Last Updated on June 12, 2025 by Mathew Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Houston Rockets > Roster & Statistics
Here is the 1978–79 Houston Rockets roster and regular season player statistics:
1978–79 Houston Rockets Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Height | Weight | Birthdate | Age* | College / Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Moses Malone | C | 6’10” | 215 lbs | Mar 23, 1955 | 23 | Petersburg HS (VA) |
| 23 | Calvin Murphy | G | 5’9″ | 165 lbs | May 9, 1948 | 30 | Niagara |
| 50 | Robert Reid | F | 6’8″ | 205 lbs | Aug 30, 1955 | 23 | St. Mary’s (TX) |
| 10 | John Lucas | G | 6’3″ | 170 lbs | Oct 31, 1953 | 24 | Maryland |
| 45 | Rudy Tomjanovich | F | 6’8″ | 218 lbs | Nov 24, 1948 | 29 | Michigan |
| 13 | Dwight Jones | F | 6’10” | 210 lbs | Feb 27, 1952 | 26 | Houston |
| 14 | Mike Newlin | G | 6’4″ | 200 lbs | Jan 2, 1949 | 29 | Utah |
| 32 | Slick Watts | G | 6’1″ | 175 lbs | Jul 22, 1951 | 27 | Xavier (LA) |
| 11 | Ed Ratleff | G/F | 6’6″ | 195 lbs | Mar 29, 1950 | 28 | Long Beach State |
| 25 | Alonzo Bradley | F | 6’6″ | 210 lbs | Oct 16, 1953 | 25 | Texas Southern |
| 12 | C.J. Kupec | C | 6’8″ | 225 lbs | Jan 28, 1953 | 25 | Michigan |
| 20 | Mike Dunleavy | G | 6’3″ | 180 lbs | Mar 21, 1954 | 24 | South Carolina |
| 22 | Rudy White | G | 6’2″ | 195 lbs | Jun 23, 1953 | 25 | Arizona State |
*Age calculated as of October 1, 1978.
Regular Season Player Statistics (Per Game)
| Player | GP | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moses Malone | 82 | 38.3 | 24.8 | 17.6 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.5 | .540 | .732 |
| Calvin Murphy | 82 | 35.4 | 20.5 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 0.1 | .489 | .915 |
| Robert Reid | 82 | 30.1 | 11.5 | 5.4 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.5 | .476 | .690 |
| John Lucas | 81 | 31.6 | 10.9 | 2.7 | 7.0 | 1.9 | 0.1 | .470 | .778 |
| Rudy Tomjanovich | 53 | 31.4 | 13.9 | 5.4 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | .485 | .753 |
| Dwight Jones | 82 | 26.8 | 9.6 | 7.2 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.4 | .445 | .777 |
| Mike Newlin | 45 | 26.2 | 11.0 | 2.7 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 0.2 | .436 | .874 |
| Slick Watts | 58 | 18.3 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 0.1 | .396 | .667 |
| Ed Ratleff | 68 | 17.1 | 4.6 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.3 | .419 | .830 |
| Alonzo Bradley | 43 | 18.6 | 7.1 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | .428 | .729 |
| C.J. Kupec | 49 | 12.8 | 4.0 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | .426 | .818 |
| Mike Dunleavy | 11 | 9.3 | 3.9 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.1 | .395 | .688 |
| Rudy White | 21 | 10.4 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | .365 | .778 |
*Note: FG% and FT% values are based on available data.
Team Overview
- Head Coach: Tom Nissalke
- Final Record: 47–35 (.573), 2nd in NBA Central Division
- Playoffs: Lost NBA Eastern Conference First Round (0–2) versus Atlanta Hawks
- Points Per Game (Offense): 113.4 (5th of 22)
- Points Allowed Per Game (Defense): 112.4 (17th of 22)
- Offensive Rating: 108.7 (1st of 22)
- Defensive Rating: 107.7 (21st of 22)
- Arena: The Summit
*Note: The Rockets had the league’s top offensive rating but struggled defensively, leading to a challenging postseason.