# 1984–85 Los Angeles Clippers season

The 1984–85 Los Angeles Clippers season was their 15th season in the NBA, their first season in the city of Los Angeles. Team owner and real estate mogul Donald Sterling, who for the past two seasons had been trying to move the team from San Diego, finally succeeded.

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 8 | Lancaster Gordon | G | United States | Louisville |
| 1 | 14 | Michael Cage | F | United States | San Diego State |
| 4 | 75 | Marc Glass | G | United States | Montana |
| 5 | 98 | Alonza Allen | F | United States | Louisiana-Lafayette |
| 6 | 121 | Phillip Haynes | G | United States | Memphis |
| 7 | 144 | David Brantley | F | United States | Oregon |
| 8 | 167 | Jim McLoughlin | G | United States | Temple |
| 9 | 189 | Dave Schultz | F | United States | Westmont College |
| 10 | 211 | Dick Mumma | C | United States | Penn State |

## Roster
### Roster Notes

* With the team moving from San Diego to Los Angeles, point guard Norm Nixon becomes the first former Laker to play with its crosstown rival, the new Los Angeles Clippers.

## Regular season
### Season standings

| Pacific Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Los Angeles Lakers | 62 | 20 | .756 | – | 36–5 | 26–15 | 18–12 |
| x-Portland Trail Blazers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 20 | 33–8 | 15–26 | 17–13 |
| x-Phoenix Suns | 36 | 46 | .439 | 26 | 32–9 | 10–31 | 14–16 |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 | 31–10 | 10–31 | 16–14 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 | 27–14 | 10–31 | 13–17 |
| Golden State Warriors | 22 | 60 | .268 | 40 | 25–16 | 5–36 | 12–18 |
| # | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | c-Los Angeles Lakers | 62 | 20 | .756 | – |
| 2 | y-Denver Nuggets | 52 | 30 | .634 | 10 |
| 3 | x-Houston Rockets | 48 | 34 | .585 | 14 |
| 4 | x-Dallas Mavericks | 44 | 38 | .537 | 18 |
| 5 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 20 |
| 6 | x-Utah Jazz | 41 | 41 | .500 | 21 |
| 7 | x-San Antonio Spurs | 41 | 41 | .500 | 21 |
| 8 | x-Phoenix Suns | 36 | 46 | .439 | 26 |
| 9 | Seattle SuperSonics | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 |
| 10 | Los Angeles Clippers | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 |
| 11 | Kansas City Kings | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 |
| 12 | Golden State Warriors | 22 | 60 | .268 | 40 |
    z - clinched division title
    y - clinched division title
    x - clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1984-85 NBA Records :
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | KCK | LAC | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAS | SEA | UTA | WAS |
| Atlanta | – | 1–4 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 6–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 0–5 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 |
| Boston | 4–1 | – | 4–2 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 |
| Chicago | 3–3 | 2–4 | – | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 |
| Cleveland | 3–3 | 0–6 | 4–2 | – | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
| Dallas | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | – | 2–4 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 1–5 | 1–1 |
| Denver | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | – | 0–2 | 5–0 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 2–0 |
| Detroit | 5–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | – | 2–0 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 |
| Golden State | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 0–5 | 0–2 | – | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 1–1 |
| Houston | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | – | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 0–2 |
| Indiana | 0–6 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 |
| Kansas City | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | – | 3–2 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–1 |
| L.A. Clippers | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–3 | – | 0–6 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| L.A. Lakers | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 6–0 | – | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 1–1 |
| Milwaukee | 4–2 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 3–3 | 5–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
| New Jersey | 3–3 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | – | 6–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–2 |
| New York | 3–3 | 0–6 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 0–6 | – | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–6 |
| Philadelphia | 5–0 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | – | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
| Phoenix | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | – | 3–3 | 1–4 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Portland | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | – | 3–2 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| San Antonio | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–3 | – | 4–1 | 1–5 | 0–2 |
| Seattle | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 1–4 | – | 3–2 | 2–0 |
| Utah | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 2–3 | – | 1–1 |
| Washington | 3–3 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 6–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — |

### Game log
## Player statistics

* Player
* Junior Bridgeman
* Michael Cage
* Harvey Catchings
* James Donaldson
* Franklin Edwards
* Lancaster Gordon
* Marques Johnson
* Jay Murphy
* Norm Nixon
* Derek Smith
* Bill Walton
* Bryan Warrick
* Rory White
* Dale Wilkinson

## Awards, records and milestones
### Awards

* Center James Donaldson led the league in field goal percentage this season at .637 - still one of the ten highest percentages in NBA history.

#### All-Star

* Norm Nixon selected as a reserve guard for the Western Conference All-Stars. This is his second All-Star Game appearance. This also makes Nixon the very first Los Angeles Clipper All-Star selection and the first franchise All-Star since World B. Free then with the San Diego Clippers was selected in 1980.

#### Season
### Milestones
## Transactions

The Clippers were involved in the following transactions during the 1984–85 season.

### Trades

| June 19, 1984 | To Los Angeles Clippers Draft rights to Jay Murphy | To Golden State Warriors Jerome Whitehead |
| August 29, 1984 | To Los Angeles Clippers 1985 third-round draft pick | To Houston Rockets Hank McDowell |
| September 25, 1984 | To Los Angeles Clippers Bryan Warrick | To Washington Bullets 1985 third-round draft pick |
| September 29, 1984 | To Los Angeles Clippers Marques Johnson, Harvey Catchings, Junior Bridgeman and cash | To Milwaukee Bucks Terry Cummings, Craig Hodges and Ricky Pierce |