1980–81 Phoenix Suns season


The 1980-81 Phoenix Suns season was the 13th season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. At 57-25, the team had finished with its best regular season record. For the Suns, they had appeared in their first Finals five years ago but never could claim a divisional title as their own. Atop the Western Conference standings for the first time, the Suns had earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The offense was highlighted by balanced attack, with four starters averaging 15 points or more a game, but none greater than 19. This, despite a trade that meant the departure of four-time All-NBA Paul Westphal, who was swapped for fourth-year All-Star guard Dennis Johnson. In the conference semifinals, the Suns would meet the Kansas City Kings, a team they had defeated in the first round one season ago but found more difficult to handle this season. After a 22-point win in game one, the Suns would go on to lose game seven and the series. The Suns were led by head coach John MacLeod and played all home games in Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Johnson was a tough defender and later earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors. He was also named to the All-NBA First Team. In the All-Star Game, Johnson was joined by teammates Walter Davis and Truck Robinson. It was the first time the Suns sent three players to the All-Star Game.
Johnson and Robinson shared top scoring marks for the Suns with an average of 18.8 points a game, while Robinson also led the team in rebounds per game at 9.6. Davis averaged 18.0 points per game and Alvan Adams chipped in 14.9 for the second consecutive season. Adams, a 6'9" center/forward led the team in assists at 4.6 a game.

Offseason

NBA Draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege
242Kimberly BeltonCenterUnited StatesStanford
359John CampbellForwardUnited StatesClemson
365Doug TrueForwardUnited StatesCalifornia
488Leroy StampleyGuardUnited StatesLoyola
5111Mark StevensForwardUnited StatesNorthern Arizona
6134Coby LeavittCenterUnited StatesUtah
7157Ron WilliamsForwardUnited StatesWestern Montana
8175Jim ConollyForwardUnited StatesLa Salle
9196Keith FrenchForwardUnited StatesNorth Park
10211Randy CarrollForwardUnited StatesKansas

This was the first year in franchise history that none of the team's draft picks played for the franchise. Not only did no selection play for the Suns, none ever played a game in the NBA.

Roster

Regular season

Standings

Record vs. opponents

Playoffs

Game log

!!Streak

Awards and honors

All-Star

Season

Playoffs

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Additions

Subtractions