1950–51 Fort Wayne Pistons season

The 1950–51 NBA season was the Pistons' third season in the NBA and tenth season as a franchise.

1950–51 Fort Wayne Pistons season
Head coach	Murray Mendenhall
Arena	North Side High School Gym
Results
Record	32–36 (.471)
Place	Division: 3rd (Western)
Playoff finish	West Division Semifinals (eliminated 1–2)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

The Pistons finished with a 32-36 (.471) record, good for third in the West Division. The team advanced to the playoffs, losing in the division semifinals 2–1 to the Rochester Royals. The team was led by forward Fred Schaus (15.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, NBA All-Star) and the double-double of center Larry Foust (13.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, NBA All-Star). The team drafted future star George Yardley in the 1950 NBA draft, but Yardley would sit out three years, opting to play AAU basketball, then serving in the United States Navy, getting married, and joining Fort Wayne for the 1953-54 Fort Wayne Pistons season.

Draft picks

Main article: 1950 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	7	George Yardley	G/F	United States	Stanford
2	19	Jim Riffey	F	United States	Tulane
3	31	Art Burris	F	United States	Tennessee

Roster

Fort Wayne Pistons 1950–51 roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. From G/F 3 Armstrong, Curly 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Indiana SF 12 Burris, Art 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Tennessee F/C 10 Carpenter, Bob 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Texas A&M–Commerce C 16 Foust, Larry 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) La Salle G/F 14 Hargis, John 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Texas F/C 9 Harris, Bob 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Oklahoma State PG 5 Johnson, Boag 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Huntington PF 15 Kerris, Jack 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Loyola Chicago G 6 Klueh, Duane 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Indiana State PF 10 Mehen, Dick 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Tennessee SG 9 Murray, Ken 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) St. Bonaventure G 4 Oldham, John 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Western Kentucky C 17 Otten, Don 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Bowling Green F 9, 17 Riffey, Jim 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Tulane F 8 Schaus, Fred 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) West Virginia	Head coach Murray Mendenhall Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Western Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
x-Minneapolis Lakers	44	24	.647	–	29–3	12–21	3–0	24–12
x-Rochester Royals	41	27	.603	3	29–5	12–22	–	18–15
x-Fort Wayne Pistons	32	36	.471	12	27–7	5–27	0–2	18–6
x-Indianapolis Olympians	31	37	.456	13	19–12	10–24	2–1	15–20
Tri-Cities Blackhawks	25	43	.368	19	22–13	2–28	1–2	12–24

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1950–51 NBA records
Team	BAL	BOS	FWP	IND	MIN	NYK	PHI	ROC	SYR	TCB	WAS
Baltimore	—	3–6	4–2	2–4	2–4	2–5	3–6	1–5	3–5	3–3	1–2
Boston	6–3	—	5–1	4–1	3–3	4–4	4–4	2–4	2–5	4–2	4–3
Fort Wayne	2–4	1–5	—	5–3	5–3	2–4	3–3	3–5	3–3	5–5	3–1
Indianapolis	4–2	1–4	3–5	—	3–7	5–1	1–5	5–4	3–3	4–4	2–2
Minneapolis	4–2	3–3	3–5	7–3	—	3–3	4–2	4–4	4–2	10–0	2–0
New York	5–2	4–4	4–2	1–5	3–3	—	5–3	3–3	5–5	4–2	2–1
Philadelphia	6–3	4–4	3–3	5–1	2–4	3–5	—	4–2	6–2	4–2	3–0
Rochester	5–3	5–2	3–3	3–3	2–4	5–5	2–6	—	4–2	5–3	5–0
Syracuse	5–3	5–2	3–3	3–3	2–4	5–5	2–6	2–4	—	3–3	2–0
Tri-Cities	3–3	2–4	5–5	4–4	0–10	2–4	2–4	3–5	3–3	—	1–1
Washington	2–1	3–4	1–3	2–2	0–2	1–2	0–3	0–5	0–2	1–1	—

