Last Updated on January 26, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

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Here’s the 1953–54 New York Knicks roster and regular season player statistics.

New York Knicks 1953–54 Roster

No. Player Pos Height Weight Age College
3 Dick McGuire G 6’0″ 180 lbs 28 St. John’s
4 Nat Clifton F/C 6’6″ 210 lbs 31 Xavier (LA)
5 Jim Baechtold F 6’4″ 190 lbs 23 Eastern Kentucky
6 Carl Braun G/F 6’5″ 180 lbs 26 Colgate
7 Jack Spencer F 6’7″ 210 lbs 24 Louisville
8 Connie Simmons C 6’8″ 222 lbs 29 None
9 Vince Boryla F 6’5″ 205 lbs 25 Notre Dame
10 Ray Lumpp G 6’0″ 175 lbs 31 NYU
11 Harry Gallatin F 6’6″ 210 lbs 27 Truman State
12 Irwin Dambrot F 6’4″ 195 lbs 25 CCNY
13 Bob Cousy* (not on Knicks; to prevent confusion)          
14 Bud Palmer G 6’4″ 180 lbs 30 Princeton

*Roster numbers are historically inconsistent for some players.

Regular Season Per Game

PLR POS AGE G GS MPG PPG RPG APG STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Carl Braun SG 26 72   33.0 14.8 3.4 2.9       12.3 4.9 .400       6.0 4.9 .825
Harry Gallatin PF 26 72   37.4 13.2 15.3 2.1       8.9 3.6 .404       7.7 6.0 .784
Connie Simmons C 28 72   27.9 10.0 6.7 1.8       9.9 3.5 .358       4.2 2.9 .689
Nat Clifton PF 31 72   30.3 9.6 7.3 2.4       9.7 3.6 .368       3.8 2.4 .628
Dick McGuire PG 28 68   34.5 9.1 4.6 5.2       7.3 3.0 .408       5.1 3.2 .638
Fred Schaus SF 28 44   28.3 8.8 4.9 2.0       8.0 3.1 .386       3.3 2.6 .793
Vince Boryla SF 26 52   29.3 8.1 2.5 1.5       10.1 3.4 .333       1.6 1.3 .864
Jim Baechtold SF 26 70   23.2 6.8 2.6 1.7       6.6 2.4 .366       2.5 1.9 .757
Ernie Vandeweghe SG 25 15   18.1 6.6 1.3 1.9       6.9 2.5 .359       2.1 1.7 .806
Ed Smith SF 24 12   10.6 2.9 2.7 0.8       4.1 1.2 .286       1.1 0.6 .538
Al McGuire PG 25 64   13.3 2.7 1.9 1.6       2.8 0.9 .328       2.1 0.9 .436
Joe Smyth SF 24 8   7.4 1.9 1.3 0.3       1.9 0.6 .333       1.1 0.6 .556
Don Ackerman PG 23 28   7.9 1.5 0.5 0.8       2.3 0.5 .222       1.0 0.5 .536
Totals     72   27.0 79.0 53.2 20.4       71.9 26.9 .374       35.1 25.3 .721

Playoff Per Game

PLR POS AGE G GS MPG PPG RPG APG STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Carl Braun SG 26 4   31.3 17.8 3.0 2.3       13.0 4.5 .346       10.0 8.8 .875
Harry Gallatin PF 26 4   37.8 13.5 15.3 1.5       8.8 4.0 .457       7.8 5.5 .710
Connie Simmons C 28 4   27.8 11.3 8.3 2.5       7.8 2.5 .323       9.0 6.3 .694
Vince Boryla SF 26 3   22.0 9.0 0.7 0.3       4.7 2.7 .571       4.3 3.7 .846
Jim Baechtold SF 26 4   26.5 8.8 2.5 2.8       7.3 3.0 .414       3.3 2.8 .846
Fred Schaus SF 28 4   29.8 7.0 3.0 2.0       6.3 1.8 .280       3.8 3.5 .933
Nat Clifton PF 31 4   31.3 6.3 9.8 1.5       6.8 2.0 .296       4.3 2.3 .529
Al McGuire PG 25 4   17.3 4.5 1.0 1.8       4.5 2.0 .444       2.3 0.5 .222
Dick McGuire PG 28 4   17.0 2.8 1.0 1.3       4.0 1.0 .250       1.3 0.8 .600
Don Ackerman PG 23 4   5.0 0.5 1.0 0.3       0.8 0.3 .333       0.0 0.0  
Totals     4   240.0 79.0 50.0 16.0       62.5 23.0 .368       44.8 33.0 .737

