The 1958-59 New York Knicks season was a challenging period for the franchise. Under the leadership of head coach Andrew Levane, the team struggled to find consistency, ending the regular season with a disappointing record of 40 wins and 32 losses. Despite their efforts, the Knicks finished fourth in the Eastern Division, which was not enough to secure a spot in the playoffs. This marked another year of difficulty for the team as they continued to search for a successful formula in the competitive NBA landscape.
Key players during this season included Richie Guerin, who was a standout performer and one of the leading scorers for the team. His contributions were vital, but the overall team performance fell short against stronger opponents. The Knicks were unable to build momentum throughout the season, leading to their exclusion from postseason play. This was a significant factor in the team’s inability to compete for higher honors during this era.
The 1958-59 season was indicative of the Knicks’ broader struggles during the late 1950s, as they attempted to rebuild and reestablish themselves as a formidable force in the league. While there were moments of promise, the overall outcome highlighted the need for strategic changes and improvements in the roster. This season served as a learning experience for the franchise, setting the stage for future adjustments in hopes of returning to competitive prominence.
- Regular Season Record: 40-32
- Playoff Result: Division Semifinals: 0-2
New York Knicks Roster and Stats for 1958-59 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Kenny Sears | 71 | 21.0 | 4.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 16.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Richie Guerin | 71 | 18.1 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 15.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Willie Naulls | 68 | 15.7 | 5.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 17.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Carl Braun | 72 | 10.5 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 16.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ray Felix | 72 | 10.4 | 3.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 13.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Frank Selvy | 68 | 9.8 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 14.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Charlie Tyra | 69 | 8.8 | 3.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 15.0 | 8.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ron Sobie | 50 | 8.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jack George | 25 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Mike Farmer | 72 | 6.0 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Guy Sparrow | 44 | 5.7 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Pete Brennan | 16 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jerry Bird | 11 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Brendan McCann | 1 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
New York Knicks in the 1959 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Syracuse Nationals
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 129-123 | |
| Mar 15, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 131-115 |
New York Knicks 1958-59 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1958-59 season for the New York Knicks.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25, 1958 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 127-125 | |
| Oct 26, 1958 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 100-94 | |
| Nov 01, 1958 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 111-92 | |
| Nov 05, 1958 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 108-97 | |
| Nov 07, 1958 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 115-101 | |
| Nov 08, 1958 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | W 108-100 | |
| Nov 13, 1958 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 119-102 | |
| Nov 15, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 96-92 | |
| Nov 16, 1958 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 98-90 | |
| Nov 21, 1958 | @ Boston Celtics | W 112-106 | |
| Nov 22, 1958 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 114-99 | |
| Nov 25, 1958 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | L 115-113 | |
| Nov 26, 1958 | @ Boston Celtics | L 121-109 | |
| Nov 29, 1958 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 115-103 | |
| Nov 30, 1958 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 103-100 | |
| Dec 02, 1958 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 109-90 | |
| Dec 03, 1958 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 110-108 | |
| Dec 05, 1958 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 110-108 | |
| Dec 06, 1958 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 99-92 | |
| Dec 09, 1958 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 110-97 | |
| Dec 12, 1958 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 106-104 | |
| Dec 13, 1958 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 108-94 | |
| Dec 14, 1958 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | W 100-99 | |
| Dec 16, 1958 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 118-106 | |
| Dec 17, 1958 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 136-122 | |
| Dec 20, 1958 | @ Boston Celtics | L 135-106 | |
| Dec 21, 1958 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 108-94 | |
| Dec 25, 1958 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 129-120 | |
| Dec 26, 1958 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 106-93 | |
| Dec 27, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 106-102 | |
| Dec 30, 1958 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 93-90 | |
| Jan 02, 1959 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 107-97 | |
| Jan 03, 1959 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 106-102 | |
| Jan 04, 1959 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 122-114 | |
| Jan 06, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 118-108 | |
| Jan 07, 1959 | @ Boston Celtics | L 109-78 | |
| Jan 10, 1959 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 103-97 | |
| Jan 11, 1959 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 111-105 | |
| Jan 14, 1959 | @ Boston Celtics | L 123-112 | |
| Jan 15, 1959 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 95-91 | |
| Jan 17, 1959 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 117-105 | |
| Jan 18, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 120-118 | |
| Jan 20, 1959 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 114-108 | |
| Jan 21, 1959 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 130-109 | |
| Jan 24, 1959 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 122-118 | |
| Jan 25, 1959 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 115-111 | |
| Jan 27, 1959 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 112-111 | |
| Jan 31, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 119-117 | |
| Feb 01, 1959 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 113-105 | |
| Feb 03, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 115-114 | |
| Feb 04, 1959 | @ Boston Celtics | W 129-126 | |
| Feb 05, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 111-98 | |
| Feb 07, 1959 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 124-116 | |
| Feb 08, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 113-104 | |
| Feb 09, 1959 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 128-122 | |
| Feb 12, 1959 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 106-105 | |
| Feb 13, 1959 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 96-90 | |
| Feb 15, 1959 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 124-97 | |
| Feb 17, 1959 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 112-93 | |
| Feb 18, 1959 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 118-116 | |
| Feb 20, 1959 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 116-106 | |
| Feb 21, 1959 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 114-101 | |
| Feb 22, 1959 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 111-90 | |
| Feb 24, 1959 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 134-122 | |
| Feb 25, 1959 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 134-123 | |
| Feb 28, 1959 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 112-107 | |
| Mar 01, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 140-115 | |
| Mar 03, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 127-120 | |
| Mar 04, 1959 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 118-115 | |
| Mar 05, 1959 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 135-115 | |
| Mar 08, 1959 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 127-120 | |
| Mar 10, 1959 | @ Boston Celtics | W 138-116 |