Brooklyn Nets: 10 best players from 1st NBA decade (1976-86)

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BOSTON, MA – 1984: Darryl Dawkins #53 of the Brooklyn Nets dunks during a game circa 1984 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1984 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) /

C. Acquired in trade from Philadelphia, Aug. 27, 1982. Darryl Dawkins. 3. player. 147.

Darryl Dawkins was the first high school player in the modern era to jump directly to the NBA when he made the leap in 1975, but after seven seasons, the Philadelphia 76ers were looking to move on from the enigmatic big man.

As part of clearing the decks to make room for free agent Moses Malone, the 76ers dealt Dawkins to the New Jersey Nets in August 1982 in exchange for a 1983 first-round pick.

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Even as Dawkins struggled to remain on the floor, he was a big force in the middle for the Nets in 1982-83, averaging 12.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 25.8 minutes per game while shooting 59.9 percent from the floor.

Of course, part of the reason Dawkins’ minutes were down was that he set a new NBA single-season record in 1982-83 when he was whistled for a whopping 379 personal fouls, breaking the old mark of 372 set the previous season by Steve Johnson of the Kansas City Kings.

Amazingly, Dawkins broke his own mark in 1983-84 with 386 fouls called against him, but also had the best year of his 14-year NBA career by averaging 16.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 29.8 minutes a game while shooting 59.3 percent.

His career went downhill rapidly after that, as a back injury kept him out of 43 games in 1984-85 and 31 in 1985-86.

Over those four seasons, Dawkins averaged 14.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 26.5 minutes a night, shooting .601/2-for-7/.705.

His field-goal percentage of .599 was third in the NBA in 1982-83 and his .593 clip the following season ranked fourth. Those numbers were enhanced by Dawkins’ effective shooting range of roughly 18 inches from the basket.

Dawkins was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers with James Bailey in exchange for John Bagley and Keith Lee in October 1987 and was swapped later the same day to Utah. He also played for the Detroit Pistons at the tail end of his career.

He was fourth on the Nets from 1976-86 with 382 blocked shots.

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