Last Updated on August 7, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Indiana Pacers > Roster & Statistics
The 1977–78 Indiana Pacers leaned heavily on Billy Knight as their primary offensive weapon, with Tom Owens providing dependable interior scoring and rebounding. Don Buse orchestrated the offence while also making a major defensive impact through his ball pressure, and Alex English added versatile scoring support. Indiana’s statistical profile reflected a balanced attack built on playmaking and rebounding, though inconsistent overall efficiency limited the team’s ability to translate production into sustained success.
Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Height | Weight | Birthdate | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ron Behagen | PF | 6-9 | 185 | Jan 14, 1951 | Minnesota |
| 4 | Adrian Dantley | SF | 6-5 | 208 | Feb 28, 1955 | Notre Dame |
| 9 | Mel Bennett | PF | 6-7 | 200 | Jan 4, 1955 | Pittsburgh |
| 12 | Bobby Wilson | SG | 6-3 | 185 | Jan 15, 1951 | Wichita State |
| 14 | Mike Flynn | SG | 6-3 | 180 | Jul 31, 1953 | Kentucky |
| 20 | Johnny Neumann | SG | 6-6 | 200 | Nov 11, 1950 | Ole Miss |
| 22 | Earl Tatum | SG | 6-4 | 185 | Jul 26, 1953 | Marquette |
| 24 | Steve Green | SF | 6-7 | 220 | Jan 26, 1953 | Indiana |
| 30 | Bob Carrington | SG | 6-6 | 195 | Jul 3, 1953 | Boston College |
| 32 | John Williamson | SG | 6-2 | 185 | Nov 10, 1951 | New Mexico State |
| 40 | James Edwards | C | 7-1 | 252 | Nov 22, 1955 | Washington |
| 42 | Mike Bantom | SF | 6-9 | 200 | Dec 3, 1951 | Saint Joseph’s |
| 44 | Len Elmore | C | 6-9 | 220 | Mar 28, 1952 | Maryland |
| 50 | Dan Roundfield | PF | 6-8 | 205 | May 26, 1953 | Central Michigan |
| 52 | Dave Robisch | C | 6-10 | 230 | Dec 22, 1949 | Kansas |
| 55 | Ricky Sobers | PG | 6-3 | 198 | Jan 15, 1953 | UNLV |
| 00 | Willie Smith | PG | 6-2 | 170 | Oct 26, 1953 | Missouri |
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% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian Dantley | SF | 22 | 23 | 23 | 41.2 | 26.5 | 9.4 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 17.5 | 8.7 | .499 | – | – | – | 11.4 | 9.0 | .787 |
| John Williamson | SG | 26 | 42 | 38 | 34.5 | 19.1 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 18.9 | 8.0 | .421 | – | – | – | 3.8 | 3.2 | .832 |
| Ricky Sobers | PG | 25 | 79 | 79 | 38.2 | 18.2 | 4.1 | 7.4 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 4.5 | 15.5 | 7.0 | .453 | – | – | – | 5.1 | 4.2 | .825 |
| James Edwards | C | 22 | 58 | 52 | 29.0 | 15.4 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 13.4 | 6.0 | .450 | – | – | – | 5.1 | 3.3 | .649 |
| Mike Bantom | SF | 26 | 82 | 78 | 33.8 | 15.3 | 7.4 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 12.8 | 6.1 | .479 | – | – | – | 4.2 | 3.1 | .743 |
| Earl Tatum | SG | 24 | 57 | 40 | 32.6 | 14.4 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 13.6 | 6.3 | .462 | – | – | – | 2.4 | 1.9 | .788 |
| Dan Roundfield | PF | 24 | 79 | 60 | 30.7 | 13.4 | 10.2 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 10.9 | 5.3 | .489 | – | – | – | 3.8 | 2.8 | .727 |
| Ron Behagen | PF | 27 | 51 | 10 | 22.2 | 11.2 | 6.5 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 10.7 | 4.4 | .408 | – | – | – | 3.5 | 2.5 | .727 |
| Dave Robisch | C | 28 | 23 | 18 | 26.0 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 7.9 | 3.2 | .403 | – | – | – | 2.8 | 2.2 | .781 |
| Len Elmore | C | 25 | 69 | 6 | 19.2 | 5.4 | 6.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 5.6 | 2.1 | .368 | – | – | – | 1.9 | 1.3 | .667 |
