The 1967–68 New Jersey Americans season was the first season of the franchise in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Originally, they planned on going by the New Jersey Freighters or New York Freighters before changing their team name to the New York Americans and then New Jersey Americans by the start of the regular season due to the Americans failing to find a permanent home venue in the New York City area. The Americans finished the season tied with the Kentucky Colonels for the fourth and final playoff spot. However, due to the Teaneck Armory being booked up on the day of the one-game playoff and the playing surface at the Commack Long Island Arena (the future home of the team) being deemed unsuitable, the two teams did not play a one-game playoff, which resulted in the game being forfeited in favor of the Colonels, giving them the last playoff spot instead of the Americans. The team would relocate to Long Island and then become the New York Nets before the next season started.
ABA Draft PlayerSchool/Club team Sonny Dove St. John's Mal Graham New York University George Stone Marshall Dick Pruett Jacksonville Bob Wolf Marquette Tim Edwards Amherst Dan Hansard St. Thomas (MN) Frank Holloendoner Georgetown Harry Laurie St. Peters (NJ) This draft was slated to have them participating under their original New Jersey Freighters name, though the selections would retroactively be considered draft picks done by the New Jersey Americans by the time the inaugural ABA season began.
Roster
Standings + Team W L PCT. GB Pittsburgh Pipers * 54 24 .692 — Minnesota Muskies * 50 28 .641 4 Indiana Pacers * 38 40 .487 16 Kentucky Colonels * 36 42 .462 18 New Jersey Americans 36 42 .462 18
Game log
Player statistics
Regular season statistics As of March 20, 1968
| style="text-align:left;"| || 78 || || 33.7 || .494 || || .697 || 11.0 || 1.2 || || || 14.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 41 || || 16.9 || .387 || .000 || .721 || 1.6 || 1.4 || || || 7.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 12 || || 9.8 || .522 || || .545 || 3.8 || .0 || || || 2.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 12 || || 21.8 || .348 || || .455 || 7.1 || .9 || || || 4.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 19 || || 23.1 || .385 || .176 || .644 || 3.7 || 1.9 || || || 13.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 74 || || 35.6 || .383 || .301 || .829 || 6.8 || 1.9 || || || 19.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 55 || || 21.7 || .344 || .302 || .625 || 5.9 || .8 || || || 8.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 24 || || 29.5 || .341 || .000 || .802 || 3.0 || 3.9 || || || 11.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 58 || || 17.2 || .421 || .375 || .854 || 1.9 || 1.6 || || || 8.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 51 || || 12.9 || .371 || .000 || .636 || 3.8 || .5 || || || 3.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 21 || || 21.5 || .374 || .000 || .586 || 4.8 || .5 || || || 8.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 76 || || 20.5 || .402 || .281 || .826 || 2.5 || 2.0 || || || 9.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 78 || || 32.3 || .453 || .067 || .635 || 6.7 || 2.7 || || || 13.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 70 || || 22.7 || .446 || .400 || .708 || 4.7 || .9 || || || 12.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 31 || || 35.0 || .410 || .000 || .829 || 3.9 || 3.3 || || || 19.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 7 || || 8.4 || .632 || || .778 || 1.3 || .3 || || || 4.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| || 37 || || 31.3 || .393 || || .714 || 12.9 || 1.5 || || || 16.0
Awards and honors 1968 ABA All-Star Game selection (game played on January 9, 1968) Tony Jackson
References