1951–52 Baltimore Bullets season
| 1951–52 Baltimore Bullets season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Fred Scolari Chick Reiser |
| Arena | Baltimore Coliseum |
| Results | |
| Record | 20–46 (.303) |
| Place | Division: 5th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Radio | WCBM |
The 1951–52 Baltimore Bullets season was the Bullets' 5th season in the NBA and eighth overall season of existence.[1]
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position(s) | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Gene Melchiorre | PG | United States | Bradley |
| 2 | 10 | Jack Stone | SG/SF | United States | Kansas State |
| 3 | 20 | Billy Mann | F | United States | Bradley |
| 4 | 30 | Billy Hagler | F | United States | California |
| 5 | 40 | Leroy Ishman | F | United States | American |
| 6 | 50 | Glenn Duggins | G | United States | Utah |
| 7 | 60 | Tom Riach | G | United States | USC |
| 8 | 70 | Bill Harper | PG | United States | Oregon State |
| 9 | 78 | Bobby Crowe | PG | United States | San Jose State |
| 10 | 82 | Dan Torrey | G | United States | Oregon State |
| 11 | 85 | Clem Pavilonis | PF/C | United States | DePaul |
| 12 | 86 | John Burke | G | United States | International YMCA College |
The Bullets were the only team to use all twelve rounds of this year's draft. Despite that, none of the players they drafted would end up playing for them, though the Bullets would at least acquire Jim Slaughter and James Luisi by trades with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks turned Milwaukee Hawks and New York Knicks respectively. Rather infamously, the #1 pick they had in this year's draft, Gene Melchiorre, would later be revealed to be involved in the CCNY point-shaving scandal of 1951 alongside fellow Bullets draft pick Billy Mann, leaving Melchiorre with the notable distinction of being the only #1 draft pick to ever be permanently banned by the NBA, though he wouldn't be the only #1 draft pick to never play in the NBA at all.
Roster
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Head coach
Legend
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Regular season
Season standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x-Syracuse Nationals | 40 | 26 | .606 | – | 26–7 | 12–18 | 2–1 | 21–15 |
| x-Boston Celtics | 39 | 27 | .591 | 1 | 22–7 | 10–19 | 7–1 | 22–14 |
| x-New York Knicks | 37 | 29 | .561 | 3 | 21–4 | 12–22 | 4–3 | 23–13 |
| x-Philadelphia Warriors | 33 | 33 | .500 | 7 | 24–7 | 6–25 | 3–1 | 14–22 |
| Baltimore Bullets | 20 | 46 | .303 | 20 | 17–15 | 2–22 | 1–9 | 10–26 |
Game log
| 1951–52 Game log | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | |||||
| 1 | November 1 | @ Rochester | 97–101 | Fred Scolari (26) | 0–1 | |||||
| 2 | November 3 | Indianapolis | 90–86 | Minor, Scolari (15) | 0–2 | |||||
| 3 | November 5 | Philadelphia | 90–96 | Frank Saul (18) | 1–2 | |||||
| 4 | November 10 | Syracuse | 82–91 | Hannum, Minor, Scolari (12) | 2–2 | |||||
| 5 | November 12 | Minneapolis | 90–80 | Fred Scolari (16) | 2–3 | |||||
| 6 | November 17 | Boston | 88–75 | Stan Miasek (18) | 2–4 | |||||
| 7 | November 18 | @ Syracuse | 68–71 | Stan Miasek (13) | 2–5 | |||||
| 8 | November 19 | Milwaukee | 70–71 | Frank Kudelka (16) | 3–5 | |||||
| 9 | November 20 | N New York | 88–86 | Barksdale, Scolari (23) | 3–6 | |||||
| 10 | November 24 | Philadelphia | 74–81 | Don Barksdale (20) | 4–6 | |||||
| 11 | November 25 | @ Fort Wayne | 66–83 | Don Barksdale (14) | 4–7 | |||||
| 12 | November 29 | N Milwaukee | 64–77 | Don Barksdale (15) | 5–7 | |||||
| 13 | December 1 | New York | 82–84 | Stan Miasek (20) | 6–7 | |||||
| 14 | December 2 | @ Boston | 82–103 | Stan Miasek (14) | 6–8 | |||||
| 15 | December 3 | Rochester | 77–70 | Don Barksdale (18) | 6–9 | |||||
| 16 | December 7 | @ Indianapolis | 80–88 | Red Owens (20) | 6–10 | |||||