| Bob Carrington | SG | 24 | 35 | 1 | 17.7 | 7.1 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 5.6 | 2.7 | .487 | – | – | – | 2.1 | 1.7 | .784 |
| Mike Flynn | PG | 24 | 71 | 4 | 13.5 | 4.2 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 3.8 | 1.7 | .449 | – | – | – | 1.4 | 0.8 | .567 |
| Johnny Neumann | SG | 26 | 20 | 1 | 10.8 | 4.2 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 4.3 | 1.8 | .407 | – | – | – | 0.9 | 0.7 | .722 |
| Steve Green | SF | 24 | 44 | 0 | 10.2 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 1.3 | .438 | – | – | – | 1.3 | 0.9 | .696 |
| Bobby Wilson | SG | 27 | 12 | 0 | 7.2 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 1.2 | .389 | – | – | – | 0.3 | 0.2 | .667 |
| Mel Bennett | PF | 23 | 31 | 0 | 9.2 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 0.7 | .284 | – | – | – | 1.5 | 0.9 | .622 |
| Willie Smith | PG | 24 | 1 | 0 | 7.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – | – | – | 0.0 | 0.0 | – |
| Team Totals | 82 | 82 | 241.8 | 108.6 | 48.9 | 24.2 | 9.9 | 5.6 | 20.0 | 94.9 | 42.7 | .450 | – | – | – | 31.3 | 23.2 | .743 |
Regular Season Totals
| PLR | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ricky Sobers | PG | 25 | 79 | 79 | 3019 | 1436 | 327 | 584 | 170 | 23 | 352 | 1221 | 553 | .453 | – | – | – | 400 | 330 | .825 |
| Mike Bantom | SF | 26 | 82 | 78 | 2775 | 1258 | 610 | 238 | 100 | 50 | 218 | 1047 | 502 | .479 | – | – | – | 342 | 254 | .743 |
| Dan Roundfield | PF | 24 | 79 | 60 | 2423 | 1060 | 802 | 196 | 81 | 149 | 194 | 861 | 421 | .489 | – | – | – | 300 | 218 | .727 |
| James Edwards | C | 22 | 58 | 52 | 1682 | 892 | 435 | 56 | 37 | 50 | 112 | 777 | 350 | .450 | – | – | – | 296 | 192 | .649 |
| Earl Tatum | SG | 24 | 57 | 40 | 1859 | 822 | 205 | 226 | 103 | 30 | 131 | 773 | 357 | .462 | – | – | – | 137 | 108 | .788 |
| John Williamson | SG | 26 | 42 | 38 | 1449 | 804 | 120 | 132 | 47 | 0 | 127 | 795 | 335 | .421 | – | – | – | 161 | 134 | .832 |
| Len Elmore | C | 25 | 69 | 6 | 1327 | 372 | 420 | 80 | 74 | 71 | 73 | 386 | 142 | .368 | – | – | – | 132 | 88 | .667 |
| Ron Behagen | PF | 27 | 51 | 10 | 1131 | 572 | 333 | 65 | 32 | 19 | 113 | 544 | 222 | .408 | – | – | – | 176 | 128 | .727 |
| Mike Flynn | PG | 24 | 71 | 4 | 955 | 295 | 117 | 142 | 41 | 10 | 75 | 267 | 120 | .449 | – | – | – | 97 | 55 | .567 |
| Adrian Dantley | SF | 22 | 23 | 23 | 948 | 609 | 216 | 65 | 48 | 17 | 67 | 403 | 201 | .499 | – | – | – | 263 | 207 | .787 |
| Bob Carrington | SG | 24 | 35 | 1 | 621 | 250 | 62 | 62 | 22 | 11 | 52 | 197 | 96 | .487 | – | – | – | 74 | 58 | .784 |
| Dave Robisch | C | 28 | 23 | 18 | 598 | 196 | 173 | 48 | 20 | 15 | 34 | 181 | 73 | .403 | – | – | – | 64 | 50 | .781 |
| Steve Green | SF | 24 | 44 | 0 | 449 | 151 | 71 | 30 | 14 | 2 | 23 | 128 | 56 | .438 | – | – | – | 56 | 39 | .696 |
| Johnny Neumann | SG | 26 | 20 | 1 | 216 | 83 | 14 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 22 | 86 | 35 | .407 | – | – | – | 18 | 13 | .722 |
| Mel Bennett | PF | 23 | 31 | 0 | 285 | 74 | 93 | 22 | 11 | 7 | 30 | 81 | 23 | .284 | – | – | – | 45 | 28 | .622 |
| Bobby Wilson | SG | 27 | 12 | 0 | 86 | 30 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 36 | 14 | .389 | – | – | – | 3 | 2 | .667 |
| Willie Smith | PG | 24 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | – |
| Team Totals | 82 | 82 | 19830 | 8904 | 4010 | 1982 | 808 | 456 | 1629 | 7783 | 3500 | .450 | – | – | – | 2564 | 1904 | .743 |
HeatingUp Impact Index: Team Impact Spotlight
