Last Updated on November 13, 2025 by Mat Diekhake

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Here is the Phoenix Suns 1977–78 Roster and Regular Season Player Statistics.

Phoenix Suns 1977–78 Roster

No. Player Pos. Height Weight Age College
6 Walter Davis SF 6’6″ 193 lbs 23 North Carolina
1 Paul Westphal SG 6’4″ 195 lbs 27 USC
25 Alvan Adams C 6’9″ 210 lbs 23 Oklahoma
10 Ron Lee SG 6’3″ 195 lbs 25 Oregon
21 Don Buse PG 6’4″ 190 lbs 27 Evansville
43 Truck Robinson PF 6’7″ 225 lbs 26 Tennessee State
24 Gar Heard PF 6’6″ 219 lbs 29 Oklahoma City
11 Mike Bratz PG 6’2″ 185 lbs 23 Stanford
14 Keith Erickson SF 6’5″ 195 lbs 33 UCLA
32 Curtis Perry PF 6’7″ 220 lbs 29 Southwest Missouri
34 Alvin Scott SF 6’7″ 185 lbs 23 Oral Roberts
17 Fred Saunders SF 6’7″ 210 lbs 26 Syracuse
22 Dennis Awtrey C 6’10” 235 lbs 29 Santa Clara

Head Coach: John MacLeod (5th season)
Arena: Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Season Record: 49–33 (2nd in Pacific Division)
Playoffs: Lost in First Round (0–2) to Milwaukee Bucks

1977–78 Regular Season Per Game

Player Name Pos Age G GS MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG TOV FGA FG% 3PA 3P% FTA FT%
Walter Davis SF 23 81 — 32.0 24.2 6.0 3.4 1.4 0.2 3.5 18.4 .526 0.0 — 5.8 .830
Don Buse PG 27 82 82 31.1 8.4 3.0 4.8 2.3 0.2 1.5 7.6 .458 1.0 .241 1.7 .824
Paul Westphal SG 27 80 — 31.0 25.2 2.1 5.5 1.7 0.4 3.5 19.6 .516 0.0 — 6.1 .813
Alvan Adams C 23 70 — 27.3 15.5 8.1 3.2 1.2 0.9 3.3 12.8 .485 0.0 — 4.2 .730
Gar Heard PF 29 80 — 26.2 7.8 8.2 1.7 1.6 1.3 1.5 7.8 .424 0.0 — 1.8 .612
Ron Lee PG 25 82 — 23.5 12.2 3.1 3.7 2.7 0.2 2.7 11.6 .439 0.0 — 2.8 .746
Dennis Awtrey C 29 81 — 20.0 3.6 3.7 2.0 0.2 0.3 1.6 3.3 .424 0.0 — 1.3 .633
Alvin Scott SF 22 81 — 19.0 6.1 4.4 1.1 0.6 0.5 1.0 4.6 .488 0.0 — 2.4 .691
Curtis Perry PF 29 45 — 18.2 6.0 5.6 1.1 0.8 0.5 1.4 5.4 .453 0.0 — 1.4 .785
Bayard Forrest C 23 64 — 13.9 4.2 3.9 2.0 0.4 0.5 1.3 3.7 .466 0.0 — 1.6 .476
Mike Bratz PG 22 80 — 11.7 4.7 1.4 1.5 0.5 0.1 1.1 4.9 .403 0.0 — 0.9 .824
Greg Griffin SF 25 36 — 11.7 4.0 2.9 0.7 0.4 0.0 1.1 4.7 .361 0.0 — 1.0 .639
Team Totals — — 82 82 241.2 112.3 45.7 28.5 12.9 4.5 21.5 95.6 .476 3.4 .243 28.4 .751

