Buck Williams came to the New Jersey Nets as the No. 3 overall pick out of Maryland in the 1981 NBA Draft and, along with the arrival of new coach Larry Brown, helped the Nets post a 20-victory improvement and earn their first playoff berth since 1979.
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The 1981-82 season marked the Nets’ first winning season since coming to the NBA in 1976 and Williams anchored that improvement, averaging 15.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 34.5 minutes per game.
He shot .582/0-for-1/.624 as a rookie, earning an All-Star berth and winning Rookie of the Year honors.
New Jersey fell in two straight games to the Washington Bullets in the first round of the playoffs, with Williams averaging 17.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 39.5 minutes a game, shooting 538/—/7-for-15.
Williams was one of three rookies to receive MVP votes that season, along with No. 2 overall pick Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons and second-round selection Jay Vincent of the Dallas Mavericks.
He was third in the league in rebounding and field goal percentage as a rookie and spent eight seasons in New Jersey before being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in 1989.
He was a three-time All-Star with the Nets, was named All-NBA in 1982-83 and All-Defensive in 1987-88.