrick Hordges 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) South Carolina C 44 Dan Issel 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Kentucky G 7 Billy McKinney 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Northwestern F 43 James Ray 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jacksonville C 25 Dave Robisch 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Kansas G 10 John Roche 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) South Carolina SF 33 David Thompson 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) NC State F 42 Ronnie Valentine 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Old Dominion PF 55 Kiki Vandeweghe 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) UCLA

Head coach Doug Moe Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-San Antonio Spurs	52	30	.634	–	34–7	18–23	21–9
x-Kansas City Kings	40	42	.488	12.0	24–17	16–25	19–11
x-Houston Rockets	40	42	.488	12.0	25–16	15–26	19–11
Denver Nuggets	37	45	.451	15.0	23–18	14–27	13–17
Utah Jazz	28	54	.341	24.0	20–21	8–33	13–17
Dallas Mavericks	15	67	.183	37.0	11–30	4–37	5–25

#	Western Conference
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	c-Phoenix Suns	57	25	.695	–
2	y-San Antonio Spurs	52	30	.634	5
3	x-Los Angeles Lakers	54	28	.659	3
4	x-Portland Trail Blazers	45	37	.549	12
5	x-Kansas City Kings	40	42	.488	17
6	x-Houston Rockets	40	42	.488	17
7	Golden State Warriors	39	43	.476	18
8	Denver Nuggets	37	45	.451	20
9	San Diego Clippers	36	46	.439	21
10	Seattle SuperSonics	34	48	.415	23
11	Utah Jazz	28	54	.341	29
12	Dallas Mavericks	15	67	.183	42

Notes

• z, y – division champions
• x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

