1995–96_Washington_Bullets_season

1995–96 Washington Bullets season

1995–96 Washington Bullets season

NBA professional basketball team season

The 1995–96 NBA season was the Bullets' 35th season in the National Basketball Association.[1] The Bullets had the fourth overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft, and selected Rasheed Wallace from the University of North Carolina.[2][3][4][5][6] During the off-season, the team acquired All-Star guard Mark Price from the Cleveland Cavaliers,[7][8][9][10] acquired Robert Pack from the Denver Nuggets,[11][12][13] and signed free agents Tim Legler,[14][15] Chris Whitney and former Bullets guard Ledell Eackles.[16] However, injuries would be an issue as Chris Webber was limited to only just 15 games following the lingering effect to his injured left shoulder, averaging 23.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game.[17][18][19][20] Meanwhile, Price only appeared in just seven games due to a foot injury,[21][22][10] and Pack, who only played just 31 games, was out with nerve damage in his right leg, averaging 18.1 points, 7.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game.[23][24][25]

Quick Facts Washington Bullets season, Head coach ...

The Bullets played around .500 for the first half of the season, but struggled losing 11 of their 14 games in February, and held a 22–24 record at the All-Star break.[26] After a 7-game winning streak, the Bullets lost their final four games and finished fourth in the Atlantic Division with a 39–43 record, which was an impressive 18-game improvement over their previous season.[27] However, they missed the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.

Second-year star Juwan Howard averaged 22.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game,[28][29][30][31] while 7' 7" center Gheorghe Mureșan averaged 14.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, and was named Most Improved Player of the Year.[32][33][34] In addition, Calbert Cheaney provided the team with 15.1 points per game, while Wallace averaged 10.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, Price's younger brother, Brent Price, contributed 10.0 points and 5.1 assists per game, Legler contributed 9.4 points per game off the bench, and led the league with .522 three-point field goal percentage, Eackles provided with 8.6 points per game, and second-year center Jim McIlvaine contributed 2.1 blocks per game off the bench.[35] Legler also won the Three-Point Shootout during the All-Star Weekend in San Antonio, Texas.[36][37][38]

Following the season, Wallace and Mitchell Butler were both traded to the Portland Trail Blazers,[39][40][41][42] while Pack signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets,[43][44][45] Mark Price signed with the Golden State Warriors,[46][47][48] while Brent Price signed with the Houston Rockets,[49][50] McIlvaine signed with the Seattle SuperSonics,[51][52] and Eackles was released to free agency.

Offseason

Draft picks

Main article: 1995 NBA draft
More information Round, Pick ...

Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...

Regular season

Season standings

More information Atlantic Division, W ...
More information Eastern Conference, # ...
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

More information Team, ATL ...

Game log

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

NOTE: Please write the players statistics in alphabetical order by last name.

More information Player, GP ...

