Last Updated on October 2, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
The 1946-47 Washington Capitols were one of the standout teams in the inaugural season of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the league that would later evolve into the NBA. Led by Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach, the Capitols finished with one of the league’s best records and established themselves as an early powerhouse in professional basketball.
Roster
| NO. | PLAYER NAME | POS | HT | WT | BIRTH DATE | COLLEGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Marty Passaglia | G | 6-1 | 170 | April 22, 1919 | Santa Clara |
| 6, 21 | Buddy O’Grady | G | 5-11 | 160 | January 19, 1920 | Georgetown |
| 10 | Bob Feerick | F-G | 6-3 | 190 | January 2, 1920 | Santa Clara |
| 12 | John Mahnken | C | 6-8 | 220 | June 16, 1922 | Georgetown |
| 14, 23 | Fred Scolari | PG | 5-10 | 180 | March 1, 1922 | San Francisco |
| 15 | Irv Torgoff | F | 6-2 | 192 | March 6, 1917 | Long Island University |
| 15 | Ken Keller | G | 6-1 | 180 | August 16, 1922 | St. John’s |
| 16 | Johnny Norlander | F | 6-3 | 180 | March 5, 1921 | Hamline University |
| 17 | Bones McKinney | SF | 6-6 | 185 | January 1, 1919 | UNC |
| 18 | Al Negratti | F-C | 6-3 | 200 | June 12, 1921 | Seton Hall |
| 19 | Bob Gantt | F-C | 6-4 | 205 | June 22, 1922 | Duke |
| 19 | Gene Gallette | F | 6-2 | 205 | February 22, 1919 | |
| 22 | Al Lujack | F | 6-3 | 220 | October 5, 1920 | Georgetown |
| Ben Goldfaden | F | 6-1 | 185 | September 6, 1913 | George Washington |
Regular Season Per Game
| PLAYER NAME | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Feerick | F-G | 27 | 55 | 16.8 | 1.3 | 16.5 | 6.6 | .401 | 4.7 | 3.6 | .762 | |||||||||
| Bones McKinney | SF | 28 | 58 | 12.0 | 1.2 | 17.0 | 4.7 | .279 | 3.6 | 2.5 | .690 | |||||||||
| Fred Scolari | PG | 24 | 58 | 12.6 | 1.0 | 17.1 | 5.0 | .294 | 3.1 | 2.5 | .811 | |||||||||
| Johnny Norlander | F | 25 | 60 | 10.4 | 0.8 | 11.6 | 3.7 | .319 | 4.6 | 3.0 | .652 | |||||||||
| John Mahnken | C | 24 | 60 | 9.3 | 1.0 | 14.6 | 3.7 | .255 | 2.7 | 1.9 | .681 | |||||||||
| Irv Torgoff | F | 29 | 58 | 8.4 | 0.5 | 11.8 | 3.2 | .273 | 2.7 | 2.0 | .730 | |||||||||
| Buddy O’Grady | G | 27 | 55 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 4.2 | 1.0 | .238 | 1.0 | 0.7 | .717 | |||||||||
| Marty Passaglia | G | 27 | 43 | 2.8 | 0.2 | 5.1 | 1.2 | .231 | 0.7 | 0.4 | .563 | |||||||||
| Bob Gantt | F-C | 24 | 23 | 3.1 | 0.2 | 3.9 | 1.3 | .326 | 1.2 | 0.6 | .464 | |||||||||
| Al Negratti | F-C | 25 | 11 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 6.3 | 1.2 | .188 | 0.7 | 0.5 | .625 | |||||||||
| Ken Keller | G | 24 | 25 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | .333 | 0.2 | 0.1 | .500 | |||||||||
| Gene Gallette | F | 27 | 14 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.1 | .091 | 0.6 | 0.4 | .667 | |||||||||
| Al Lujack | F | 26 | 5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 0.2 | .125 | 1.0 | 0.4 | .400 | |||||||||
| Ben Goldfaden | F | 33 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .500 | |||||||||
| Team Totals | 60 | 73.8 | 6.3 | 96.6 | 28.7 | .297 | 23.2 | 16.4 | .706 |
Playoff Per Game
| PLAYER NAME | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Feerick | F-G | 27 | 6 | 15.0 | 1.0 | 18.3 | 5.8 | .318 | 4.5 | 3.3 | .741 | |||||||||
| Fred Scolari | PG | 24 | 6 | 11.8 | 0.8 | 15.8 | 3.7 | .232 | 5.7 | 4.5 | .794 | |||||||||
| John Mahnken | C | 24 | 6 | 10.3 | 0.2 | 16.0 | 3.8 | .240 | 3.2 | 2.7 | .842 | |||||||||
| Bones McKinney | SF | 28 | 6 | 9.7 | 0.5 | 14.2 | 3.0 | .212 | 5.7 | 3.7 | .647 | |||||||||
| Johnny Norlander | F | 25 | 6 | 6.8 | 0.3 | 8.3 | 2.3 | .280 | 2.8 | 2.2 | .765 | |||||||||
| Irv Torgoff | F | 29 | 6 | 6.5 | 0.8 | 13.5 | 2.2 | .160 | 3.2 | 2.2 | .684 | |||||||||
