The 1968–69 Indiana Pacers season was Indiana's second season in the ABA and second as a team. This season would be the debut of Bobby Leonard coaching the Indiana Pacers, who would remain that way for not just the rest of the season following Larry Staverman's firing as head coach after nine games into the season (resulting in a 2–7 record at that time), but also for the rest of their tenure in the ABA, as well as their first few seasons in the NBA following the eventual ABA-NBA merger of 1976, with Leonard remaining as the team's head coach until 1980. Under Leonard's coaching for the season, the Pacers would see significant improvement under him by comparison to how they started the season earlier on, to the point of finishing the season one game ahead of the recently rebranded Miami Floridians franchise to be named the best Eastern Division team that season, despite having a pedestrian-looking record of 44–34 at the top of the division. Despite that notion, the Pacers would end up making it all the way up to the second ABA Finals ever held, where they would ultimately lose the series to the Oakland Oaks in what later turned out to be their final season under that name before the Oaks moved to Washington, D.C. (albeit still playing as a Western Division team at the time, weirdly enough) to become the Washington Caps for a season before ultimately moving to the state of Virginia as a regional franchise that was also a proper Eastern Division team known as the Virginia Squires for the rest of their existence afterward.
ABA Draft
Player School/Club teamDon DeeSt. Mary of the PlainsMike LewisDukeDon MayDaytonBob QuickXavierPhil WagnerGeorgia TechDave BenedictCentral WashingtonRudy BogadSt. John'sJerry NewsomIndiana StateRich NiemannSt. LouisJack ThompsonSouth CarolinaGreg CissonRiderBobby HooperDaytonButch JoynerIndianaTom NiemeierEvansville
Roster
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Season standings Eastern Division Team W L Pct.Indiana Pacers4434.564Miami Floridians4335.551Kentucky Colonels4236.538Minnesota Pipers3642.462New York Nets1761.218
Western Division Team W L Pct.Oakland Oaks6018.769New Orleans Buccaneers4632.590Denver Rockets4434.564Dallas Chaparrals4137.526Los Angeles Stars3345.423Houston Mavericks2355.295
Awards, records, and honors Mel Daniels won the 1969 ABA All-Star Game MVP along with the 1968-69 ABA MVP award.
ABA All-Stars Mel Daniels Bob Netolicky
Team leaders Stat Player NumberPointsMel Daniels24.0 per gameReboundsMel Daniels16.5 (11.5 defensive and 5.0 offensive rebounds)AssistsStephen Chubin5.2 per gameMinutesFreddie Lewis39.2 per gameFG%Bob Netolicky.509
ABA Playoffs ABA Eastern Division Semifinals vs. Kentucky Colonels Game Date Location Score Record Attendance 1 April 8 Kentucky L 118–128 0–1 6,319 2 April 9 Kentucky W 120–115 1–1 6,789 3 April 10 @ Kentucky L 111–130 1–2 4,235 4 April 13 @ Kentucky L 104–105 (OT) 1–3 3,079 5 April 14 Kentucky W 116–97 2–3 5,612 6 April 15 @ Kentucky W 107–89 3–3 4,633 7 April 17 Kentucky W 120–111 4–3 11,005 Pacers win series, 4–3
ABA Eastern Division Finals vs Miami Floridians Game Date Location Result Record Attendance 1 April 20 Miami W 126–110 1–0 8,721 2 April 22 Miami W 131–1162–0 7,243 3 April 23 @ Miami W 119–105 3–0 2,112 4 April 25 @ Miami L 110–114 3–1 2,846 5 April 26 Miami W 127–105 4–1 3,528 Pacers win series, 4–1
ABA Finals vs. Oakland Oaks Game Date Location Score Record Attendance 1 April 30 @ Oakland L 114–123 0–1 3,290 2 May 2 @ Oakland W 150–122 1–1 4,171 3 May 3 Oakland L 126–134 (OT) 1–2 8,467 4 May 5 Oakland L 117–144 1–3 7,133 5 May 7 @ Oakland L 131–135 (OT) 1–4 6,340 Pacers lose championship series, 4–1
References