Last Updated on August 7, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > New Jersey Nets > Roster & Statistics
The 1980–81 New Jersey Nets leaned on Mike Newlin as their primary scorer, while Buck Williams quickly established himself as a dominant interior presence with elite rebounding and efficient frontcourt production. Ray Williams orchestrated the offence as the team’s leading playmaker, and Mike O’Koren added secondary scoring. The Nets’ greatest strength was their work on the boards, but inconsistent shooting efficiency limited their offensive consistency.
Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Height | Weight | Birth Date | Age | College/From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Eddie Jordan | PG | 6’1″ | 170 lbs | Jan 29, 1955 | 26 | Rutgers |
| 25 | Mike Gminski | C | 6’11” | 250 lbs | Aug 3, 1959 | 21 | Duke |
| 52 | Mike Newlin | SG | 6’4″ | 200 lbs | Jan 2, 1949 | 32 | Utah |
| 44 | Winford Boynes | SG | 6’6″ | 185 lbs | May 17, 1957 | 23 | San Francisco |
| 50 | George Johnson | C | 6’11” | 205 lbs | Dec 18, 1948 | 32 | Dillard |
| 23 | Cliff Robinson | PF | 6’9″ | 225 lbs | Mar 13, 1960 | 20 | USC |
| 24 | Jan van Breda Kolff | SF | 6’7″ | 195 lbs | Dec 5, 1951 | 29 | Vanderbilt |
| 31 | Darwin Cook | PG | 6’3″ | 180 lbs | Aug 6, 1958 | 22 | Portland |
| 21 | Foots Walker | PG | 6’0″ | 170 lbs | May 21, 1951 | 29 | West Georgia |
| 33 | Mike O’Koren | SF | 6’7″ | 207 lbs | Feb 7, 1958 | 23 | North Carolina |
| 45 | George E. Johnson | PF | 6’7″ | 215 lbs | Dec 15, 1956 | 24 | St. John’s |
| 22 | Larry McNeill | PF | 6’8″ | 195 lbs | Jan 31, 1951 | 30 | Marquette |
Note: Roster includes key players and may reflect midseason additions or releases.
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% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Newlin | SG | 32 | 79 | 79 | 36.8 | 21.4 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 3.1 | 16.1 | 8.0 | .497 | 0.4 | 0.1 | .333 | 5.9 | 5.2 | .888 |
| Cliff Robinson | PF | 20 | 63 | 63 | 28.9 | 19.5 | 7.6 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 17.0 | 8.3 | .491 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.000 | 3.9 | 2.8 | .718 |
| Maurice Lucas | PF | 28 | 68 | 68 | 31.8 | 14.7 | 8.5 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 12.3 | 5.9 | .484 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 3.7 | 2.8 | .752 |
| Mike Gminski | C | 21 | 56 | 56 | 28.2 | 13.2 | 7.5 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 12.3 | 5.2 | .423 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 3.6 | 2.8 | .767 |
| Darwin Cook | SG | 22 | 81 | 81 | 24.4 | 11.2 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 10.1 | 4.7 | .468 | 0.3 | 0.1 | .240 | 2.2 | 1.6 | .733 |
| Mike O’Koren | SF | 22 | 79 | 79 | 31.3 | 11.0 | 6.1 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 9.5 | 4.6 | .486 | 0.2 | 0.1 | .278 | 2.7 | 1.7 | .637 |
| Bob McAdoo | PF | 29 | 10 | 10 | 15.3 | 9.3 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 7.5 | 3.8 | .507 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .000 | 2.1 | 1.7 | .810 |
| Edgar Jones | PF | 24 | 60 | 60 | 15.8 | 8.7 | 4.4 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 6.0 | 3.2 | .529 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .000 | 3.6 | 2.4 | .670 |
| Bob Elliott | C | 25 | 73 | 73 | 18.1 | 7.5 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 5.7 | 2.9 | .511 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .500 | 2.8 | 1.7 | .599 |
| Lowes Moore | PG | 23 | 71 | 71 | 19.8 | 7.0 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 6.7 | 3.0 | .444 | 0.4 | 0.1 | .148 | 1.3 | 1.0 | .750 |
| Foots Walker | PG | 29 | 41 | 41 | 28.6 | 5.7 | 2.5 | 6.2 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 2.1 | 4.1 | 1.8 | .426 | 0.2 | 0.0 | .222 | 2.7 | 2.1 | .793 |
| Eddie Jordan | PG | 26 | 14 | 14 | 17.1 | 6.2 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 5.2 | 2.1 | .411 | 0.7 | 0.2 | .300 | 2.3 | 1.7 | .750 |
| Jan van Breda Kolff | SF | 29 | 78 | 78 | 18.3 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 1.3 | .408 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .250 | 1.5 | 1.3 | .838 |