| Buddy O’Grady | G | 27 | 6 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 3.3 | 0.3 | .100 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.000 | |||||||||
| Marty Passaglia | G | 27 | 6 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 0.3 | .143 | 0.5 | 0.2 | .333 | |||||||||
| Bob Gantt | F-C | 24 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | .333 | 0.5 | 0.0 | .000 | |||||||||
| Team Totals | 6 | 62.8 | 3.7 | 92.3 | 21.7 | .235 | 26.5 | 19.5 | .736 |
Regular Season Totals
| PLAYER | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Feerick | 27 | 55 | 926 | 69 | 908 | 364 | .401 | 260 | 198 | .762 | ||||||||||
| Fred Scolari | 24 | 58 | 728 | 58 | 989 | 291 | .294 | 180 | 146 | .811 | ||||||||||
| Bones McKinney | 28 | 58 | 695 | 69 | 987 | 275 | .279 | 210 | 145 | .690 | ||||||||||
| Johnny Norlander | 25 | 60 | 626 | 50 | 698 | 223 | .319 | 276 | 180 | .652 | ||||||||||
| John Mahnken | 24 | 60 | 557 | 60 | 876 | 223 | .255 | 163 | 111 | .681 | ||||||||||
| Irv Torgoff | 29 | 58 | 490 | 30 | 684 | 187 | .273 | 159 | 116 | .730 | ||||||||||
| Buddy O’Grady | 27 | 55 | 148 | 20 | 231 | 55 | .238 | 53 | 38 | .717 | ||||||||||
| Marty Passaglia | 27 | 43 | 120 | 9 | 221 | 51 | .231 | 32 | 18 | .563 | ||||||||||
| Bob Gantt | 24 | 23 | 71 | 5 | 89 | 29 | .326 | 28 | 13 | .464 | ||||||||||
| Al Negratti | 25 | 11 | 31 | 5 | 69 | 13 | .188 | 8 | 5 | .625 | ||||||||||
| Ken Keller | 24 | 25 | 22 | 1 | 30 | 10 | .333 | 4 | 2 | .500 | ||||||||||
| Gene Gallette | 27 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 1 | .091 | 9 | 6 | .667 | ||||||||||
| Al Lujack | 26 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 1 | .125 | 5 | 2 | .400 | ||||||||||
| Ben Goldfaden | 33 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 4 | 2 | .500 | ||||||||||
| Team Totals | 60 | 4428 | 378 | 5803 | 1723 | .297 | 1391 | 982 | .706 |
Playoff Totals
| PLAYER | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Feerick | 27 | 6 | 90 | 6 | 110 | 35 | .318 | 27 | 20 | .741 | ||||||||||
| Fred Scolari | 24 | 6 | 71 | 5 | 95 | 22 | .232 | 34 | 27 | .794 | ||||||||||
| John Mahnken | 24 | 6 | 62 | 1 | 96 | 23 | .240 | 19 | 16 | .842 | ||||||||||
| Bones McKinney | 28 | 6 | 58 | 3 | 85 | 18 | .212 | 34 | 22 | .647 | ||||||||||
| Johnny Norlander | 25 | 6 | 41 | 2 | 50 | 14 | .280 | 17 | 13 | .765 | ||||||||||
| Irv Torgoff | 29 | 6 | 39 | 5 | 81 | 13 | .160 | 19 | 13 | .684 | ||||||||||
| Buddy O’Grady | 27 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 20 | 2 | .100 | 5 | 5 | 1.000 | ||||||||||
| Marty Passaglia | 27 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 2 | .143 | 3 | 1 | .333 | ||||||||||
| Bob Gantt | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .333 | 1 | 0 | .000 | ||||||||||
| Team Totals | 6 | 377 | 22 | 554 | 130 | .235 | 159 | 117 | .736 |
HeatingUp Impact Index: Regular Season Team Impact Spotlight
| PLAYER NAME | ROLE TIER | MPG | USAGE TIER | PPG | RPG | APG | STK | IMPACT INDEX | NOTES | AWARDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Feerick | Primary Two-Way Creator (1.1) | — | High | 16.8 | 4.9* | 1.3 | 0.9* | 63.10 | Versatile two-way forward-guard who functioned as Washington’s central offensive option while also defending across positions. His .401 shooting was especially valuable in a league that averaged only .279 from the field, and he was widely regarded as the Capitols’ defining player during their dominant regular season. (Basketball by the Numbers) | All-BAA First Team (1947) |
| Fred Scolari | Secondary Scoring Guard (1.05) | — | High | 12.6 | 5.2* | 1.0 | 0.9* | 49.64 | Attack-minded guard who supplied secondary scoring behind Feerick and brought an unusually strong rebounding presence for his position. His two-way value helped Washington place him on the All-BAA Second Team, while his .811 free-throw shooting gave the offense another reliable scoring avenue. (Basketball by the Numbers) | All-BAA Second Team (1947) |
