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1997–98 Washington Wizards season

NBA professional basketball team season

NBA professional basketball team season

MCI Center (36 games) Home Team Sports

The 1997–98 Washington Wizards season was the 37th season for the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association, and their 25th season in Washington, D.C.. There was a new beginning for basketball in Washington, D.C. as the team changed its name to the "Wizards", fearing "Bullets" endorsed gun violence. The team revealed a new primary logo of a wizard conjuring a basketball in front of a quarter moon, and added new uniforms with blue, black and bronze colors.

During the off-season, the team signed free agent Terry Davis to join their frontcourt, as the team's starting center, Gheorghe Mureșan missed the entire regular season due to a stretched right ankle tendon, and a right foot injury; the team also re-signed former Bullets guard Ledell Eackles for the third time after a one-year absence from the NBA.

In their first game as the "Wizards", the team lost to the Detroit Pistons on the road, 92–79 on October 31, 1997. The Wizards got off to a slow 5–11 start to the regular season, losing their first five home games at US Airways Arena, only winning games on the road such as defeating the Utah Jazz, 90–86 at the Delta Center on November 3, and the 2-time defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls, 90–83 at the United Center on November 12. The Wizards played their final home game at US Airways Arena on November 29, losing 88–83 to the Bulls, and moved into their new arena, the MCI Center, where they won their first home game of the season, defeating the Seattle SuperSonics, 95–78 on December 2, and posting a 24–12 home record for the remainder of the season. The Wizards held a 25–24 record at the All-Star break, and won their final four games of the regular season to finish in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 42–40 record, but failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs, finishing just one game behind the 8th-seeded New Jersey Nets.

Chris Webber averaged 21.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, while Juwan Howard averaged 18.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, and Rod Strickland provided the team with 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 10.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team. In addition, sixth man Tracy Murray provided scoring off the bench, averaging 15.1 points per game and leading the Wizards with 158 three-point field goals, while Calbert Cheaney contributed 12.8 points per game, and Davis provided with 4.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, Murray participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout. Strickland finished tied in 18th place in Most Valuable Player voting, and also finished tied in 13th place in Most Improved Player voting, while Murray finished tied in sixth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting. The Wizards finished sixth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 801,240 at the MCI Center during the regular season.

Following the season, Webber was traded to the Sacramento Kings, while Harvey Grant signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers, and Mureșan and Eackles were both released to free agency. The team's new primary logo and uniforms would both remain in use until 2007, where they switched to a lighter bronze color.

Offseason

Draft picks

Main article: 1997 NBA draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege
245God ShammgodPGUnited StatesProvidence College
248Predrag DrobnjakC

The Wizards forfeited their 1997 first-round draft pick in connection with the signing of Juwan Howard in 1996; Washington would have had the 17th overall pick.

Roster

  • Bernie Bickerstaff
  • Jim Brovelli
  • Mike Brown

Roster Notes

  • Center Gheorghe Mureșan was on the injured reserve list due to a stretched right ankle tendon and foot injury, and missed the entire regular season.

Regular season

Season standings

:z – clinched division title :y – clinched division title :x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

Player statistics

Regular season

PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
828234.6.457.283.6474.02.11.2.412.8
746623.0.496.000.5806.5.4.6.34.4
42013.0.429.348.8811.8.4.4.05.2
65813.8.383.167.6332.6.6.4.22.6
7138.9.529.4731.8.2.3.42.0
646440.0.467.000.7217.03.31.3.418.5
809.5.158.000.750.5.4.1.01.1
803.4.231.000.750.1.4.0.01.1
821227.2.446.392.8713.41.0.8.315.1
1010.0.500.5002.01.0.0.05.0
2007.3.328.000.767.41.8.4.13.1
767639.7.434.250.7265.310.51.7.317.8
671616.8.518.3574.8.3.91.13.1
717139.6.482.317.5899.53.81.61.721.9
82613.1.355.308.9151.42.4.4.15.1
1467.9.765.0001.9.2.1.21.9

Player statistics citation:

