Tag: warriors

The NBA Time Machine: 1967

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published March 9, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1967

Ten Teams

Back In Chicago

After the Chicago Zephyrs moved to Baltimore in 1963, the NBA was without a team in the promising mid-west market once more – it only took them a few years to commit to the idea again, now choosing to host the Chicago Bulls.

With the Bulls in town, the league now had ten teams for the first time in fourteen years. They occupied the already watered-down Western Division, further worsening its competition. This also meant the Baltimore Bullets now occupied the East – a much-appreciated relief for their personnel, who no longer had to travel cross-country to meet half of their rivals.

As usual with fresh teams, the Bulls participated in an expansion draft. However, the most notable pickup was perennial All-Star Guy Rodgers, who had been acquired in a trade with the San Francisco Warriors. He was integral to the impressive thirty-three-win season Chicago put together, as his experienced playmaking took pressure off of less comfortable teammates.

Playoff Power

Due to the increase in league size, the playoffs were re-formatted. The following changes were made:

  • Four teams from each division made the playoffs, as opposed to three.
  • The first seed in each division no longer received a “bye”, and were required to compete in the first round.
  • This increased the playoffs series total from five to seven.

This shift in structure arguably increased the competitiveness of the post-season, but slightly disincentivized pushing for a first seed.

Record Winners

The Philadelphia 76ers finished last season on a disappointing note, bowing out to their rival Boston Celtics in a gentleman’s sweep upset. Philly responded by building the greatest campaign in league history – they soared past their contemporaries to a sixty-eight-win total, ranked as the best offense, and only lost two games at home.

There were two major reasons for this advancement – first was the hiring of the accomplished coach Alex Hannum, who boasted a championship and three Finals appearances to his name. Hannum had coached Wilt Chamberlain in San Francisco, and was a large component of the Stilt’s then-most successful season to date.

The other catalyst was Chamberlain’s willingness to alter his playing style behind Hannum’s advice. His scoring average dropped by almost ten points, but he committed to being an elite playmaker – his 7.8 assists per game was good for third in the league. Chamberlain’s shot selection was also refined, shooting an unbelievable sixty-eight-percent from the field that crushed the previous record of fifty-four-percent – also set by him.

Emerging Rival

A number of rival leagues had sprouted around the nation at this point, but the NBA was too storied and solidified – nothing could truly knock it down. However, a particular competitor was founded this year – the American Basketball Association (ABA), of whom basketball great George Mikan was the commissioner.

It didn’t make noise remotely close to that of its established rival, but the inter-league ties – as well as new gimmicks – garnered the interest of some players.

Bay Is Booming

Western Division antics were at an all-time high, with five teams present and only one soaring above the rest. The team in question was the San Francisco Warriors, who improved by nine games and finished top three league-wide.

Sophomore Rick Barry led the NBA in scoring with a ballistic 35.6 points per game, and center Nate Thurmond had now blossomed into one of the best defenders around. It was reasonable to say the Warriors ran California at this moment – since their arrival, this was the first instance in which they finished with a winning record and the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t.

Standout Players

Wilt Chamberlain

Despite a disappointing end to the previous season, Philadelphia let nothing demotivate them. Wilt Chamberlain led the team to a historic winning pace – despite averaging a steep career low 24.1 points per game, his playmaking and efficiency hit unprecedented levels. He became the first player to shoot over sixty-percent from the field.

Rick Barry

Regardless of an already lethal rookie campaign, Barry elevated to an unbelievable level in ’66-67. The Warriors improved by nine wins, grabbed the first seed in the West, and looked like dark horse contenders. He also led the league in points per game, becoming the first player besides Wilt Chamberlain to do so since 1959.

Bill Russell

Russell had a taxing year, taking over coaching duties for the Celtics while also having to maintain his superstar image. He sacrificed scoring production for efficiency and playmaking, taking advantage of the improved Celtics offense. The reigning champions ultimately finished with the third sixty-win season in franchise history.

Oscar Robertson

While the Royals struggled – amassing their first losing record since Robertson’s rookie season – the former M.V.P. had another fine run. He averaged over thirty points and ten assists for the fifth time in seven attempts.

Willis Reed

Reed was silently blossoming into a future superstar. He became increasingly comfortable sharing the frontcourt with Walt Bellamy, leading New York in both points and rebounds. The most intriguing storyline was the Knicks seeing the playoffs – their last visit was in the fifties.

Jerry West

Strangely enough, the return to form for Elgin Baylor wasn’t enough to keep the Lakers afloat. They were nine games worse, but West continued to lead them to a playoff berth despite injury bugs – his continued improvement as a playmaker influenced that outcome.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern DivisionWLWestern DivisionWL
Philadelphia 76ers*6813San Francisco Warriors*4437
Boston Celtics*6021St. Louis Hawks*3942
Cincinnati Royals*3942Los Angeles Lakers*3645
New York Knicks*3645Chicago Bulls*3348
Baltimore Bullets2061Detroit Pistons3051

Fun Facts

  • The Philadelphia 76ers’ regular season was the greatest to date.
    • They broke the record for most wins (62), set by the Boston Celtics in the 1964-65 season.
    • They broke the long-standing record for win percentage (.817), set by the Washington Capitols in the league’s inaugural year.
  • The Cincinnati Royals’ losing record was the franchise’s first since 1961, when they initially acquired Oscar Robertson.
  • For the first time in league history, more teams with losing records made the playoffs than vice versa.
    • This highlighted the severe gap between the contenders and every other competitor.
  • For the first time since acquiring Bill Russell, the Boston Celtics finished with an offensive rating above league average.
    • Defense had always singlehandedly won them games, but they were now notable on both ends of the floor.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		New York Knicks
Detroit Pistons
San Francisco Warriors
St. Louis Hawks
Baltimore Bullets
Cincinnati Royals
Los Angeles Lakers
Boston Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers
Chicago Bulls		Cazzie Russell
Dave Bing
Clyde Lee
Lou Hudson
Jack Marin
Walt Wesley
Jerry Chambers
Jim Barnett
Matt Guokas
Dave Schellhase