Awards and records

Transactions

References

  1. [1]
    1995-96 Washington Bullets
  2. [2]
    Wise, Mike (June 29, 1995). "PRO BASKETBALL; Underclassmen Rule Atop N.B.A. Draft Board". The New York Times. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  3. [3]
    Heisler, Mark (June 29, 1995). "NBA Is a Young Man's Game: Draft: Smith, McDyess, Stackhouse, Wallace and Garnett Lead the Way". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  4. [4]
    "NBA DRAFT: Clippers Deal No. 2 McDyess to Nuggets: Pro Basketball: L.A. Gets Rodney Rogers and Rights to Oregon State's Brent Barry. O'Bannon Goes Ninth to New Jersey, and Zidek Is Selected No. 22 by Charlotte". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. June 29, 1995. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  5. [5]
    Nakamura, David (June 29, 1995). "Joe Goes West as Warriors Make Smith No. 1 Pick". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  6. [6]
    "1995 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  7. [7]
    "SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Cavaliers Trade Price to Bullets". The New York Times. September 28, 1995. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  8. [8]
    "Cavaliers Trade Price to Washington Bullets for 1996 Draft Pick". The Spokesman-Review. Wire Services. September 28, 1995. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  9. [9]
    Justice, Richard (September 29, 1995). "Price Could Make the Bullets Right: Pro Basketball: Top Rookie Wallace Signs, But the Deal for Veteran Point Guard on the Same Day Could Be More Crucial to Washington's Immediate Success". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  10. [10]
    Justice, Richard (November 16, 1995). "In Trade for M. Price, Bullets Got Off on the Wrong Foot". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  11. [11]
    "PRO BASKETBALL; The Bullets Pick Up Pack". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 31, 1995. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  12. [12]
    Justice, Richard (October 31, 1995). "Maclean, Overton Traded". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  13. [13]
    Bembry, Jerry (October 31, 1995). "Bullets Get to Point, Trading for Pack; MacLean, Overton Go to Nuggets for Guard". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  14. [14]
    Justice, Richard (November 29, 1995). "Nomadic Legler Gets Shot, and Shows He Has One". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  15. [15]
    Bembry, Jerry (December 29, 1995). "Shooting Into Spotlight; Tim Legler: First-Year Bullet Is Making Most of His Shots, and Making Up for Past NBA Disappointment". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  16. [16]
    Wilbon, Michael (December 14, 1995). "Eackles Gets Chance to Rebound". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  17. [17]
    Justice, Richard (October 22, 1995). "Bullets' Webber Re-injures Shoulder". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  18. [18]
    Bembry, Jerry (October 23, 1995). "Injured Webber Questions Doctors; Told Painful Shoulder Is OK, He Separates It". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  19. [19]
    Justice, Richard (December 30, 1995). "Webber Injured in Bullets' Win". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  20. [20]
    Bembry, Jerry (December 30, 1995). "Bullets Beat Knicks, Webber Scare Shoulder Injury Just Strain; Hex Ends in OT". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  21. [21]
    Justice, Richard (October 26, 1995). "Bullets' Price Seeks Opinions". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  22. [22]
    Justice, Richard (November 11, 1995). "Mark Price Has Surgery on Left Foot". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  23. [23]
    Justice, Richard (February 6, 1996). "Still No Return in Sight for Bullets' Injured Pack". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  24. [24]
    Justice, Richard (March 12, 1996). "Way Back in the Pack, Bullets Point to Road". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  25. [25]
    Weidie, Kyle (August 4, 2008). "Remembering Robert Pack, a Bullet Flash in the Pan". Bullets Forever. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  26. [26]
    "NBA Games Played on February 8, 1996". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  27. [27]
    "1995–96 Washington Bullets Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  28. [28]
    Bembry, Jerry (January 31, 1996). "NBA Coaches Recognize Howard's Star Quality; Bullets' 2nd-Year Player Named Eastern Reserve". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  29. [29]
    Heisler, Mark (February 11, 1996). "NBA Has All-Stars in Its Eyes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  30. [30]
    "1996 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  31. [31]
    "1996 NBA All-Star Game: East 129, West 118". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  32. [32]
    Justice, Richard (May 2, 1996). "Muresan Is NBA's Most Improved". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  33. [33]
    "Muresan Is NBA's Most Improved Player". United Press International. May 2, 1996. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  34. [34]
    "NBA & ABA Most Improved Player Award Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  35. [35]
    "1995–96 Washington Bullets Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  36. [36]
    Wise, Mike (February 11, 1996). "PRO BASKETBALL: NOTEBOOK; The Clippers' Barry Hits the High Notes in His Jam Session". The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  37. [37]
    Wilbon, Michael (February 11, 1996). "An Outside Shot Comes In". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  38. [38]
    "Barry Soars Higher Than His Dad Ever Did". Deseret News. Associated Press. February 11, 1996. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  39. [39]
    Bembry, Jerry (July 16, 1996). "Bullets Get Strickland, Grant from Trail Blazers; Washington Deals Wallace and Butler, Signs Murray; Rockets Get Brent Price". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  40. [40]
    Hall, Landon (July 16, 1996). "Blazers Send Strickland, Grant to Bullets for Wallace, Butler". Associated Press. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  41. [41]
    "Blazers Trade Strickland to Bullets". Tampa Bay Times. July 16, 1996. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  42. [42]
    Asher, Mark (July 22, 1996). "Strickland Decision Has Bullets on Hold". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  43. [43]
    "PRO BASKETBALL; Nets and Pack Agree on Deal". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 25, 1996. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  44. [44]
    "Nets, Pack Agree on 3-Year Deal". United Press International. July 25, 1996. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  45. [45]
    Asher, Mark (July 25, 1996). "Strickland Risk for Bullets". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  46. [46]
    "Warriors Sign Mark Price". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 22, 1996. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  47. [47]
    "Warriors Sign Mark Price to Multi-Year Deal". Deseret News. Associated Press. July 22, 1996. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  48. [48]
    Steele, David (September 21, 1996). "Price Wants to Show That Warriors Made Right 'Risk'". SFGate. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  49. [49]
    "Hawks Sign Mutombo, Trade Augmon, Long". Tampa Bay Times. July 16, 1996. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  50. [50]
    "Rockets Sign Free Agent G Brent Price". United Press International. July 16, 1996. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  51. [51]
    Allen, Percy (July 23, 1996). "Mcilvaine Solution in Middle?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  52. [52]
    "McIlvaine Signs with Sonics". The Spokesman-Review. Wire Reports. July 23, 1996. Retrieved January 1, 2023.

See also
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