1991–92 Washington Bullets season

1991–92 Washington Bullets season
Head coachWes Unseld
ArenaCapital Centre (37 games)
Baltimore Arena (4 games)
Results
Record25–57 (.305)
PlaceDivision: 6th (Atlantic)
Conference: 12th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
TelevisionWDCA
Home Team Sports
RadioWTOP

The 1991–92 Washington Bullets season was the 31st season for the Washington Bullets in the National Basketball Association, and their 19th season in Washington, D.C.[1] The Bullets had the 19th overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard LaBradford Smith from the University of Louisville;[2][3][4] the Bullets originally had the eighth overall pick in the draft, but traded it to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for former Bullets guard Michael Adams.[5][6] During the off-season, the team signed free agents David Wingate,[7][8] and undrafted rookie small forward Larry Stewart.[9] However, Bernard King would miss the entire regular season due to a right knee injury;[10][11] to make matters worse, Hot Plate Williams was suspended for the entire season due to continuing weight problems.[12][13]

With the addition of Adams, Wingate and Stewart, and the loss of King and Williams, the Bullets got off to a 6–9 start to the regular season, but then posted an eight-game losing streak in December afterwards. The team managed to win six of their next seven games, but then posted another eight-game losing streak in January, and later on held a 16–30 record at the All-Star break.[14] At mid-season, the team traded Tom Hammonds to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Rex Chapman, who would only play in the final game of the season due to a strained left heel injury.[15][16][17] The Bullets posted a six-game losing streak between February and March, posted a seven-game losing streak in March, and another six-game losing streak in April. The Bullets lost 15 of their final 18 games of the season, and finished in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with a 25–57 record.[18]

Pervis Ellison showed improvement averaging 20.0 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, and was named the NBA Most Improved Player of the Year,[19][20][21] while Adams averaged 18.1 points, 7.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and led the Bullets with 125 three-point field goals, and Harvey Grant provided the team with 18.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. In addition, Ledell Eackles contributed 13.2 points per game, while second-year guard A.J. English provided with 10.9 points per game off the bench, and Wingate contributed 7.9 points and 1.5 steals per game. Meanwhile, Stewart averaged 10.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, becoming the first undrafted NBA player to be named to an NBA All-Rookie Team.[22]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida, Adams was selected for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his first and only All-Star appearance.[23][24][25] The Bullets finished 26th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 505,988 at the Capital Centre during the regular season, which was the second-lowest in the league.[22][26]

Following the season, Williams signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Clippers,[27][28] while Wingate signed with the Charlotte Hornets during the next season,[29] and English was released to free agency.

Draft picks

Main article: 1991 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 19 LaBradford Smith SG  United States Louisville

Roster

1991–92 Washington Bullets roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
PG 10 Michael Adams 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 162 lb (73 kg) 1963–01–19 Boston College
PF 31 Mark Alarie  (IN) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 217 lb (98 kg) 1963–12–11 Duke
SG 3 Rex Chapman 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1967–10–05 Kentucky
SF 21 Ledell Eackles 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1966–11–24 New Orleans
C 43 Pervis Ellison 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1967–04–03 Louisville
SG 14 A. J. English 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1967–07–11 Virginia Union
PF 42 Greg Foster 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1968–10–03 UTEP
PF 44 Harvey Grant 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1965–07–04 Oklahoma
PG 32 Byron Irvin 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1966–12–02 Missouri
C 23 Charles Jones 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1957–04–03 Albany State
SG 22 LaBradford Smith 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1969–04–03 Louisville
PF 33 Larry Stewart 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1968–09–21 Coppin State
PF 35 Derek Strong 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1968–02–09 Xavier
PG 1 Andre Turner 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 1964–12–13 Memphis
SG 55 David Wingate 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1963–12–15 Georgetown
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (IN) Inactive
  • Injured

Roster
Updated: March 13, 1992

Roster Notes

  • Power forward Mark Alarie was on the injured reserve list due to a knee injury, and missed the entire regular season.
  • Small forward Bernard King was on the injured reserve list due to a right knee injury, and missed the entire regular season.
  • Power forward John "Hot Plate" Williams was suspended indefinitely due to weight problems, and not maintaining playing shape.

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Boston Celtics 51 31 .622 — 34–7 17–24 19–9
x-New York Knicks 51 31 .622 — 30–11 21–20 20–8
x-New Jersey Nets 40 42 .488 11 25–16 15–26 15–13
x-Miami Heat 38 44 .463 13 28–13 10–31 14–14
Philadelphia 76ers 35 47 .427 16 23–18 12–29 15–13
Washington Bullets 25 57 .305 26 14–27 11–30 7–21
Orlando Magic 21 61 .256 30 13–28 8–33 8–20
y - clinched division title
x - clinched playoff spot
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Chicago Bulls 67 15 .817 –
2 y-Boston Celtics 51 31 .622 16
3 x-Cleveland Cavaliers 57 25 .695 10
4 x-New York Knicks 51 31 .622 16
5 x-Detroit Pistons 48 34 .585 19
6 x-New Jersey Nets 40 42 .488 27
7 x-Indiana Pacers 40 42 .488 27
8 x-Miami Heat 38 44 .463 29
9 Atlanta Hawks 38 44 .463 29
10 Philadelphia 76ers 35 47 .427 32
11 Milwaukee Bucks 31 51 .378 36
12 Charlotte Hornets 31 51 .378 36
13 Washington Bullets 25 57 .305 42
14 Orlando Magic 21 61 .256 46
z - clinched division title
y - clinched division title
x - clinched playoff spot