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
September 1, 1966Bailey HowellBaltimore BulletsTradedBoston Celtics(17.5p/9.9r/2a)
September 7, 1966Guy RodgersSan Francisco WarriorsTradedChicago Bulls(18.6p/5.3r/10.7a)
January 16, 1967Rudy LaRussoLos Angeles LakersTradedDetroit Pistons(12.8p/7.8r/1.7a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
May 2, 1966Coach Dolph SchayesPhiladelphia 76ersFiredRecord: 55-25
May 2, 1966Coach Alex HannumPhiladelphia 76ersHiredRecord: 68-13
May 3, 1966Coach Red KerrChicago BullsHiredRecord: 33-48
May 28, 1966Coach Paul SeymourBaltimore BulletsResignedRecord: 38-42
November 3, 1966Coach Mike FarmerBaltimore BulletsFiredRecord: 1-8
November 3, 1966Coach Buddy JeannetteBaltimore BulletsAppointed (Interim) Record: 3-13
December 5, 1966Coach Gene ShueBaltimore BulletsHired Record: 16-40
March 7, 1967P.coach Dave DeBusschereDetroit PistonsResignedRecord: 28-45
March 7, 1967Coach Donnie ButcherDetroit PistonsHired Record: 2-6

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Tom GolaSan Francisco Warriors
New York Knicks		1x Champ
1x All-NBA
5x All-Star
Cliff HaganSt. Louis Hawks1x Champ
2x All-NBA
5x All-Star
Red KerrPhiladelphia 76ers
Baltimore Bullets		1x Champ
3x All-Star
Willie NaullsSt. Louis Hawks
New York Knicks
San Francisco Warriors
Boston Celtics		3x Champ
4x All-Star
Woody SauldsberryPhiladelphia Warriors
St. Louis Hawks
Chicago Zephyrs
Boston Celtics		1x Champ
1x All-Star
1958 ROTY
Jack TwymanCincinnati Royals2x All-NBA
6x All-Star

League Leaders

If a stat is not listed, it was not recorded at the time. As time goes on, this section will begin to include steals per game, blocks per game, etc.

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGRick Barry (35.6)
Oscar Robertson (30.5)
Jerry West (28.7)
Elgin Baylor (26.6)
Wilt Chamberlain (24.1)
RPGWilt Chamberlain (24.2)
Nate Thurmond (21.3)
Bill Russell (21)
Jerry Lucas (19.1)
Bill Bridges (15.1)
APGGuy Rodgers (11.2)
Oscar Robertson (10.7)
Wilt Chamberlain (7.8)
Jerry West (6.8)
Howard Komives (6.2)
FG%Wilt Chamberlain (68%)
Walt Bellamy (52%)
Bailey Howell (51%)
Oscar Robertson (49%)
Willis Reed (48%)
FT%Adrian Smith (90%)
Rick Barry (88%)
Jerry West (87%)
Oscar Robertson (87%)
Sam Jones (85%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat New York Knicks, 3-1
New York’s first playoff appearance in nearly a decade was a brutal matchup against the reigning champions. This would serve as a big test for both the young Willis Reed and veteran Walt Bellamy – this was the former’s first post-season appeareace, and the latter’s second.

They were ill-prepared for the intricacy of Boston’s defense, getting blown out in Game 1 and warded off in the next despite an efficient thirty points from Reed. The Knicks managed a home win to deny defeat, holding Boston to thirty-three-percent shooting while Reed and Bellamy combined for sixty-one points. These efforts were ultimately trivial, though – Sam Jones ended matters with fifty-one in a close-out victory, stunning Madison Square Garden.
East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Cincinnati Royals, 3-1
Since the division first seeds did not receive a “bye” in the playoffs anymore, Wilt Chamberlain and company were forced to face the Cincinnati Royals. They were coming off of a rough regular season campaign. but still had two All-Stars that could put up a fight.

The 76ers perhaps underestimated Cincinnati a bit too much, giving up a win at home amidst a fierce duel between Oscar Robertson and Chamberlain. They proceeded to win three straight to take the series – the Royals supporting cast did not provide enough firepower on offense to complement Robertson, and Chamberlain was doing whatever he wanted. In Game 3 he dropped an absurd 16/30/19 stat-line in a blowout victory.

What was perhaps the most surprising narrative of the series was Robertson’s passiveness – he only reached his seasonal scoring average in one of four games, and dropped a measly twelve points on terrible efficiency in the decisive Game 4. The Royals had now failed to win a playoff series for the third straight year.
West / San Francisco Warriors beat Los Angeles Lakers, 3-0
The Warriors entered as overwhelming favorites. This was not just because of their superior record – the Lakers were also missing Jerry West to injury. The post-season looked bleak for L.A., but it was still unwise to count out a team coming off of consecutive Finals appearances.

San Francisco shut down any comparisons between the Californian franchises with a quick three-game sweep. Star players Rick Barry and Elgin Baylor both struggled in the first two matches, but the Warriors’ defense gave them a fighting chance. Once Baylor managed to escape his shooting slump – dropping thirty-seven in Game 3 – Barry mirrored him to secure a victory. Jerry West even attempted to play, but could only log one minute before the pain caught up to him.
West / St. Louis Hawks beat Chicago Bulls, 3-0
The Bulls had posted the best run by an expansion franchise in a very long time – the fact they were even in the playoffs was remarkable. With that considered, it was completely unsurprising that they grabbed zero series wins.

