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1948–49 Fort Wayne Pistons season

First season of the Pistons in the NBA/BAA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1948–49 BAA season was the first season for the Fort Wayne Pistons in the NBA/BAA and eighth season as a franchise.[1] It was also the first season where the Pistons would not utilize the Zollner name as a part of their franchise due to the Basketball Association of America forbidding companies from utilizing their own organizations as a part of their team name, which Fred Zollner's Zollner Corporation was a part of at the time, meaning the Pistons were forced to remove the Zollner part of their team name officially in order to compete in the BAA/NBA (though they were still referred to as the Zollner Pistons and Zollners unofficially while representing Fort Wayne at the time).

Head coachCarl Bennett (0–6)
Curly Armstrong (22–32)
OwnerFred Zollner
ArenaNorth Side High School Gym
Record22–38 (.367)
Quick facts Fort Wayne Pistons season, Head coach ...
1948–49 Fort Wayne Pistons season
Head coachCarl Bennett (0–6)
Curly Armstrong (22–32)
OwnerFred Zollner
ArenaNorth Side High School Gym
Results
Record22–38 (.367)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball Reference
< 1947–48 1949–50 >
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Despite their NBL success, which included four championship series berths and two titles, the team wasn't able to translate that success to the new league and missed the playoffs for the first time in team history. The team was led by center John Mahnken (9.5 ppg) and forward Blackie Towery (7.5 ppg).[2]

BAA Draft

Main article: 1948 BAA draft
More information Round, Pick ...
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
18Ward WilliamsF United StatesIndiana
220Bobby CookG United StatesWisconsin
332Kenny RollinsG United StatesKentucky
444Link Richmond– United StatesArizona
556Murray WierG United StatesIowa
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Originally, the Pistons (formerly known as the Zollner Pistons, which were named after Fred Zollner and his Zollner Corporation) were one of four teams to participate in what was planned to be a joint draft procedure between the BAA and the rivaling National Basketball League. However, on the very day before the joint draft was set to commence, plans for it were scrapped when the Fort Wayne squad that would since remove the Zollner part of the team name and three other NBL teams (including the defending NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers and runner-up Rochester Royals) decided to leave the NBL for the BAA, meaning they would participate in the 1948 BAA draft this time around instead or either a joint league draft akin to what the National Football League would later do with the future rivaling American Football League during the late 1960s or the 1948 NBL draft that they were originally meant to be a part of.[3] Fort Wayne would end up having the least amount of draft picks for this BAA draft this time around with only five total draft selections at hand. Not only that, but only Ward Williams would end up joining the Fort Wayne Pistons, as both Bobby Cook and Murray Wier would end up going to the rivaling NBL's teams in the Sheboygan Red Skins and the Tri-Cities Blackhawks respectively, while Kenny Rollins would end up getting traded to the Chicago Stags before the season began and Link Richmond never played for the BAA/NBA at all whatsoever.

Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
1948–49 Fort Wayne Pistons roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
G/F 31 Curly Armstrong 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1918-11-01 Indiana
F/C 29 Charles B. Black 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1921-06-15 Kansas
PF Dillard Crocker 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1925-01-19 Western Michigan
G/F 35 Bruce Hale 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1918-08-30 Santa Clara
G/F 36 Ralph Hamilton 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1921-06-10 Indiana
C 30 Bill Henry 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1924-12-27 Rice
F/C 32 Bob Kinney 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1920-09-16 Rice
PG 35 Walt Kirk 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 173 lb (78 kg) 1924-09-03 Illinois
G/F 26 Leo Klier 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1923-05-21 Notre Dame
C 24 John Mahnken 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1922-06-16 Georgetown
F/C 29 Leo Mogus 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1921-04-13 Youngstown State
G/F 23 Richie Niemiera 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 1921-05-26 Notre Dame
F/C 30 Jake Pelkington 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1916-01-03 Manhattan
F/C Roy Pugh 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1922-10-16 SMU
G/F 37 Jack Smiley 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1922-12-22 Illinois
G/F 20 Bob Tough 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1920-08-28 St. John's
F/C 24 Blackie Towery 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1920-06-20 Western Kentucky
G/F 28 Dick Triptow 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1922-11-03 DePaul
F 25 Ward Williams 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1923-06-26 Indiana
Head coach

