1955–56 Philadelphia Warriors season

1955–56 Philadelphia Warriors season
NBA champions
Division champions
Head coachGeorge Senesky
ArenaPhiladelphia Civic Center
Results
Record45–27 (.625)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Eastern)
Playoff finishNBA champions
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWPTZ/WCAU/WFIL
RadioWIBG
(Bill Campbell)
< 1954–55 1956–57 >

The 1955–56 Philadelphia Warriors season George Senesky took over for Eddie Gottlieb as coach, the Warriors had a strong start by winning 12 of their first 16 games.[1] Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston were among the league's scoring leaders as the Warriors won the Eastern Division with a 45–27 record. The addition of rookie Tom Gola made the difference. In his first season Gola averaged 9.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.[1] In the Eastern Division Finals the Warriors beat the Syracuse Nationals in 5 games. In the NBA Finals, the Warriors won their 2nd Championship by beating the Fort Wayne Pistons 4 games to 1. HoopsHype would later rank this championship squad as tied with the 1956–57 Boston Celtics from a season later team as the team with the second-easiest path to the NBA Finals ever in 2024 due to them being one of three total championship teams who had playoff opponents that averaged around an average overall record or less during their championship run.[2]

Roster

Philadelphia Warriors roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
F 11 Arizin, Paul 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Villanova
G 7 Beck, Ernie 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Penn
F/C 12 Davis, Walt 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Texas A&M
G 5 Dempsey, George 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) King's (NY)
G 17 George, Jack 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) La Salle
G/F 15 Gola, Tom 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) La Salle
F/C 9 Graboski, Joe 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Tuley HS (IL)
G 4 Hennessy, Larry 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Villanova
C 6 Johnston, Neil 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Ohio State
F 14 Moore, Jackie 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) La Salle
G 25 Schafer, Bob 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Villanova
Head coach
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Eastern Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Philadelphia Warriors 45 27 .625 - 21-7 11-17 13-3 22-14
x-Boston Celtics 39 33 .542 6 20-7 12-15 7-11 18-18
x-Syracuse Nationals 35 37 .486 10 23-8 9–19 3-10 15-21
New York Knicks 35 37 .486 10 13-15 16-13 6-9 17-19


Record vs. opponents

1955-56 NBA Records
Team BOS FWP MIN NYK PHI ROC STL SYR
Boston — 4–5 7–2 5–7 6-33 5–4 5–4 8–4
Fort Wayne 5–4 — 5–7 5–4 4–5 7–5 7–5 4–5
Minneapolis 2–7 7–5 — 5–4 3–6 7–5 5–7 4–5
New York 7–5 4–5 4–5 — 6–6 6–3 4–5 4–8
Philadelphia 7–5 5–4 6–3 6–6 — 6–3 6–3 9–3
Rochester 4–5 5–7 5–7 3–6 3–6 — 6–6 5–4
St. Louis 4–5 5–7 7–5 5–4 3–6 6–6 — 3–6
Syracuse 4–8 5–4 5–4 8–4 3–9 4–5 6–3 —

