Last Updated on September 16, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

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Below are the tables for the Buffalo Braves 1970-71 season—the franchise that later became today’s Los Angeles Clippers. The 1970-71 campaign was their inaugural NBA year.

The 1970–71 Buffalo Braves were built around Bob Kauffman, whose scoring, rebounding, and playmaking established him as the team’s primary all-around contributor. Elmore Smith controlled the paint with dominant rebounding, efficient interior scoring, and strong shot-blocking, while Don May added dependable secondary scoring from the wing. The Clippers leaned on their frontcourt strength and interior defence, but limited offensive balance hindered their ability to sustain consistent success.

Roster

NO. PLAYER POS HT WT BIRTH DATE COLLEGE
4, 27 Mike Silliman SF 6-6 225 May 5, 1944 United States Military Academy
5 Paul Long SG 6-2 180 February 8, 1944 Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
7 Em Bryant PG 6-1 175 November 4, 1938 DePaul
9 Herm Gilliam SG 6-3 190 May 5, 1946 Purdue
13 Mike Davis SG 6-3 185 July 26, 1946 Virginia Union University
15 Freddie Crawford SG 6-4 189 December 23, 1941 St. Bonaventure
17 Nate Bowman C 6-10 230 March 19, 1943 Wichita State
19 Mike Lynn SF 6-7 215 November 25, 1945 UCLA
20 Dick Garrett PG 6-3 185 January 31, 1947 Southern Illinois
22 Don May SF 6-4 200 January 3, 1946 Dayton
25 Bill Hosket PF 6-8 225 December 20, 1946 Ohio State
33 George Wilson PF 6-8 225 May 9, 1942 Cincinnati
35 Cornell Warner C 6-9 220 August 12, 1948 Jackson State University
44 Bob Kauffman C 6-8 240 July 13, 1946 Guilford College
45 John Hummer C 6-9 230 May 4, 1948 Princeton

Rookie † Played only part of season (joined mid-year)

Regular-Season Per Game

Player Pos Age G GS MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG TOPG FGA FG% 3PA 3P% FTA FT%
Bob Kauffman C 24 78   35.6 20.4 10.7 4.5       16.8 .471     6.2 .740
Don May SF 25 76   35.1 20.2 7.5 2.0       17.6 .471     4.6 .791
John Hummer C 22 81   32.6 11.3 8.9 2.0       9.4 .444     5.0 .580
Dick Garrett PG 24 75   31.7 12.9 3.9 3.5       12.0 .414     3.3 .869
Em Bryant PG 32 73   29.3 10.0 3.6 4.8       9.4 .421     2.8 .744
Herm Gilliam SG 24 80   26.0 11.2 4.2 3.6       11.2 .422     2.4 .751
Mike Davis SG 24 73   22.2 11.4 2.6 2.1       10.6 .410     3.6 .760
Cornell Warner C 22 65   19.9 6.0 7.0 0.8       5.8 .415     2.2 .552
Bill Hosket PF 24 13   16.7 8.1 5.8 1.5       6.9 .522     1.3 .647
George Wilson PF 28 46   15.5 5.2 5.0 1.0       5.8 .342     1.5 .812
Freddie Crawford SG 29 15   13.5 5.9 2.3 1.6       7.1 .340     1.7 .615
Nate Bowman C 27 44   11.0 3.1 3.9 0.9       3.4 .392     0.9 .526
Mike Silliman SF 26 36   10.2 2.5 1.7 0.6       2.2 .456     1.1 .487
Paul Long SG 26 30   7.1 4.5 1.0 0.8       4.0 .475     0.8 .833
Mike Lynn SF 25 5   5.0 1.4 0.8 0.2       1.4 .286     0.6 1.000
Team Totals     82   241.5 105.5 52.0 23.9       95.9 .436     30.5 .721

Regular-Season Totals

Player Pos Age GP GS Min PTS REB AST STL BLK TO FGA FGM 3PA 3PM FTA FTM
Bob Kauffman C 24 78   2778 1591 837 354       1309 616     485 359
Don May SF 25 76   2666 1535 567 150       1336 629     350 277
John Hummer C 22 81   2637 913 717 163       764 339     405 235
Dick Garrett PG 24 75   2375 964 295 264       902 373     251 218
Em Bryant PG 32 73   2137 727 262 352       684 288     203 151
Herm Gilliam SG 24 80   2082 898 334 291       896 378     189 142
Mike Davis SG 24 73   1617 833 187 153       774 317     262 199
Cornell Warner C 22 65   1293 391 452 53       376 156     143 79
George Wilson PF 28 46   713 240 230 48       269 92     69 56
Nate Bowman C 27 44   483 136 173 41       148 58     38 20
Mike Silliman SF 26 36   366 91 62 23       79 36     39 19
Bill Hosket PF 24 13   217 105 75 20       90 47     17 11
Paul Long SG 26 30   213 134 31 25       120 57     24 20
Freddie Crawford SG 29 15   203 88 35 24       106 36     26 16
Mike Lynn SF 25 5   25 7 4 1       7 2     3 3
Team Totals     82   19805 8653 4261 1962       7860 3424     2504 1805

HeatingUp Impact Index: Team Impact Spotlight

Player Name Role Tier MPG Usage Tier PPG RPG APG STK (SPG+BPG) Impact Index* Notes
Bob Kauffman Alpha Core 35.6 High 20.4 10.7 4.5 3.4 19.5 Anchoring center with double-double consistency; strong all-around contributor.
Don May Alpha Core 35.1 High 20.2 7.5 2.0 2.9 16.3 Versatile forward; scoring engine with moderate playmaking; could increase defensive activity.
Dick Garrett Key Facilitator 31.7 High 12.9 3.9 3.5 3.9 12.1 Lead guard with solid defense; balanced scoring and passing; room to boost offensive aggression.
John Hummer Secondary Starter 32.6 Medium 11.3 8.9 2.0 3.5 12.9 Reliable frontcourt presence; strong rebounding; needs improved scoring efficiency.
Em Bryant Secondary Facilitator 29.3 Medium 10.0 3.6 4.8 3.6 11.0 Veteran point guard; solid floor general; limited scoring but high assist contribution.
Herm Gilliam Secondary Scorer 26.0 Medium 11.2 4.2 3.6 3.1 11.0 Guard with balanced contributions; efficient scoring and playmaking; defensive activity is notable.
Mike Davis Role Scorer 22.2 Medium 11.4 2.6 2.1 3.0 9.6 Bench scoring option; efficiency could be improved; provides defensive hustle in limited minutes.
Cornell Warner Role Big 19.9 Low 6.0 7.0 0.8 2.2 8.0 Young big; strong rebounding in limited minutes; offensive production is low but with upside.
Bill Hosket Situational Contributor 16.7 Low 8.1 5.8 1.5 2.1 8.8 Productive in limited role; efficient scoring and rebounding; could expand usage if healthy.
George Wilson Situational Contributor 15.5 Low 5.2 5.0 1.0 2.2 6.7 Bench PF; provides interior defense and rebounding; limited offensive role.