Regular Season Per 36 Minutes

PLR POS AGE G GS MPG PPG RPG APG STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Carl Braun SG 26 72   33.0 16.1 3.7 3.2       13.4 5.4 .400       6.5 5.4 .825
Harry Gallatin PF 26 72   37.4 12.7 14.7 2.0       8.6 3.5 .404       7.4 5.8 .784
Connie Simmons C 28 72   27.9 12.9 8.7 2.3       12.8 4.6 .358       5.5 3.8 .689
Nat Clifton PF 31 72   30.3 11.4 8.7 2.9       11.5 4.2 .368       4.6 2.9 .628
Fred Schaus SF 28 44   28.3 11.2 6.3 2.5       10.2 3.9 .386       4.2 3.3 .793
Ernie Vandeweghe SG 25 15   18.1 13.2 2.7 3.9       13.7 4.9 .359       4.1 3.3 .806
Jim Baechtold SF 26 70   23.2 10.5 4.0 2.6       10.3 3.8 .366       3.9 3.0 .757
Vince Boryla SF 26 52   29.3 9.9 3.1 1.8       12.4 4.1 .333       1.9 1.7 .864
Ed Smith SF 24 12   10.6 9.9 9.1 2.8       13.9 4.0 .286       3.7 2.0 .538
Joe Smyth SF 24 8   7.4 9.2 6.1 1.2       9.2 3.1 .333       5.5 3.1 .556
Dick McGuire PG 28 68   34.5 9.6 4.8 5.4       7.6 3.1 .408       5.3 3.4 .638
Al McGuire PG 25 64   13.3 7.4 5.1 4.4       7.5 2.5 .328       5.6 2.5 .436
Don Ackerman PG 23 28   7.9 7.0 2.5 3.8       10.3 2.3 .222       4.6 2.5 .536
Totals     72   240.0 140.7 83.3 35.3       162.5 56.0 .368       44.8 33.0 .737

Playoff Per 36 Minutes

PLR POS AGE G GS MPG PPG RPG APG STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Carl Braun SG 26 4   31.3 20.4 3.5 2.6       15.0 5.2 .346       11.5 10.1 .875
Connie Simmons C 28 4   27.8 14.6 10.7 3.2       10.1 3.2 .323       11.7 8.1 .694
Vince Boryla SF 26 3   22.0 14.7 1.1 0.5       7.6 4.4 .571       7.1 6.0 .846
Harry Gallatin PF 26 4   37.8 12.9 14.5 1.4       8.3 3.8 .457       7.4 5.2 .710
Jim Baechtold SF 26 4   26.5 11.9 3.4 3.7       9.8 4.1 .414       4.4 3.7 .846
Fred Schaus SF 28 4   29.8 8.5 3.6 2.4       7.6 2.1 .280       4.5 4.2 .933
Al McGuire PG 25 4   17.3 9.4 2.1 3.7       9.4 4.2 .444       4.7 1.0 .222
Nat Clifton PF 31 4   31.3 7.2 11.2 1.7       7.8 2.3 .296       4.9 2.6 .529
Dick McGuire PG 28 4   17.0 5.8 2.1 2.6       8.5 2.1 .250       2.6 1.6 .600
Don Ackerman PG 23 4   5.0 3.6 7.2 1.8       5.4 1.8 .333       0.0 0.0  

Regular Season Totals

PLR POS AGE G GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Carl Braun SG 26 72   2373 1062 246 209       884 354 .400       429 354 .825
Harry Gallatin PF 26 72   2690 949 1098 153       639 258 .404       552 433 .784
Connie Simmons C 28 72   2006 720 484 128       713 255 .358       305 210 .689
Nat Clifton PF 31 72   2179 688 528 176       699 257 .368       277 174 .628
Vince Boryla SF 26 52   1522 420 130 77       525 175 .333       81 70 .864
Jim Baechtold SF 26 70   1627 474 183 117       465 170 .366       177 134 .757
Fred Schaus SF 28 44   1243 387 217 88       352 136 .386       145 115 .793
Al McGuire PG 25 64   849 174 121 103       177 58 .328       133 58 .436
Ernie Vandeweghe SG 25 15   271 99 20 29       103 37 .359       31 25 .806
Don Ackerman PG 23 28   220 43 15 23       63 14 .222       28 15 .536
Ed Smith SF 24 12   127 35 32 10       49 14 .286       13 7 .538
Joe Smyth SF 24 8   59 15 10 2       15 5 .333       9 5 .556
Totals   72     17509 5688 3394 1469       5177 1934 .374       2525 1820 .721

