The 1978-79 season marked the San Diego Clippers’ first year after relocating from Buffalo, where they were previously known as the Braves. Under head coach Gene Shue, the Clippers finished the season with a 43-39 record, earning a fourth-place finish in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Despite their winning record, the team did not qualify for the playoffs.
The Clippers were led by standout performances from World B. Free, who averaged 28.8 points per game, and center Swen Nater, who contributed a double-double average with 15.6 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. The team played their home games at the San Diego Sports Arena. Although the Clippers showed promise with a positive win-loss record, they struggled with consistency, which ultimately cost them a postseason berth in their inaugural season in San Diego.
- Regular Season Record: 43-39
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
San Diego Clippers Roster and Stats for 1978-79 Season
POINTS
World B. Free
28.7
REBOUNDS
Kermit Washington
9.8
ASSISTS
Randy Smith
4.8
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| World B. Free | 78 | 28.7 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Randy Smith | 82 | 20.5 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Nick Weatherspoon | 82 | 13.8 | 5.5 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kermit Washington | 82 | 11.3 | 9.8 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Swen Nater | 79 | 10.7 | 8.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Freeman Williams | 72 | 10.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Sidney Wicks | 79 | 9.8 | 5.1 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Connie Norman | 22 | 7.3 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kevin Kunnert | 81 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Brian Taylor | 20 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Bigelow | 29 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| John Olive | 34 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jerome Whitehead | 31 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Stan Pietkiewicz | 4 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Scott Lloyd | 5 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
San Diego Clippers 1978-79 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1978-79 season for the San Diego Clippers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 1978 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 128-114 | |
| Oct 14, 1978 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 117-89 | |
| Oct 15, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 98-94 | |
| Oct 17, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 99-94 | |
| Oct 18, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 127-125 | |
| Oct 20, 1978 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 110-94 | |
| Oct 21, 1978 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 125-119 | |
| Oct 24, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 124-123 | |
| Oct 25, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 125-116 | |
| Oct 27, 1978 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 113-101 | |
| Oct 29, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 103-100 | |
| Nov 02, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 127-122 | |
| Nov 03, 1978 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 119-98 | |
| Nov 04, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 112-106 | |
| Nov 07, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 121-115 | |
| Nov 08, 1978 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 163-125 | |
| Nov 09, 1978 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 125-101 | |
| Nov 11, 1978 | @ Houston Rockets | L 136-123 | |
| Nov 14, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 109-106 | |
| Nov 16, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 112-109 | |
| Nov 18, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 114-111 | |
| Nov 21, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 113-107 | |
| Nov 24, 1978 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 134-120 | |
| Nov 25, 1978 | @ Kansas City Kings | W 87-86 | |
| Nov 26, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 105-103 | |
| Nov 30, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 113-104 | |
| Dec 02, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 120-113 | |
| Dec 06, 1978 | @ Boston Celtics | L 117-111 | |
| Dec 09, 1978 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 125-120 | |
| Dec 10, 1978 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 107-106 | |
| Dec 12, 1978 | @ New York Knicks | W 105-103 | |
| Dec 13, 1978 | @ Washington Bullets | L 134-117 | |
| Dec 17, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 116-110 | |
| Dec 19, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 124-113 | |
| Dec 25, 1978 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 123-118 | |
| Dec 26, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 115-109 | |
| Dec 28, 1978 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 116-114 | |
| Dec 29, 1978 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 111-107 | |
| Dec 30, 1978 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 114-111 | |
| Jan 02, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 137-119 | |
| Jan 04, 1979 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 108-99 | |
| Jan 06, 1979 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 104-93 | |
| Jan 09, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 114-107 | |
| Jan 11, 1979 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 140-111 | |
| Jan 13, 1979 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 124-119 | |
| Jan 14, 1979 | @ Washington Bullets | L 125-91 | |
| Jan 17, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 119-117 | |
| Jan 24, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 122-121 | |
| Jan 26, 1979 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 107-91 | |
| Jan 27, 1979 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 111-110 | |
| Jan 28, 1979 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 128-118 | |
| Jan 30, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 117-113 | |
| Jan 31, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 112-104 | |
| Feb 02, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 124-100 | |
| Feb 07, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 126-113 | |
| Feb 09, 1979 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 117-106 | |
| Feb 11, 1979 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 104-98 | |
| Feb 13, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 138-136 | |
| Feb 15, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 122-112 | |
| Feb 16, 1979 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 118-104 | |
| Feb 18, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 116-101 | |
| Feb 23, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 117-116 | |
| Feb 25, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 131-116 | |
| Feb 27, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 124-107 | |
| Feb 28, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 122-120 | |
| Mar 02, 1979 | @ Boston Celtics | W 106-99 | |
| Mar 03, 1979 | @ New York Knicks | L 111-108 | |
| Mar 07, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 138-115 | |
| Mar 10, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 121-115 | |
| Mar 14, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 110-105 | |
| Mar 17, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 107-102 | |
| Mar 18, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 110-98 | |
| Mar 20, 1979 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 115-109 | |
| Mar 21, 1979 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 106-103 | |
| Mar 23, 1979 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 156-119 | |
| Mar 27, 1979 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 115-109 | |
| Mar 29, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 116-111 | |
| Mar 30, 1979 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 130-121 | |
| Apr 01, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 126-116 | |
| Apr 04, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 115-107 | |
| Apr 06, 1979 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 118-117 | |
| Apr 07, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 120-116 |