1949–50 Fort Wayne Pistons season

1949–50 Fort Wayne Pistons season
Head coach	Murray Mendenhall
Arena	North Side High School Gym
Results
Record	40–28 (.588)
Place	Division: 3rd (Central)
Playoff finish	Central Division Finals (eliminated 0–2)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Radio	WOWO

The 1949–50 NBA season was the second season for the Fort Wayne Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and ninth overall as a franchise.

After missing the playoffs for the first time in 1949 the franchise made their first NBA playoff berth, starting a streak of 14 straight post-season berths. After beating the Chicago Stags 86–69 in a tiebreaker game, the Pistons entered the playoffs as the three seed in the east and defeated their old rivals, the Rochester Royals, in a first round sweep, before the Pistons got swept by the eventual champion Minneapolis Lakers. Fort Wayne was led by Indiana basketball legend point guard Curly Armstrong (7.3 ppg, 2.8 apg) and rookie forward Fred Schaus (14.3 ppg).

Draft picks

Main article: 1949 BAA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/club team
1	3	Bob Harris	F/C	United States	Oklahoma State
2	–	John Oldham	G	United States	Western Kentucky
3	–	Fred Schaus	F	United States	West Virginia
4	–	Jerry Nagel	G	United States	Loyola Chicago

Roster

Fort Wayne Pistons 1949–50 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 F/C 12 Black, Charles B. 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Kansas F/C 10 Carpenter, Bob 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Texas A&M–Commerce F/C 14 Harris, Bob 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Oklahoma State C 16 Henry, Bill 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Rice G 5 Johnson, Boag 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Huntington F/C 15 Kerris, Jack 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Loyola Chicago G/F 7 Klier, Leo 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Notre Dame G 6 Klueh, Duane 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Indiana State C 15 Mahnken, John 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Georgetown G 9 Nagel, Jerry 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Loyola Chicago G/F 5 Niemiera, Richie 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Notre Dame G 4 Oldham, John 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Western Kentucky F 8 Schaus, Fred 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) West Virginia F/C 12 Schultz, Howie 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Hamline F/C 17 Wager, Clint 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Saint Mary's (MN)	Head coach Murray Mendenhall Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
x-Minneapolis Lakers	51	17	.750	–	30–1	18–16	3–0	16–8
x-Rochester Royals	51	17	.750	–	33–1	17–16	1–0	15–9
x-Fort Wayne Pistons	40	28	.588	11	28–6	12–22	–	14–10
x-Chicago Stags	40	28	.588	11	18–6	14–21	8–1	11–13
St. Louis Bombers	26	42	.382	25	17–14	7–26	2–2	4–20

