The 1956-57 New York Knicks season was a challenging period for the franchise, as they struggled to find consistency and success on the court. The team ended the season with a record of 36 wins and 36 losses, placing them fourth in the Eastern Division. Despite their balanced win-loss record, the Knicks failed to secure a spot in the playoffs, highlighting a need for improvement in the competitive landscape of the NBA during that era.
Under the stewardship of head coach Vince Boryla, the Knicks faced stiff competition within their division. The team’s roster featured notable players such as Richie Guerin, who was emerging as a key contributor. However, the team lacked the depth and star power needed to compete with dominant teams like the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia Warriors, who were the frontrunners in the division.
Throughout the season, the Knicks displayed moments of promise but were hampered by inconsistencies, particularly in their defensive play. The team’s inability to string together significant winning streaks ultimately cost them a playoff berth. This season marked the beginning of a rebuilding phase for the Knicks, as they sought to develop young talent and restructure their roster to become more competitive in subsequent seasons. Despite the setbacks, the 1956-57 season laid the groundwork for future improvements and set the stage for the evolution of the franchise in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
- Regular Season Record: 36-36
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
New York Knicks Roster and Stats for 1956-57 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Harry Gallatin | 72 | 15.0 | 4.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Kenny Sears | 72 | 14.8 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Carl Braun | 72 | 13.9 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ray Felix | 72 | 12.0 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Nat Clifton | 72 | 10.6 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Willie Naulls | 52 | 10.1 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Richie Guerin | 72 | 9.6 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Slater Martin | 13 | 8.5 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ron Sobie | 71 | 6.8 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dick McGuire | 72 | 5.3 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Phil Jordon | 9 | 4.9 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jim Baechtold | 45 | 4.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ron Shavlik | 7 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Gary Bergen | 6 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
New York Knicks 1956-57 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1956-57 season for the New York Knicks.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 1956 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 115-112 | |
| Nov 03, 1956 | @ Boston Celtics | W 113-107 | |
| Nov 04, 1956 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | W 96-83 | |
| Nov 07, 1956 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 107-101 | |
| Nov 10, 1956 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 83-81 | |
| Nov 11, 1956 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 106-95 | |
| Nov 14, 1956 | @ Rochester Royals | L 90-87 | |
| Nov 18, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 102-69 | |
| Nov 21, 1956 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 104-103 | |
| Nov 24, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 96-87 | |
| Nov 25, 1956 | @ Rochester Royals | L 95-93 | |
| Nov 27, 1956 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 105-98 | |
| Nov 30, 1956 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 110-99 | |
| Dec 01, 1956 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 117-100 | |
| Dec 02, 1956 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 110-100 | |
| Dec 04, 1956 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 101-88 | |
| Dec 06, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 95-92 | |
| Dec 07, 1956 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 107-101 | |
| Dec 08, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 109-104 | |
| Dec 09, 1956 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | W 100-91 | |
| Dec 11, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 137-128 | |
| Dec 12, 1956 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 121-103 | |
| Dec 15, 1956 | @ Rochester Royals | W 91-76 | |
| Dec 16, 1956 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 84-80 | |
| Dec 18, 1956 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 110-99 | |
| Dec 23, 1956 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 95-90 | |
| Dec 25, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 107-105 | |
| Dec 27, 1956 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 112-87 | |
| Dec 30, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 96-88 | |
| Jan 01, 1957 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 106-102 | |
| Jan 03, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 126-111 | |
| Jan 05, 1957 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 109-96 | |
| Jan 06, 1957 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | W 111-101 | |
| Jan 08, 1957 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 113-102 | |
| Jan 10, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 89-84 | |
| Jan 12, 1957 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 116-82 | |
| Jan 13, 1957 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 101-90 | |
| Jan 17, 1957 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | W 94-93 | |
| Jan 19, 1957 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 102-100 | |
| Jan 20, 1957 | @ Boston Celtics | L 114-78 | |
| Jan 22, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 90-88 | |
| Jan 23, 1957 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 99-93 | |
| Jan 24, 1957 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 115-97 | |
| Jan 26, 1957 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 122-107 | |
| Jan 27, 1957 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 103-102 | |
| Jan 29, 1957 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 114-110 | |
| Jan 30, 1957 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 92-80 | |
| Jan 31, 1957 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 106-102 | |
| Feb 02, 1957 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 114-111 | |
| Feb 03, 1957 | @ Boston Celtics | L 116-98 | |
| Feb 05, 1957 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 91-88 | |
| Feb 06, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 119-100 | |
| Feb 08, 1957 | @ Boston Celtics | W 92-90 | |
| Feb 09, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 101-89 | |
| Feb 10, 1957 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 102-100 | |
| Feb 13, 1957 | @ Rochester Royals | W 85-82 | |
| Feb 14, 1957 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 99-97 | |
| Feb 16, 1957 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 120-112 | |
| Feb 17, 1957 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 123-115 | |
| Feb 19, 1957 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 112-110 | |
| Feb 21, 1957 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 120-114 | |
| Feb 23, 1957 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 102-94 | |
| Feb 24, 1957 | @ Boston Celtics | L 97-85 | |
| Feb 26, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 107-76 | |
| Feb 28, 1957 | @ Boston Celtics | W 122-121 | |
| Mar 02, 1957 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 97-94 | |
| Mar 03, 1957 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 119-108 | |
| Mar 05, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 99-92 | |
| Mar 06, 1957 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 100-93 | |
| Mar 07, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 99-94 | |
| Mar 10, 1957 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 104-103 | |
| Mar 13, 1957 | @ Boston Celtics | L 122-91 |