1977–78 Playoff Per Game

Player Pos Age G GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FG% 3PA 3P% FTA FT%
Don Buse PG 27 2 — 38.0 4.0 2.5 2.0 2.0 0.0 0.5 5.5 .364 — — 0.0 —
Alvan Adams C 23 2 — 35.5 16.0 8.0 2.0 1.0 0.5 4.5 16.5 .455 — — 1.0 1.000
Walter Davis SF 23 2 — 33.0 25.0 8.5 4.0 1.5 0.0 3.0 20.0 .475 — — 8.0 .750
Paul Westphal SG 27 2 — 33.0 26.0 3.0 9.5 0.5 0.0 2.5 23.5 .468 — — 4.5 .889
Gar Heard PF 29 2 — 31.0 6.5 8.0 2.5 1.0 2.0 1.0 8.5 .353 — — 1.0 .500
Ron Lee PG 25 2 — 20.5 6.0 3.0 1.5 2.0 0.0 2.0 8.0 .313 — — 1.0 1.000
Alvin Scott SF 22 2 — 18.5 6.5 3.0 1.5 1.0 0.0 1.0 4.0 .500 — — 3.0 .833
Greg Griffin SF 25 2 — 12.5 3.0 2.0 1.5 0.5 0.5 1.0 3.5 .429 — — 0.0 —
Dennis Awtrey C 29 2 — 12.0 1.5 1.0 1.5 0.5 0.0 0.5 2.0 .250 — — 0.5 1.000
Mike Bratz PG 22 2 — 4.5 1.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.5 .200 — — 0.0 —
Bayard Forrest C 23 1 — 3.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.000 — — 0.0 —
Team Totals — — 2 — 240.0 96.5 39.0 26.5 10.0 3.0 16.0 94.5 .429 — — 19.0 .816

1977–78 Regular Season Totals

Player Pos Age G GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FG% 3PA 3P% FTA FT%
Walter Davis SF 23 81 — 2590 1959 484 273 113 20 283 1494 .526 — — 466 .830
Don Buse PG 27 82 82 2547 686 249 391 185 14 124 626 .458 — — 136 .824
Paul Westphal SG 27 80 — 2481 2014 164 437 138 31 280 1568 .516 — — 487 .813
Gar Heard PF 29 80 — 2099 620 652 132 129 101 120 625 .424 — — 147 .612
Ron Lee PG 25 82 — 1928 1004 254 305 225 17 221 950 .439 — — 228 .746
Alvan Adams C 23 70 — 1914 1082 565 225 86 63 234 895 .485 — — 293 .730
Dennis Awtrey C 29 81 — 1623 293 302 163 19 25 127 264 .424 — — 109 .633
Alvin Scott SF 22 81 — 1538 492 357 88 52 40 85 369 .488 — — 191 .691
Mike Bratz PG 22 80 — 933 374 115 123 39 5 89 395 .403 — — 68 .824
Bayard Forrest C 23 64 — 887 271 250 129 23 34 84 238 .466 — — 103 .476
Curtis Perry PF 29 45 — 818 271 250 48 34 22 63 243 .453 — — 65 .785
Greg Griffin SF 25 36 — 422 145 103 24 16 0 39 169 .361 — — 36 .639
Team Totals — — 82 82 19780 9211 3745 2338 1059 372 1749 7836 .476 — — 2329 .751

1977–78 Playoff Totals

Player Pos Age G GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FG% 3PA 3P% FTA FT%
Don Buse PG 27 2 — 76 8 5 4 4 0 1 11 .364 — — 0 —
Alvan Adams C 23 2 — 71 32 16 4 2 1 9 33 .455 — — 2 1.000
Walter Davis SF 23 2 — 66 50 17 8 3 0 6 40 .475 — — 16 .750
Paul Westphal SG 27 2 — 66 52 6 19 1 0 5 47 .468 — — 9 .889
Gar Heard PF 29 2 — 62 13 16 5 2 4 2 17 .353 — — 2 .500
Ron Lee PG 25 2 — 41 12 6 3 4 0 4 16 .313 — — 2 1.000
Alvin Scott SF 22 2 — 37 13 6 3 2 0 2 8 .500 — — 6 .833
Greg Griffin SF 25 2 — 25 6 4 3 1 1 2 7 .429 — — 0 —
Dennis Awtrey C 29 2 — 24 3 2 3 1 0 1 4 .250 — — 1 1.000
Mike Bratz PG 22 2 — 9 2 0 1 0 0 0 5 .200 — — 0 —
Bayard Forrest C 23 1 — 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.000 — — 0 —
Team Totals — — 2 — 480 193 78 53 20 6 32 189 .429 — — 38 .816

