1947–48 New York Knicks season

1947–48 New York Knicks season
Head coachJoe Lapchick[1]
General managerNed Irish
ArenaMadison Square Garden[1]
Results
Record26–22 (.542)
PlaceDivision: 2nd
Conference: 2nd
Playoff finishBAA Quarterfinals
(lost to Bullets 1–2)
Local media
TelevisionWJZ-TV[2]
RadioWHN[3]
< 1946–47 1948–49 >

The 1947–48 New York Knicks season was the second season for the team in the Basketball Association of America (BAA),[4] which later merged with the National Basketball League to become the National Basketball Association.[5] The Knicks finished in second place in the Eastern Division with a 26–22 record and qualified for the BAA Playoffs. In the first round, New York was eliminated by the Baltimore Bullets in a best-of-three series, two games to one. Carl Braun was the team's scoring leader during the season.[1]

At the 1947 BAA draft, the Knicks selected Dick Holub in the first round, with the fifth overall pick.[6] The Knicks also selected Wataru Misaka,[7] who made the team's final roster and became "the first person of color to play in modern professional basketball", just months after the Major League Baseball color line had been broken by the Brooklyn Dodgers' Jackie Robinson.[8] Misaka was cut after playing only three games with the team.[9] The 1947–48 season was the first as New York's head coach for Joe Lapchick, who had previously held the same position for college basketball's St. John's; he had been hired in March 1947.[10] The Knicks had a 13–13 record in the first 26 games of the season before going on an eight-game winning streak from January 28 to February 11. However, New York won only four of its final 12 regular season contests.[11]

In game one of the first round of the playoffs, held in Baltimore, the Bullets defeated the Knicks 85–81 behind a 34-point performance by Connie Simmons.[12] The Knicks evened the series at one victory apiece by winning the second game 79–69 in New York, as four players scored more than 10 points.[13] The win forced a decisive third game back in Baltimore, which the Knicks lost 84–77. Simmons led the Bullets with 22 points, while Chick Reiser added 21.[14] The Bullets went on to win the 1948 BAA Finals.[15]

Draft[edit]

Main article: 1947 BAA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club Team
1 5 Dick Holub C  United States Long Island
– – Andy Duncan F/C  United States William & Mary
– – Ray Evans –  United States Kansas
– – Ed Golub –  United States –
– – Garland Head –  United States Texas Tech
– – Ron Livingston –  United States Saint Mary's
– – Dan Miller –  United States Saint Louis
– – Wataru Misaka G  United States Utah
– – Carl Reichert –  United States Findlay
– – Tom Tomlinson –  United States Southern Methodist

Roster[edit]

New York Knicks 1947–48 roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
G/F 4 Braun, Carl 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1927-09-25 Colgate
G/F 14 Byrnes, Tommy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1923-02-19 Seton Hall
G 9 Gottlieb, Leo 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1920-11-28 DeWitt Clinton HS (NY)
G 8 Hertzberg, Sonny 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1922-07-29 CCNY
C 11 Holub, Dick 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1921-10-29 Long Island
C 19 Knorek, Lee 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1921-07-15 Detroit Mercy
F 12 Kuka, Ray 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1922-02-17 Notre Dame
G 15 Misaka, Wat 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) 150 lb (68 kg) 1923-12-21 Utah
F 5 Noel, Paul 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1924-08-17 Kentucky
F/C 16 Palmer, Bud 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1921-09-14 Princeton
G/F 7 Stutz, Stan 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1920-04-14 Rhode Island
G 6 Tanenbaum, Sid 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 1925-10-08 NYU
G/F 17 Van Breda Kolff, Butch 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1922-10-28 NYU
Head coach

Joe Lapchick

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

Roster
Last transaction: {{{access-date}}}

Regular season[edit]

Season standings[edit]

Record vs. opponents[edit]

1947–48 BAA records
Team BAL BOS CHI NYK PHI PRO STL WAS
Baltimore — 5–1 5–3 5–1 2–4 6–0 3–5 2–6
Boston 1–5 — 3–3 1–7 4–4 6–2 2–4 3–3
Chicago 3–5 3–3 — 6–0 4–2 4–2 3–5 5–3
New York 1–5 7–1 0–6 — 4–4 7–1 4–2 3–3
Philadelphia 4–2 4–4 2-4 1–7 — 8–0 3–3 2–4
Providence 0–6 2–6 2–4 1–7 0–8 — 0–6 1–5
St. Louis 5–3 4–2 5–3 2–4 3–3 6–0 — 4–4
Washington 6–2 3–3 3–5 3–3 4–2 5–1 4–4 —

Game log[edit]

# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 November 13 Washington 80–65 Bud Palmer (21) 1–0
2 November 15 St. Louis 73–67 Dick Holub (19) 2–0
3 November 18 @ Providence 87–69 Stan Stutz (27) 3–0
4 November 19 Chicago 63–81 Bud Palmer (16) 3–1
5 November 20 @ Baltimore 56–68 Dick Holub (24) 3–2
6 November 22 Philadelphia 78–83 Bud Palmer (30) 3–3
7 November 25 @ Boston 91–75 Dick Holub (19) 4–3
8 November 26 Boston 63–65 Bud Palmer (16) 4–4
9 November 27 @ Philadelphia 81–59 Leo Gottlieb (20) 5–4
10 December 1 Washington 62–70 Tommy Byrnes (15) 5–5
11 December 6 @ Providence 114–85 Carl Braun (47) 6–5
12 December 8 St. Louis 71–56 Bud Palmer (19) 7–5
13 December 10 @ Boston 79–75 Carl Braun (16) 8–5
14 December 13 @ Baltimore 80–66 Bud Palmer (18) 9–5
15 December 15 Philadelphia 71–74 Carl Braun (25) 9–6
16 December 18 @ Philadelphia 99–71 Tommy Byrnes (25) 10–6
17 December 20 Boston 70–58 Dick Holub (17) 11–6
18 December 23 @ Providence 58–66 Stan Stutz (17) 11–7
19 December 25 Providence 89–75 Tommy Byrnes (20) 12–7
20 December 27 Chicago 70–79 Carl Braun (16) 12–8
21 January 3 Baltimore 70–79 Dick Holub (16) 12–9
22 January 7 Chicago 74–79 Bud Palmer (21) 12–10
23 January 11 @ Chicago 86–99 Dick Holub (22) 12–11
24 January 15 @ St. Louis 59–55 Dick Holub (24) 13–11
25 January 17 @ Washington 62–78 Palmer, Tanenbaum (15) 13–12
26 January 19 Philadelphia 57–63 Carl Braun (24) 13–13
27 January 23 @ Boston 74–58 Sid Tanenbaum (21) 14–13
28 January 24 Baltimore 58–72 Sid Tanenbaum (14) 14–14
29 January 28 Providence 75–73 Dick Holub (16) 15–14
30 January 29 @ Philadelphia 66–60 Braun, Knorek, Tanenbaum (13) 16–14
31 January 31 Boston 66–64 Tommy Byrnes (17) 17–14
32 February 3 @ Providence 78–62 Stan Stutz (20) 18–14
33 February 4 Providence 108–69 Carl Braun (24) 19–14
34 February 6 @ Boston 68–57 Carl Braun (15) 20–14
35 February 8 Boston 80–68 Carl Braun (15) 21–14
36 February 11 Providence 86–63 Carl Braun (32) 22–14
37 February 12 @ Baltimore 86–96 Kuka, Tanenbaum (14) 22–15
38 February 14 Philadelphia 78–47 Bud Palmer (30) 23–15
39 February 18 @ Washington 79–75 Sid Tanenbaum (19) 24–15
40 February 19 @ Chicago 74–82 Carl Braun (23) 24–16
41 February 22 @ St. Louis 71–80 Sid Tanenbaum (23) 24–17
42 February 28 Baltimore 56–78 Stan Stutz (13) 24–18
43 March 2 @ Philadelphia 66–76 Bud Palmer (15) 24–19
44 March 6 Washington 69–64 (OT) Bud Palmer (18) 25–19
45 March 10 St. Louis 73–82 Bud Palmer (25) 25–20
46 March 13 @ Chicago 51–58 Bud Palmer (14) 25–21
47 March 18 @ St. Louis 91–80 Paul Noel (19) 26–21
48 March 20 @ Washington 82–103 Bud Palmer (23) 26–22

Playoffs[edit]

1948 playoff game log
First Round: 1–2 (home: 1–0; road: 0–2)
Game Date Team Score High points Location Series
1 March 27 @ Baltimore L 81–85 Bud Palmer (21) Baltimore Coliseum 0–1
2 March 28 Baltimore W 79–69 Bud Palmer (18) Madison Square Garden III 1–1
3 April 1 @ Baltimore L 77–84 Sid Tanenbaum (18) Baltimore Coliseum 1–2
1948 schedule

Awards and records[edit]

Transactions[edit]

Main article: List of 1947–48 BAA season transactions

Free agency[edit]

Additions[edit]

Player Signed Former team
Carl Braun — Colgate Raiders
Ray Kuka — Montana State Bobcats
Paul Noel — Kentucky Wildcats
Sid Tanenbaum — NYU Violets

Subtractions[edit]

Player Reason left New team
Aud Brindley — —
Bob Cluggish — —
Bob Fitzgerald Signed contract Syracuse Nationals
Frido Frey Signed contract Paterson Crescents
Frank Mangiapane Signed contract Paterson Crescents
Ossie Schectman Signed contract Paterson Crescents

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "1947–48 New York Knickerbockers Roster and Statistics". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
  2. ^ The Fourth Estate (PDF). New York Knicks. 2003. p. 331. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  3. ^ Jaker, Bill; Sulek, Frank; Kanze, Peter (2008). The Airwaves of New York: Illustrated Histories of 156 AM Stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921–1996. McFarland & Company. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-7864-3872-3. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  4. ^ "New York Knicks". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  5. ^ "August 3: NBA is born". History. November 16, 2009. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  6. ^ "1947 BAA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  7. ^ Wertheim, Jon (February 11, 2012). "Decades before Lin's rise, Misaka made history for Asian-Americans". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  8. ^ Goldstein, Richard (November 26, 2019). "Wat Misaka, 95, First Nonwhite in Modern Pro Basketball, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  9. ^ Vecsey, George (August 10, 2009). "Pioneering Knick Returns to Garden". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  10. ^ Kroessler, Jeffrey A. (2010). The Greater New York Sports Chronology. Columbia University Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-231-14648-7.
  11. ^ "1947–48 New York Knicks Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  12. ^ "New York Knicks at Baltimore Bullets Box Score, March 27, 1948". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  13. ^ "Baltimore Bullets at New York Knicks Box Score, March 28, 1948". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  14. ^ "New York Knicks at Baltimore Bullets Box Score, April 1, 1948". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  15. ^ "1947–48 BAA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  16. ^ "All-NBA & All-ABA Teams". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2013.
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