Last Updated on June 5, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

League Search Page > NBA > New Jersey Nets > Roster & Statistics

Here is the 1981–82 New Jersey Nets roster and regular season player statistics:

Roster

No. Player Pos Height Weight Birth Date Age College/From
33 James Bailey F 6’9″ 220 lbs May 21, 1957 24 Rutgers
10 Otis Birdsong G 6’3″ 190 lbs Dec 9, 1955 26 Houston
12 Darwin Cook G 6’3″ 184 lbs Aug 6, 1958 23 Portland
44 Len Elmore F/C 6’9″ 220 lbs Mar 28, 1952 29 Maryland
42 Mike Gminski C 6’11” 250 lbs Aug 3, 1959 22 Duke
55 Albert King F 6’6″ 190 lbs Dec 17, 1959 22 Maryland
40 Sam Lacey C 6’10” 235 lbs Mar 28, 1948 33 New Mexico State
31 Mike O’Koren F 6’7″ 207 lbs Feb 7, 1958 23 North Carolina
20 Jan van Breda Kolff F 6’7″ 195 lbs Dec 16, 1951 30 Vanderbilt
1 Foots Walker G 6’0″ 184 lbs May 21, 1951 30 West Georgia
52 Buck Williams F 6’8″ 215 lbs Oct 14, 1954 27 Maryland
13 Ray Williams G 6’3″ 188 lbs Oct 14, 1954 27 Minnesota

Note: Ages are calculated as of the 1981–82 NBA season.

Regular Season Per Game

PLR POS AGE GP GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Ray Williams SG 27 82 69 33.3 20.4 4.0 6.0 2.4 0.5 3.5 16.9 7.8 .462 0.7 0.1 .167 5.7 4.7 .832
Buck Williams PF 21 82 82 34.5 15.5 12.3 1.3 1.0 1.0 2.9 10.7 6.3 .582 0.0 0.0 .000 4.7 3.0 .624
Otis Birdsong SG 26 37 22 27.7 14.2 2.6 3.4 0.8 0.1 1.7 13.0 6.1 .469 0.3 0.0 .000 3.4 2.0 .583
Albert King SF 22 76 52 22.3 12.1 4.1 1.9 0.8 0.5 2.4 10.7 5.1 .482 0.2 0.0 .231 2.3 1.8 .778
Mike Woodson SG 23 7 0 20.7 11.9 1.9 2.3 1.0 0.3 1.3 9.7 4.3 .441 0.1 0.0 .000 4.6 3.3 .719
Mike O’Koren SF 23 80 32 25.2 11.4 3.8 2.4 1.0 0.2 1.8 9.7 4.8 .492 0.3 0.1 .348 2.4 1.7 .714
Darwin Cook PG 23 82 17 25.5 11.0 1.9 3.9 1.8 0.3 2.1 9.8 4.7 .482 0.4 0.1 .226 2.0 1.4 .728
Len Elmore C 29 81 70 25.9 9.1 5.4 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.7 8.0 3.7 .460 0.0 0.0 .000 2.1 1.7 .794
James Bailey PF 24 67 0 19.2 8.9 5.1 0.8 0.6 1.1 1.8 6.6 3.4 .523 0.0 0.0 .000 3.2 2.0 .624
Foots Walker PG 30 77 54 24.2 5.9 1.9 5.2 1.6 0.1 1.4 4.9 2.0 .413 0.1 0.0 .333 2.5 1.8 .727
Jan van Breda Kolff SF 30 41 0 11.0 3.5 1.2 0.8 0.3 0.3 0.7 2.0 1.0 .500 0.0 0.0 .000 1.9 1.5 .816
Ray Tolbert PF 23 12 0 9.6 3.7 2.3 0.7 0.3 0.2 1.0 3.7 1.7 .455 0.1 0.0 .000 0.7 0.3 .500
Jan van Breda Kolff SF 30 41 0 11.0 3.5 1.2 0.8 0.3 0.3 0.7 2.0 1.0 .500 0.0 0.0 .000 1.9 1.5 .816
Mike Gminski C 22 64 6 11.6 5.2 2.9 0.6 0.3 0.8 0.9 4.2 1.9 .441 0.0 0.0 .000 1.8 1.5 .822
David Burns PG 23 3 0 11.3 2.3 0.7 1.3 0.3 0.0 1.7 1.7 0.7 .400 0.0 0.0 .000 2.0 1.0 .500
Joe Cooper C 24 1 0 11.0 2.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 1.0 .500 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000
Sam Lacey C 33 54 6 12.0 2.9 1.9 1.4 0.4 0.7 1.0 2.8 1.2 .430 0.0 0.0 .000 0.6 0.5 .771
Totals     82 82 241.2 106.7 42.9 25.6 11.2 5.9 20.1 88.1 42.7 .484 1.8 0.4 .205 28.7 20.9 .728