| Bones McKinney | Defensive Wing Enforcer (1.1) | — | High | 12.0 | 3.5* | 1.2 | 0.7* | 45.94 | Physical two-way wing whose biggest value came from defensive pressure and versatility. He was regarded as the BAA’s premier defender during Washington’s 49-win season, while still providing enough scoring and playmaking to remain a major offensive piece. (Basketball by the Numbers) | All-BAA First Team (1947) |
| Johnny Norlander | Starting Two-Way Forward (1.1) | — | High | 10.4 | 3.8* | 0.8 | 0.6* | 41.18 | Two-way forward who combined dependable scoring with defensive responsibility and enough rebounding to influence both ends. His defense gave him an edge in All-BAA consideration, making him more than a complementary scorer on Washington’s deep roster. (Basketball by the Numbers) | All-BAA First Team (1947) |
| Irv Torgoff | Defensive Forward Specialist (1.05) | — | Medium | 8.4 | 5.6* | 0.5 | 0.7* | 35.11 | Defensive-minded forward who supplied Washington with size, rebounding and interior resistance without needing a large offensive role. His estimated defensive production was strong enough to earn recognition among the league’s best defensive forwards during the Capitols’ dominant season. (Basketball by the Numbers) | |
| John Mahnken | Defensive Interior Anchor (1.05) | — | Medium | 9.3 | 2.9* | 1.0 | 0.7* | 32.11 | Long interior defender whose value centered on protecting the paint and handling opposing centers. His defensive responsibilities were substantial enough to place him among the leading defensive players in Washington’s league-best defense, even though his offensive workload was secondary. (Basketball by the Numbers) | |
| Bob Gantt | Frontcourt Reserve (1.0) | — | Low | 3.1 | — | 0.2 | — | — | Reserve forward-center who saw a limited role within an unusually deep Washington rotation. The small sample makes it difficult to establish a broader on-court profile beyond his spot frontcourt usage. | |
| Al Negratti | Interior Depth Forward (1.0) | — | Low | 2.8 | — | 0.5 | — | — | Short-rotation frontcourt option whose season was defined by limited deployment rather than a sustained offensive assignment. With only 11 appearances, the available evidence supports a depth role more than a larger tactical responsibility. | |
| Buddy O’Grady | Backup Ballhandler (1.0) | — | Low | 2.7 | — | 0.4 | — | — | Reserve guard used mainly to provide backcourt depth and ballhandling relief. His limited offensive responsibility fits the broader pattern of Washington spreading secondary minutes around a deep roster built around several established contributors. | |
| Marty Passaglia | Reserve Guard Connector (1.0) | — | Low | 2.8 | — | 0.2 | — | — | Spot guard whose role was primarily rotational, with occasional ballhandling and connective work rather than a featured scoring assignment. His 43 appearances indicate useful depth, but the available historical record does not support a larger role classification. | |
| Ken Keller | Emergency Backcourt Reserve (1.0) | — | Low | 0.9 | — | 0.0 | — | — | Limited-use guard who occupied the back end of Washington’s rotation. His 25 appearances suggest situational depth rather than a defined offensive responsibility. | |
| Gene Gallette | Frontcourt Reserve (1.0) | — | Low | 0.6 | — | 0.1 | — | — | Briefly used forward whose season amounted to a small-sample reserve assignment. There is not enough surviving independent season-specific material to support a more detailed tactical assessment. | |
| Al Lujack | Frontcourt Depth Piece (1.0) | — | Low | 0.8 | — | 0.0 | — | — | Appeared only five times, making his role essentially emergency frontcourt depth. The sample is too small to draw meaningful conclusions about sustained usage or playing style. | |
