# 1948–49 Fort Wayne Pistons season

The 1948–49 BAA season was the first season for the Fort Wayne Pistons in the NBA/BAA and eighth season as a franchise.
Despite their NBL success which included four championship series births and two titles the team wasn't able to translate that success to the new league and missed the playoffs for the first time in team history. The team was led by center John Mahnken (9.5 ppg) and forward Blackie Towery (7.5 ppg).

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 8 | Ward Williams | F | United States | Indiana |

## Regular season
### Season standings

| # | Western Divisionvte | Western Divisionvte | Western Divisionvte | Western Divisionvte | Western Divisionvte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | x-Rochester Royals | 45 | 15 | .750 | – |
| 2 | x-Minneapolis Lakers | 44 | 16 | .733 | 1 |
| 3 | x-Chicago Stags | 38 | 22 | .633 | 7 |
| 4 | x-St. Louis Bombers | 29 | 31 | .483 | 16 |
| 5 | Fort Wayne Pistons | 22 | 38 | .367 | 23 |
| 6 | Indianapolis Jets | 18 | 42 | .300 | 27 |

### Record vs. opponents

1948–49 BAA records :
| Team | BAL | BOS | CHI | FWP | IND | MIN | NYK | PHI | PRO | ROC | STL | WAS |
| Baltimore | — | 4–2 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 3–3 |
| Boston | 2–4 | — | 0–5 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 1–5 |
| Chicago | 4–1 | 5–0 | — | 4–2 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 5–0 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 3–2 |
| Fort Wayne | 1–4 | 1–4 | 2–4 | — | 3–3 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 5–0 | 4–1 | 0–6 | 1–4 | 2–3 |
| Indianapolis | 0–5 | 2–3 | 1-5 | 3–3 | — | 0–6 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 2–3 |
| Minneapolis | 4–1 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 6–0 | — | 4–1 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–3 |
| New York | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 1–4 | — | 2–4 | 5–1 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 2–3 |
| Philadelphia | 2–4 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 4–2 | — | 6–0 | 0–5 | 3–2 | 2–4 |
| Providence | 4–2 | 3–3 | 0–5 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 0–5 | 1–5 | 0–6 | — | 2–3 | 0–5 | 0–6 |
| Rochester | 4–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 3–2 | — | 6–0 | 2–3 |
| St. Louis | 3–2 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 5–0 | 0–6 | — | 2–3 |
| Washington | 3–3 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 3–2 | 3–2 | — |

