1945–46 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons season
| 1945–46 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Carl Bennett |
| Results | |
| Record | 26–8 (.765) |
| Place | Division: 1st |
| Playoff finish | Lost Eastern Division Semifinals to Rochester Royals, 3-1 |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
The 1945–46 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons season was the fifth season of the franchise in the National Basketball League. The team was looking to return to the finals for a fifth consecutive year and win their third straight title. The team once again claimed the best regular season record by winning 26 games and Bobby McDermott was awarded his fourth and last NBL MVP Award. Both Buddy Jeannette and Robert McDermott were named to the All-NBL first team. Going into the playoffs the Pistons met the Rochester Royals in the first round but were upset in four games making it the first season in team history where they failed to reach the finals. This season marked the end of the Pistons NBL dominance as both McDermott and Jeannette left the franchise within the next year.
Roster
[edit]| Rank | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert McDermott | G |
| 2 | Ed Sadowski | C |
| 3 | Buddy Jeannette | G |
| 4 | Jake Pelkington | C-F |
| 5 | Chick Reiser | G-F |
| 6 | Gerard Bush | F-C |
| 7 | Charley Shipp | G-F |
| 8 | Robert Synnott | F-C |
| 9 | Bob Kinney | C-F |
| 10 | Bob Tough | G-F |
| 11 | Herm Schaefer | G-F |
| 12 | Wilfred Doerner | F |
| 13 | Curly Armstrong | G-F |
League standings
[edit]Eastern Division
[edit]| Pos. | Eastern Division | Wins | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons | 26 | 8 | .765 |
| 2 | Rochester Royals | 24 | 10 | .706 |
| 3 | Youngstown Bears | 13 | 20 | .394 |
| 4 | Cleveland Allmen Transfers | 4 | 29 | .121 |
Western Division
[edit]| Pos. | Western Division | Wins | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheboygan Red Skins | 21 | 13 | .618 |
| 2 | Oshkosh All-Stars | 19 | 15 | .559 |
| 3 | Chicago American Gears | 17 | 17 | .500 |
| 4 | Indianapolis Kautskys | 10 | 22 | .313 |
Awards and honors
[edit]- Robert McDermott won the NBL MVP award for the fourth straight season.[citation needed]
References
[edit]| 1940s | |
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| 1950s | |
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| 2020s | |
Bold indicates NBA Finals victory | |
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