Key player Pete Maravich, known for his scoring prowess, was expected to lead the team. However, injuries limited his contributions, as he played in only 49 games. Despite this setback, the Jazz had other notable performances. Adrian Dantley, acquired in an off-season trade, emerged as a significant contributor, showcasing his scoring ability and becoming a central figure in the team’s strategy.
The Jazz finished the season with a 26-56 record, placing them last in the Midwest Division and missing the playoffs. The team struggled defensively and often found it challenging to compete against stronger Western Conference opponents. Despite these struggles, the season provided valuable experience for younger players, setting the groundwork for future development.
Off the court, the Jazz worked on building a fan base in Utah, a process crucial for the team’s long-term stability. The 1978-79 season, while difficult in terms of results, was a foundational year as the Jazz began to cultivate a local following that would support their eventual rise in the NBA ranks.
- Regular Season Record: 26-56
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Utah Jazz Roster and Stats for 1978-79 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Truck Robinson | 43 | 24.2 | 13.4 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Spencer Haywood | 34 | 24.0 | 9.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Pete Maravich | 49 | 22.5 | 2.5 | 5.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jim McElroy | 79 | 16.9 | 2.7 | 5.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Rich Kelley | 80 | 15.7 | 12.7 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Gail Goodrich | 74 | 12.7 | 2.5 | 4.9 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Aaron James | 73 | 10.0 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ron Lee | 17 | 6.7 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| James Hardy | 68 | 6.7 | 4.6 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Joe Meriweather | 36 | 6.1 | 5.1 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Marty Byrnes | 36 | 5.3 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ira Terrell | 31 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Paul Griffin | 77 | 3.9 | 5.1 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Tommie Green | 59 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Gus Bailey | 2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Utah Jazz 1978-79 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1978-79 season for the Utah Jazz.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 1978 | @ Washington Bullets | L 117-101 | |
| Oct 15, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 123-112 | |
| Oct 17, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 114-109 | |
| Oct 19, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 120-115 | |
| Oct 21, 1978 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 130-111 | |
| Oct 24, 1978 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 122-104 | |
| Oct 25, 1978 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 114-109 | |
| Oct 26, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 123-111 | |
| Oct 31, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 97-92 | |
| Nov 02, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 106-99 | |
| Nov 04, 1978 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 116-108 | |
| Nov 07, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 121-115 | |
| Nov 10, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 113-102 | |
| Nov 12, 1978 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 128-122 | |
| Nov 14, 1978 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 123-103 | |
| Nov 15, 1978 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 135-118 | |
| Nov 17, 1978 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 121-109 | |
| Nov 18, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 114-111 | |
| Nov 21, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 140-118 | |
| Nov 23, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 106-98 | |
| Nov 24, 1978 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 103-100 | |
| Nov 25, 1978 | @ New York Knicks | L 103-96 | |
| Nov 28, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 107-103 | |
| Nov 30, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 111-105 | |
| Dec 01, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 117-115 | |
| Dec 02, 1978 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 128-94 | |
| Dec 05, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 114-102 | |
| Dec 08, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 110-106 | |
| Dec 12, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 109-103 | |
| Dec 13, 1978 | @ Boston Celtics | L 102-96 | |
| Dec 16, 1978 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 128-100 | |
| Dec 17, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 104-96 | |
| Dec 20, 1978 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 121-112 | |
| Dec 23, 1978 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 127-103 | |
| Dec 26, 1978 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 125-123 | |
| Dec 27, 1978 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 122-103 | |
| Dec 29, 1978 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 118-106 | |
| Jan 02, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 109-105 | |
| Jan 03, 1979 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 123-97 | |
| Jan 04, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 125-112 | |
| Jan 06, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 105-94 | |
| Jan 09, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 114-107 | |
| Jan 10, 1979 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 123-112 | |
| Jan 12, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 100-89 | |
| Jan 13, 1979 | @ Houston Rockets | L 117-106 | |
| Jan 16, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 104-100 | |
| Jan 17, 1979 | @ Washington Bullets | L 112-102 | |
| Jan 19, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 107-101 | |
| Jan 20, 1979 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 118-94 | |
| Jan 21, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 108-87 | |
| Jan 23, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 118-116 | |
| Jan 26, 1979 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 110-104 | |
| Feb 02, 1979 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 116-110 | |
| Feb 07, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 125-123 | |
| Feb 09, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 106-99 | |
| Feb 10, 1979 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 107-105 | |
| Feb 13, 1979 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 120-101 | |
| Feb 14, 1979 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 113-101 | |
| Feb 15, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 122-112 | |
| Feb 17, 1979 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 136-112 | |
| Feb 18, 1979 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 115-112 | |
| Feb 21, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 96-94 | |
| Feb 23, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 111-102 | |
| Feb 24, 1979 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 105-96 | |
| Feb 28, 1979 | @ Boston Celtics | L 122-112 | |
| Mar 03, 1979 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 110-101 | |
| Mar 07, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 103-102 | |
| Mar 10, 1979 | @ Houston Rockets | L 124-109 | |
| Mar 13, 1979 | @ New York Knicks | L 104-91 | |
| Mar 14, 1979 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 158-102 | |
| Mar 15, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 124-122 | |
| Mar 16, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 120-112 | |
| Mar 18, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 121-117 | |
| Mar 20, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 126-107 | |
| Mar 23, 1979 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 116-99 | |
| Mar 24, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 139-117 | |
| Mar 27, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 104-101 | |
| Mar 28, 1979 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 122-94 | |
| Mar 31, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 109-107 | |
| Apr 03, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 141-125 | |
| Apr 05, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 120-104 | |
| Apr 06, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 140-131 |