| Team: | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| Team Link: | Detroit Pistons |
| End Year: | 1951 |
| Wins: | 32 |
| Losses: | 36 |
| Division: | Western |
| Division Place: | 3 |
| Arena: | North Side High School Gym |
| Playoffs: | West Division Semifinals (eliminated 1–2) |
| Bbr Team: | FTW |
The 1950–51 NBA season was the Pistons' third season in the NBA and tenth season as a franchise.[1]
The Pistons finished with a 32-36 (.471) record, good for third in the West Division. The team advanced to the playoffs, losing in the division semifinals 2–1 to the Rochester Royals. The team was led by forward Fred Schaus (15.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, NBA All-Star) and the double-double of center Larry Foust (13.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, NBA All-Star). The team drafted future star George Yardley in the 1950 NBA draft, but Yardley would sit out three years, opting to play AAU basketball, then serving in the United States Navy, getting married, and joining Fort Wayne for the 1953-54 Fort Wayne Pistons season.[2] [3]
See main article: article and 1950 NBA draft.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | G/F | Stanford | |||
| 2 | 19 | F | Tulane | |||
| 3 | 31 | F | Tennessee |
x – clinched playoff spot
| 1950–51 NBA records | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=100 | Team | BAL | BOS | FWP | IND | MIN | NYK | PHI | ROC | SYR | TCB | WAS |
| — | 3–6 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 2–5 | 3–6 | 1–5 | 3–5 | 3–3 | 1–2 | ||
| 6–3 | — | 5–1 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 4–4 | 4–4 | 2–4 | 2–5 | 4–2 | 4–3 | ||
| Fort Wayne | 2–4 | 1–5 | — | 5–3 | 5–3 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 3–5 | 3–3 | 5–5 | 3–1 | |
| 4–2 | 1–4 | 3–5 | — | 3–7 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 5–4 | 3–3 | 4–4 | 2–2 | ||
| 4–2 | 3–3 | 3–5 | 7–3 | — | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–4 | 4–2 | 10–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 5–2 | 4–4 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | — | 5–3 | 3–3 | 5–5 | 4–2 | 2–1 | ||
| 6–3 | 4–4 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 3–5 | — | 4–2 | 6–2 | 4–2 | 3–0 | ||
| 5–3 | 5–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 5–5 | 2–6 | — | 4–2 | 5–3 | 5–0 | ||
| 5–3 | 5–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 5–5 | 2–6 | 2–4 | — | 3–3 | 2–0 | ||
| 3–3 | 2–4 | 5–5 | 4–4 | 0–10 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 3–5 | 3–3 | — | 1–1 | ||
| 2–1 | 3–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | ||
| 1950–51 game log | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | ||
| 1 | November 1 | 107–84 | Larry Foust (21) | 1–0 | ||
| 2 | November 2 | 77–92 | Boag Johnson (21) | 1–1 | ||
| 3 | November 4 | 71–95 | John Hargis (16) | 1–2 | ||
| 4 | November 5 | 68–63 | Larry Foust (20) | 2–2 | ||
| 5 | November 8 | 87–79 | Boag Johnson (18) | 3–2 | ||
| 6 | November 9 | 72–87 | Fred Schaus (20) | 3–3 | ||
| 7 | November 11 | 77–85 | Boag Johnson (13) | 3–4 | ||
| 8 | November 12 | 87–73 | Fred Schaus (18) | 4–4 | ||
| 9 | November 15 | Rochester | 89–85 | John Oldham (23) | 5–4 | |
| 10 | November 18 | @ Washington | 75–118 | Boag Johnson (14) | 5–5 | |
| 11 | November 19 | Baltimore | 84–80 | Jack Kerris (17) | 6–5 | |
| 12 | November 22 | 19–18 | John Oldham (5) | 7–5 | ||
| 13 | November 23 | Minneapolis | 73–63 | Larry Foust (19) | 8–5 | |
| 14 | November 25 | @ Tri-Cities | 71–85 | Fred Schaus (20) | 8–6 | |
| 15 | November 26 | Indianapolis | 79–70 | Larry Foust (22) | 9–6 | |
| 16 | November 28 | @ Indianapolis | 66–90 | John Oldham (12) | 9–7 | |
| 17 | December 3 | Rochester | 80–79 | Larry Foust (22) | 10–7 | |
| 18 | December 6 | Philadelphia | 92–73 | Fred Schaus (17) | 11–7 | |
| 19 | December 7 | @ Tri-Cities | 77–76 | Fred Schaus (22) | 12–7 | |
