1952–53 Baltimore Bullets season

The 1952-53 NBA season was the Bullets' 6th season in the NBA and 9th overall season of existence. The team featured Hall of Fame center Don Barksdale. Their .229 winning percentage is the lowest of any team in the four major North American sports leagues to ever qualify for the playoffs. The Bullets never again made the playoffs, and the franchise folded midway through the 1954–55 season.

1952–53 Baltimore Bullets season
Head coach	Chick Reiser Clair Bee
Arena	Baltimore Coliseum
Results
Record	16–54 (.229)
Place	Division: 4th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	East Division Semifinals (eliminated 0-2)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Radio	WCBM

Draft picks

Main article: 1952 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	2	Jim Baechtold	G/F	United States	Eastern Kentucky

Roster

Baltimore Bullets 1952–53 roster

Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. From SF 18 Baechtold, Jim 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Eastern Kentucky PF 17 Barksdale, Don 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Temple G/F Boven, Don 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Western Michigan SF 9 Bunt, Dick 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) NYU G Denning, Blaine 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Lawrence Technological C 16 Henriksen, Don 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) California SG 11 Hoffman, Paul 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Purdue SF 9 Kaftan, George 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Holy Cross PF 12 Kerris, Jack 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Loyola Chicago G/F Kudelka, Frank 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 193 lb (88 kg) Saint Mary's PG 8 Lumpp, Ray 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 178 lb (81 kg) NYU F 10 McLeod, George 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) TCU F/C Miasek, Stan 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) C 15 Miller, Eddie 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Syracuse G/F Minor, Dave 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) UCLA PG 20 O'Brien, Ralph 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Butler SG 7 O'Shea, Kevin 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Notre Dame F 9, 10 Priddy, Bob 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) New Mexico State PF Ratkovicz, George 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Lindblom Technical High School PG Scolari, Fred 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 180 lb (82 kg) San Francisco

Head coach Chick Reiser Clair Bee Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Record vs. opponents

1952-53 NBA Records
Team	BAL	BOS	FWP	IND	MIL	MIN	NYK	PHI	ROC	SYR
Baltimore	—	2–8	0–6	2–4	3–3	1–5	0–10	6–4	0–6	2–8
Boston	8–2	—	4–2	4–2	5–1	1–5	6–4	9–1	4–2	5–6
Fort Wayne	6–0	2–4	—	7–3	7–3	1–9	4–2	5–0	3–7	1–5
Indianapolis	4–2	2–4	3–7	—	5–6	4–6	1–5	5–1	3–7	1–5
Milwaukee	3–3	1–5	3–7	6–5	—	3–7	1–5	4–2	3–7	3–3
Minneapolis	5–1	5–1	9–1	6–4	7–3	—	4–2	6–0	4–6	2–4
New York	10–0	4–6	2–4	5–1	5–1	2–4	—	10–0	3–3	6–4
Philadelphia	4–6	1–9	0–5	1–5	2–4	0–6	0–10	—	2–4	2–8
Rochester	6–0	2–4	7–3	7–3	7–3	6–4	3–3	4–2	—	2–4
Syracuse	8–2	6–5	5–1	5–1	3–3	4–2	4–6	8–2	4–2	—

