Off Season Notes 1995
Well, the free agent point guard market crashed around the Washington Bullets. Dana Barros took the money and returned home, signing a 6-year deal with his hometown Boston Celtics. Elliot Perry returned home in a different way, deciding to re-sign with the Phoenix Suns. Brian Shaw isn't expected to come to the Bullets, but rather re-sign with the Orlando Magic. Please, don't say anything about Haywoode Workman or Scott Skiles.

Where does that leave them? They're going to have to trade for a PG. The two PGs at the top of the list are Rod Strickland and Mookie Blaylock. However, to acquire them, the Bullets will have to give up a major player, probably Calbert Cheaney and Rasheed Wallace, respectively. That could be expensive. I've already dissected the Bullets' PG situation, if you want to look at some of the lesser options (in my mind, Eric Murdock and Robert Pack should be at the top of that list).

But the Bullets are going to have to move fast. They have less than two weeks before the beginning of the training camp. GM John Nash claims that he's had an interesting offer come to his attention that he might be interested in. It could be that he's just trying to cover his butt over the fact that he couldn't sign his top two choices for a free agent PG.

To make matters worse, the Bullets haven't re-signed Webber, even though I said to worry if he wasn't signed by now. Wallace is rumored to be signed, should be announced in the next day or two.

The only major signing was of a backup shooting guard, Tim Legler. He's bounced around between the CBA and the NBA. He's a 6'4", 200 pound shooting guard who played his college ball at Lasalle (it's that Philly connection, again). He's 29, having been born in Washington, DC (local boy). Here are his career numbers.

Yr    Tm   FGA  FGM   FG%  FTA  FTM   FT%  3PA  3PM  3FG%   
PPG
89-90 Pho   29   11  37.9    6    6 100.0    1    0   0.0   2.5
90-91 Den   72   25  34.7    6    5  83.3   12    3  25.0   5.8
92-93 Uta    3    1  33.3    0    0   0.0    0    0   0.0   0.7
..... Dal  238  104  43.7   71   57  80.3   65   22  33.8   9.6
93-94 Dal  528  231  43.8  169  142  84.0  139   52  37.4   8.3
94-95 GS   115   60  52.2   34   30  88.2   50   26  52.0   7.3
Totals     985  432  43.9  286  240  83.9  267  103  38.6   7.7

Yr       G   Min   MPG  Reb   Ast  Blk   St   TO   PF(DQ)
89-90   11    83   7.5    8     6    0    2    4   12 (0)
90-91   10   148  14.8   18    12    0    2    4   20 (0)
92-93   33   635  19.2   59    46    6   24   28   63 (0)
93-94   79  1322  16.7  128   120   13   52   60  133 (0)
94-95   24   371  15.5   40    27    1   12   20   33 (0)
Totals 157  2559  16.3  253   211   20   92  116  261 (0)
Thanks to ESPNet Sportszone with providing the raw statistics. Legler looks to be an accurate shooter. He's not exceptionally fast nor creates his own shots. But he's a hard worker and should become a fan favorite.

Well, don't I look like a fool. GM Nash may have stepped up to the plate and at least delivered a multi-base hit. On the day the Bullets were to announce the signing of Rasheed Wallace to a 3-year, $6.17M deal, Nash had an ace up his sleeve. Earlier that day, the Bullets had acquired veteran All Star PG Mark Price from the Cleveland Cavaliers for a 1996 1st round pick.

Wow. Probably a good move, maybe for both franchises. Mark Price is a 4-time All Star who has lead the Cavaliers at PG for basically all of his career. He's a premier perimeter shooter, can control the half court set, and can break down opposing PGs off the dribble. His vision and passing can be said to be excellent. He stands 6'0" tall, weighs 178 pounds.

The negatives? Well, he has a rep for being injury prone, though that is probably unwarranted. He's fully recovered from ACL surgery in 1990, and broke his wrist last season in a freak fall under the basket. He's 31, and does have occasional pain in his heels. Otherwise, he's played at least 72 games in every year (but his rookie year). He will probably play limited minutes (~30 mpg), which makes Doug Overton an important backup. He is an unrestricted free agent after this season (another risk about this deal).