Game log

Regular season

1991–92 game log
Total: 25–57 (home: 14–27; road: 11–30)
November: 6–9 (home: 2–5; road: 4–4)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
December : 5–9 (home: 2–4; road: 3–5)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
January : 3–11 (home: 2–7; road: 1–4)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
February : 4–10 (home: 2–5; road: 2–5)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
All-Star Break
March : 5–10 (home: 4–4; road: 1–6)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
April : 2–8 (home: 2–2; road: 0–6)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
1991–92 schedule

Player statistics

Legend
  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

Washington Bullets statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Michael Adams 78 78 35.8 .393 .324 .869 4.0 7.6 1.9 .1 18.1
Rex Chapman† 1 0 22.0 .417 .000 4.0 3.0 1.0 .0 10.0
Ledell Eackles 65 25 22.5 .468 .200 .743 2.7 1.9 .7 .1 13.2
Pervis Ellison 66 64 38.0 .539 .333 .728 11.2 2.9 .9 2.7 20.0
A. J. English 81 6 20.6 .433 .176 .841 2.1 1.8 .4 .1 10.9
Greg Foster 49 3 11.2 .461 .000 .714 3.0 .7 .1 .2 4.3
Harvey Grant 64 60 37.3 .478 .125 .800 6.8 2.7 1.2 .4 18.0
Tom Hammonds 37 19 26.6 .488 .000 .610 5.0 1.0 .6 .4 11.9
Charles Jones 75 32 18.2 .367 .500 4.2 .8 .6 1.2 1.1
Albert King 6 0 9.8 .367 .286 .875 1.8 .8 .5 .0 5.2
Ralph Sampson 10 0 10.8 .310 .000 .667 3.0 .4 .3 .8 2.2
LaBradford Smith 48 5 14.8 .407 .095 .804 1.7 2.1 .9 .0 5.1
Larry Stewart 76 43 29.3 .514 .000 .807 5.9 1.6 .7 .6 10.4
Derek Strong 1 0 12.0 .000 .750 5.0 1.0 .0 .0 3.0
Andre Turner 70 3 12.4 .425 .063 .792 1.3 2.5 .8 .0 4.1
David Wingate 81 72 26.3 .465 .056 .719 3.3 3.0 1.5 .3 7.9
  • † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Bullets only.

Player statistics citation:[22]

Awards and records

See also

References

  1. ^ 1991-92 Washington Bullets
  2. ^ "UNLV's Johnson Is No. 1: NBA Draft: Coaches' Attempts in Charlotte and New Jersey to Select Billy Owens Are Overruled. Three UNLV Players Are Taken in the First Round". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. June 27, 1991. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  3. ^ "As Expected, Hornets Select Johnson No. 1". Deseret News. Associated Press. June 27, 1991. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  4. ^ "1991 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  5. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Nuggets Trade Adams to Bullets". The New York Times. June 12, 1991. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  6. ^ Aldridge, David (September 28, 1991). "After Proving Them Wrong, Adams Returns to Right Bullets". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  7. ^ Aldridge, David (October 2, 1991). "Bullets Bring in Wingate for Shot in Backcourt". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  8. ^ "Transactions". The New York Times. October 3, 1991. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  9. ^ Aldridge, David (November 18, 1991). "Bullets' Hammonds, Stewart Step Forward". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  10. ^ Aldridge, David (September 7, 1991). "Bullets' King Has Knee Surgery". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  11. ^ Aldridge, David (December 12, 1991). "King's Knee Not Healing as Expected". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  12. ^ Aldridge, David (November 1, 1991). "Williams Arrives -- at 305 Pounds". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  13. ^ Brubaker, Bill (December 1, 1991). "Williams Vs. Bullets: How It Evolved". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  14. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 6, 1992". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  15. ^ Aldridge, David (February 19, 1992). "Bullets Talk Chapman-Hammonds Trade". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  16. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Hornets Trade Chapman to the Bullets". The New York Times. February 20, 1992. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  17. ^ "Hornets Trade Chapman to Bullets". Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. February 20, 1992. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  18. ^ "1991–92 Washington Bullets Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  19. ^ Goldstein, Alan (May 7, 1992). "Ellison Award Is a Bullet Bright Spot". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  20. ^ "NBA Names Ellison Most Improved Player". Deseret News. Associated Press. May 7, 1992. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  21. ^ "NBA & ABA Most Improved Player Award Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  22. ^ a b c "1991–92 Washington Bullets Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  23. ^ Heisler, Mark (February 9, 1992). "Comeback or Farewell, a Magical All-Star Game". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  24. ^ "1992 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  25. ^ "1992 NBA All-Star Game: West 153, East 113". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  26. ^ "1991–92 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  27. ^ Howard-Cooper, Scott (October 9, 1992). "Clippers Make Sizable Deal, Get John Williams: Pro Basketball: L.A. Trades Rights to Rookie Forward Don MacLean, and Backup Center William Bedford to the Bullets for former crenshaw High Star Troubled with Weight Problems". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  28. ^ Sheinin, Dave (October 13, 1992). "Williams Puts Bullets Beef Behind Him". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  29. ^ "Transactions". The New York Times. November 20, 1992. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
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