1954–55 Syracuse Nationals season
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1954–55 Syracuse Nationals season
| 1954–55 Syracuse Nationals season | |
|---|---|
| First NBA Championship | |
| Head coach | Al Cervi |
| Arena | Onondaga War Memorial |
| Results | |
| Record | 43–29 (.597) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | NBA Champions |
| Syracuse Nationals seasons | |
| < 1953–54 | 1955–56 > |
With the NBA struggling financially and down to just 8 teams, Nationals owner Danny Biasone suggested that the league limit the amount of time taken for a shot. Biasone was upset with the stalling tactics of opposing teams. During the summer of 1954, Biasone had gotten together some of his pros and a group of high school players and timed them with a stopwatch.[1] Most shots were taken within 12 seconds, Biasone discovered. Biasone calculated that a 24 second shot clock would allow at least 30 shots per quarter and assist in increasing scoring. The result would speed up a game that often ended with long periods of teams just holding the ball. Quickness and athletic ability became prized as they never had been before. Excessive fouling didn't disappear completely, but just about everyone concluded that the clock was good for the game. The shot clock was a success with the result that scoring was up 14 points per game league wide.[2] In the first season of the shot clock, the Nats would take first place in the Eastern Division with a 43-29 record.
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Contents
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Offseason
NBA Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Red Kerr | (C/F) | Illinois |
Roster
Depth chart
| Pos. | Starter | Bench | Reserve | Inactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Red Rocha | Red Kerr | Connie Simmons | |
| PF | Dolph Schayes | Wally Osterkorn | ||
| SF | Earl Lloyd | Jim Tucker | ||
| SG | Paul Seymour | Dick Farley | ||
| PG | George King | Billy Kenville | Billy Gabor |
Regular season
Season standings
| Eastern Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x-Syracuse Nationals | 43 | 29 | .597 | - | 25-7 | 10-17 | 8-5 | 21-15 |
| x-New York Knicks | 38 | 34 | .528 | 5 | 17-9 | 8-17 | 13-8 | 15-21 |
| x-Boston Celtics | 36 | 36 | .500 | 7 | 21-5 | 4-22 | 11-9 | 19-17 |
| Philadelphia Warriors | 33 | 39 | .458 | 10 | 14-5 | 6–20 | 13-14 | 17-19 |
Season schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 31 | Minneapolis Lakers | 94-97 | Loss | 0-1 |
| Nov 6 | @ Boston Celtics | 84-107 | Loss | 0-2 |
| Nov 7 | Milwaukee Hawks | 97-80 | Win | 1-2 |
| Nov 11 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | 88-86 | Win | 2-2 |
| Nov 13 | @ Milwaukee Hawks | 72-85 | Loss | 2-3 |
| Nov 14 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | 92-99 | Loss | 2-4 |
| Nov 16 | Philadelphia Warriors (at New York, NY) | 86-85 | Win | 3-4 |
| Nov 18 | Fort Wayne PIstons | 91-82 | Win | 4-4 |
| Nov 20 | @ Rochester Royals | 80-79 | Win | 5-4 |
| Nov 21 | Boston Celtics | 110-104 | Win | 6-4 |
| Nov 25 | Milwaukee Hawks | 91-85 | Win | 7-4 |
| Nov 27 | @ New York Knicks | 80-74 | Win | 8-4 |
| Nov 28 | New York Knicks | 79-77 | Win | 9-4 |
| Dec 1 | New York Knicks (at Philadelphia) | 86-88 | Loss | 9-5 |
| Dec 2 | Rochester Royals | 82-78 | Win | 10-5 |
| Dec 4 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | 73-79 | Loss | 10-6 |
| Dec 5 | Philadelphia Warriors | 89-72 | Win | 11-6 |
| Dec 7 | Philadelphia Warriors (at New Haven, CT) | 88-81 | Win | 12-6 |
| Dec 8 | @ Rochester Royals | 78-105 | Loss | 12-7 |
| Dec 9 | Boston Celtics | 120-107 | Win | 13-7 |
Player stats
Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average
| Player | GP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolph Schayes | 72 | 887 | 213 | 1333 |
Playoffs
After a first round bye in the playoffs, the Nats would beat the Boston Celtics in 4 games as the Nats would reach the NBA Finals for the 2nd straight season.[2]
NBA finals
In the finals the Nats would get off to a fast start taking the first 2 games at home against the Fort Wayne Pistons. However, as the series moved to Fort Wayne the Pistons would spark back to life taking all 3 games to take a 3-2 series lead. Back in Syracuse for Game 6 on the Nats kept Championship hopes alive by beating the Pistons 109-104 to force a 7th game at home. Game 7 would be as tight as the series as George King sank a free throw to give the Nats a 92-91 lead in the final seconds. King would then steal inbound pass to clinch the NBA Championship for the Nationals.[2]
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | March 31 | Syracuse | 86-82 | Fort Wayne |
| Game 2 | April 2 | Syracuse | 87-84 | Fort Wayne |
| Game 3 | April 3 | Fort Wayne | 96-89 | Syracuse |
| Game 4 | April 5 | Fort Wayne | 109-82 | Syracuse |
| Game 5 | April 7 | Fort Wayne | 74-71 | Syracuse |
| Game 6 | April 9 | Syracuse | 109-104 | Fort Wayne |
| Game 7 | April 10 | Syracuse | 92-91 | Fort Wayne |
Nationals win series 4-3
Awards and honors
- All-NBA First Team:
References
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| Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers seasons | ||||||||||
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