 Piatkowski as a junior at BGSU. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1945-06-11) June 11, 1945 (age 79) Toledo, Ohio |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Woodward (Toledo, Ohio) |
| College | Bowling Green (1965–1968) |
| NBA draft | 1968: 8th round, 99th overall pick |
| Selected by the San Francisco Warriors | |
| Position | Power forward |
| Number | 34, 43 |
| Career history | |
| 1968–1970 | Denver Rockets |
| 1971–1972 | The Floridians |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Walter Piatkowski Jr. (born June 11, 1945) is a retired American professional basketball player.
A 6'8" forward, Piatkowski began his career at Toledo Woodward High School then starred at Bowling Green State University, where he was a Converse Honorable Mention All-American in 1968. He then played in the American Basketball Association from 1968 to 1970 as a member of the Denver Rockets. He received ABA All-Rookie Team honors with the Rockets in 1969 after averaging 12.2 points per game. When the Rockets acquired Spencer Haywood the next season, Piatkowski saw his playing time drop, and in 1970, he briefly retired to work as a teacher. He returned to the ABA in the fall of 1971 as a member of The Floridians, but he was waived just a month into that season. He later became a salesman with a paper company. He is Polish American.
Piatkowski's son Eric Piatkowski played basketball at the University of Nebraska; was drafted into the NBA in 1994 as the 15th overall pick by the Indiana Pacers; and played 14 years in the NBA, mostly with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
ABA
Source
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968–69 | Denver | 77 | 23.6 | .417 | .329 | .775 | 4.7 | .6 | 12.2 |
| 1969–70 | Denver | 74 | 17.6 | .402 | .220 | .768 | 3.4 | .6 | 7.0 |
| 1971–72 | Florida | 6 | 4.7 | .188 | – | – | .3 | .3 | 1.0 |
| Career | 157 | 20.1 | .409 | .288 | .772 | 3.9 | .6 | 9.3 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Denver | 7 | 28.7 | .432 | .111 | .909 | 4.1 | .9 | 15.3 |
| 1970 | Denver | 6 | 8.3 | .500 | .250 | .500 | 1.8 | .7 | 4.5 |
| Career | 13 | 19.3 | .444 | .154 | .800 | 3.1 | .8 | 10.3 | |
References
- BGSU Men's Basketball 2009-10. 87. Retrieved on August 31, 2010.
- Walter Piatkowski. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on August 31, 2010.
- ^ Chris Baker. "Clippers watching rising son". Los Angeles Times. October 31, 1994. Retrieved on August 31, 2010.
- "Archives". Los Angeles Times.
- "Walt Piatkowski ABA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved 19 August 2023.