The Buffalo Braves had something of a 400-pound elephant in the room when they considered the upcoming 1975-76 season.
Ernie DiGregorio had tried to come back from his Nov. 1974 knee injury, but wasn't particularly effective. Knee surgeries were much more invasive back then, as the days of arthroscopic surgery hadn't arrived yet. DiGregorio had the summer to rehab, but there were still good-sized questions about his future. He clearly had lost a step in the spring, a step that he really couldn't afford to lose. Would he get it back over the summer? And how would having one of the highest-paid players on the team go over with fans and, more importantly, management?
It was a major problem facing Bob MacKinnon, the team's new general manager. MacKinnon had Western New York ties, having played and coached at Canisius College. He was an assistant coach and scout for the Braves for a while, and then had coached the Spirits of St. Louis of the ABA in the 1974-75 season.
MacKinnon obviously couldn't do a great deal about DiGregorio, and had to wait and see how the guard would be at training camp. His first assignment was to get the roster ready for that camp, starting with the draft.
The first draft-related deal was an odd one; the second was even odder. For starters, the Braves shipped a first-round draft choice in 1975, the 16th pick, to Phoenix for a first-rounder in 1976. Remember, the Braves figured to have a 1974 first-rounder arriving in Tom McMillen, so there was a quality player coming. And Phoenix figured to give the Braves a better pick than number 16 in 1976. However, the Braves could have gotten some help at guard with that pick. Phoenix took Ricky Sobers, who became a starter as the Suns made a dramatic and unexpected trip to the NBA finals in the spring of 1976. Kevin Grevey, Gus Williams, Lloyd Free and Bob Gross also were available.
The Braves then sent a future first-round choice to Washington for Dick Gibbs. That was rather stunning. Gibbs had played in the NBA for four seasons at that point. He had never averaged more than 10.8 points per game. With the Bullets in 1974-75, Gibbs had averaged 3.3 points per game.
What the Braves obviously didn't know was that Gibbs had been having problems with alcohol since high school. Those woes continued through college and into the pros, where he felt overwhelmed. I had a real fear and insecurity of not succeeding,‘ Gibbs said later. "I always told myself, 'This is my life, this is all I have.' "
Gibbs may have had some good moments on the court with Washington, but he says it was the season that started him on the road to oblivion. I was out in bars, meeting women, drinking and abusing drugs,‘ he said. I validated myself with women. It was part of my quest to feel good.‘ Therefore, Gibbs wasn't in any shape to contribute much.
