Nothin' But Nets
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Nets: Remembering the franchise’s forgotten Big 3

ByMarkeith Cook|
INGLEWOOD, CA - 1990-91: Drazen Petrovic #3 of the New Jersey Nets stands on the court during a 1990-91 season game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agress that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ken Levine/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CA - 1990-91: Drazen Petrovic #3 of the New Jersey Nets stands on the court during a 1990-91 season game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agress that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ken Levine/Getty Images)

As the then-New Jersey Nets entered into the 1990-91 NBA season, the organization’s days of winning two ABA championships with Julius “Dr. J” Erving, “Super” John Williamson, and Bill Melchionni were long gone. Since the team’s absorption into NBA after the 1976-77 season, they hadn’t seen nearly the same success.

The Nets were one of the worst franchises in the league. New Jersey complied a record of 329-491 throughout the 1980s. The Meadowlands faithful had to endure several tough losing seasons, including a record of 17 -65 in the 1989-90 season.

With that mark, though, the Nets secured the No. 1 spot in the 1990 NBA Draft. New Jersey selected Derrick Coleman from Syracuse University, and the versatile 6-10 power forward used a unique combination of strength and finesse to dominate in his first year.

1993: NEW JERSEY NETS FORWARD DERRICK COLEMAN AT THE FREEE THROW LINE DURING THE NETS GAME AT THE DENVER NUGGETS. Mandatory Credit: Tim Defrisco/ALLSPORT
1993: NEW JERSEY NETS FORWARD DERRICK COLEMAN AT THE FREEE THROW LINE DURING THE NETS GAME AT THE DENVER NUGGETS. Mandatory Credit: Tim Defrisco/ALLSPORT

Coleman could score from inside with an array of slick post moves. He could also handle the ball and constantly hit mid-range jumpers, rare for a big man in the ’90s. Coleman would average 18.4 points and 10.3 rebounds to win the 1991 NBA Rookie of the Year award.

Although Coleman’s exciting play thrilled Nets fans, the team still needed some additional help to improve in the Eastern Conference standings.

On Jan. 23, 1991, New Jersey acquired Drazen Petrovic in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers.

And everything changed.

The 6-5 Croatian guard was an excellent scorer and three-point shooter who wasn’t afraid to control the game when necessary. Petrovic and Coleman were a great fit because each player could space the floor and score from inside and outside the paint. Over the final half of the 1991 NBA season, the former Trail Blazer averaged 12.6 points per game.

Unfortunately, the Nets finished the season with a record of 26-56. New Jersey secured the second pick in the 1991 NBA Draft, and they were very much not done building.

The team chose Kenny Anderson, a 6-1 left-handed point guard from Molloy High School in Queens, New York. The legendary high school player dazzled NCAA fans during his two seasons at Georgia Tech prior to joining the NBA.

Anderson’s combination of quickness, excellent ball-handling, playmaking skills, and ability to finish at the rim made him tough to stop for most opposing defenders. The Nets rookie put up 7.0 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game. Anderson, Coleman, and Petrovic lead the Nets to 40 wins and their first playoff appearance in five seasons.

In the 1991-92 NBA playoffs, the Nets lost in the first round to Cleveland three games to one. Despite the disappointing finish to the prior year, New Jersey fans were excited when the Nets hired two-time NBA champion head coach Chuck Daly from the Detroit Pistons as the final piece of the puzzle.

Coach Daly was fresh from leading the 1992 United States Men’s Olympic Basketball Team, aka “The Dream Team,” to a gold medal in Barcelona, Spain. Daly was a brilliant, no-nonsense coach who relied on his teams to play tough and aggressive defense.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – CIRCA 1993: Head coach Chuck Daly of the New Jersey Nets looks on during an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls circa 1993 at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Daly coached the Nets from 1993-94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – CIRCA 1993: Head coach Chuck Daly of the New Jersey Nets looks on during an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls circa 1993 at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Daly coached the Nets from 1993-94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

With Coleman, Petrovic, and Anderson on the floor, the Nets compiled a 43-39 record in the 1992-93 NBA season, finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference. Coleman went on to average 20.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per contest and was named to the All-NBA third team.

Anderson more than doubled his production as a full-time starter to 16.9 points and 8.2 assists. Petrovic’s offensive numbers exploded to 22.3 points per game while he shot 45% percent from 3-point range.

New Jersey faced the Cleveland Cavaliers again in the first round of the NBA playoffs, losing a heartbreaking series in five games. Despite the two first-round playoff exits, New Jersey had high hopes of keeping their future core of young players together.

Tragically, on June 7, 1993, Petrovic was killed in a car accident on the Autobahn near Denkendorf, Germany. The tragic event devastated the Nets organization and their fans. The loss of Petrovic abruptly crushed any hopes of the potential Big 3 fully blossoming in New Jersey.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – CIRCA 1993: Drazen Petrovic #3 of the New Jersey Nets in action against the Seattle Supersonics during an NBA basketball game circa 1993 at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Petrovic played for the Nets from 1991-93. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Drazen Petrovic
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – CIRCA 1993: Drazen Petrovic #3 of the New Jersey Nets in action against the Seattle Supersonics during an NBA basketball game circa 1993 at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Petrovic played for the Nets from 1991-93. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Drazen Petrovic

However, the Nets would win 45 games and enter into the NBA playoffs as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, the team’s second-best record in their franchise’s history at the time. Anderson would put up career highs of 18.8 points and 9.6 assists. Coleman amassed 20 points and 10 rebounds per contest. Both Anderson and Coleman would make their only NBA All-Star appearances in the 1993-94 season.

Again, New Jersey lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs 3-1 to the New York Knicks. After the season, Daly left the team. Coleman was traded to Detroit after the 1994-95 NBA season. Anderson was moved from New Jersey to Charlotte in 1996.

Although many Nets fans fondly remember the exciting moments of these three outstanding players, there will always be a sense of “What if?” about the Nets’ forgotten big three of Derrick Coleman, Drazen Petrovic, and Kenny Anderson.