Regular season

1980–81 game log Total: 37–45 (home: 23–18; road: 14–27)
October: 2–7 (home: 1–4; road: 1–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 1 October 10 San Antonio L 112–113 McNichols Sports Arena 0–1 2 October 12 Utah L 121–125 (OT) McNichols Sports Arena 0–2 3 October 15 Dallas W 133–98 McNichols Sports Arena 1–2 4 October 17 @ San Diego W 129–116 San Diego Sports Arena 2–2 5 October 18 @ Utah L 115–117 Salt Palace Acord Arena 2–3 6 October 21 Houston L 117–119 McNichols Sports Arena 2–4 7 October 24 Phoenix L 94–117 McNichols Sports Arena 2–5 8 October 25 @ Kansas City L 122–125 Kemper Arena 2–6 9 October 29 @ Golden State L 109–115 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena 2–7
November: 8–7 (home: 4–2; road: 4–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 10 November 1 Seattle W 123–118 McNichols Sports Arena 3–7 11 November 2 @ Los Angeles W 123–121 The Forum 4–7 12 November 5 @ Seattle W 125–117 Kingdome 5–7 13 November 7 New York L 115–124 McNichols Sports Arena 5–8 14 November 8 @ Chicago W 130–126 (2OT) Chicago Stadium 6–8 15 November 11 @ Washington L 92–107 Capital Centre 6–9 16 November 12 @ New Jersey L 111–118 Rutgers Athletic Center 6–10 17 November 15 Portland W 125–123 McNichols Sports Arena 7–10 18 November 18 @ Portland L 103–122 Memorial Coliseum 7–11 19 November 21 Kansas City W 134–121 McNichols Sports Arena 8–11 20 November 23 @ Phoenix L 113–131 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 8–12 21 November 25 @ San Diego L 94–108 San Diego Sports Arena 8–13 22 November 26 San Diego W 113–109 McNichols Sports Arena 9–13 23 November 28 @ Dallas W 119–117 (OT) Reunion Arena 10–13 24 November 29 Los Angeles L 123–124 (2OT) McNichols Sports Arena 10–14
December: 3–10 (home: 3–3; road: 0–7) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 25 December 2 Chicago L 124–129 McNichols Sports Arena 10–15 26 December 4 @ Utah L 118–122 Salt Palace Acord Arena 10–16 27 December 5 Golden State L 114–119 McNichols Sports Arena 10–17 28 December 6 @ Houston L 108–111 The Summit 10–18 29 December 10 Dallas W 116–107 McNichols Sports Arena 11–18 30 December 13 @ San Antonio L 123–147 HemisFair Arena 11–19 31 December 16 Kansas City L 118–133 McNichols Sports Arena 11–20 32 December 18 @ Cleveland L 122–130 Richfield Coliseum 11–21 33 December 20 @ New York L 114–120 Madison Square Garden 11–22 34 December 23 @ Boston L 128–136 Boston Garden 11–23 35 December 26 @ Dallas L 111–119 Reunion Arena 11–24 36 December 27 Philadelphia W 125–121 McNichols Sports Arena 12–24 37 December 30 Indiana W 127–110 McNichols Sports Arena 13–24
January: 7–8 (home: 4–4; road: 3–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 38 January 1 @ Portland L 119–122 Memorial Coliseum 13–25 39 January 2 Phoenix L 132–133 McNichols Sports Arena 13–26 40 January 3 @ Houston W 134–132 The Summit 14–26 41 January 7 Utah L 117–121 McNichols Sports Arena 14–27 42 January 9 @ San Diego W 130–116 San Diego Sports Arena 15–27 43 January 10 @ Seattle L 116–119 Kingdome 15–28 44 January 13 Atlanta W 135–132 McNichols Sports Arena 16–28 45 January 14 @ Phoenix L 102–128 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 16–29 46 January 17 @ Kansas City W 123–122 Kemper Arena 17–29 47 January 18 Houston L 97–98 McNichols Sports Arena 17–30 48 January 21 San Diego L 116–125 McNichols Sports Arena 17–31 49 January 23 @ Los Angeles L 105–110 The Forum 17–32 50 January 24 San Antonio W 129–115 McNichols Sports Arena 18–32 51 January 27 Detroit W 143–123 McNichols Sports Arena 19–32 52 January 29 Milwaukee W 131–118 McNichols Sports Arena 20–32
February: 7–6 (home: 6–3; road: 1–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record All-Star Break 53 February 3 @ Houston L 128–135 (OT) The Summit 20–33 54 February 4 San Antonio L 132–135 McNichols Sports Arena 20–34 55 February 6 @ Utah W 120–116 Salt Palace Acord Arena 21–34 56 February 7 Golden State W 135–125 McNichols Sports Arena 22–34 57 February 8 @ Seattle L 112–133 Kingdome 22–35 58 February 10 Washington L 110–115 McNichols Sports Arena 22–36 59 February 13 Portland W 162–143 McNichols Sports Arena 23–36 60 February 15 Boston L 118–120 McNichols Sports Arena 23–37 61 February 19 Phoenix W 127–126 McNichols Sports Arena 24–37 62 February 21 Kansas City W 129–109 McNichols Sports Arena 25–37 63 February 22 @ San Antonio L 129–133 (OT) HemisFair Arena 25–38 64 February 24 New Jersey W 140–123 McNichols Sports Arena 26–38 65 February 27 Golden State W 137–130 McNichols Sports Arena 27–38
March: 10–7 (home: 5–2; road: 5–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 66 March 1 Cleveland W 137–127 McNichols Sports Arena 28–38 67 March 4 Los Angeles W 123–114 McNichols Sports Arena 29–38 68 March 6 @ Philadelphia L 112–131 The Spectrum 29–39 69 March 7 @ Detroit W 121–109 Pontiac Silverdome 30–39 70 March 8 @ Indiana L 119–129 Market Square Arena 30–40 71 March 10 Portland L 137–142 McNichols Sports Arena 30–41 72 March 12 @ Milwaukee L 113–131 MECCA Arena 30–42 73 March 13 @ Atlanta L 117–119 The Omni 30–43 74 March 15 Houston W 138–127 McNichols Sports Arena 31–43 75 March 17 Seattle W 124–112 McNichols Sports Arena 32–43 76 March 18 @ Kansas City W 126–124 (2OT) Kemper Arena 33–43 77 March 20 @ Dallas L 125–126 Reunion Arena 33–44 78 March 22 Utah W 113–108 McNichols Sports Arena 34–44 79 March 24 @ San Antonio W 125–123 HemisFair Arena 35–44 80 March 25 Dallas L 115–126 McNichols Sports Arena 35–45 81 March 28 @ Golden State W 142–139 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena 36–45 82 March 29 @ Los Angeles W 148–146 (OT) The Forum 37–45
1980–81 schedule