1969-1970 Season
With the move came a new identity for the team as the green and gold clad Washington Caps. Al Bianchi was the team's coach. A federal appeals court ruled in favor of the Caps regarding Rick Barry's contract. Barry and Warren Armstrong both played in the ABA All Star game but injuries limited their playing time for the season.
In March 1970 the ABA-NBA merger appeared close at hand under conditions that would have required the Washington Caps to relocate, but a subsequent lawsuit derailed the merger until June 1976.
The Caps were kept in the Western Division despite their move to the eastern seaboard. This kept them constantly on the road at far away venues and the travel and time differential took its toll on their play. At home their average attendance was 2,992 fans per game. Due to the long travel distances involved in divisional play, the Caps played some home games in places like Wichita, Kansas and even Mexico City, Mexico but did not fare well in those supposed home games. They had good results in their real home games, played at the Washington Coliseum.
The Caps finished the season with 44 wins and 40 losses. The Caps' record put them in third place in the Western Division, 7 games behind the Denver Rockets and 1 game behind the Dallas Chaparrals. In the 1970 ABA Playoffs The Caps faced the Denver Rockets in the Western Division semifinals and took the series to seven games before losing 143-119 in the finale in Denver.
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Famous quotes containing the word season:
“Methoughts a legion of foul fiends
Environed me, and howled in mine ears
Such hideous cries that with the very noise
I trembling waked, and for a season after
Could not believe but that I was in hell,
Such terrible impression made my dream.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)