1948–49 Syracuse Nationals season
| 1948–49 Syracuse Nationals season | |
|---|---|
| Results | |
| Record | 40–23 (.635) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Lost Eastern Division Semifinals (Packers) 3–1 |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
The 1948–49 Syracuse Nationals season was the third season of the franchise in the National Basketball League. The Nationals finished this season with their first winning season in franchise history, as well as their only winning season while in the NBL. Syracuse would sweep the Hammond Calumet Buccaneers 2–0 in the opening round, but lost to the eventual champion Anderson Duffey Packers 3–1 in the semifinal round of the final NBL Playoffs ever held. Months after the end of what became the final NBL season as a whole, the NBL officially agreed to merge operations with the more upstart Basketball Association of America to become the modern-day National Basketball Association, with the NBA ultimately keeping the history of the BAA around over that of the NBL despite it being the longer-lasting league, though the NBA would also keep every surviving NBL team from the previous season outside of the Dayton Rens, Hammond Calumet Buccaneers, and Oshkosh All-Stars alongside keeping the NBL's planned expansion team in the Indianapolis Olympians, while the BAA side also kept every team of theirs outside of the Indianapolis Jets (formerly the NBL's Indianapolis Kautskys) and the Providence Steamrollers for the merger. However, the Nationals and the Tri-Cities Blackhawks would become the only NBL teams in the NBL side of things by 1949 to survive to the present day, albeit as the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks respectively.
Roster
[edit]- Robert Calihan
- Al Cervi
- John Chaney
- Bill Gabor
- James Homer
- Johnny Macknowski
- Henry O'Keeffe
- Ed Peterson
- Jerry Rizzo
- Dolph Schayes
- Paul Seymour
- Paul Yesawich
Regular season
[edit]Eastern Division standings
[edit]| Team | Wins | Loses | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Duffey Packers | 49 | 15 | .766 |
| Syracuse Nationals | 40 | 23 | .635 |
| Hammond Calumet Buccaneers | 21 | 41 | .339 |
| Detroit Vagabond Kings / Dayton Rens | 16 | 43 | .271 |
Playoffs
[edit]Won Opening Round (Hammond Calumet Buccaneers) 2–0
Lost Division Semifinals (Anderson Packers) 3–1
Awards and records
[edit]- Al Cervi – COY, All-NBL First Team
- Dolph Schayes – ROY