As a rookie, Paultz made his first postseason appearance in the
1971 ABA Playoffs with the
New York Nets, during which he averaged 20.2 points, 15 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. On December 17, 1971, Paultz scored 27 points and set a Nets' franchise record by pulling down 33 rebounds in a 90–83 victory over the
Dallas Chaparrals. He spent his first five seasons, all of which resulted in trips to the playoffs, with the ABA Nets (including an appearance in
1972 ABA Finals, which the
Indiana Pacers won in six games), and was a key player in their
1973–74 ABA championship season. He was then traded to the
San Antonio Spurs where he made four consecutive appearances in the playoffs from 1976 to 1979. Although Paultz moved with a bulky stiffness, he was a very heady player who averaged 1.5 blocks/game over 15 professional seasons. During the middle of the
1979-1980 season, San Antonio traded Paultz to the
Houston Rockets, and due to the trade, he managed to play 84 games during an 82-game NBA season. The next year, Paultz teamed with
Moses Malone to make the
1981 NBA Finals. In Game 1 of the series, Paultz scored 14 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, during a 98–95 loss to the Celtics (who would win the series four games to two). During the
1982–83 season without Malone, and with the Rockets in last place, he was placed on
waivers and picked up by the playoff-bound Spurs. In 1984, he was a late season pickup by the playoff bound
Atlanta Hawks. He finished his career with the
Utah Jazz in 1985. A four-time ABA
All-Star, Paultz led the ABA in blocked shots during the
1975–76 season with an average of 3.0 blocks per game and a league-leading total of 253 blocked shots. About his play, Paultz stated, "I have realized that I'm not an overpowering type
center. I don't really know what my category is. I have always been the type of player that can do a little bit of everything." ==References==