Their offense was abysmal, with Bob Boozer being the only person to step up his game. Meanwhile, St. Louis had two All-Stars and a hungry rookie in Lou Hudson – considering the difference in personnel quality, there was little to no opportunity for competitiveness in this matchup.

Division Finals

East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Boston Celtics, 4-1
In a sharp reversal of the previous year, the 76ers opened the series murdering the Celtics’ dreams of an easy brawl. Philadelphia looked comfortably more prepared for a championship – Wilt Chamberlain outplayed Bill Russell at every stage, their supporting cast was better, and nobody but John Havlicek was getting anything going for Boston.

The Celtics managed to avoid a sweep thanks to sixty-three combined points from Havlicek and Sam Jones – as well as a rare Chamberlain off-night – but their efforts were futile. The closing performance from the 76ers was one of the most vengefully dominant in league history. Five players – Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Wali Jones, and Billy Cunningham – scored over twenty points, and Chamberlain dropped a triple-double while holding his long-time rival to two field goals.

Tides had changed, and the 76ers were the new kings of the East. The Celtics’ championship streak of eight years had ended in abrupt fashion.
West / San Francisco Warriors beat St. Louis Hawks, 4-2
Both of these Western teams had swept their first-round matchups, which set up an interesting dynamic for the second round. Would the Warriors follow trends and advance to the Finals? Or would the Hawks pull off an upset, which was unfamiliar territory for the franchise?

Whatever the result would be, it would need to involve road wins. And that was something neither team could buy for over a week – the series was split 2-2 as both squads dominated on their respective floors. Rick Barry and rookie Lou Hudson had started off hot and progressively cooled down, with the former sitting most of a Game 4 loss due to a mid-game injury.

Complications meant nothing to the scoring champion, though – he bounced back amidst consecutive Warriors victories, sending the Hawks home behind a forty-one piece in the comforts of The Bay.

Finals

Philadelphia 76ers beat San Francisco Warriors, 4-2
The 1967 Finals was an exciting one for basketball fans – for the first time in a decade, there was a new Eastern representative. The Warriors also returned to the highest stage for the first time since 1964. What spiced up the narrative even further was that Wilt Chamberlain was facing his former franchise – they rebuilt quickly following his absence, and it put so much more pressure on the chase for his first title.

Matters begun as expected – Rick Barry scored in volume, Nate Thurmond was fierce inside, and Hal Greer got buckets on buckets. Chamberlain approached this matchup with a remarkable IQ – knowing the quality of Thurmond’s rim protection, he limited his field goal attempts and got teammates involved with ten assists. This had been the story of Philly’s success up to this point, and worked in the first two games.

The Warriors took a match at home behind fifty-five points from Rick Barry. They lost two nights later despite him scoring over forty yet again – his performance was generational, but the 76ers roster was just so much better. Thurmond’s impact was limited as well, being held to a pedestrian offensive impact when facing Chamberlain.

San Francisco managed a road win to avoid defeat, and nearly forced Game 7 until a collapse in the clutch awarded Philadelphia their coveted fourth victory. It was a balanced winning effort led by Chamberlain’s twenty-four points and twenty-six rebounds, and silenced critics nationally. The Big Dipper now had a championship to his name, and the 76ers won it all for the first time since their move to Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia 76ers win the 1967 NBA championship!

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPCoach of the Year
Dave BingWilt ChamberlainJohnny Kerr

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Oscar Robertson
Jerry West
Elgin Baylor
Rick Barry
Wilt Chamberlain		Hal Greer
Sam Jones
Jerry Lucas
Willis Reed
Bill Russell

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Wilt Chamberlain
Hal Greer
John Havlicek
Bailey Howell
Jerry Lucas
Don Ohl
Willis Reed
Oscar Robertson
Bill Russell
Chet Walker		Rick Barry*
Elgin Baylor
Bill Bridges
Dave DeBusschere
Darrall Imhoff
Guy Rodgers
Jerry Sloan
Nate Thurmond
Jerry West
Lenny Wilkens
West beats East, 135-120

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Dave Bing
Lou Hudson
Jack Marin
Erwin Mueller
Cazzie Russell

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics91957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966
Lakers51949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954
Warriors21947, 1956
76ers21955, 1967
Royals11951
Hawks11958

The NBA Time Machine: 1964

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published January 4, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1964

New to Northeast

Baltimore, Philly

With the Warriors’ relocation to California, Philadelphia was devoid of an NBA team. Investors Irv Kosloff and Ike Richman saw this as a significant opportunity, opting to purchase the Syracuse Nationals and get them established in Philly. Syracuse had the smallest market of any team in the league, and clearly lacked sustainability for a professional basketball franchise – thus came the Philadelphia 76ers, who retained their history.

The Chicago Zephyrs also continued to struggle with their identity. Ownership eventually settled in Maryland and re-branded as the Baltimore Bullets, paying homage to the championship-winning franchise of the league’s infancy. This version of the Bullets was considered entirely separate and did not claim the 1948 trophy.

With these movements, all teams besides the San Francisco Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers were now based in their own independent state.

Walter Kennedy

For the first time in league history, the NBA saw a change in presidency. Maurice Podoloff had led the professional basketball hotspot since its conception, but his retirement led to the appointing of Walter Kennedy.

Kennedy was noticeably upfront and strict regarding behavioral issues – he fined Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach in a pre-season game for inappropriate conduct.

Don’t Forget the Coaches!

Coaches began to receive accolades for their leadership, with the new Coach of the Year award being integrated into the NBA. The inaugural winner was Alex Hannum of the San Francisco Warriors, who led the team to the first seed in the Western Division and a seventeen-win improvement.

Standout Players

Oscar Robertson

The “Big O” had his best year to date with a new career high scoring average. He was .1 rebound short of averaging a triple double again, and led the Royals to their first fifty-win season since 1950. These accomplishments earned Robertson his first M.V.P. award, making him the first guard to claim one in eight years.