| Ben Goldfaden | Veteran Frontcourt Reserve (1.0) | — | Low | 1.0 | — | 0.0 | — | — | At age 33, Goldfaden provided veteran frontcourt depth but appeared in only two games. That tiny sample limits any meaningful assessment beyond a reserve role. |
HeatingUp Impact Index: Playoff Team Impact Spotlight
| PLAYER NAME | ROLE TIER | MPG | USAGE TIER | PPG | RPG | APG | STK | IMPACT INDEX | NOTES | AWARDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Feerick | Primary Offensive Engine (1.1) | N/A | High (1.2) | 15.0 | N/A | 1.0 | N/A | N/A | Primary scoring option and veteran creator, Feerick carried Washington’s half-court offense while repeatedly producing against Chicago. He scored 13, 19, 16, 16, 18 and 8 in the six-game semifinal, with his 18-point effort helping Washington extend the series to a sixth game. Washington Post | |
| Fred Scolari | Lead Shot-Creating Guard (1.1) | N/A | High (1.2) | 11.8 | N/A | 0.8 | N/A | N/A | Attack-oriented backcourt scorer who remained a major offensive release valve when Chicago collapsed on Feerick. Scolari saved his biggest scoring performance for the elimination game, leading Washington with 25 points in the Game 6 loss. RealGM | |
| John Mahnken | Interior Scoring Center (1.05) | N/A | Medium (1.1) | 10.3 | N/A | 0.2 | N/A | N/A | Physical interior presence whose scoring became particularly important once Washington finally broke through against Chicago. Mahnken led the Capitols with 18 points in their Game 4 victory, then added 7 in the road win that briefly brought Washington within one game of tying the series. Basketball-Reference | |
| Bones McKinney | Two-Way Wing Enforcer (1.05) | N/A | Medium (1.1) | 9.7 | N/A | 0.5 | N/A | N/A | Aggressive forward whose value extended beyond his scoring, particularly in Auerbach’s fast-breaking system. McKinney’s postseason offense fluctuated, but his 15- and 16-point performances powered Washington’s two victories and showed why he remained a central piece of the rotation. Washington Metropolitan Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Johnny Norlander | Two-Way Forward Finisher (1.05) | N/A | Medium (1.1) | 6.8 | N/A | 0.3 | N/A | N/A | Straightforward forward finisher who supplied timely scoring without being asked to dominate possessions. His 12-point opening game was followed by a quieter series, but he remained part of Washington’s regular six-man winning rotation. StatMuse | |
| Irv Torgoff | Sixth Man Scoring Forward (1.05) | N/A | Medium (1.1) | 6.5 | N/A | 0.8 | N/A | N/A | Bench scorer who helped establish the early sixth-man concept under Red Auerbach, entering to provide an immediate offensive lift rather than carrying a starting workload. His postseason role stayed complementary as Washington leaned on its established core. Washington Post | |
| Buddy O’Grady | Backup Ballhandler (1.0) | N/A | Low (1.0) | 1.5 | N/A | 0.0 | N/A | N/A | Reserve guard used for backcourt depth in a tightly defined postseason rotation. His six appearances were valuable mainly as relief minutes rather than as a sustained offensive assignment. Land of Basketball | |
| Marty Passaglia | Reserve Guard Connector (1.0) | N/A | Low (1.0) | 0.8 | N/A | 0.0 | N/A | N/A | Spot guard whose postseason job was largely connective and situational. With only six games in the run, the available evidence points to limited rotation duty rather than a featured role. Land of Basketball | |
| Bob Gantt | Frontcourt Depth Reserve (1.0) | N/A | Low (1.0) | 1.0 | N/A | 0.0 | N/A | N/A | Brief frontcourt reserve appearance during Washington’s semifinal run. His two-game sample is too small to support a broader tactical assessment beyond emergency depth. Duke University Press |