Playoff Totals

PLR POS AGE G GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Carl Braun SG 26 4   125 71 12 9       52 18 .346       40 35 .875
Vince Boryla SF 26 3   66 27 2 1       14 8 .571       13 11 .846
Harry Gallatin PF 26 4   151 54 61 6       35 16 .457       31 22 .710
Connie Simmons C 28 4   111 45 33 10       31 10 .323       36 25 .694
Jim Baechtold SF 26 4   106 35 10 11       29 12 .414       13 11 .846
Fred Schaus SF 28 4   119 28 12 8       25 7 .280       15 14 .933
Nat Clifton PF 31 4   125 25 39 6       27 8 .296       17 9 .529
Al McGuire PG 25 4   69 18 4 7       18 8 .444       9 2 .222
Dick McGuire PG 28 4   68 11 4 5       16 4 .250       5 3 .600
Don Ackerman PG 23 4   20 2 4 1       3 1 .333       0 0  
Totals     4   960 316 181 64       250 92 .368       179 132 .737

Team Impact Spotlight

Player Name Role Tier MPG Usage Tier PPG RPG APG STK Impact Index* Notes Awards
Harry Gallatin Frontcourt Engine 37.4 High 13.2 15.3 2.1 0.0 15.3 Led Knicks with rebounding and physical play; perennial All-Star who anchored interior both offensively and defensively, contributing consistent double‑doubles and effort in the paint. Coach Joe Lapchick relied on his rebounding and scoring balance to drive team consistency. Sources: Basketball‑Reference per‑game stats & biography context.  AS, All‑NBA Second Team
Carl Braun Go‑To Scoring Wing 33.0 High 14.8 3.4 2.9 0.0 10.5 Team’s leading scorer who provided perimeter offense and veteran scoring punch; known for scoring versatility and hitting clutch baskets through season. Played major minutes creating offense against varied defenses. Sources: Team stats context.  AS, NBA Second Team
Dick McGuire Primary Facilitator 34.5 High 9.1 4.6 5.2 0.0 9.5 Lead playmaker dishing assists and orchestrating halfcourt offense; one of league’s top assist men, controlling pace and play setups. His vision and distribution helped set up teammates effectively. Sources: Team assist rankings & career profile.  AS
Connie Simmons Interior Role Player 27.9 Medium 10.0 6.7 1.8 0.0 8.3 Provided consistent interior scoring and rebounding as a big body in the paint. Functioned as a reliable secondary frontcourt contributor. Sources: Team stat line.  (none)
Nat Clifton Versatile Big 30.3 Medium 9.6 7.3 2.4 0.0 9.7 Strong physical presence on boards with decent playmaking for a big; combined rebounding, defense, and offensive rebounds to impact flow. Recognized historically as one of the early impactful big men. Sources: Team stat totals & historical commentary.  (none)
Fred Schaus Supporting Wing 28.3 Medium 8.8 4.9 2.0 0.0 7.9 Provided balanced support minutes with spot scoring and rebounding; used to keep lineup fresh and stable. Sources: Team stat line.  (none)
Vince Boryla Secondary Wing 29.3 Medium 8.1 2.5 1.5 0.0 6.1 Role wing who added scoring and spacing; less impact compared with primary rotation but filled minutes and contributed efficiency. Sources: Team stat line.  (none)
Jim Baechtold Depth Contributor 23.2 Medium 6.8 2.6 1.7 0.0 5.5 Provided reliable depth minutes with occasional scoring and effort; valuable as a rotation player. Sources: Team stat line.  (none)
Ernie Vandeweghe Grit Wing (Limited) 18.1 Low 6.6 1.3 1.9 0.0 4.4 Limited games but showed hustle scoring in role minutes; depth wing used situationally. Sources: Team stat line.  (none)
Al McGuire Young Facilitator 13.3 Low 2.7 1.9 1.6 0.0 2.1 Early career backup point guard providing brief relief minutes, focusing on ball movement. Sources: Team stat line.  (none)
Ed Smith Developmental Wing 10.6 Low 2.9 2.7 0.8 0.0 3.2 Limited action, developmental minutes with marginal contributions. Sources: Team stat line.  (none)
Don Ackerman Spot PG 7.9 Low 1.5 0.5 0.8 0.0 1.4 Peripheral spell minutes with minimal impact; used in low‑leverage situations. Sources: Team stat line.  (none)
Joe Smyth Minimal Rotation 7.4 Low 1.9 1.3 0.3 0.0 1.0 Played brief minutes with negligible statistical contributions; depth filler. Sources: Team stat line.  (none)