| 17 | December 8 | N Minneapolis | 85–64 | Don Barksdale (13) | 6–11 | |||||
| 18 | December 9 | @ Milwaukee | 73–71 | Frank Kudelka (22) | 7–11 | |||||
| 19 | December 12 | @ Minneapolis | 79–99 | Frank Kudelka (14) | 7–12 | |||||
| 20 | December 15 | Fort Wayne | 80–90 | Stan Miasek (25) | 8–12 | |||||
| 21 | December 16 | @ Rochester | 95–99 | Hannum, Miasek (26) | 8–13 | |||||
| 22 | December 17 | Boston | 80–92 | Fred Scolari (22) | 9–13 | |||||
| 23 | December 18 | N Philadelphia | 82–78 | Stan Miasek (17) | 9–14 | |||||
| 24 | December 21 | N Boston | 106–89 | Alex Hannum (25) | 9–15 | |||||
| 25 | December 22 | Minneapolis | 96–90 (3OT) | Stan Miasek (29) | 9–16 | |||||
| 26 | December 26 | Philadelphia | 99–103 (3OT) | Miasek, Scolari (18) | 10–16 | |||||
| 27 | December 29 | Indianapolis | 65–75 | Stan Miasek (24) | 11–16 | |||||
| 28 | December 30 | @ Syracuse | 91–108 | Stan Miasek (22) | 11–17 | |||||
| 29 | December 31 | Fort Wayne | 95–86 | Fred Scolari (27) | 11–18 | |||||
| 30 | January 4 | @ Philadelphia | 79–92 | Fred Scolari (17) | 11–19 | |||||
| 31 | January 5 | Boston | 94–73 | Stan Miasek (20) | 11–20 | |||||
| 32 | January 12 | Syracuse | 92–88 | Don Barksdale (20) | 11–21 | |||||
| 33 | January 13 | @ Fort Wayne | 71–81 | Fred Scolari (26) | 11–22 | |||||
| 34 | January 16 | N Milwaukee | 77–71 | Don Barksdale (24) | 11–23 | |||||
| 35 | January 17 | N Milwaukee | 87–76 | Fred Scolari (15) | 11–24 | |||||
| 36 | January 19 | Indianapolis | 78–81 | Stan Miasek (27) | 12–24 | |||||
| 37 | January 20 | @ Syracuse | 80–99 | Miasek, Scolari (17) | 12–25 | |||||
| 38 | January 21 | New York | 99–83 | Stan Miasek (19) | 12–26 | |||||
| 39 | January 23 | @ Boston | 75–117 | Calhoun, Minor (13) | 12–27 | |||||
| 40 | January 26 | Syracuse | 78–73 | Don Barksdale (18) | 12–28 | |||||
| 41 | February 1 | @ Philadelphia | 79–81 | Fred Scolari (16) | 12–29 | |||||
| 42 | February 2 | Fort Wayne | 76–63 | Don Barksdale (21) | 12–30 | |||||
| 43 | February 3 | @ Syracuse | 73–95 | Dave Minor (15) | 12–31 | |||||
| 44 | February 4 | New York | 81–82 | Don Barksdale (22) | 13–31 | |||||
| 45 | February 6 | @ New York | 70–73 | Don Barksdale (20) | 13–32 | |||||
| 46 | February 8 | N New York | 103–83 | Don Barksdale (19) | 13–33 | |||||
| 47 | February 9 | Syracuse | 76–84 | Fred Scolari (21) | 14–33 | |||||
| 48 | February 10 | @ Fort Wayne | 82–77 | Frank Kudelka (23) | 15–33 | |||||
| 49 | February 13 | Rochester | 91–96 | Fred Scolari (29) | 16–33 | |||||
| 50 | February 14 | @ Indianapolis | 66–89 | Miasek, Minor (17) | 16–34 | |||||
| 51 | February 16 | @ New York | 82–102 | Fred Scolari (19) | 16–35 | |||||
| 52 | February 17 | Philadelphia | 90–83 | Don Barksdale (24) | 16–36 | |||||
| 53 | February 20 | Minneapolis | 93–78 | Kevin O'Shea (16) | 16–37 | |||||
| 54 | February 23 | Syracuse | 80–81 | Fred Scolari (18) | 17–37 | |||||
| 55 | February 24 | @ Rochester | 100–124 | Dave Minor (21) | 17–38 | |||||
| 56 | February 25 | New York | 69–72 | Fred Scolari (25) | 17–39 | |||||
| 57 | February 29 | @ Philadelphia | 86–103 | Don Barksdale (20) | 17–40 | |||||
| 58 | March 1 | Philadelphia | 77–90 | Frank Kudelka (19) | 18–40 | |||||
| 59 | March 3 | Rochester | 96–99 | Don Barksdale (25) | 19–40 | |||||
| 60 | March 4 | N Boston | 91–80 | Frank Kudelka (16) | 19–41 | |||||
| 61 | March 5 | N New York | 88–82 | Don Barksdale (21) | 19–42 | |||||
| 62 | March 8 | Boston | 100–77 | Don Barksdale (18) | 19–43 | |||||
| 63 | March 9 | @ Boston | 72–89 | Joe McNamee (16) | 19–44 | |||||
| 64 | March 10 | Milwaukee | 80–91 | Fred Scolari (25) | 20–44 | |||||
| 65 | March 14 | @ Indianapolis | 87–103 | Fred Scolari (18) | 20–45 | |||||
| 66 | March 16 | Minneapolis | 82–126 | Don Barksdale (18) | 20–46 | |||||
Player statistics
| 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 |