Game log

1955–56 Game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 November 5 @ Boston 87–98 Joe Graboski (18) 1–0
2 November 9 Minneapolis 106–117 Neil Johnston (29) 1–1
3 November 10 N Rochester 84–89 Paul Arizin (33) 2–1
4 November 12 N Minneapolis 100–89 Paul Arizin (34) 3–1
5 November 17 @ Philadelphia 92–106 Joe Graboski (21) 4–1
6 November 19 Syracuse 94–102 Neil Johnston (37) 5–1
7 November 23 N Syracuse 101–104 Arizin, George (23) 6–1
8 November 24 New York 97–118 Neil Johnston (32) 7–1
9 November 26 Fort Wayne 82–87 Paul Arizin (22) 8–1
10 November 27 @ Minneapolis 94–99 Paul Arizin (24) 8–2
11 November 29 @ St. Louis 95–108 Jack George (15) 8–3
12 December 1 St. Louis 98–115 Neil Johnston (31) 9–3
13 December 3 @ New York 109–102 Paul Arizin (32) 10–3
14 December 4 @ Rochester 84–107 Neil Johnston (21) 10–4
15 December 6 N Minneapolis 116–103 Neil Johnston (32) 11–4
16 December 9 Syracuse 92–101 Jack George (30) 12–4
17 December 11 @ Fort Wayne 91–96 Paul Arizin (21) 12–5
18 December 13 N Boston 109–108 Neil Johnston (29) 13–5
19 December 15 Fort Wayne 73–80 Neil Johnston (22) 14–5
20 December 18 @ Syracuse 79–99 Neil Johnston (17) 14–6
21 December 21 @ Rochester 96–92 Neil Johnston (21) 15–6
22 December 26 New York 108–97 Paul Arizin (22) 15–7
23 December 27 @ New York 79–80 Paul Arizin (29) 15–8
24 December 29 Syracuse 83–112 Paul Arizin (20) 16–8
25 January 1 @ Boston 113–121 Paul Arizin (37) 16–9
26 January 2 N Rochester 100–130 Paul Arizin (23) 17–9
27 January 3 Fort Wayne 82–102 Tom Gola (20) 18–9
28 January 4 @ Syracuse 88–87 Neil Johnston (26) 19–9
29 January 5 N Fort Wayne 81–92 Joe Graboski (31) 19–10
30 January 7 New York 97–104 Neil Johnston (24) 20–10
31 January 8 @ New York 95–83 Neil Johnston (28) 21–10
32 January 10 St. Louis 107–109 (OT) Neil Johnston (35) 22–10
33 January 11 @ Rochester 97–94 Paul Arizin (32) 23–10
34 January 12 Rochester 94–123 Neil Johnston (23) 24–10
35 January 14 Boston 104–103 Paul Arizin (27) 24–11
36 January 15 @ St. Louis 108–96 Paul Arizin (35) 25–11
37 January 18 N Minneapolis 94–105 Neil Johnston (28) 25–12
38 January 21 Fort Wayne 92–91 Joe Graboski (28) 25–13
39 January 22 @ Boston 129–115 Paul Arizin (39) 26–13
40 January 23 N Boston 120–104 Neil Johnston (29) 27–13
41 January 25 Syracuse 100–112 Paul Arizin (26) 28–13
42 January 26 @ Syracuse 89–100 Paul Arizin (23) 28–14
43 January 28 @ Minneapolis 108–85 Paul Arizin (33) 29–14
44 January 29 @ Fort Wayne 85–99 Paul Arizin (20) 29–15
45 January 31 @ New York 95–105 Paul Arizin (38) 29–16
46 February 1 New York 105–104 (2OT) Joe Graboski (29) 29–17
47 February 2 N New York 88–87 Paul Arizin (31) 30–17
48 February 3 Rochester 105–96 Paul Arizin (31) 30–18
49 February 5 @ St. Louis 93–105 Paul Arizin (22) 30–19
50 February 7 N Syracuse 95–128 Neil Johnston (41) 31–19
51 February 9 St. Louis 97–108 Paul Arizin (34) 32–19
52 February 11 @ Minneapolis 117–102 Paul Arizin (34) 33–19
53 February 12 @ St. Louis 87–79 Neil Johnston (22) 34–19
54 February 13 N Fort Wayne 105–94 Paul Arizin (26) 35–19
55 February 15 N Fort Wayne 101–78 Paul Arizin (25) 36–19
56 February 17 Minneapolis 111–134 Arizin, Johnston (29) 37–19
57 February 18 N Boston 115–101 Neil Johnston (38) 38–19
58 February 19 @ Boston 118–120 Paul Arizin (39) 38–20
59 February 22 New York 117–108 Neil Johnston (29) 38–21
60 February 24 Boston 129–135 Joe Graboski (35) 39–21
61 February 26 @ Syracuse 87–85 Paul Arizin (26) 40–21
62 February 29 Rochester 81–86 Neil Johnston (21) 41–21
63 March 1 Minneapolis 102–100 Joe Graboski (28) 41–22
64 March 3 Syracuse 96–102 Paul Arizin (31) 42–22
65 March 4 @ Boston 114–128 Paul Arizin (39) 42–23
66 March 6 N St. Louis 102–97 Paul Arizin (31) 42–24
67 March 7 N New York 108–87 Neil Johnston (34) 43–24
68 March 8 Boston 120–142 Arizin, Johnston (29) 44–24
69 March 10 @ Rochester 96–111 Paul Arizin (21) 44–25
70 March 11 @ Syracuse 88–99 Paul Arizin (20) 44–26
71 March 13 St. Louis 113–116 Jack George (33) 45–26
72 March 14 @ New York 108–115 Neil Johnston (27) 45–27

Roster

Philadelphia Warriors 1955–56 NBA champions

Playoffs

1956 playoff game log
Division Finals: 3–2 (home: 3–0; road: 0–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Series
1 March 23 Syracuse W 109–87 Paul Arizin (29) Neil Johnston (24) Gola, Beck (5) Philadelphia Civic Center 1–0
2 March 25 @ Syracuse L 112–118 Neil Johnston (43) Neil Johnston (16) Neil Johnston (7) Onondaga War Memorial 1–1
3 March 27 Syracuse W 119–96 Joe Graboski (20) Neil Johnston (18) Tom Gola (10) Philadelphia Civic Center 2–1
4 March 28 @ Syracuse L 104–108 Neil Johnston (35) Neil Johnston (12) Neil Johnston (7) Onondaga War Memorial 2–2
5 March 29 Syracuse W 109–104 Paul Arizin (35) Neil Johnston (18) Neil Johnston (8) Philadelphia Civic Center 3–2
NBA Finals: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 March 31 Fort Wayne W 98–94 Paul Arizin (28) Neil Johnston (14) Tom Gola (10) Philadelphia Civic Center
4,128 		1–0
2 April 1 @ Fort Wayne L 83–84 Paul Arizin (27) Arizin, Johnston (9) Ernie Beck (6) War Memorial Coliseum
6,976 		1–1
3 April 3 Fort Wayne W 100–96 Paul Arizin (27) Neil Johnston (14) Tom Gola (8) Philadelphia Civic Center
11,698 		2–1
4 April 5 @ Fort Wayne W 107–105 Paul Arizin (30) Tom Gola (9) Joe Graboski (7) War Memorial Coliseum
7,852 		3–1
5 April 7 Fort Wayne W 99–88 Joe Graboski (29) Joe Graboski (16) Jack George (10) Philadelphia Civic Center
11,194 		4–1
1956 schedule

Awards and honors

References

  1. ^ a b Philadelphia Warriors (1946–1962)
  2. ^ https://hoopshype.com/lists/ranking-the-easiest-paths-to-an-nba-title-ever-championship/