Wilt Chamberlain

Chamberlain terrorized the NBA, arguably having his most successful year yet. Under coach Alex Hannum’s vision, The Big Dipper dedicated his game to equal effort on both ends of the ball, as well as improved playmaking. The end result was a first seed for the Warriors.

Bill Russell

While Russell’s scoring involvement declined, he reached a career high in rebounding average and led the league in that department for the first time since the 50s. He became one of the top ranked passers as well, which aided in the Celtics’ fifth-straight fifty-win season.

Jerry West

For the first time in his career, West looked like the best player on the Lakers. That isn’t to diminish the excellence of Elgin Baylor, but “Mr. Outside” led the team in scoring, assists, and overall efficiency as a volume shooter. There was no doubting his game-changing offense.

Bob Pettit

As St. Louis’ roster continued to improve, there was less of a scoring burden on Pettit. This didn’t stop him from remaining one of the top scorers – and rebounders – and developing another excellent season for the Hawks.

Jerry Lucas

The high school and college phenomenon was selected to his hometown with a territorial pick, and the impact he had on games was immediately clear. The Royals jumped to a mid-to-high-tier defense with Lucas around, and he finished top two on the team in all three major statistics. His talents were baffling for a rookie.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern DivisionWLWestern DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*5921San Francisco Warriors*4832
Cincinnati Royals*5525St. Louis Hawks*4634
Philadelphia 76ers*3446Los Angeles Lakers*4238
New York Knicks2258Baltimore Bullets3149
Detroit Pistons2357

Fun Facts

  • This season saw the end of the Detroit Pistons‘ fourteen-year streak of playoff appearances, which was tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for the longest in the NBA.
    • Above anything, this can be attributed to the Western Division finally having a steady slew of contenders.
      • The St. Louis Hawks and San Francisco Warriors both had uncharacteristically poor campaigns in the past two seasons, and them thriving in tandem with the Los Angeles Lakers pushed Detroit far out of the playoff window.
  • After moving to Maryland, the Baltimore Bullets saw their first season above thirty wins and last place in the Western Division.
  • Ball-stopping continued to be the key to success – all of the top four teams in record also ranked as the top four defenses.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with an asterisk (*) were selected with a territorial draft pick.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		New York Knicks
Baltimore Bullets
San Francisco Warriors
Detroit Pistons
Cincinnati Royals
St. Louis Hawks
Philadelphia 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers
Boston Celtics
New York Knicks		Art Heyman
Rod Thorn
Nate Thurmond
Eddie Miles
Tom Thacker*
Gerry Ward
Tom Hoover
Roger Strickland
Bill Green
Jerry Harkness

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
May 21, 1963Coach Charles WolfCincinnati RoyalsResignedRecord: 42-38
May 21, 1963Coach Charles WolfDetroit PistonsHiredRecord: 23-57
June 18, 1963Coach Jack McMahonCincinnati RoyalsHiredRecord: 55-25
July 15, 1963Player-coach Dolph SchayesPhiladelphia 76ersHiredRecord: 34-46
August 6, 1963Coach Alex HannumSan Francisco WarriorsHiredRecord: 48-32

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Bob CousyBoston Celtics6x Champ
1x MVP
12x All-NBA
13x All-Star
2x All-Star Game MVP
8x Assists leader
Walter DukesNew York Knicks
Minneapolis Lakers
Detroit Pistons		2x All-Star
Hot Rod HundleyLos Angeles Lakers2x All-Star

League Leaders

If a stat is not listed, it was not recorded at the time. As time goes on, this section will begin to include steals per game, blocks per game, etc.

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGWilt Chamberlain (36.9)
Oscar Robertson (31.4)
Jerry West (28.7)
Bob Pettit (27.4)
Walt Bellamy (27)
RPGBill Russell (24.7)
Wilt Chamberlain (22.3)
Jerry Lucas (17.4)
Walt Bellamy (17)
Bob Pettit (15.3)
APGOscar Robertson (11)
Guy Rodgers (7)
Jerry West (5.6)
Johnny Egan (5.4)
K.C. Jones (5.1)
FG%Jerry Lucas (52%)
Wilt Chamberlain (52%)
Walt Bellamy (51%)
Terry Dischinger (49%)
Bill McGill (48%)
FT%Oscar Robertson (85%)
Jerry West (83%)
Hal Greer (82%)
Tom Heinsohn (82%)
Richie Guerin (81%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Cincinnati Royals beat Philadelphia 76ers, 3-2
The difference between these two crews was immense. Almost twenty regular-season wins separated them, and therefore the Royals were clear favorites. Oscar Robertson backed his place in the M.V.P. discussion by generating half of their points in Game 1, and Jerry Lucas grabbed twenty-five boards.

There was strong potential for a sweep, as the 76ers just looked so much less menacing – however, they won Game 2 due to the Royals playing some uncharacteristically selfish basketball. Close contests between the two eventually resulted in a Game 5 in Cincinnati, which the Ohio club won behind a 32/10/18 stat-line from Robertson.
West / St. Louis Hawks beat Los Angeles Lakers, 3-2
Much like their series last year, home court advantage determined everything. Road wins were avoided like the plague, which resulted in eventual triumph for St. Louis in the comforts of the south.

Every player performed to their relative expectations, but Elgin Baylor in particular scored on very inefficient splits. The L.A. legend managed to impact games in other ways – namely defense and playmaking – but it was not enough to limit a St. Louis core that had the perfect mixture of veterans and young talent.