| Player Name | Role Tier | MPG | Usage Tier | PPG | RPG | APG | STK (SPG+BPG) | Impact Index* | Notes | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian Dantley | Primary Scorer / Stretch Forward | 41.2 | High Usage | 26.5 | 9.4 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 20.75 | Led the team in scoring despite limited games; efficient offense and strong rebounding for a forward. | Rookie of the Year (prior season) |
| Ricky Sobers | Primary Ball‑Handler / Lead Guard | 38.2 | High Usage | 18.2 | 4.1 | 7.4 | 2.5 | 16.1 | Team’s main playmaker; led in assists and contributed strong defensive activity. | — |
| Dan Roundfield | Defensive Anchor / Versatile Forward | 30.7 | Medium Usage | 13.4 | 10.2 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 14.5 | Led the team in rebounding; versatile defender with steals and blocks. | — |
| Mike Bantom | Two‑Way Wing / Secondary Scorer | 33.8 | Medium Usage | 15.3 | 7.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 13.7 | Durable all‑season contributor; balanced scoring and rebounding. | — |
| John Williamson | Secondary Scorer / Combo Guard | 34.5 | Medium Usage | 19.1 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 13.05 | Provided scoring punch off the guard spot; reliable secondary option. | — |
| James Edwards | Starting Center / Interior Scorer | 29.0 | Medium Usage | 15.4 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 12.7 | Key inside presence; combined scoring with rebounding and rim protection. | — |
| Earl Tatum | Rotation Wing / 3‑Level Threat | 32.6 | Medium Usage | 14.4 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 2.3 | 12.15 | Provided perimeter scoring and steals; versatile wing option. | — |
| Dave Robisch | Bench Big / Depth Center | 26.0 | Low Usage | 8.5 | 7.5 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 9.85 | Provided rebounding and occasional offense in limited minutes. | — |
| Ron Behagen | Role Player / Backup Big | 22.2 | Low-Medium Usage | 11.2 | 6.5 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 9.55 | Contributed modest scoring and rebounding in limited minutes. | — |
| Len Elmore | Backup Big / Defensive Substitute | 19.2 | Low Usage | 5.4 | 6.1 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 7.4 | Defensive energy and rebounding off the bench. | — |
| Bob Carrington | Bench Wing / Spot Minutes | 17.7 | Low Usage | 7.1 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 5.3 | Limited minutes; occasional scoring and perimeter defense. | — |
| Mike Flynn | Backup Guard / Change‑of‑Pace | 13.5 | Low Usage | 4.2 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 4.25 | Provided occasional minutes to relieve starters; modest playmaking. | — |
| Johnny Neumann | Deep Bench Wing / Garbage Time | 10.8 | Low Usage | 4.2 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 3.35 | Sparse minutes; minimal impact beyond mop-up situations. | — |
| Mel Bennett | Deep Bench Forward / Reserve Big | 9.2 | Very Low Usage | 2.4 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 3.35 | Rarely used; bottom-of-rotation big. | — |
| Bobby Wilson | Deep Bench Guard / Rare Minutes | 7.2 | Very Low Usage | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 2.75 | Very limited role; mostly garbage-time appearances. | — |
| Steve Green | Deep Bench Wing / Spot Minutes | 10.2 | Low Usage | 3.4 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 2.55 | Minimal usage; limited impact. | — |
| Willie Smith | Minimal Contributor / Brief Appearance | 7.0 | Very Low Usage | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | Played in only one game; no substantive contributions. | — |