1994–95 Washington Bullets season
NBA professional basketball team season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1994–95 Washington Bullets season was the 34th season for the Washington Bullets in the National Basketball Association, and their 22nd season in Washington, D.C.[1]
Baltimore Arena (4 games)
| 1994–95 Washington Bullets season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Jim Lynam |
| General manager | John Nash |
| Owner | Abe Pollin |
| Arena | USAir Arena (37 games) Baltimore Arena (4 games) |
| Results | |
| Record | 21–61 (.256) |
| Place | Division: 7th (Atlantic) Conference: 14th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WDCA Home Team Sports |
| Radio | WTOP |
Season summary
Off-season
The Bullets received the fifth overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft, and selected power forward Juwan Howard from the University of Michigan.[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team acquired Scott Skiles from the Orlando Magic,[5][6][7] and hired Jim Lynam as their new head coach.[8][9] During the first month of the regular season, the Bullets traded Tom Gugliotta to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Howard's former "Fab Five" teammate at Michigan, second-year star Chris Webber.[10][11][12]
Regular season
Under Lynam and with the addition of Webber, Howard and Skiles, the Bullets won four of their first five games of the regular season, but continued to struggle losing 25 of their next 28 games, which included a ten-game losing streak, and held an 11–34 record at the All-Star break.[13] At mid-season, things got worse as Kevin Duckworth dealt with continuing weight problems, and was suspended indefinitely after 40 games for not staying in physical condition, where he weighed over 310 lbs.[14][15][16] The Bullets suffered a 13-game losing streak between March and April, and finished in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 21–61 record;[17] the team missed the NBA playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.[1]
Webber averaged 20.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.6 blocks per game in 54 games, missing 19 games due to a shoulder injury,[18][19][20] while Howard averaged 17.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and second-year guard Calbert Cheaney provided the team with 16.6 points per game. In addition, Rex Chapman contributed 16.2 points per game in only just 45 games due to groin and thumb injuries,[21][22][23] while Skiles provided with 13.0 points and 7.3 assists per game, Don MacLean contributed 11.0 points per game, but only played just 39 games due to knee and thumb injuries,[24][25] and second-year center Gheorghe Mureșan averaged 10.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Meanwhile, second-year guard Mitchell Butler contributed 7.9 points per game, while Duckworth averaged 7.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and Doug Overton provided with 7.0 points and 3.0 assists per game. Undrafted rookie small forward Anthony Tucker averaged 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, but was released to free agency after 62 games, and shortly before the regular season had ended.[26]
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, Howard and Tucker were both selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as members of the Green team.[27][28] Howard also finished tied in fifth place in Rookie of the Year voting,[29][30] while Mureșan finished tied in third place in Most Improved Player voting.[31][30] The Bullets finished eleventh in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 689,463 at USAir Arena during the regular season.[26][32]
Aftermath
Following the season, Chapman was traded to the Miami Heat,[33][34][35] while Skiles signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers during the following season,[36] and Duckworth was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.[37][38] Meanwhile, MacLean and Overton were both dealt to the Denver Nuggets,[39][40][41] and Larry Stewart was left unprotected in the 1995 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies expansion team.[42][43][44]
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Juwan Howard | SF/PF |  United States | Michigan |
| 2 | 32 | Jim McIlvaine | C | United States | Marquette |
Roster
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
|
Roster notes
- Center Kevin Duckworth was suspended indefinitely after playing 40 games, due to continuing weight problems and not maintaining playing shape.
- Point guard Brent Price was on the injured reserve list due to a knee injury, missed the entire regular season, and was waived on April 19, 1995.[45][46]
- Rookie small forward Anthony Tucker was waived on April 19, 1995.