### Game log

| # | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record |
| 1 | November 3 | New York | 76–80 | Jake Pelkington (15) | 0–1 |
| 2 | November 6 | @ St. Louis | 55–65 | Dick Triptow (12) | 0–2 |
| 3 | November 7 | Baltimore | 77–78 | Leo Klier (16) | 0–3 |
| 4 | November 11 | @ Providence | 87–90 | Leo Klier (16) | 0–4 |
| 5 | November 12 | @ Boston | 75–84 | Jack Smiley (21) | 0–5 |
| 6 | November 13 | @ Washington | 71–80 | Carlisle Towery (15) | 0–6 |
| 7 | November 14 | Indianapolis | 79–73 | Walt Kirk (18) | 1–6 |
| 8 | November 17 | Philadelphia | 80–72 | Carlisle Towery (20) | 2–6 |
| 9 | November 21 | Chicago | 69–70 | Bob Tough (14) | 2–7 |
| 10 | November 23 | @ Philadelphia | 90–80 | Pelkington, Tough (16) | 3–7 |
| 11 | November 25 | @ Baltimore | 64–69 | Tough, Towery (14) | 3–8 |
| 12 | November 27 | @ New York | 70–80 | Pelkington, Smiley (12) | 3–9 |
| 13 | November 28 | Boston | 80–74 | Richie Niemiera (19) | 4–9 |
| 14 | November 30 | @ Indianapolis | 77–62 | Dick Triptow (13) | 5–9 |
| 15 | December 1 | Minneapolis | 84–74 | Bob Tough (18) | 6–9 |
| 16 | December 4 | @ St. Louis | 62–76 | Bob Kinney (12) | 6–10 |
| 17 | December 5 | Chicago | 79–88 | Leo Klier (20) | 6–11 |
| 18 | December 8 | St. Louis | 70–60 | Leo Klier (25) | 7–11 |
| 19 | December 10 | @ Chicago | 70–78 | Leo Klier (18) | 7–12 |
| 20 | December 12 | New York | 78–89 | Leo Mogus (22) | 7–13 |
| 21 | December 16 | @ Providence | 76–61 | Klier, Mogus (15) | 8–13 |
| 22 | December 18 | @ Rochester | 64–84 | Leo Mogus (15) | 8–14 |
| 23 | December 19 | Rochester | 78–83 (OT) | Dick Triptow (13) | 8–15 |
| 24 | December 23 | @ Indianapolis | 60–71 | Curly Armstrong (11) | 8–16 |
| 25 | December 25 | @ Washington | 74–88 | John Mahnken (20) | 8–17 |
| 26 | December 26 | Washington | 91–73 | John Mahnken (16) | 9–17 |
| 27 | January 1 | @ Minneapolis | 72–92 | Klier, Mahnken (16) | 9–18 |
| 28 | January 2 | Boston | 69–90 | Bob Tough (17) | 9–19 |
| 29 | January 8 | @ Philadelphia | 73–67 | John Mahnken (20) | 10–19 |
| 30 | January 9 | Indianapolis | 80–78 | Curly Armstrong (20) | 11–19 |
| 31 | January 15 | @ Rochester | 62–73 | John Mahnken (12) | 11–20 |
| 32 | January 16 | Providence | 76–56 | Bruce Hale (15) | 12–20 |
| 33 | January 19 | @ Chicago | 104–96 (2OT) | John Mahnken (14) | 13–20 |
| 34 | January 20 | @ Minneapolis | 65–83 | Curly Armstrong (10) | 13–21 |
| 35 | January 23 | Rochester | 80–81 (OT) | John Mahnken (17) | 13–22 |
| 36 | January 26 | Philadelphia | 88–80 | Leo Mogus (22) | 14–22 |
| 37 | January 28 | @ Indianapolis | 63–77 | Jack Smiley (16) | 14–23 |
| 38 | January 29 | @ St. Louis | 73–86 | Bruce Hale (20) | 14–24 |
| 39 | January 30 | Baltimore | 78–93 | Bruce Hale (26) | 14–25 |
| 40 | February 2 | Minneapolis | 79–82 (OT) | Curly Armstrong (26) | 14–26 |
| 41 | February 5 | @ Rochester | 61–80 | Hale, Mahnken (11) | 14–27 |
| 42 | February 6 | Washington | 82–72 | Bruce Hale (15) | 15–27 |
| 43 | February 8 | vs Philadelphia | 89–87 | Bill Henry (20) | 16–27 |
| 44 | February 9 | Indianapolis | 67–70 | Bill Henry (17) | 16–28 |
| 45 | February 12 | @ New York | 58–85 | Bruce Hale (12) | 16–29 |
| 46 | February 13 | New York | 82–73 | Richie Niemiera (16) | 17–29 |
| 47 | February 15 | @ Chicago | 69–83 | Curly Armstrong (13) | 17–30 |
| 48 | February 16 | Baltimore | 84–68 | Bill Henry (20) | 18–30 |
| 49 | February 20 | St. Louis | 64–70 | Bruce Hale (18) | 18–31 |
| 50 | February 24 | @ Minneapolis | 73–77 | John Mahnken (21) | 18–32 |
| 51 | February 27 | Minneapolis | 74–50 | Dick Triptow (17) | 19–32 |
| 52 | March 4 | @ Boston | 70–76 | Black, Triptow (12) | 19–33 |
| 53 | March 6 | Rochester | 66–78 | Bill Henry (16) | 19–34 |
| 54 | March 8 | vs Boston | 60–63 | Dick Triptow (11) | 19–35 |
| 55 | March 9 | Providence | 84–80 | Bruce Hale (18) | 20–35 |
| 56 | March 12 | @ Washington | 60–87 | Bruce Hale (10) | 20–36 |
| 57 | March 13 | Chicago | 81–78 | Bruce Hale (16) | 21–36 |
| 58 | March 17 | vs Providence | 74–72 | Bruce Hale (12) | 22–36 |
| 59 | March 19 | @ Baltimore | 79–99 | Bill Henry (17) | 22–37 |
| 60 | March 20 | St. Louis | 82–87 | Bill Henry (16) | 22–38 |