Curly Armstrong

Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster

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Regular season

Season standings

More information #, Team ...
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Game log

#DateOpponentScoreHigh pointsRecord
1November 3New York76–80Jake Pelkington (15)0–1
2November 6@ St. Louis55–65Dick Triptow (12)0–2
3November 7Baltimore77–78Leo Klier (16)0–3
4November 11@ Providence87–90Leo Klier (16)0–4
5November 12@ Boston75–84Jack Smiley (21)0–5
6November 13@ Washington71–80Carlisle Towery (15)0–6
7November 14Indianapolis79–73Walt Kirk (18)1–6
8November 17Philadelphia80–72Carlisle Towery (20)2–6
9November 21Chicago69–70Bob Tough (14)2–7
10November 23@ Philadelphia90–80Pelkington, Tough (16)3–7
11November 25@ Baltimore64–69Tough, Towery (14)3–8
12November 27@ New York70–80Pelkington, Smiley (12)3–9
13November 28Boston80–74Richie Niemiera (19)4–9
14November 30@ Indianapolis77–62Dick Triptow (13)5–9
15December 1Minneapolis84–74Bob Tough (18)6–9
16December 4@ St. Louis62–76Bob Kinney (12)6–10
17December 5Chicago79–88Leo Klier (20)6–11
18December 8St. Louis70–60Leo Klier (25)7–11
19December 10@ Chicago70–78Leo Klier (18)7–12
20December 12New York78–89Leo Mogus (22)7–13
21December 16@ Providence76–61Klier, Mogus (15)8–13
22December 18@ Rochester64–84Leo Mogus (15)8–14
23December 19Rochester78–83 (OT)Dick Triptow (13)8–15
24December 23@ Indianapolis60–71Curly Armstrong (11)8–16
25December 25@ Washington74–88John Mahnken (20)8–17
26December 26Washington91–73John Mahnken (16)9–17
27January 1@ Minneapolis72–92Klier, Mahnken (16)9–18
28January 2Boston69–90Bob Tough (17)9–19
29January 8@ Philadelphia73–67John Mahnken (20)10–19
30January 9Indianapolis80–78Curly Armstrong (20)11–19
31January 15@ Rochester62–73John Mahnken (12)11–20
32January 16Providence76–56Bruce Hale (15)12–20
33January 19@ Chicago104–96 (2OT)John Mahnken (14)13–20
34January 20@ Minneapolis65–83Curly Armstrong (10)13–21
35January 23Rochester80–81 (OT)John Mahnken (17)13–22
36January 26Philadelphia88–80Leo Mogus (22)14–22
37January 28@ Indianapolis63–77Jack Smiley (16)14–23
38January 29@ St. Louis73–86Bruce Hale (20)14–24
39January 30Baltimore78–93Bruce Hale (26)14–25
40February 2Minneapolis79–82 (OT)Curly Armstrong (26)14–26
41February 5@ Rochester61–80Hale, Mahnken (11)14–27
42February 6Washington82–72Bruce Hale (15)15–27
43February 8vs Philadelphia89–87Bill Henry (20)16–27
44February 9Indianapolis67–70Bill Henry (17)16–28
45February 12@ New York58–85Bruce Hale (12)16–29
46February 13New York82–73Richie Niemiera (16)17–29
47February 15@ Chicago69–83Curly Armstrong (13)17–30
48February 16Baltimore84–68Bill Henry (20)18–30
49February 20St. Louis64–70Bruce Hale (18)18–31
50February 24@ Minneapolis73–77John Mahnken (21)18–32
51February 27Minneapolis74–50Dick Triptow (17)19–32
52March 4@ Boston70–76Black, Triptow (12)19–33
53March 6Rochester66–78Bill Henry (16)19–34
54March 8vs Boston60–63Dick Triptow (11)19–35
55March 9Providence84–80Bruce Hale (18)20–35
56March 12@ Washington60–87Bruce Hale (10)20–36
57March 13Chicago81–78Bruce Hale (16)21–36
58March 17vs Providence74–72Bruce Hale (12)22–36
59March 19@ Baltimore79–99Bill Henry (17)22–37
60March 20St. Louis82–87Bill Henry (16)22–38

References

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