Awards and records

  • Rod Strickland, All-NBA Second Team

References

References

  1. [https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/WAS/1998.html 1997-98 Washington Wizards]
  2. Justice, Richard. (November 10, 1995). "Bullets Seek New Name". The Washington Post.
  3. Justice, Richard. (February 23, 1996). "For Bullets, "Wizards" Casts Magic Spell". The Washington Post.
  4. Adande, J.A.. (May 16, 1997). "They're the Wizards of Ahhhhs". The Washington Post.
  5. "Washington Wizards Logo".
  6. "Washington Wizards Uniform".
  7. "Washington Wizards Uniform".
  8. Bowles, Scott. (July 13, 1997). "Wizards Take a Fashion Shot in the Dark". The Washington Post.
  9. Bucher, Ric. (November 6, 1997). "Davis's Play Gives Wizards a Charge". The Washington Post.
  10. Bucher, Ric. (December 22, 1997). "A Lack of Middle Management". The Washington Post.
  11. Bucher, Ric. (October 2, 1997). "Wizards' Muresan Has Injured Ankle". The Washington Post.
  12. Friend, Tom. (October 29, 1997). "N.B.A. PREVIEW '97-'98; For Crystal, a Giant of a Man". The New York Times.
  13. Asher, Mark. (February 26, 1998). "Muresan Is a Foot Short". The Washington Post.
  14. Bucher, Ric. (November 30, 1997). "Wizards' Farewell Is Not Fond". The Washington Post.
  15. Bucher, Ric. (November 1, 1997). "In 1st Test, Wizards Flunk the Boards, 92-79". The Washington Post.
  16. "Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons Box Score, October 31, 1997". Basketball-Reference.
  17. Jorgensen, Loren. (November 4, 1997). "Jazz Rookie Learns Lesson". Deseret News.
  18. "Washington Wizards at Utah Jazz Box Score, November 3, 1997". Basketball-Reference.
  19. (November 13, 1997). "N.B.A.: LAST NIGHT; Chicago Continues to Struggle". The New York Times.
  20. Bucher, Ric. (November 13, 1997). "Wizards Topple the Beat-a-Bulls, 90-83". The Washington Post.
  21. "Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls Box Score, November 12, 1997". Basketball-Reference.
  22. (November 30, 1997). "N.B.A.: LAST NIGHT; Wizards' Farewell Party Is Ruined by the Bulls". The New York Times.
  23. Castaneda, Ruben. (November 30, 1997). "Wizards Play Final Game on Old Court". The Washington Post.
  24. Bembry, Jerry. (November 30, 1997). "Wizards Leave Landover on Downer, Fall to Bulls; Jordan, Chicago Close Arena with 88-83 Win". The Baltimore Sun.
  25. Bucher, Ric. (December 2, 1997). "At MCI Center, Wizards Move Into a New Era". The Washington Post.
  26. Bucher, Ric. (December 3, 1997). "For Wizards, a Grand Opening, Indeed". The Washington Post.
  27. Bembry, Jerry. (December 3, 1997). "Opening Brings Out Best in Wizards; 95-78 Victory Over Sonics Christens MCI Center". The Baltimore Sun.
  28. "NBA Games Played on February 5, 1998". Basketball-Reference.
  29. "1997–98 Washington Wizards Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.
  30. "1997–98 Washington Wizards Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.
  31. (January 21, 1998). "NBA Long-Distance Shootout Roster". Record-Journal.
  32. "NBA & ABA All-Star Game Contest Winners". Basketball-Reference.
  33. "1997–98 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference.
  34. "1997–98 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.
  35. (May 15, 1998). "N.B.A.; Webber Traded to Sacramento". The New York Times.
  36. (May 15, 1998). "Webber Dealt to Kings for Richmond, Thorpe". Los Angeles Times.
  37. Bucher, Ric. (May 15, 1998). "Webber Traded to Sacramento". The Washington Post.
  38. Wise, Mike. (February 4, 1999). "PRO BASKETBALL; A Scrum for the Title". The New York Times.
  39. Heisler, Mark. (February 4, 1999). "Eastern Conference". Los Angeles Times.
  40. Wyche, Steve. (January 28, 1999). "For Muresan, Hornets No, Wizards Maybe". The Washington Post.
  41. Brown, Clifton. (August 6, 1996). "Howard: 2 Deals, 2 Teams, $200 Million". The New York Times.
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