| 20 | December 10 | Washington | 97–81 | Boag Johnson (20) | 13–7 | |
| 21 | December 12 | @ Boston | 81–87 | Fred Schaus (20) | 13–8 | |
| 22 | December 14 | @ Philadelphia | 82–94 | Fred Schaus (17) | 13–9 | |
| 23 | December 16 | 77–86 | Fred Schaus (19) | 13–10 | ||
| 24 | December 17 | Tri-Cities | 99–103 | Fred Schaus (26) | 13–11 | |
| 25 | December 19 | @ Indianapolis | 93–92 | Fred Schaus (26) | 14–11 | |
| 26 | December 21 | Syracuse | 97–72 | Jack Kerris (26) | 15–11 | |
| 27 | December 23 | @ Rochester | 65–77 | Larry Foust (15) | 15–12 | |
| 28 | December 25 | @ Syracuse | 69–81 | Boag Johnson (14) | 15–13 | |
| 29 | December 27 | Rochester | 68–74 | Boag Johnson (13) | 15–14 | |
| 30 | December 31 | @ Tri-Cities | 100–110 | Fred Schaus (33) | 15–15 | |
| 31 | January 1 | Minneapolis | 83–70 | Larry Foust (17) | 16–15 | |
| 32 | January 3 | @ Minneapolis | 64–86 | Fred Schaus (21) | 16–16 | |
| 33 | January 4 | Indianapolis | 83–94 | Fred Schaus (23) | 16–17 | |
| 34 | January 6 | @ Washington | 91–76 | Boag Johnson (20) | 17–17 | |
| 35 | January 7 | New York | 76–79 | Fred Schaus (21) | 17–18 | |
| 36 | January 8 | vs New York | 70–75 (OT) | Fred Schaus (19) | 17–19 | |
| 37 | January 11 | Syracuse | 84–76 | Fred Schaus (16) | 18–19 | |
| 38 | January 12 | @ Indianapolis | 89–81 | Larry Foust (24) | 19–19 | |
| 39 | January 13 | @ Rochester | 78–99 | Fred Schaus (20) | 19–20 | |
| 40 | January 14 | Tri-Cities | 94–85 | Johnson, Schaus (19) | 20–20 | |
| 41 | January 20 | vs Minneapolis | 70–89 | Jack Kerris (19) | 20–21 | |
| 42 | January 21 | Boston | 106–112 (OT) | Fred Schaus (25) | 20–22 | |
| 43 | January 25 | @ Boston | 97–99 | Fred Schaus (18) | 20–23 | |
| 44 | January 27 | @ Baltimore | 91–97 | Kerris, Schaus (22) | 20–24 | |
| 45 | January 28 | Rochester | 93–88 | Fred Schaus (16) | 21–24 | |
| 46 | January 31 | Philadelphia | 91–84 | Jack Kerris (18) | 22–24 | |
| 47 | February 1 | @ Tri-Cities | 102–109 | Larry Foust (24) | 22–25 | |
| 48 | February 4 | Baltimore | 95–108 | John Oldham (20) | 22–26 | |
| 49 | February 7 | Minneapolis | 96–86 | Kerris, Oldham (20) | 23–26 | |
| 50 | February 10 | @ New York | 62–73 | Fred Schaus (16) | 23–27 | |
| 51 | February 11 | New York | 120–96 | Fred Schaus (22) | 24–27 | |
| 52 | February 13 | @ Indianapolis | 78–80 | Larry Foust (16) | 24–28 | |
| 53 | February 14 | Syracuse | 77–75 | Fred Schaus (19) | 25–28 | |
| 54 | February 17 | @ Baltimore | 91–112 | Oldham, Schaus (18) | 25–29 | |
| 55 | February 18 | Philadelphia | 75–70 | Jack Kerris (18) | 26–29 | |
| 56 | February 24 | @ Minneapolis | 78–95 | Jack Kerris (18) | 26–30 | |
| 57 | February 25 | Baltimore | 102–92 | Larry Foust (27) | 27–30 | |
| 58 | February 28 | Minneapolis | 77–73 | Larry Foust (22) | 28–30 | |
| 59 | March 1 | @ Syracuse | 86–108 | Foust, Oldham (15) | 28–31 | |
| 60 | March 3 | @ Rochester | 79–89 | Fred Schaus (17) | 28–32 | |
| 61 | March 4 | New York | 105–98 | Jack Kerris (26) | 29–32 | |
| 62 | March 6 | @ Tri-Cities | 86–88 | John Oldham (19) | 29–33 | |
| 63 | March 7 | Boston | 95–99 | Jack Kerris (20) | 29–34 | |
| 64 | March 11 | Tri-Cities | 102–87 | Larry Foust (19) | 30–34 | |
| 65 | March 14 | Indianapolis | 115–109 | Jack Kerris (24) | 31–34 | |
| 66 | March 15 | @ Philadelphia | 78–88 | Larry Foust (14) | 31–35 | |
| 67 | March 16 | @ Boston | 88–90 | Fred Schaus (22) | 31–36 | |
| 68 | March 18 | Tri-Cities | 95–82 | Don Otten (18) | 32–36 |
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 1| March 20| @ Rochester| L 81–110| Dick Mehen (19)| Edgerton Park Arena| 0–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 2| March 22| Rochester| W 83–78| Fred Schaus (21)| North Side High School Gym| 1–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 3| March 24| @ Rochester| L 78–97| Fred Schaus (12)| Edgerton Park Arena| 1–2|-