Team Impact Index

Player Name Role Tier MPG Usage Tier PPG RPG APG STK (SPG+BPG) Impact Index* Notes
Paul Westphal Primary Offensive Catalyst 31.0 Elite (High Scoring/High Assist) 25.2 2.1 5.5 2.1 17.5 Team’s sharpest halfcourt operator; elite efficiency (.516 FG%) at high volume. Showed sustained top-tier scoring alongside high-level facilitation. Defensive reads steady but secondary to offensive output.
Walter Davis Dynamic Wing Engine 32.0 Elite (Primary Scorer/Finisher) 24.2 6.0 3.4 1.6 17.6 Exploded as rookie — poised, fluid, elite finisher. Carried perimeter scoring load, often closing games. Remarkable composure for 23-year-old. One of the most efficient high-volume scorers in the league.
Alvan Adams Playmaking Big Anchor 27.3 High (Secondary Creator) 15.5 8.1 3.2 2.1 14.5 Continued as hybrid hub on both ends. Less scoring than rookie year but sharper reads and timing. Top interior facilitator; underrated on-ball defense.
Ron Lee Defensive Disruptor / Pace Shifter 23.5 Mid (Energy Guard) 12.2 3.1 3.7 2.9 10.9 Relentless pressure defender. Ranked among league leaders in steals (2.7). Key tempo driver off the bench; limited jumper but high-impact energy injection.
Don Buse Defensive Quarterback 31.1 Mid (Balanced Control) 8.4 3.0 4.8 2.5 9.4 Defensive All-NBA guard for a reason — surgical with steals and floor control. Low-usage offense, but elite defensive anticipation and turnover creation.
Gar Heard Defensive Backbone / Veteran Stabilizer 26.2 Mid (Low-Usage Anchor) 7.8 8.2 1.7 2.9 10.3 Quietly vital. Elite rebounding positioning and interior coverage. Combined STK (2.9) ranked among best for forwards. The physical tone-setter.
Dennis Awtrey Connector Big 20.0 Low (Supportive Role) 3.6 3.7 2.0 0.5 4.9 Veteran big whose value came through passing and screen-setting. Minimal scoring, steady defensive communication.
Alvin Scott Versatile Utility Forward 19.0 Low-Mid (Complementary) 6.1 4.4 1.1 1.1 6.4 Underrated glue piece — active rebounder and switchable defender. Offense limited, but positive energy in hybrid forward minutes.
Curtis Perry Rebounding Specialist (Veteran) 18.2 Low (Spot Role) 6.0 5.6 1.1 1.3 7.0 Solid defensive rebounder. Physical presence but reduced mobility at this stage. Efficient in controlled minutes.
Bayard Forrest Developmental Big 13.9 Low (Bench Center) 4.2 3.9 2.0 0.9 5.0 Smart decision-maker, decent interior passing for a young center. Modest box score presence but trusted in structured rotations.
Mike Bratz Reserve Ball-Handler 11.7 Low (Perimeter Depth) 4.7 1.4 1.5 0.6 4.1 Aggressive confidence in short spurts. Shot creation raw, but showed value as backup point with steady FT%.
Greg Griffin Bench Wing Depth 11.7 Low (Low-Usage) 4.0 2.9 0.7 0.4 4.0 Minimal offensive efficiency but serviceable rebounding. End-of-rotation contributor.