Record vs. opponents

1949–50 NBA records
Team	AND	BAL	BOS	CHI	DEN	FWP	IND	MIN	NYK	PHI	ROC	SHE	STL	SYR	TCB	WAS	WAT
Anderson	—	1–1	0–2	1–1	4–3	1–1	2–5	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	5–2	2–0	3–4	7–2	1–1	7–0
Baltimore	1–1	—	2–4	1–5	1–1	3–3	1–1	1–5	1–5	3–3	3–3	2–0	3–3	0–2	0–2	2–4	1–1
Boston	2–0	4–2	—	0–6	1–1	2–4	1–1	1–5	1–5	3–3	0–6	1–1	2–4	0–2	0–2	3–3	1–1
Chicago	1–1	5–1	6–0	—	2–0	2–4	1–1	2–4	2–4	4–2	2–4	2–0	5–1	0–2	1–1	3–3	2–0
Denver	3–4	1–1	1–1	0–2	—	0–2	0–7	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–4	0–2	1–6	0–7	0–2	2–5
Fort Wayne	1–1	3–3	4–2	4–2	2–0	—	1–1	2–4	4–2	4–2	3–3	2–0	5–1	0–2	2–0	2–4	1–1
Indianapolis	5–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	7–0	1–1	—	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	5–2	1–1	2–7	4–3	1–1	5–2
Minneapolis	1–1	5–1	5–1	4–2	2–0	4–2	1–1	—	5–1	4–2	3–3	1–1	5–1	1–1	2–0	6–0	2–0
New York	1–1	5–1	5–1	4–2	2–0	2–4	1–1	1–5	—	1–5	1–5	1–1	4–2	0–2	1–1	5–1	2–0
Philadelphia	1–1	3–3	3–3	2–4	2–0	2–4	0–2	2–4	1–5	—	1–5	2–0	2–4	0–2	1–1	2–4	2–0
Rochester	2–0	3–3	6–0	4–2	2–0	3–3	1–1	3–3	5–1	5–1	—	1–1	5–1	1–1	2–0	6–0	2–0
Sheboygan	2–5	0–2	1–1	0–2	4–3	0–2	2–5	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	—	0–2	1–6	3–4	2–0	4–3
St. Louis	0–2	3–3	4–2	1–5	2–0	1–5	1–1	1–5	2–4	4–2	1–5	2–0	—	1–1	2–0	0–6	1–1
Syracuse	4–3	2–0	2–0	2–0	6–1	2–0	7–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	6–1	1–1	—	6–1	1–1	6–1
Tri-Cities	2–7	2–0	2–0	1–1	7–0	0–2	3–4	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	4–3	0–2	1–6	—	1–1	4–3
Washington	1–1	4–2	3–3	3–3	2–0	4–2	1–1	0–6	1–5	4–2	0–6	0–2	6–0	1–1	1–1	—	1–1
Waterloo	0–7	1–1	1–1	0–2	5–2	1–1	2–5	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–4	1–1	1–6	3–4	1–1	—