Game log

1952–53 Game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	November 1	@ New York	53–69	Fred Scolari (11)	0–1
2	November 5	Minneapolis	97–75	Don Barksdale (19)	0–2
3	November 8	New York	92–62	Stan Miasek (14)	0–3
4	November 12	Milwaukee	90–107	Hoffman, Ratkovicz (18)	1–3
5	November 15	Syracuse	91–97 (OT)	Fred Scolari (18)	2–3
6	November 16	N Philadelphia	81–79	Fred Scolari (17)	2–4
7	November 19	Philadelphia	89–106	Fred Scolari (24)	3–4
8	November 20	@ Philadelphia	99–106	Don Barksdale (18)	3–5
9	November 22	N Philadelphia	95–96	George Kaftan (29)	4–5
10	November 23	Indianapolis	100–90	George Kaftan (19)	4–6
11	November 25	@ Rochester	89–106	Stan Miasek (16)	4–7
12	November 26	New York	94–92	Fred Scolari (22)	4–8
13	November 27	N New York	104–92	Stan Miasek (22)	4–9
14	November 29	Syracuse	87–74	Don Barksdale (23)	4–10
15	November 30	@ Fort Wayne	95–100 (2OT)	Fred Scolari (22)	4–11
16	December 1	N Minneapolis	89–67	Fred Scolari (13)	4–12
17	December 3	Milwaukee	87–98	Fred Scolari (26)	5–12
18	December 6	Fort Wayne	103–91	Stan Miasek (20)	5–13
19	December 10	Rochester	99–97 (OT)	Fred Scolari (23)	5–14
20	December 11	N Boston	94–88	Don Barksdale (24)	5–15
21	December 14	Boston	83–73	Jim Baechtold (19)	5–16
22	December 20	New York	102–99 (OT)	Eddie Miller (25)	5–17
23	December 21	@ New York	77–102	Fred Scolari (14)	5–18
24	December 25	@ Syracuse	92–102	Fred Scolari (19)	5–19
25	December 27	Syracuse	81–76 (OT)	Fred Scolari (25)	5–20
26	December 31	@ Minneapolis	56–82	Eddie Miller (18)	5–21
27	January 1	@ Milwaukee	83–81 (OT)	Don Barksdale (19)	6–21
28	January 2	@ Indianapolis	66–73	Ray Lumpp (15)	6–22
29	January 3	Philadelphia	77–81	Fred Scolari (25)	7–22
30	January 4	@ Syracuse	68–93	Barksdale, Miller (17)	7–23
31	January 9	N Boston	90–94	Paul Hoffman (32)	8–23
32	January 10	Boston	105–126	Baechtold, Henriksen (23)	9–23
33	January 11	@ Boston	87–131	Paul Hoffman (18)	9–24
34	January 14	Minneapolis	112–104 (2OT)	Eddie Miller (24)	9–25
35	January 17	Indianapolis	66–82	Don Barksdale (27)	10–25
36	January 18	@ Syracuse	84–103	Fred Scolari (17)	10–26
37	January 21	Rochester	89–82	Miller, Scolari (14)	10–27
38	January 25	Philadelphia	68–82	Eddie Miller (15)	11–27
39	January 28	Milwaukee	84–83	Fred Scolari (21)	11–28
40	January 29	N Milwaukee	70–67	Eddie Miller (12)	11–29
41	January 31	Indianapolis	90–97	Don Henriksen (18)	12–29
42	February 1	@ Syracuse	79–94	Eddie Miller (27)	12–30
43	February 2	N Syracuse	98–77	Jim Baechtold (16)	12–31
44	February 3	@ Rochester	82–109	Ray Lumpp (21)	12–32
45	February 4	N Philadelphia	96–88	Eddie Miller (27)	12–33
46	February 7	Boston	101–98 (OT)	Ray Lumpp (25)	12–34
47	February 8	@ Fort Wayne	78–89	Don Barksdale (19)	12–35
48	February 10	@ Indianapolis	83–88	Eddie Miller (20)	12–36
49	February 11	New York	86–80	Eddie Miller (22)	12–37
50	February 12	N Milwaukee	92–85	Don Barksdale (19)	12–38
51	February 13	N New York	106–96	Eddie Miller (22)	12–39
52	February 14	Fort Wayne	102–88	Don Barksdale (18)	12–40
53	February 15	N Philadelphia	95–75	Don Barksdale (22)	12–41
54	February 17	N Minneapolis	74–70	Baechtold, Barksdale (16)	13–41
55	February 19	@ Fort Wayne	79–83	Jack Kerris (23)	13–42
56	February 20	@ Indianapolis	58–59	Don Henriksen (15)	13–43
57	February 21	Boston	90–86	Jim Baechtold (21)	13–44
58	February 25	Minneapolis	85–72	Ray Lumpp (17)	13–45
59	February 26	N Boston	82–81	Don Henriksen (19)	13–46
60	February 28	Syracuse	74–77	Barksdale, Hoffman (22)	14–46
61	March 3	N Boston	95–94 (OT)	Eddie Miller (25)	14–47
62	March 4	Rochester	81–77	Baechtold, Barksdale (17)	14–48
63	March 5	N New York	80–69	Ray Lumpp (26)	14–49
64	March 7	Fort Wayne	83–81 (OT)	Ray Lumpp (22)	14–50
65	March 8	@ Syracuse	91–98	Jim Baechtold (17)	14–51
66	March 11	N New York	113–107 (3OT)	Jim Baechtold (30)	14–52
67	March 13	N Philadelphia	72–98	Paul Hoffman (17)	15–52
68	March 14	Philadelphia	85–87	Baechtold, Henriksen, Lumpp (19)	16–52
69	March 15	@ Rochester	87–105	Eddie Miller (20)	16–53
70	March 16	N Boston	92–78	Jack Kerris (17)	16–54

Playoffs

East Division Semifinals

(1) New York Knicks vs. (4) Baltimore Bullets: Knicks win series 2-0

• Game 1 @ New York: New York 80, Baltimore 62
• Game 2 @ Baltimore: New York 90, Baltimore 81

Last Playoff Meeting: 1949 Eastern Division Semifinals (New York won 2–1)