Playoff Per Game

PLR POS AGE GP GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Albert King SF 22 2 2 29.0 20.0 4.0 3.0 2.5 0.5 2.5 16.5 9.0 .545 0.0 0.0 .000 2.5 2.0 .800
Buck Williams PF 21 2 2 39.5 17.5 10.5 1.5 0.5 1.0 2.0 13.0 7.0 .538 0.0 0.0 .000 7.5 3.5 .467
Ray Williams SG 27 2 2 38.5 17.0 6.0 7.0 2.0 0.0 3.0 23.5 7.0 .298 2.5 1.0 .400 2.5 2.0 .800
Darwin Cook PG 23 2 2 43.0 14.0 1.5 4.5 1.0 1.0 4.5 16.5 6.5 .394 1.5 0.0 .000 3.0 1.0 .333
Len Elmore C 29 2 2 38.0 11.0 8.0 1.0 0.5 1.0 1.0 8.0 4.5 .563 0.0 0.0 .000 2.0 2.0 1.000
Mike O’Koren SF 23 2 2 22.0 3.5 4.0 1.5 0.5 0.0 1.0 5.5 1.5 .273 0.5 0.0 .000 1.0 0.5 .500
Mike Gminski C 22 1 1 10.0 5.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 2.0 .667 0.0 0.0 .000 2.0 1.0 .500
James Bailey PF 24 2 2 13.0 2.0 3.0 0.5 1.0 0.5 1.5 1.5 0.5 .333 0.0 0.0 .000 1.0 1.0 1.000
Jan van Breda Kolff SF 30 2 2 8.0 0.0 1.5 0.0 1.0 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000
Ed Sherod PG 22 2 2 4.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000
Totals     2 2 240.0 87.5 40.0 19.5 9.5 4.5 16.0 87.0 37.0 .425 4.5 1.0 .222 20.5 12.5 .610

Regular Season Per 36 Minutes

PLR POS AGE GP GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Ray Williams SG 27 82 69 33.3 22.1 4.3 6.4 2.6 0.6 3.8 18.2 8.4 .462 0.7 0.1 .167 6.1 5.1 .832
Mike Woodson SG 23 7 0 20.7 20.6 3.2 4.0 1.7 0.5 2.2 16.9 7.4 .441 0.2 0.0 .000 7.9 5.7 .719
Albert King SF 22 76 52 22.3 19.5 6.6 3.0 1.4 0.8 3.8 17.3 8.3 .482 0.3 0.1 .231 3.6 2.8 .778
Mike O’Koren SF 23 80 32 25.2 16.2 5.4 3.4 1.5 0.2 2.6 13.9 6.8 .492 0.4 0.1 .348 3.4 2.4 .714
Buck Williams PF 21 82 82 34.5 16.2 12.8 1.4 1.1 1.1 3.0 11.2 6.5 .582 0.0 0.0 .000 4.9 3.1 .624
Darwin Cook PG 23 82 17 25.5 15.5 2.7 5.5 2.5 0.4 3.0 13.8 6.7 .482 0.5 0.1 .226 2.8 2.0 .728
Otis Birdsong SG 26 37 22 27.7 18.4 3.4 4.4 1.1 0.2 2.2 16.9 7.9 .469 0.4 0.0 .000 4.5 2.6 .583
James Bailey PF 24 67 0 19.2 16.6 9.6 1.5 1.1 2.1 3.4 12.3 6.4 .523 0.0 0.0 .000 6.0 3.7 .624
Mike Gminski C 22 64 6 11.6 16.3 9.0 2.0 0.8 2.3 2.7 13.1 5.8 .441 0.0 0.0 .000 5.7 4.7 .822
Len Elmore C 29 81 70 25.9 12.6 7.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 2.3 11.2 5.1 .460 0.0 0.0 .000 2.9 2.3 .794
Jan van Breda Kolff SF 30 41 0 11.0 11.5 3.8 2.5 1.0 1.0 2.3 6.5 3.3 .500 0.2 0.0 .000 6.1 4.9 .816
Ray Tolbert PF 23 12 0 9.6 13.8 8.5 2.5 1.3 0.6 3.8 13.8 6.3 .455 0.3 0.0 .000 2.5 1.3 .500
Foots Walker PG 30 77 54 24.2 8.8 2.9 7.7 2.3 0.1 2.1 7.3 3.0 .413 0.2 0.1 .333 3.8 2.7 .727
David Burns PG 23 3 0 11.3 7.4 2.1 4.2 1.1 0.0 5.3 5.3 2.1 .400 0.0 0.0 .000 6.4 3.2 .500
Joe Cooper C 24 1 0 11.0 6.5 6.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.3 6.5 3.3 .500 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000