Game log

1950–51 game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	November 1	Boston	107–84	Larry Foust (21)	1–0
2	November 2	@ Syracuse	77–92	Boag Johnson (21)	1–1
3	November 4	@ Rochester	71–95	John Hargis (16)	1–2
4	November 5	Indianapolis	68–63	Larry Foust (20)	2–2
5	November 8	Tri-Cities	87–79	Boag Johnson (18)	3–2
6	November 9	@ Philadelphia	72–87	Fred Schaus (20)	3–3
7	November 11	@ Baltimore	77–85	Boag Johnson (13)	3–4
8	November 12	Washington	87–73	Fred Schaus (18)	4–4
9	November 15	Rochester	89–85	John Oldham (23)	5–4
10	November 18	@ Washington	75–118	Boag Johnson (14)	5–5
11	November 19	Baltimore	84–80	Jack Kerris (17)	6–5
12	November 22	@ Minneapolis	19–18	John Oldham (5)	7–5
13	November 23	Minneapolis	73–63	Larry Foust (19)	8–5
14	November 25	@ Tri-Cities	71–85	Fred Schaus (20)	8–6
15	November 26	Indianapolis	79–70	Larry Foust (22)	9–6
16	November 28	@ Indianapolis	66–90	John Oldham (12)	9–7
17	December 3	Rochester	80–79	Larry Foust (22)	10–7
18	December 6	Philadelphia	92–73	Fred Schaus (17)	11–7
19	December 7	@ Tri-Cities	77–76	Fred Schaus (22)	12–7
20	December 10	Washington	97–81	Boag Johnson (20)	13–7
21	December 12	@ Boston	81–87	Fred Schaus (20)	13–8
22	December 14	@ Philadelphia	82–94	Fred Schaus (17)	13–9
23	December 16	@ New York	77–86	Fred Schaus (19)	13–10
24	December 17	Tri-Cities	99–103	Fred Schaus (26)	13–11
25	December 19	@ Indianapolis	93–92	Fred Schaus (26)	14–11
26	December 21	Syracuse	97–72	Jack Kerris (26)	15–11
27	December 23	@ Rochester	65–77	Larry Foust (15)	15–12
28	December 25	@ Syracuse	69–81	Boag Johnson (14)	15–13
29	December 27	Rochester	68–74	Boag Johnson (13)	15–14
30	December 31	@ Tri-Cities	100–110	Fred Schaus (33)	15–15
31	January 1	Minneapolis	83–70	Larry Foust (17)	16–15
32	January 3	@ Minneapolis	64–86	Fred Schaus (21)	16–16
33	January 4	Indianapolis	83–94	Fred Schaus (23)	16–17
34	January 6	@ Washington	91–76	Boag Johnson (20)	17–17
35	January 7	New York	76–79	Fred Schaus (21)	17–18
36	January 8	vs New York	70–75 (OT)	Fred Schaus (19)	17–19
37	January 11	Syracuse	84–76	Fred Schaus (16)	18–19
38	January 12	@ Indianapolis	89–81	Larry Foust (24)	19–19
39	January 13	@ Rochester	78–99	Fred Schaus (20)	19–20
40	January 14	Tri-Cities	94–85	Johnson, Schaus (19)	20–20
41	January 20	vs Minneapolis	70–89	Jack Kerris (19)	20–21
42	January 21	Boston	106–112 (OT)	Fred Schaus (25)	20–22
43	January 25	@ Boston	97–99	Fred Schaus (18)	20–23
44	January 27	@ Baltimore	91–97	Kerris, Schaus (22)	20–24
45	January 28	Rochester	93–88	Fred Schaus (16)	21–24
46	January 31	Philadelphia	91–84	Jack Kerris (18)	22–24
47	February 1	@ Tri-Cities	102–109	Larry Foust (24)	22–25
48	February 4	Baltimore	95–108	John Oldham (20)	22–26
49	February 7	Minneapolis	96–86	Kerris, Oldham (20)	23–26
50	February 10	@ New York	62–73	Fred Schaus (16)	23–27
51	February 11	New York	120–96	Fred Schaus (22)	24–27
52	February 13	@ Indianapolis	78–80	Larry Foust (16)	24–28
53	February 14	Syracuse	77–75	Fred Schaus (19)	25–28
54	February 17	@ Baltimore	91–112	Oldham, Schaus (18)	25–29
55	February 18	Philadelphia	75–70	Jack Kerris (18)	26–29
56	February 24	@ Minneapolis	78–95	Jack Kerris (18)	26–30
57	February 25	Baltimore	102–92	Larry Foust (27)	27–30
58	February 28	Minneapolis	77–73	Larry Foust (22)	28–30
59	March 1	@ Syracuse	86–108	Foust, Oldham (15)	28–31
60	March 3	@ Rochester	79–89	Fred Schaus (17)	28–32
61	March 4	New York	105–98	Jack Kerris (26)	29–32
62	March 6	@ Tri-Cities	86–88	John Oldham (19)	29–33
63	March 7	Boston	95–99	Jack Kerris (20)	29–34
64	March 11	Tri-Cities	102–87	Larry Foust (19)	30–34
65	March 14	Indianapolis	115–109	Jack Kerris (24)	31–34
66	March 15	@ Philadelphia	78–88	Larry Foust (14)	31–35
67	March 16	@ Boston	88–90	Fred Schaus (22)	31–36
68	March 18	Tri-Cities	95–82	Don Otten (18)	32–36

Playoffs

1951 playoff game log
Division Semifinals: 1–2 (home: 1–0; road: 0–2) Game Date Team Score High points Location Series 1 March 20 @ Rochester L 81–110 Dick Mehen (19) Edgerton Park Arena 0–1 2 March 22 Rochester W 83–78 Fred Schaus (21) North Side High School Gym 1–1 3 March 24 @ Rochester L 78–97 Fred Schaus (12) Edgerton Park Arena 1–2
1951 schedule

See also

• 1950–51 NBA season