Division Finals

East / Boston Celtics beat Cincinnati Royals, 4-1
Since the 1960s begun, the Celtics had been better than every other Eastern Division team by a solid margin. The Royals had closed that gap this year, amassing the most victories in franchise history and only trailing Boston by four wins. For that reason, this matchup was expected to be one of the, if not the most competitive of the entire playoffs.

As always, the Celtics were completely oblivious to outside noise – they tore apart the Royals for three straight games, and none were nail-biters. They feasted on intangibles and strategic offense, limiting Robertson and taking advantage of their opponents’ poor wing defense.

The Royals managed to avoid a sweep thanks to sixty-four combined points from Robertson and Jack Twyman in Game 4. Their exciting season came to an end shortly after, as the Celtics wrapped things up 4-1 behind twenty points and thirty-five rebounds from Bill Russell.
West / San Francisco Warriors beat St. Louis Hawks, 4-3
The battle between these two Western contenders was an exciting one. The Hawks generally looked like the better team – after adding six-time All-Star Richie Guerin to their lineup, their offensive firepower was unmatched. On the contrary, the Warriors’ defensive philosophy won them games, with Wilt Chamberlain and Guy Rodgers being the only star-caliber names.

While the series was close at every corner, San Francisco seemed slightly more in control. Chamberlain averaged well above his regular season average in points, something he had rarely done in past years. St. Louis had to bank on limiting his teammates to beat San Francisco, but that strategy was unstable – in the decisive Game 7, the Warriors shot nearly fifty-percent from the field. Meanwhile, the Hawks’ best performance was twenty-four Pettit points on seven-of-twenty-five shooting.

With this series victory, the Warriors were headed to their first Finals since their 1956 championship season in Philadelphia.

Finals

Boston Celtics beat San Francisco Warriors, 4-1
The highest stage of this year’s post-season was a much-awaited battle – the league’s top two physical specimens and former M.V.P.s, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, writing stories of their own. Would Russell extend the Celtics dynasty? Or would Chamberlain finally acquire his coveted first chip, defeating his rival in the process?

The first two games immediately implied the former was underway, with Chamberlain having a mediocre scoring night in Game 1. Meanwhile, Celtics sophomore John Havlicek had a breakout performance, scoring twenty-eight points and only missing five field goals. The Celtics’ dominance continued, with Chamberlain upping his production in Game 2 but not seeing the same from the Warriors’ supporting cast.

San Francisco proceeded to blow Boston out in their first home game, with Chamberlain looking unaltered by Russell’s presence. An upset commenced two days later and sent the Celtics home up 3-1 – Chamberlain had generally been besting his rival and playing out of his mind, but the green team had too many weapons.

Game 5 was a relatively anti-climactic outcome, with the Celtics maintaining a lead nearly the whole way. A steady team effort meant six straight World Championships for the Russell-led franchise, becoming the longest such streak in American sports history.
The Boston Celtics win the 1964 NBA championship!

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPCoach of the Year
Jerry LucasOscar RobertsonAlex Hannum

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Oscar Robertson
Jerry West
Elgin Baylor
Bob Pettit
Wilt Chamberlain		Hal Greer
John Havlicek
Tom Heinsohn
Jerry Lucas
Bill Russell

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Len Chappell
Wayne Embry
Tom Gola
Hal Greer
Tom Heinsohn
Sam Jones
Jerry Lucas
Oscar Robertson*
Bill Russell
Chet Walker		Elgin Baylor
Walt Bellamy
Wilt Chamberlain
Terry Dischinger
Bailey Howell
Don Ohl
Bob Pettit
Guy Rodgers
Jerry West
Lenny Wilkens
East beats West, 111-107

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Art Heyman
Gus Johnson
Jerry Lucas
Rod Thorn
Nate Thurmond

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics71957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964
Lakers51949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954
Warriors21947, 1956
Royals11951
76ers11955
Hawks11958

The NBA Time Machine: 1956

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published October 9, 2022

The NBA Time Machine:
1956

The Most Valuable

Updated Awards

The All-NBA Teams were changed – instead of being voted in a position-less fashion, the teams now followed a lineup-based format. Two guards, two forwards, and one center occupied the five slots respectively.

This had its advantages and setbacks – on one hand, it showcased the best talent in the league at each position. This was incredibly important in an era like the 50’s, where most of the best players were big men – great guards like Bill Sharman couldn’t sniff a First Team selection before this rehaul.

However, it also hurt players at the deepest positions. For example, the third best center in the league – Larry Foust – never received an All-Team selection again, because he was simply never amongst the two best at the position. That didn’t make him any less great, but somebody that only focused on his voting-based accomplishments would assume otherwise.

The M.V.P.

The league also implemented the Most Valuable Player award, which intended to highlight the best performer during the regular season. Players would cast in five contenders in descending order, and the higher somebody’s voting placement was, the more points they received.

Sophomore Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks won the very first MVP award.

Franchise Movements

The Milwaukee Hawks relocated to St. Louis – they had been established in three different locations over the course of seven years.

A Brief Return

Basketball legend George Mikan returned for the second half of the season, participating in one last stint with his beloved Minneapolis Lakers. Mikan was still relatively productive, but his numbers had dwindled due to a smaller role.

Standout Players

Paul Arizin

After a lukewarm comeback year, Arizin jumped to elite levels again in his fourth season. The Warriors finished with the best record in franchise history and were light-years ahead of their competition.

Bob Pettit

Named the first “Most Valuable Player”, Pettit’s sophomore campaign was excellent. He immediately solidified himself as the number one talent in the NBA, leading in scoring and total rebounds.

Maurice Stokes

The second overall pick had what was arguably the greatest rookie season up to that point, instantly becoming the most effective rebounder ever. Despite his Royals being a league-worst offense, he still led them to thirty wins because of his phenomenal defensive abilities.

