1983–84 Houston Rockets season

The 1983–84 Houston Rockets season featured the NBA debut of Ralph Sampson, whom the Rockets had selected as the first pick of the 1983 NBA draft. Under head coach Bill Fitch, the team finished with a 29–53 record, although Sampson won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.

The team has been cited as an example of a "tanking", by deciding to play more bench players after starting the season with a 20–26 record, in order to fall in the standings and get higher in the draft order for the following season. The Rockets finished last in the Western Conference and later won a coin flip that gave them the first section in the 1984 NBA draft, with which they selected Hakeem Olajuwon.

Draft picks

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege/Club team 1 1 Ralph Sampson C/PF Virginia 1 3 Rodney McCray SF Louisville 3 48 Craig Ehlo SG Washington State 4 71 Darrell Browder TCU 5 94 Chuck Barnett Oklahoma 6 117 Jim Stack Northwestern 7 140 Brian Kellerman Idaho 8 163 Jeff Bolding Arkansas State 9 185 James Campbell Oklahoma City

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Game log Regular season

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | | @ Detroit | W 113–108

| Pontiac Silverdome | 2–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 5 | | @ Kansas City | L 106–123

| Kemper Arena | 2–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 6 | | Portland | L 104–122

| The Summit | 2–4 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 7 | | Utah | L 109–118

| The Summit | 2–5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 8 | | Dallas | W 100–98

| The Summit | 3–5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 9 | | New Jersey | L 86–104

| The Summit | 3–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 10 | | @ Denver | L 127–134

| McNichols Sports Arena | 3–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 12 | | Phoenix | W 118–96

| The Summit | 5–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 13 | | Philadelphia | L 101–115

| The Summit | 5–8 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 14 | | @ Atlanta | L 109–115

| The Omni | 5–9 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 16 | | @ Dallas | L 102–113

| Reunion Arena | 6–10

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 17 | | Seattle | W 125–102

| The Summit | 7–10 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 18 | | @ New York | L 101–117

| Madison Square Garden | 7–11 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 19 | | Washington | L 109–113

| The Summit | 7–12 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 20 | | @ Milwaukee | L 101–103

| MECCA Arena | 7–13 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 22 | | Utah | L 121–128

| The Summit | 8–14 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 23 | | Phoenix | W 129–110

| The Summit | 9–14 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 24 | | @ Utah | L 111–138

| Salt Palace Acord Arena | 9–15 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 27 | | @ Seattle | W 116–112

| Kingdome | 11–16 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 28 | | @ Portland | L 84–97

| Memorial Coliseum | 11–17 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 30 | | Boston | W 107–94

| The Summit | 12–18 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 31 | | @ Phoenix | L 110–121

| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 12–19

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 32 | | Dallas | L 117–119

| The Summit | 12–20 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 33 | | @ Utah | L 111–116

| Thomas & Mack Center | 12–21 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 34 | | @ Seattle | W 116–112

| Kingdome | 12–22 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 35 | | @ Los Angeles | W 129–118

| The Forum | 13–22 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 36 | | Los Angeles | L 132–136 (OT)

| The Summit | 13–23 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 37 | | Portland | L 117–120

| The Summit | 13–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 39 | | Kansas City | W 109–104

| The Summit | 15–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 40 | | Denver | W 124–115

| The Summit | 16–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 42 | | Utah | W 115–105

| The Summit | 18–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 44 | | @ Los Angeles | L 102–131

| Kemper Arena | 19–26

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 46 | | Dallas | W 123–107

| The Summit | 20–26 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 47 | | New York | L 95–103

| The Summit | 20–27 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 48 | | @ Washington | L 92–95

| Capital Centre | 20–28 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 49 | | @ Philadelphia | L 107–118

| The Spectrum | 20–29 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 50 | | @ Boston | L 101–114

| Boston Garden | 20–30 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 51 | | @ New Jersey | L 103–107

| Brendan Byrne Arena | 20–31 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 52 | | Detroit | L 119–126

| The Summit | 20–32 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 54 | | Phoenix | L 102–126

| The Summit | 21–33 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 55 | | Milwaukee | W 119–102

| The Summit | 22–33 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 56 | | @ Dallas | L 106–112

| Reunion Arena | 22–34 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 58 | | Seattle | W 111–105

| The Summit | 23–35

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 59 | | Kansas City | L 101–108

| The Summit | 23–36 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 61 | | @ Denver | L 128–130

| McNichols Sports Arena | 24–37 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 62 | | @ Phoenix | L 110–123

| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 24–38 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 67 | | Los Angeles | L 111–123

| The Summit | 26–41 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 68 | | Kansas City | L 102–115

| The Summit | 26–42 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 69 | | @ Denver | L 125–134

| McNichols Sports Arena | 26–43 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 70 | | @ Dallas | L 104–116

| Reunion Arena | 26–44 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 71 | | Atlanta | W 103–102

| The Summit | 27–44 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 72 | | Denver | W 140–137

| The Summit | 28–44 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 73 | | @ Los Angeles | L 109–115

| The Forum | 28–45 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 74 | | Portland | L 102–106

| The Summit | 28–46

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 75 | | @ Utah | L 100–111

| Salt Palace Acord Arena | 28–47 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 77 | | @ Portland | W 129–114

| Memorial Coliseum | 29–48 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 78 | | @ Seattle | L 107–120

| Tacoma Dome | 29–49 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 80 | | Denver | L 110–130

| The Summit | 29–51 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 82 | | @ Kansas City | L 96–108

| Kemper Arena | 29–53

Player statistics

Season Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG

Awards and records

Awards Ralph Sampson, NBA Rookie of the Year Award Ralph Sampson, All-NBA Second Team Ralph Sampson, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team

Records

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Additions

Player Signed Former team

Subtractions Player Left New team

1983–84 Houston Rockets season

Bron en licentie