| Rory Sparrow | PG | 22 | 15 | 15 | 14.1 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 4.2 | 1.5 | .349 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | 1.1 | 0.8 | .750 |
| Totals | 82 | 241.5 | 106.9 | 42.3 | 25.2 | 9.1 | 5.6 | 20.3 | 89.2 | 42.4 | .475 | 1.7 | 0.4 | .246 | 28.9 | 21.7 | .751 |
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% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cliff Robinson | PF | 20 | 63 | 63 | 28.9 | 24.3 | 9.5 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 3.6 | 21.1 | 10.4 | .491 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.000 | 4.9 | 3.5 | .718 |
| Bob McAdoo | PF | 29 | 10 | 10 | 15.3 | 21.9 | 6.1 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 17.4 | 8.9 | .507 | 0.2 | 0.0 | .000 | 4.9 | 4.0 | .810 |
| Mike Newlin | SG | 32 | 79 | 79 | 36.8 | 20.9 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 3.1 | 15.7 | 7.8 | .497 | 0.4 | 0.1 | .333 | 5.8 | 5.1 | .888 |
| Edgar Jones | PF | 24 | 60 | 60 | 15.8 | 19.9 | 10.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 13.5 | 7.2 | .529 | 0.2 | 0.0 | .000 | 8.3 | 5.5 | .670 |
| Mike Gminski | C | 21 | 56 | 56 | 28.2 | 16.8 | 9.6 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 15.7 | 6.6 | .423 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 4.6 | 3.5 | .767 |
| Maurice Lucas | PF | 28 | 68 | 68 | 31.8 | 16.6 | 9.6 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 13.9 | 6.7 | .484 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 4.2 | 3.2 | .752 |
| Darwin Cook | SG | 22 | 81 | 81 | 24.4 | 16.4 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 3.2 | 14.9 | 7.0 | .468 | 0.5 | 0.1 | .240 | 3.3 | 2.4 | .733 |
| Bob Elliott | C | 25 | 73 | 73 | 18.1 | 15.0 | 7.1 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 11.4 | 5.8 | .511 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .500 | 5.5 | 3.3 | .599 |
| Eddie Jordan | PG | 26 | 14 | 14 | 17.1 | 13.1 | 2.7 | 6.9 | 3.6 | 0.2 | 3.5 | 11.0 | 4.5 | .411 | 1.5 | 0.5 | .300 | 4.8 | 3.6 | .750 |
| Mike O’Koren | SF | 22 | 79 | 79 | 31.3 | 12.7 | 7.0 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 10.9 | 5.3 | .486 | 0.3 | 0.1 | .278 | 3.1 | 2.0 | .637 |
| Lowes Moore | PG | 23 | 71 | 71 | 19.8 | 12.7 | 4.3 | 5.8 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 12.2 | 5.4 | .444 | 0.7 | 0.1 | .148 | 2.4 | 1.8 | .750 |
| Rory Sparrow | PG | 22 | 15 | 15 | 14.1 | 9.5 | 3.1 | 5.4 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 10.7 | 3.7 | .349 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | 2.7 | 2.0 | .750 |
| Jan van Breda Kolff | SF | 29 | 78 | 78 | 18.3 | 7.6 | 5.1 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 6.2 | 2.5 | .408 | 0.2 | 0.1 | .250 | 3.0 | 2.5 | .838 |
| Foots Walker | PG | 29 | 41 | 41 | 28.6 | 7.2 | 3.1 | 7.8 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 2.6 | 5.2 | 2.2 | .426 | 0.3 | 0.1 | .222 | 3.4 | 2.7 | .793 |
Regular Season Totals
| PLR | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Newlin | SG | 32 | 79 | 2911 | 1688 | 219 | 299 | 87 | 9 | 248 | 1272 | 632 | .497 | 30 | 10 | .333 | 466 | 414 | .888 | |
| Cliff Robinson | PF | 20 | 63 | 1822 | 1229 | 481 | 105 | 58 | 52 | 182 | 1070 | 525 | .491 | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 248 | 178 | .718 | |
| Maurice Lucas | PF | 28 | 68 | 2162 | 999 | 575 | 173 | 57 | 59 | 176 | 835 | 404 | .484 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 254 | 191 | .752 | |
| Darwin Cook | SG | 22 | 81 | 1980 | 904 | 236 | 297 | 141 | 36 | 176 | 819 | 383 | .468 | 25 | 6 | .240 | 180 | 132 | .733 | |
| Mike O’Koren | SF | 22 | 79 | 2473 | 870 | 478 | 252 | 86 | 27 | 146 | 751 | 365 | .486 | 18 | 5 | .278 | 212 | 135 | .637 | |
| Mike Gminski | C | 21 | 56 | 1579 | 737 | 419 | 72 | 54 | 100 | 128 | 688 | 291 | .423 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 202 | 155 | .767 | |
| Bob Elliott | C | 25 | 73 | 1320 | 550 | 261 | 129 | 34 | 16 | 119 | 419 | 214 | .511 | 2 | 1 | .500 | 202 | 121 | .599 | |
| Edgar Jones | PF | 24 | 60 | 950 | 524 | 263 | 43 | 36 | 81 | 101 | 357 | 189 | .529 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 218 | 146 | .670 | |