Bill Sharman

The Celtics shooting guard continued to improve year-after-year, reaching career highs in points, assists, and minutes. He became their go-to for buckets, leading the team in scoring for the first time above teammate Bob Cousy.

Neil Johnston

Despite Johnston not clinching the scoring title for the first time in three years, he had what was arguably his best season to date. He made a proper impact as Philadelphia’s second option, now able to focus on efficiency with a superstar next to him.

Bob Cousy

Cousy began to place less emphasis on his scoring, with his points average of 18.8 being his lowest since 1951. However, he set the all-time record for assists per game in a season, with 8.9. This helped keep the Celtics on their toes offensively.

Clyde Lovellette

With most of the dynasty core gone or exiting their primes, Lovellette officially became the face of the Lakers. He improved on all fronts, despite the franchise experiencing their first losing record.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern DivisionWLWestern DivisionWL
Philadelphia Warriors*4527Fort Wayne Pistons*3735
Boston Celtics*3933Minneapolis Lakers*3339
Syracuse Nationals*3537St. Louis Hawks*3339
New York Knicks3537Rochester Royals3141

Fun Facts

  • The New York Knicks‘ nine-year streak of winning records since the league’s conception was snapped, as they finished two wins below the requirement.
    • The Minneapolis Lakers also had their first losing record after seven dominant years.
  • For the first time since 1952, the Boston Celtics were not the top-ranked offense.
  • The NBA had multiple teams score over one-hundred points per game for the first time. Those teams were the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia Warriors and New York Knicks.
  • After a long period of stability, the Western Division began to decline and resemble its mediocre form in the early-50s. Only the Detroit Pistons, who had just been to the finals, looked like a formidable team.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with an asterisk (*) were selected with a territorial draft pick.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		St. Louis Hawks
Rochester Royals
Philadelphia Warriors
Boston Celtics
New York Knicks
Minneapolis Lakers
Syracuse Nationals
Fort Wayne Pistons
St. Louis Hawks
Rochester Royals		Dick Ricketts
Maurice Stokes
Tom Gola*
Jim Loscutoff
Kenny Sears
Dick Garmaker*
Ed Conlin
Johnny Horan
Jack Stephens
Jack Twyman

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
n/aGeorge MikanMinneapolis LakersUn-retiredn/a(18.1p/14.3r/2.4a)
October 26, 1955Arnie RisenRochester RoyalsSoldBoston Celtics(11.6/p/10.2r/1.6a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
April 28, 1955Coach Les HarrisonRochester RoyalsResignedRecord: 29-43
April 28, 1955Player-coach Bobby WanzerRochester RoyalsHiredRecord: 31-41
January 27, 1956Coach Joe LapchickNew York KnicksResignedRecord: 26-25
February 9, 1956Coach Vince BorylaNew York KnicksHiredRecord: 9-12

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Don BarksdaleBaltimore Bullets
Boston Celtics		1x All-Star
Bob DaviesRochester Royals1x Champ
5x All-Team
4x All-Star
1x Assists leader
Jim PollardMinneapolis Lakers5x All-Team
4x All-NBA
4x All-Star
Fred ScolariWashington Capitols
Syracuse Nationals
Baltimore Bullets
Fort Wayne Pistons
Boston Celtics		2x All-BAA
2x All-Star
Paul WaltherMinneapolis Lakers
Indianapolis Olympians
Philadelphia Warriors
Fort Wayne Pistons		1x All-Star

League Leaders

If a stat is not listed, it was not recorded at the time. As time goes on, this section will begin to include steals per game, blocks per game, etc.

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGBob Pettit (25.7)
Paul Arizin (24.2)
Neil Johnston (22.1)
Clyde Lovellette (21.5)
Dolph Schayes (20.4)
RPGMaurice Stokes (16.3)
Bob Pettit (16.2)
Clyde Lovellette (14)
Neil Johnston (12.5)
Dolph Schayes (12.4)
APGBob Cousy (8.9)
Jack George (6.3)
Slater Martin (6.2)
Andy Phillip (5.9)
Tom Gola (5.9)
FG%Neil Johnston (45%)
Paul Arizin (44%)
Larry Foust (44%)
Kenny Sears (43%)
Bill Sharman (43%)
FT%Bill Sharman (86%)
Dolph Schayes (85%)
Dick Schnittker (85%)
Bob Cousy (84%)
Carl Braun (83%)

Playoffs

Tiebreaker Rounds

Syracuse Nationals beat New York Knicks, 1-0
A rather unremarkable tiebreaker game ended in Syracuse taking the third seed. Nobody on their squad looked particularly great, but they still managed to enjoy a victory due to a strong second quarter.

New York had a few standout performances from the likes of Harry Gallatin, Nat Clifton, and Kenny Sears, but that was not enough to overpower a balanced Nationals squad and make the playoffs.
Minneapolis Lakers beat St. Louis Hawks, 1-0
A twenty-eight point game on amazing efficiency from point guard Slater Martin secured an immediate win for Minneapolis.

Add a good game from George Mikan and some extra production from other players, and the Hawks – who were far too dependent on All-Star Bob Pettit and the enormous Chuck Share – were destined for a three seed from the start.

Semifinals

East / Syracuse Nationals beat Boston Celtics, 2-1
The Nationals were shocked when the less-experienced Celtics drove them out of town in Game 1. Dolph Schayes shot three-for-thirteen, and only fellow frontcourt members Red Kerr and Ed Conlin played well. Meanwhile, two Celtics players nearly grabbed triple-doubles in Bob Cousy and Jack Nichols.

The Nationals swiftly got it together in Game 2, narrowly winning despite another poor outing from Schayes. The star forward then dominated the tiebreaker game to win the series, delivering 27-17-5 in a comeback.
West / St. Louis Hawks beat Minneapolis Lakers, 2-1
Considering the outcome of the tiebreaker game for seeding, the Hawks pulling out the first series win in franchise history was a special outcome.