Regular season
Season standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c-Orlando Magic | 57 | 25 | .695 | — | 39–2 | 18–23 | 18–10 |
| x-New York Knicks | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2 | 29–12 | 26–15 | 23–5 |
| x-Boston Celtics | 35 | 47 | .427 | 22 | 20–21 | 15–26 | 14–14 |
| Miami Heat | 32 | 50 | .390 | 25 | 22–19 | 10–31 | 9–19 |
| New Jersey Nets | 30 | 52 | .366 | 27 | 20–21 | 10–31 | 13–15 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 24 | 58 | .293 | 33 | 14–27 | 10–31 | 12–16 |
| Washington Bullets | 21 | 61 | .256 | 36 | 13–28 | 8–33 | 9–19 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | c-Orlando Magic | 57 | 25 | .695 | – |
| 2 | y-Indiana Pacers | 52 | 30 | .634 | 5 |
| 3 | x-New York Knicks | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2 |
| 4 | x-Charlotte Hornets | 50 | 32 | .610 | 7 |
| 5 | x-Chicago Bulls | 47 | 35 | .573 | 10 |
| 6 | x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 14 |
| 7 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 15 |
| 8 | x-Boston Celtics | 35 | 47 | .427 | 22 |
| 9 | Milwaukee Bucks | 34 | 48 | .415 | 23 |
| 10 | Miami Heat | 32 | 50 | .390 | 25 |
| 11 | New Jersey Nets | 30 | 52 | .366 | 27 |
| 12 | Detroit Pistons | 28 | 54 | .341 | 29 |
| 13 | Philadelphia 76ers | 24 | 58 | .293 | 33 |
| 14 | Washington Bullets | 21 | 61 | .256 | 36 |
- z – clinched division title
- y – clinched division title
- x – clinched playoff spot
Game log
Regular season
| 1994–95 game log Total: 21–61 (Home: 13–28; Road: 8–33) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
November: 4–7 (home: 2–4; road: 2–3)
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January: 4–10 (home: 3–6; road: 1–4)
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February: 2–11 (home: 1–6; road: 1–5)
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March: 5–11 (home: 3–5; road: 2–6)
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April: 3–9 (home: 3–3; road: 0–6)
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| 1994–95 schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Player 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 |
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Butler | 76 | 5 | 20.4 | .421 | .326 | .665 | 2.2 | 1.2 | .8 | .1 | 7.9 |
| Rex Chapman | 45 | 29 | 32.6 | .397 | .314 | .862 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 1.5 | .3 | 16.2 |
| Calbert Cheaney | 78 | 71 | 34.0 | .453 | .339 | .812 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 1.0 | .3 | 16.6 |
| Kevin Duckworth | 40 | 22 | 20.5 | .442 | .200 | .643 | 4.9 | .5 | .5 | .6 | 7.1 |
| Tom Gugliottaa | 6 | 6 | 37.7 | .398 | .500 | .788 | 8.8 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 16.0 |
| Juwan Howard | 65 | 52 | 36.1 | .489 | .000 | .664 | 8.4 | 2.5 | .8 | .2 | 17.0 |
| Don MacLean | 39 | 20 | 27.0 | .438 | .250 | .765 | 4.2 | 1.3 | .4 | .1 | 11.0 |
| Jim McIlvaine | 55 | 0 | 9.7 | .479 | .000 | .683 | 1.9 | .2 | .2 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| Gheorghe Mureșan | 73 | 58 | 23.6 | .560 | .000 | .709 | 6.7 | .5 | .7 | 1.7 | 10.0 |
| Brian Olivera | 6 | 0 | 7.0 | .444 | .000 | .750 | .7 | .7 | .0 | .0 | 2.3 |
| Doug Overton | 82 | 20 | 20.8 | .416 | .424 | .872 | 1.7 | 3.0 | .6 | .0 | 7.0 |
| Scott Skiles | 62 | 62 | 33.5 | .455 | .421 | .886 | 2.6 | 7.3 | 1.1 | .1 | 13.0 |
| Larry Stewart | 40 | 0 | 8.7 | .461 | .000 | .667 | 1.7 | .5 | .4 | .2 | 2.6 |
| Anthony Tuckera | 62 | 13 | 15.8 | .457 | .000 | .614 | 2.7 | 1.1 | .7 | .2 | 3.9 |
| Kenny Walker | 30 | 24 | 11.1 | .429 | .000 | .750 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 2.4 |
| Chris Webber | 54 | 52 | 38.3 | .495 | .276 | .502 | 9.6 | 4.7 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 20.1 |
a Statistics with the Washington Bullets.
Player statistics citation:[26]
Awards and records
- Juwan Howard, NBA All-Rookie 2nd Team
Transactions
Overview
| Players Added Via draft Via free agency Via trade |
Players Lost Via trade Via free agency Via waivers |
- a Later waived.
- b Signed for the rest of the season after a 10-day contract.
Trades
| July 29, 1994 | To Washington Bullets Scott Skiles Conditional 1996 first-round pick Conditional 1998 first-round pick |
To Orlando Magic Conditional 1996 second-round pick Conditional 1998 first-round pick |
| August 2, 1994 | To Washington Bullets Conditional 1996 second-round pick Conditional 1997 second-round pick |
To Charlotte Hornets Michael Adams |
| November 17, 1994 | To Washington Bullets Chris Webber |
To Golden State Warriors Tom Gugliotta Conditional 1996 first-round pick Conditional 1998 first-round pick Conditional 2000 first-round pick |
Free agents
Additions
|
Subtractions
|
Waivings
| Player | Left |
| Brian Oliver | November 18, 1994 |
| Anthony Tucker | April 19, 1995 |
| Brent Price | April 19, 1995 |
Player Transactions Citation:[47]