| Lowes Moore | PG | 23 | 71 | 1406 | 497 | 168 | 228 | 61 | 17 | 108 | 478 | 212 | .444 | 27 | 4 | .148 | 92 | 69 | .750 | |
| Jan van Breda Kolff | SF | 29 | 78 | 1426 | 300 | 202 | 129 | 38 | 50 | 108 | 245 | 100 | .408 | 8 | 2 | .250 | 117 | 98 | .838 | |
| Foots Walker | PG | 29 | 41 | 1172 | 234 | 102 | 253 | 52 | 0 | 85 | 169 | 72 | .426 | 9 | 2 | .222 | 111 | 88 | .793 | |
| Bob McAdoo | PF | 29 | 10 | 153 | 93 | 26 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 14 | 75 | 38 | .507 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 21 | 17 | .810 | |
| Eddie Jordan | PG | 26 | 14 | 239 | 87 | 18 | 46 | 24 | 1 | 23 | 73 | 30 | .411 | 10 | 3 | .300 | 32 | 24 | .750 | |
| Rory Sparrow | PG | 22 | 15 | 212 | 56 | 18 | 32 | 13 | 3 | 18 | 63 | 22 | .349 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 12 | .750 | ||
| Totals | 82 | 19805 | 8768 | 3466 | 2068 | 750 | 458 | 1632 | 7314 | 3477 | .475 | 138 | 34 | .246 | 2371 | 1780 | .751 |
HeatingUp Impact Index: Team Impact Spotlight
| Player Name | Role Tier | MPG | Usage Tier | PPG | RPG | APG | STK (SPG+BPG) | Impact Index* | Notes | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Newlin | Primary Scoring Leader | 36.8 | High | 21.4 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 14.6 | Led team in scoring; veteran SG with a scoring-first role driving offense; had multiple 30+ point outbursts and served as the primary offensive option. | — |
| Cliff Robinson | Emerging Star | 28.9 | High | 19.5 | 7.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 15.2 | Rookie PF who provided efficient scoring and rebounding; solid two-way impact as a young frontcourt anchor. | — |
| Maurice Lucas | Veteran Interior Force | 31.8 | Mid-High | 14.7 | 8.5 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 13.7 | Starting PF/C with physical rebounding and interior defense; facilitated offense in paint and helped anchor boards. | — |
| Mike Gminski | Core Big | 28.2 | Mid | 13.2 | 7.5 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 12.4 | Young center contributing scoring and rebounding; defensive presence with blocks and rebounds in center minutes. | — |
| Darwin Cook | Combo Wing Distributor | 24.4 | Mid | 11.2 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 9.9 | Provided secondary scoring and strong playmaking for a wing; active defender with notable steal rates. | — |
| Mike O’Koren | Versatile Two-Way Forward | 31.3 | Mid | 11.0 | 6.1 | 3.2 | 1.4 | 9.8 | Offered balanced contributions across scoring, rebounding, and facilitation from SF role — a flexible two-way contributor. | Rookie 7th in ROY voting (Basketball-Reference) |
| Bob McAdoo | Short-Stint Scorer | 15.3 | Mid | 9.3 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 7.2 | Limited appearances but brought veteran scoring pedigree; provided instant offense in spot minutes. | — |
| Edgar Jones | Role Big | 15.8 | Low | 8.7 | 4.4 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 7.9 | Played rotational frontcourt minutes with rebounding and occasional defense; efficiency in limited touches. | — |
| Bob Elliott | Stretch Big | 18.1 | Low | 7.5 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 6.8 | Provided spacing and hustle; decent scoring efficiency in center/forward minutes. | — |
| Lowes Moore | Facilitating Guard | 19.8 | Mid | 7.0 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 6.8 | Primary backup PG with above-average assist rates for role; a facilitator over scorer. | — |
| Foots Walker | Secondary PG | 28.6 | Mid | 5.7 | 2.5 | 6.2 | 1.3 | 7.9 | Led PG assist load early in season; playmaker in secondary ball-handling role. | — |
| Eddie Jordan | Spot Playmaker | 17.1 | Mid | 6.2 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 6.3 | Limited games but provided bench playmaking and perimeter activity. | — |
| Jan van Breda Kolff | Depth Wing | 18.3 | Low | 3.8 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 4.1 | Low usage role; contributed depth and size at SF. | — |
| Rory Sparrow | End-of-Rotation Guard | 14.1 | Low | 3.7 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 3.0 | Backup guard with limited minutes; role focused on ball security and spacing. | — |