The league M.V.P. Bob Pettit immediately showed out in Game 1 with twenty-five points, although his Hawks were silenced in Game 2. He had a terrible shooting night, and the entire Lakers roster scored at least ten each en route to a fifty-eight point blowout.

However, Pettit wanted nothing to do with such disrespect from the opponent. He dropped forty-one points on 58% shooting to kill the noise and send the Lakers home in a thriller Game 3. He wanted St. Louis to succeed at any cost, and his wish was granted.

Division Finals

East / Philadelphia Warriors beat Syracuse Nationals, 3-2
Going into this series, the biggest question was – could the Warriors’ momentum trump over the defending champions’ playoff experience?

As we can see, it absolutely did.

The two clubs traded wins, with Game 2 notably featuring a Neil Johnston and Dolph Schayes duel – they scored forty-three and thirty-three, respectively. Ultimately, it was Philadelphia’s star power that manifested success – Johnston and Arizin combined for over sixty points in each of the final two games, which was a degree of dominance not even Dolph Schayes could soften.
West / Fort Wayne Pistons beat St. Louis Hawks, 3-2
Perhaps the most boring series of the playoffs also featured one of the worst superstar performances the league had ever seen.

After holding a commanding 2-0 lead, the Hawks looked prepared to reach their first NBA Finals. However, stale offense caused them to lose three straight – and Bob Pettit was a no-show the entire time.

The Pistons boasted one of the best playoff defenses, and their concentration frustrated Pettit to the point of throwing his aspirations away. They managed to reach a second consecutive Finals as a result, this time against a new opponent.

Finals

Philadelphia Warriors beat Fort Wayne Pistons, 4-1
Going in, the Warriors were undeniable favorites. They were the only team to reach forty wins in the regular season and just dropped off the defending champions, Syracuse.

Paul Arizin was the unrivaled hero, delivering quite possibly the greatest Finals performance of the era. Against a gritty Pistons lineup that had completely neutralized teammate Neil Johnston, Arizin scored effortlessly in all five games. The only real threat to his dominance was the underrated George Yardley, who is really the only reason the Pistons even managed one win.

In only four seasons of play, Arizin had managed to revive a franchise, deliver an all-time rookie campaign, come back from the military unscathed, and lead a championship team. His status as one of the greats was solidified.
The Philadelphia Warriors win the 1956 NBA championship!

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVP
Maurice StokesBob Pettit

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Bob Cousy
Bill Sharman
Paul Arizin
Bob Pettit
Neil Johnston		Slater Martin
Jack George
Maurice Stokes
Dolph Schayes
Clyde Lovellette

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Paul Arizin
Carl Braun
Bob Cousy
Harry Gallatin
Jack George
Neil Johnston
Red Kerr (IR)
Ed Macauley
Dick McGuire
Dolph Schayes
Bill Sharman		Larry Foust
Bob Harrison
Mel Hutchins
Clyde Lovellette
Slater Martin
Vern Mikkelsen
Bob Pettit
Maurice Stokes
Bobby Wanzer
George Yardley
West beats East, 108-94

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Lakers51949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954
Warriors21947, 1956
Royals11951
Nationals11955

The NBA Time Machine: 1947

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published September 3, 2022

The NBA Time Machine:
1947

Welcome to a new series called The NBA Time Machine. The goal of this is to recap all seventy-five seasons in NBA history – as well as the nine seasons of the rival ABA – before the end of the 2022-23 season, ideally. See this as a database of sorts, with information and fun facts to look back onto.

The main motivation behind starting this series is having an ongoing project to keep up with over time. There’s a lot of content to touch upon, so it’ll feel infinite. I also want to highlight the history of the game from start to finish, as there are so many eras of basketball that should be better known than they are.

The Beginning

A Fresh League

Rewind back to 1947. The brand new Basketball Association of America, commonly referred to as the “BAA“, had a large end goal. In comparison to the other two U.S. professional leagues – the American Basketball League (ABL) and National Basketball League (NBL) – the BAA wanted to get comfortable with hosting games in large arenas to draw in big crowds.

Said arenas included iconic locations like Madison Square Garden and Boston Garden, which often hosted hockey teams. Owners would simply put a wooden floor directly over the ice for basketball games, which often led to leakage and poor conditions for the players. They managed, but not without several cancelled games and unhappy athletes.

Being young and under development, the BAA had very inconsistent attendance and coverage. Team executives often had to resort to antics to draw in fans – for example, the Detroit Falcons offered free admission to anybody who shared the same last name as star player Stan Miasek. Did it work? Not quite, but it showed the extent to which owners were willing to go for success.

Original Rules

Although there were key differences, the integral style of play was the same.

  • Each basket was worth two points, and if fouled, a player would go to the “foul line” for a chance at an extra point.
  • There were four twelve-minute quarters, which was a notable increase from the forty-minute games college played. If a game was tied, it would go into one or more overtime periods until there was a final winner.
  • There were three main positions – guards, forwards, and centers. Specific positions (i.e. point guards) were recognized, but not yet commonly highlighted.
  • There were eleven teams split into Eastern and Western Divisions – the winningest squads from each would find themselves in the annual playoff tournament.

However, some rules were vastly different, or did not exist yet:

  • There was not yet a 24-second shot clock – teams had as much time as they wanted to score the ball. This led to an abnormally low-scoring league, with the team average being 67.8 points per game (compare that to the 110.6 of the past 2021-22 season).
  • Players could commit up to five fouls before fouling out, compared to today’s six.
  • Zone defenses were instantly banned, forcing each player to commit to another man or a double team. If they were caught wandering without an assignment, an “illegal defense” technical foul was called on the team.
  • The lane was only six feet wide, which made it very easy for centers to control the paint.
  • Keep in mind that various things were either illegal or considered unsportsmanlike, including advanced dribbling (i.e., a crossover would be called as a carry), and dunking.
    • This naturally led to most offenses being focused on ball movement, as opposed to any sort of isolation play.