Playoff Per 36 Minutes

PLR POS AGE GP GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Albert King SF 22 2 2 29.0 24.8 5.0 3.7 3.1 0.6 3.1 20.5 11.2 .545 0.0 0.0 .000 3.1 2.5 .800
Mike Gminski C 22 1 1 10.0 18.0 7.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.8 7.2 .667 0.0 0.0 .000 7.2 3.6 .500
Buck Williams PF 21 2 2 39.5 15.9 9.6 1.4 0.5 0.9 1.8 11.8 6.4 .538 0.0 0.0 .000 6.8 3.2 .467
Ray Williams SG 27 2 2 38.5 15.9 5.6 6.5 1.9 0.0 2.8 22.0 6.5 .298 2.3 0.9 .400 2.3 1.9 .800
Darwin Cook PG 23 2 2 43.0 11.7 1.3 3.8 0.8 0.8 3.8 13.8 5.4 .394 1.3 0.0 .000 2.5 0.8 .333
James Bailey PF 24 2 2 13.0 5.5 8.3 1.4 2.8 1.4 4.2 4.2 1.4 .333 0.0 0.0 .000 2.8 2.8 1.000
Mike O’Koren SF 23 2 2 22.0 5.7 6.5 2.5 0.8 0.0 1.6 9.0 2.5 .273 0.8 0.0 .000 1.6 0.8 .500
Len Elmore C 29 2 2 38.0 10.4 7.6 0.9 0.5 0.9 0.9 7.6 4.3 .563 0.0 0.0 .000 1.9 1.9 1.000
Jan van Breda Kolff SF 30 2 0 8.0 0.0 6.8 0.0 4.5 2.3 2.3 2.3 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 6.8 0.0 .000
Ed Sherod PG 22 2 0 4.0 0.0 4.5 4.5 4.5 0.0 0.0 4.5 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000

Regular Season Totals

PLR POS AGE GP GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Ray Williams SG 27 82 69 2732 1674 325 488 199 43 290 1383 639 .462 54 9 .167 208 117 .832
Buck Williams PF 21 82 82 2825 1268 1005 107 84 84 235 881 513 .582 1 0 .000 388 242 .624
Albert King SF 22 76 52 1694 918 312 142 64 36 180 812 391 .482 13 3 .231 171 133 .778
Mike O’Koren SF 23 80 32 2018 909 305 192 83 13 147 778 383 .492 23 8 .348 189 135 .714
Darwin Cook PG 23 82 17 2090 899 155 319 146 24 175 803 387 .482 31 7 .226 162 118 .728
Len Elmore C 29 81 70 2100 735 441 100 92 92 136 652 300 .460 0 0 .000 170 135 .794
James Bailey PF 24 67 0 1288 593 343 52 39 76 120 440 230 .523 0 0 .000 213 133 .624
Otis Birdsong SG 26 37 22 1025 524 97 124 30 5 64 480 225 .469 10 0 .000 127 74 .583
Foots Walker PG 30 77 54 1861 456 150 398 120 6 107 378 156 .413 9 3 .333 194 141 .727
Mike Gminski C 22 64 6 740 335 186 41 17 48 56 270 119 .441 0 0 .000 118 97 .822
Jan van Breda Kolff SF 30 41 0 452 144 48 32 12 13 29 82 41 .500 2 0 .000 76 62 .816
Mike Woodson SG 23 7 0 145 83 13 16 7 2 9 68 30 .441 1 0 .000 32 23 .719
Ray Tolbert PF 23 12 0 115 44 27 8 4 2 12 44 20 .455 1 0 .000 8 4 .500
David Burns PG 23 3 0 34 7 2 4 1 0 5 5 2 .400 0 0 .000 6 3 .500
Joe Cooper C 24 1 0 11 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 1 .500 0 0 .000 0 0 .000
Totals — — 82 82 19780 8746 3514 2096 918 481 1620 7227 3501 .484 146 30 .205 2320 1714 .728

