1949–50 Baltimore Bullets season

1949–50 Baltimore Bullets season
Head coach Buddy Jeannette
Arena Baltimore Coliseum
Results
Record 25–43 (.368)
Place Division: 5th (Eastern)
Playoff finish DNQ
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Radio WBAL
< 1948–49 1950–51 >

The 1949–50 Baltimore Bullets season was the first season of the Maryland club in the newly formed National Basketball Association. Coming from two successful seasons in the BAA, including a championship run, this time their 25-43 record would not be sufficient for them to reach the division playoffs. Another change from the previous year was president Robert "Jake" Embry's decision not to televise the Bullets' games.[1] The club would change hands towards the end of the season, to a group of local businessmen.[2]

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 6 Ron Livingstone C  United States Wyoming
3 - Paul Gordon F  United States Notre Dame

Roster

Baltimore Bullets 1949–50 roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. From
F/C 12 United States Budko, Walt style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Columbia
G/F 11 United States Byrnes, Tommy style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Seton Hall
G/F United States Cloyd, Paul style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Wisconsin
G 4/5 United States Dolhon, Joe style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) NYU
G/F 6/20 United States Ezersky, Johnny style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Rhode Island
G United States Feigenbaum, George style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Kentucky
F 6 United States Gordon, Paul style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Notre Dame
G/F 11 United States Hoffman, Paul style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Purdue
F United States Janotta, Howie style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Seton Hall
G 6/14 United States Jeannette, Buddy style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Washington & Jefferson
C 19 United States Knorek, Lee style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Detroit
G/F 20 United States Lewis, Freddie style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Eastern Kentucky
C 17 United States Livingstone, Ron style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Wyoming
F/C 17 United States Mandic, John style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Oregon State
G 17 United States McCarron, Mike style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Seton Hall
G 15 United States O'Donnell, Andy style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Loyola (MD)
F/C 35 United States Pugh, Les style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Ohio State
C 9/17 United States Sadowski, Ed style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Seton Hall
F 4/8 United States Schatzman, Marv style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Saint Louis
G/F 7 United States Tough, Bob style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) St. John's
F/C 10 United States Towery, Carlisle style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Western Kentucky
G/F 5 United States Triptow, Dick style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) DePaul
G/F 4 United States Von Nieda, Whitey style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Penn State
Head coach


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

Pre-season

1949 Pre-season Game Log: 4-4
# Date Opponent Score Location Record
1 October 17 Syracuse Nationals W 66-63 Baltimore Coliseum 1-0[3]
2 October 18 Syracuse Nationals L 56-62 Baltimore Coliseum 1-1[4]
3 October 22 Philadelphia Warriors L 74-82 Baltimore Coliseum 1-2[5]
4 October 24 Cumberland Dukes W 59-57 Baltimore Coliseum 2-2[6]
5 October 26 Boston Celtics W 66-65 Burlington, VT 3-2[7]
6 October 27 Hartford Hurricanes W 80-74 Hartford, CT 4-2[8]
7 October 29 Boston Celtics L 72-74 Providence, RI 4-3[9]
8 October 30 Bridgeport Aerasols L 54-56 Bridgeport, CT 4-4[10]

Regular season

Season standings

Eastern Division W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Syracuse Nationals 51 13 .797 – 31-1 15-12 5-0 9-1
x-New York Knicks 40 28 .588 13 19-10 18-16 3-2 20-6
x-Washington Capitols 32 36 .471 21 21-13 10-20 1-3 13-13
x-Philadelphia Warriors 26 42 .382 25 15-15 8–23 3-4 9-17
Baltimore Bullets 25 43 .368 26 16-15 8–25 1-3 8-18
Boston Celtics 22 46 .324 29 12-14 5–28 5-4 11-15

Player statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Season

Player GP FG% FT% APG PPG
Walt Budko 66 .304 .757 2.2 9.0
Tommy Byrnes 53 .302 .702 1.7 6.2
Paul Cloyd 3 .125 1.000 0.3 1.7
Joe Dolhon 64 .312 .734 2.4 6.9
Johnny Ezersky 38 .305 .697 1.7 8.1
George Feigenbaum 12 .246 .444 0.8 3.0
Paul Gordon 4 .000 .600 0.8 0.8
Paul Hoffman 60 .341 .665 2.7 14.4
Howie Janotta 9 .300 .813 0.4 3.4
Buddy Jeannette 37 .284 .820 2.5 5.2
Lee KnorekX 1 .000 - 0.0 0.0
Freddie LewisX 18 .227 .684 1.0 3.5
Ron LivingstoneX 16 .245 .761 1.5 5.3
John MandicX 3 .100 1.000 0.3 1.3
Mike McCarron 3 .200 .667 0.3 1.3
Andy O'Donnell 25 .352 .778 0.7 3.6
Les PughX 56 .249 .846 0.3 4.5
Ed SadowskiX 52 .328 .745 1.9 14.0
Marv Schatzman 34 .247 .580 1.1 3.4
Bob Tough 8 .282 .833 0.3 3.4
Carlisle Towery 68 .327 .757 2.1 8.8
Dick TriptowX 4 .000 1.000 0.3 0.5
Whitey Von NiedaX 33 .364 .638 3.2 6.2

^x Statistics with the Baltimore Bullets

Transactions

Players Added

Draft

Free agency

 Players Lost

Released

Free agency

Trades

September 28, 1949
 To Baltimore Bullets
Cash considerations		 To Washington Capitols
Chick Reiser
December 5, 1949
 To Baltimore Bullets
Dick Triptow		 To Fort Wayne Pistons
Cash considerations
December 7, 1949
 To Baltimore Bullets
Ed Sadowski
Cash considerations		 To Philadelphia Warriors
Ron Livingstone
December 8, 1949
 To Baltimore Bullets
Lee Knorek		 To New York Knicks
Cash considerations
December 9, 1949
 To Baltimore Bullets
Whitey Von Nieda		 To Tri-Cities Blackhawks
Cash considerations

References

  1. ↑ Bullets Ban Video, Reading Eagle, August 5, 1949
  2. ↑ 20 Businessmen Take Over Bullets, Milwaukee Sentinel, February 14, 1950
  3. ↑ BULLETS DOWN SYRACUSE FIVE, The Baltimore Sun, October 17, 1949
  4. ↑ SYRACUSE FIVE TOP BULLETS, The Baltimore Sun, October 18, 1949
  5. ↑ BULLETINS BOW TO WARRIORS, The Baltimore Sun, October 23, 1949
  6. ↑ BULLETS TOP CUMBERLAND, The Baltimore Sun, October 22, 1990
  7. ↑ BULLETS EDGE BOSTON QUINTET, The Baltimore Sun, October 26, 1949
  8. ↑ Baltimore Five Nips Hurricane Rally To Pull Out 80-74 Win, The Hartford Courant, October 28, 1949
  9. ↑ Boston Celtics Nip Bullets, 74-72, The Baltimore Sun, October 30, 1949
  10. ↑ BULLETS DROP 54-56 CONTEST TO BRIDGEPORT, The Baltimore Sun, October 31, 1949