Standout Players

Joe Fulks

The league’s first true superstar, being the undisputed best from the regular season to playoffs. He can be credited with inventing the jump shot – at the time, this was a rare asset that made him stand out amongst the crowd.

Bob Feerick

Feerick was considered an elite sharpshooter, shooting 40% from the field – while that’s nothing special for today’s standards, it floated far above the 27% league shooting average. What makes it even more impressive is that he scored primarily from range, as opposed to getting easy looks inside.

Max Zaslofsky

The best guard in the league, Zaslofsky was immediately considered a premier player despite his young age. He became the youngest All-First Team member at only twenty-one years old.

Ed Sadowski

Sadowski is one of the more influential players of this era, being a huge center for the time (6’5″ was above average big man height). He failed to succumb to the “clumsy center” stereotype, cementing himself as one of the best scorers. He impacted winning basketball all season, finding a good rhythm with the Cleveland Rebels after forcing his way out of Toronto.

Around the League

Team Standings

An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern DivisionWLWestern DivisionWL
Washington Capitols*4911Chicago Stags*3922
Philadelphia Warriors*3525St. Louis Bombers*3822
New York Knicks*3327Cleveland Rebels*3030
Providence Steamrollers2832Detroit Falcons2040
Boston Celtics2238Pittsburgh Ironmen1545
Toronto Huskies2238

Fun Facts

  • The Washington Capitols set an all-time record for win percentage, winning 81% of their matches.
    • The team was so successful because of their elite defense and knowledge of the fast break, which overwhelmed opponents. A lot of that strategy can be credited to coach Red Auerbach.
  • The Chicago Stags, led by great scorer Max Zaslofsky, were the league’s first “all-offense, no-defense” team. They were by far the highest scorer, but also gave up a lot of points.
  • The New York Knicks notably had one of the worst offenses at the time – none of their players surpassed ten points per game. Instead, it was their concentrated defense that led them to a positive record.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
p – points
a – assists

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
December 4, 1946George NostrandToronto HuskiesTradedCleveland Rebels(8.9p/0.8a)
December 16, 1946Leo Mogus Cleveland RebelsTradedToronto Huskies(12.3p/1.6a)
December 16, 1946Ed SadowskiToronto HuskiesTradedCleveland Rebels(19.1p/0.8a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
February 12, 1947Coach Dutch DehnertCleveland RebelsFiredRecord: 17-20
February 12, 1947Coach Roy CliffordCleveland RebelsHired Record: 13-10

League Leaders

If a stat is not listed, it was not recorded at the time. As time goes on, this section will begin to include rebounds per game, turnovers per game, etc.

Key

PPG – points per game
APG – assists per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGJoe Fulks (23.2)
Bob Feerick (16.8)
Ed Sadowski (16.5)
Stan Miasek (14.9)
Max Zaslofsky (14.4)
APGErnie Calverley (3.4)
Kenny Sailors (2.3)
Ossie Schectman (2)
Howie Dallmar (1.7)
Mickey Rottner (1.7)
FG%Bob Feerick (40%)
Ed Sadowski (36%)
Earl Shannon (33%)
Coulby Gunther (33%)
Max Zaslofsky (32%)
FT%Fred Scolari (81%)
Tony Kappen (79%)
Stan Stutz (78%)
Bob Feerick (76%)
John Logan (74%)

Playoffs

Quarterfinals

New York Knicks beat Cleveland Rebels, 2-1
Was all about homecourt advantage, with each team winning on their respective court. Rebels center Ed Sadowski could not be contained, feasting on his matchup in the undersized Bud Palmer; the latter was shorter and sixty pounds lighter.

However, the Knicks managed to exceed expectations and win, as duo Bud Palmer and Stan Stutz averaged a combined 51.5 points in the two home games.
Philadelphia Warriors beat St. Louis Bombers, 2-1
Warriors star Joe Fulks had an awful first two games, although the team forced a tiebreaker in Game 2. Fulks righted his wrongs in Game 3, dropping twenty-four points in a blowout win.

Semifinals

Chicago Stags beat Washington Capitols, 4-2
The Washington Capitols became the first example of great regular season teams not living up to the hype in the postseason. Despite winning 49 games, they immediately fell down 3-0 to the explosive Chicago Stags.

Fan favorite star Bones McKinney had a sub-par outing, averaging only six points in Washington’s four losses. Even though they managed to take a couple games, this matchup was never in their hands.
Philadelphia Warriors beat New York Knicks, 2-0
The Knicks’ offensive issues re-emerged in this series, as they simply had no firepower to match with Philly’s scorers. This was the only sweep of this year’s playoffs.

Finals

Philadelphia Warriors beat Chicago Stags, 4-1
The Stags were simply no match for the Warriors, largely thanks to Joe Fulks. The 2nd game of the series was his only poor one, and Philadelphia still won.

The sole Stags win was by one point, and their star Max Zaslofsky was relatively bad throughout. It’s no surprise that they struggled to compete without him boosting their offense, and Joe Fulks dropping thirty-four points in the closeout game solidified the Warriors as the first champions in league history.
The Philadelphia Warriors win the 1947 BAA championship!

Awards

Note: All-Team selections were not yet selected based on position yet. This was the only major award given at the time.

All-BAA First TeamAll-BAA Second Team
Joe Fulks
Bob Feerick
Stan Miasek
Bones McKinney
Max Zaslofsky		Ernie Calverley
Frankie Baumholtz
John Logan
Chick Halbert
Fred Scolari

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

TeamCountYears
Warriors11947