1946–47 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons season
| 1946–47 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bobby McDermott (7–7) Carl Bennett (19–22) Curly Armstrong (1–0) |
| Results | |
| Record | 25–19 (.568) |
| Place | Division: 2nd |
| Playoff finish | Lost Division Semifinals to Rochester Royals, 2-1 |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
The 1946–47 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons season was the sixth season of the franchise in the National Basketball League. For the first time Fort Wayne had to play without four time league MVP Bobby McDermott who left the team mid season. The team also lost star guard Buddy Jeannette during the off season but did get the return of power forward Blackie Towery. The Pistons finished the season second place in the eastern division and defeated the Toledo Jeeps 3–2 in the opening round of the playoffs before falling to the Rochester Royals in 3 games.
Roster
[edit]| Rank | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chick Reiser | G-F |
| 2 | Curly Armstrong | G-F |
| 3 | Jake Pelkington | C-F |
| 4 | Bob Tough | G-F |
| 5 | Blackie Towery | F-C |
| 6 | Bob Kinney | C-F |
| 7 | Robert McDermott | G |
| 8 | Milo Komenich | F-C |
| 9 | Richie Niemiera | G-F |
| 10 | Gerard Bush | F-C |
| 11 | Frank Gates | G |
| 12 | Charley Shipp | G-F |
| 13 | Jerome Steiner | G |
| 14 | Whitey Dienelt | G |
| 15 | Ken Buehler | F-C |
| 16 | Lyle Neat | G |
| 17 | Ben Gardner | C-F |
League standings
[edit]Eastern Division
[edit]| Pos. | Eastern Division | Wins | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester Royals | 31 | 13 | .705 |
| 2 | Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons | 25 | 19 | .568 |
| T–3 | Syracuse Nationals | 21 | 23 | .477 |
| Toledo Jeeps | 21 | 23 | .477 | |
| 5 | Buffalo Bisons / Tri-Cities Blackhawks‡ |
19 | 25 | .432 |
| 6 | Youngstown Bears | 12 | 32 | .273 |
| ‡ After 13 games the franchise moved from New York to Illinois. | ||||
Western Division
[edit]| Pos. | Western Division | Wins | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oshkosh All-Stars | 28 | 16 | .636 |
| 2 | Indianapolis Kautskys | 27 | 17 | .614 |
| T–3 | Chicago American Gears | 26 | 18 | .591 |
| Sheboygan Red Skins | 26 | 18 | .591 | |
| 5 | Anderson Duffey Packers | 24 | 20 | .545 |
| 6 | Detroit Gems | 4 | 40 | .091 |