Playoff Totals

PLR POS AGE GP GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Albert King SF 22 2 2 58 40 8 6 5 1 5 33 18 .545 0 0 .000 5 4 .800
Buck Williams PF 21 2 2 79 35 21 3 1 2 4 26 14 .538 0 0 .000 15 7 .467
Ray Williams SG 27 2 2 77 34 12 14 4 0 6 47 14 .298 5 2 .400 5 4 .800
Darwin Cook PG 23 2 2 86 28 3 9 2 2 9 33 13 .394 3 0 .000 6 2 .333
Len Elmore C 29 2 2 76 22 16 2 1 2 2 16 9 .563 0 0 .000 4 4 1.000
Mike Gminski C 22 1 1 10 5 2 0 0 0 0 3 2 .667 0 0 .000 2 1 .500
James Bailey PF 24 2 2 26 4 6 1 2 1 3 3 1 .333 0 0 .000 2 2 1.000
Ed Sherod — 22 2 2 8 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 .000 0 0 .000 1 0 1.000
Jan van Breda Kolff SF 30 2 2 16 0 3 0 2 1 1 1 0 .000 0 0 .000 3 0 .000
Totals — — 2 2 480 175 80 39 19 9 32 174 74 .425 9 2 .222 54 25 .610

HeatingUp Impact Index: Team Impact Spotlight

Player Name Role Tier MPG Usage Tier PPG RPG APG STK (SPG+BPG) Impact Index* Notes Awards
Buck Williams Anchor Big / Two-Way Power Forward 34.5 Mid-High 15.5 12.3 1.3 2.0 15.6 Led team with elite rebounding and interior defense; pivotal rookie who improved team record significantly and was central to Nets’ physical identity. League’s leading rebound machine among rookies.  Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie 1st Team
Ray Williams Primary Scoring & Facilitation Guard 33.3 High 20.4 4.0 6.0 2.9 16.7 Team’s top scorer and floor general; created offense at a high volume, driving scoring and playmaking with significant steal activity.  Player of the Week (Apr 1982)
Otis Birdsong Secondary Scoring Guard 27.7 Mid 14.2 2.6 3.4 0.9 10.6 Efficient off-ball scoring threat when available; offered spacing and complementary offense alongside Ray Williams before injuries limited games.  —
Albert King Supporting Wing Scorer 22.3 Mid 12.1 4.1 1.9 1.3 9.2 Young wing providing scoring punch and rebounding from SF position; offered secondary offensive options and two-way minutes.  —
Mike O’Koren Versatile Forward Facilitator 25.2 Mid 11.4 3.8 2.4 1.2 9.4 Balanced contributor with multi-faceted game; role as a connector between scoring and defense.  —
Darwin Cook Backup Playmaker / Role Guard 25.5 Mid 11.0 1.9 3.9 2.1 9.5 Provided secondary ball-handling duties, defensively active with steals, and stabilized bench offense. —
Len Elmore Defensive Interior 25.9 Low 9.1 5.4 1.2 2.2 9.5 Defensive-minded big providing rim resistance and spacing; value from rebounding and blocks.  —
James Bailey Role Frontcourt 19.2 Low 8.9 5.1 0.8 1.4 8.1 Complementary post scorer and rebounder; occasional interior presence.  —
Foots Walker Facilitator Off Guard 24.2 Low 5.9 1.9 5.2 1.7 7.3 Primary backup PG with assist focus; steady distribution and veteran leadership.  —
Mike Woodson Limited Minutes Scorer 20.7 Low 11.9 1.9 2.3 1.3 8.7 Small sample scoring and veteran scoring punch in limited games.  —
Mike Gminski Rotational Big 11.6 Low 5.2 2.9 0.6 1.1 4.9 Spot minutes center, provided size and rebounding in bench units.  —
Sam Lacey Veteran Center Depth 12.0 Low 2.9 1.9 1.4 1.1 3.7 Experienced big man adding depth and physicality.  —
Jan van Breda Kolff Depth Wing 11.0 Low 3.5 1.2 0.8 0.6 3.0 Bench perimeter option with modest contributions.  —
Ray Tolbert Frontcourt Reserve 9.6 Low 3.7 2.3 0.7 0.5 3.5 Short rotation minutes as a big reserve. —
David Burns Short-Stint Guard 11.3 Low 2.3 0.7 1.3 1.3 2.8 Minimal minutes; limited impact but provided brief bench guard play.  —
Joe Cooper Minimal Minutes Big 11.0 Low 2.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 One game sample; negligible impact.  —