Game log

1949–50 game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	November 3	New York	87–72	John Oldham (15)	1–0
2	November 6	Chicago	87–70	Fred Schaus (21)	2–0
3	November 10	Waterloo	89–59	Armstrong, Schaus (14)	3–0
4	November 12	at Baltimore	75–82	Bob Carpenter (19)	3–1
5	November 13	Denver	90–71	Fred Schaus (19)	4–1
6	November 16	at Chicago	72–85	Charles Black (12)	4–2
7	November 19	at Tri-Cities	88–85	Charles Black (16)	5–2
8	November 20	Boston	99–89	John Oldham (20)	6–2
9	November 24	at Boston	99–85	Fred Schaus (28)	7–2
10	November 26	at Washington	76–93	Fred Schaus (15)	7–3
11	November 27	New York	72–77	Leo Klier (23)	7–4
12	November 30	at Waterloo	71–95	Charles Black (14)	7–5
13	December 1	Philadelphia	74–70	Fred Schaus (16)	8–5
14	December 4	Washington	72–68	Fred Schaus (22)	9–5
15	December 8	Minneapolis	87–66	Fred Schaus (26)	10–5
16	December 10	at Washington	69–75	Fred Schaus (19)	10–6
17	December 11	Indianapolis	90–74	Charles Black (24)	11–6
18	December 12	at Anderson	97–105	Fred Schaus (23)	11–7
19	December 14	at Syracuse	83–96	Jack Kerris (17)	11–8
20	December 15	Rochester	69–66	Bob Carpenter (16)	12–8
21	December 18	Baltimore	106–95	Bob Carpenter (22)	13–8
22	December 22	St. Louis	87–75	Fred Schaus (20)	14–8
23	December 25	at Minneapolis	58–72	Charles Black (13)	14–9
24	December 26	Chicago	76–74	Fred Schaus (24)	15–9
25	December 28	Tri-Cities	81–75 (OT)	Leo Klier (14)	16–9
26	December 29	at Rochester	79–97	Bob Carpenter (14)	16–10
27	December 30	at Boston	73–92	Fred Schaus (16)	16–11
28	December 31	at Philadelphia	65–62	Fred Schaus (14)	17–11
29	January 1	Boston	80–72	Curly Armstrong (17)	18–11
30	January 4	at Minneapolis	75–91	Fred Schaus (16)	18–12
31	January 5	St. Louis	87–83	Bob Carpenter (18)	19–12
32	January 7	at New York	88–80	Curly Armstrong (16)	20–12
33	January 8	Sheboygan	83–69	Charles Black (15)	21–12
34	January 12	Syracuse	62–64	Charles Black (12)	21–13
35	January 15	Philadelphia	81–67	Bob Harris (17)	22–13
36	January 18	at Sheboygan	73–72	Fred Schaus (15)	23–13
37	January 19	at St. Louis	64–74	Bob Carpenter (17)	23–14
38	January 21	at Indianapolis	94–112	Fred Schaus (19)	23–15
39	January 22	Washington	82–70	Bob Carpenter (14)	24–15
40	January 24	at Philadelphia	74–87	Fred Schaus (15)	24–16
41	January 25	at New York	66–96	Fred Schaus (17)	24–17
42	January 26	at Boston	68–89	Fred Schaus (14)	24–18
43	January 28	at Baltimore	64–77	Bob Carpenter (12)	24–19
44	January 29	New York	92–70	Fred Schaus (29)	25–19
45	January 31	at Chicago	93–89	Howie Schultz (18)	26–19
46	February 2	Minneapolis	78–79	Bob Harris (16)	26–20
47	February 5	Anderson	95–85	Fred Schaus (22)	27–20
48	February 7	at Denver	83–67	Fred Schaus (20)	28–20
49	February 9	Philadelphia	61–64	Fred Schaus (13)	28–21
50	February 11	at Rochester	92–84	Bob Carpenter (16)	29–21
51	February 12	Rochester	76–74	Johnson, Kerris (16)	30–21
52	February 15	Boston	84–78	Duane Klueh (16)	31–21
53	February 16	at Baltimore	77–83	Fred Schaus (15)	31–22
54	February 17	at Philadelphia	68–67	Fred Schaus (16)	32–22
55	February 18	at New York	84–80	Jack Kerris (13)	33–22
56	February 19	Baltimore	79–71	Jack Kerris (21)	34–22
57	February 23	at St. Louis	74–72	Fred Schaus (17)	35–22
58	February 26	Washington	78–81	Red Rocha (15)	35–23
59	February 28	at Minneapolis	65–71	Fred Schaus (14)	35–24
60	March 1	at St. Louis	75–70	Bob Carpenter (18)	36–24
61	March 2	St. Louis	91–61	Duane Klueh (21)	37–24
62	March 4	at Rochester	70–73	Curly Armstrong (16)	37–25
63	March 5	Rochester	60–65	Fred Schaus (13)	37–26
64	March 9	Chicago	84–71	Duane Klueh (18)	38–26
65	March 11	at Chicago	88–90	Fred Schaus (23)	38–27
66	March 12	Baltimore	86–75	Bob Carpenter (25)	39–27
67	March 18	at Washington	76–82	Fred Schaus (16)	39–28
68	March 19	Minneapolis	69–67	Bob Carpenter (12)	40–28

Playoffs

1950 playoff game log
Division Tiebreaker (finished as Central's #3 seed) Game Date Team Score High points High assists Location Attendance Record 1 March 20 Chicago W 86–69 Fred Schaus (18) Fred Schaus (6) North Side High School Gym 1–0
Division Semifinals: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0) Game Date Team Score High points Location Series 1 March 23 @ Rochester W 90–84 Wager, Schaefer (18) Edgerton Park Arena 1–0 2 March 24 Rochester W 79–78 (OT) Bob Carpenter (27) North Side High School Gym 2–0
Division Finals: 0–2 (home: 0–1; road: 0–1) Game Date Team Score High points High assists Location Series 1 March 27 @ Minneapolis L 79–93 Fred Schaus (20) Fred Schaus (4) Minneapolis Auditorium 0–1 2 March 28 Minneapolis L 82–89 Fred Schaus (33) — North Side High School Gym 0–2
1950 schedule

Awards and records

• Fred Schaus, All-NBA Second Team