Here are his career stats:

Yr    Tm   FGA  FGM   FG%  FTA  FTM   FT%  3PA  3PM  3FG%   
PPG
86-87 Cle  424  173  40.8  114   95  83.3   70   23  32.9   6.9
87-88 Cle  974  493  50.6  252  221  87.7  148   72  48.6  16.0
88-89 Cle 1006  529  52.6  292  263  90.1  211   93  44.1  18.9
89-90 Cle 1066  489  45.9  338  300  88.8  374  152  40.6  19.6
90-91 Cle  195   97  49.8   62   59  95.2   53   18  34.0  16.9
91-92 Cle  897  438  48.8  285  270  94.7  261  101  38.7  17.3
92-93 Cle  986  477  48.4  305  289  94.8  293  122  41.6  18.2
93-94 Cle 1005  480  47.8  268  238  88.8  297  118  39.7  17.3
94-95 Cle  612  253  41.3  162  148  91.4  253  103  40.7  15.8
Totals    7165 3429  47.9 2078 1883  90.6 1960  802  40.9  16.4

Yr       G   Min   MPG   Reb   Ast  Blk   St   TO   PF(DQ)
86-87   67  1217  18.2   117   202    4   43  105   75 (1)
87-88   80  2626  32.8   180   480   12   99  184  119 (1)
88-89   75  2728  36.4   226   631    7  115  212   98 (0)
89-90   73  2706  37.0   251   666    5  114  214   89 (0)
90-91   16   571  35.7    45   166    2   42   56   23 (0)
91-92   72  2138  29.7   173   535   12   94  159  113 (0)
92-93   75  2380  31.7   201   602   11   89  196  105 (0)
93-94   76  2386  31.4   228   589   11  103  189   93 (0)
94-95   48  1375  28.6   112   335    4   35  142   50 (0)
Totals 582 18127  31.1  1533  4206   68  734 1457  765 (2)
Now, this team is set to challenge for the playoffs. In fact, this team should make the playoffs. Assuming the Bullets re-sign Webber, MacLean, and McIlvaine (all are restricted free agents and are expected to sign with the Bullets), this is how I envision the opening day lineup:

Starters: Muresan, Webber, Howard, Price, Cheaney
Bench: Wallace, MacLean, Overton, Legler
Deep Bench: Duckworth, McIlvaine, Butler.

All of those contracts are guaranteed. Nobody else will probably make the roster unless there is an injury. These are going to be your 1995-96 Washington Bullets.

What else happened yesterday? Well, under all of the hoopla was the signing of 1st round pick Rasheed Wallace. We know the contract size and details, but what may be most interesting is that the 6'10" Wallace has added 15 pounds over the summer, growing from 233 to 248 pounds. Whether its muscle or fat remains to be seen. But Wallace adds good depth and atleticism to the front court, and the Bullets didn't have to trade him to add a veteran PG.

The first priority, re-signing Chris Webber, should be back on track next week when one of Webber's advisors returns from vacation next week. They'd better get it back on track, because training camp starts at the end of next week. We're also waiting on the re-signing of RFAs Don MacLean and Jim McIlvaine. These should also happen next week.

Also, it was announced that Tim Legler was signed to a two-year deal.

Lastly, underneath all of the player signings, the Bullets revealed the external details of the proposed MCI Center. I have paraphrased the details from the Washington Post article, for those who are interested.

Well, just when I thought I understood what the Bullets are doing, they pull this one on me. They re-sign Brent Price.

They cut Brent Price late last season, after he had sat out the entire season on IR because of a torn ACL (which has since been reconstructed and rehabilitated). I'm completely unclear why they picked up Brent Price, much less gave him a guaranteed contract. That gives the Bullets 13 guaranteed contracts, so unless someone is traded (Duckworth? MacLean?) they are doing something strange with the roster. I can see them wanting 3 PGs on the roster, but where are they going to cut the fat otherwise? ;-)

I never thought Brent was going to amount to much. Mark showed SO much more at GA Tech than Brent has ever shown. Yes, Brent can shoot; so can Overton. Brent dribbles with his head down, never seemed in control of the offense, shaky defense, not the same desire as I associate with Mark. And after looking at his career numbers, I have my doubts as to whether he's even that much of an offensive threat.

Yr    Tm  FGA  FGM  FG%  FTA  FTM  FT%  3PA  3PM  3FG%   PPG

92-93 Was 279  100 35.8   68   54 79.4   48    8  16.7   3.9
93-94 Was 326  141 43.3   87   68 78.2  150   50  33.3   6.2
Totals    605  241 39.8  155  122 78.8  198   58  29.3   5.2

Yr       G   Min  MPG  Reb   Ast  Blk   St   TO   PF(DQ)
92-93   68   859 12.6  103   154    3   56   85   90 (0)
93-94   65  1035 15.9   90   213    2   55  119  114 (1)
Totals 133  1894 14.2  193   367    5  111  204  204 (1)
Maybe he's improved drastically in his year of rehab, though I seriously doubt it. Waiting to see what happens in training camp...

Quick update on the restricted free agents. No, not Webber. Jim McIlvaine has signed a one-year offer sheet with the Minnesota Timberwolves for an estimated $525,000. The Bullets have 15 days to match the offer, and they will probably wait the full time to make a decision (during which McIlvaine cannot participate in any camps).

Both sides continue to talk positively about Webber being signed before camp starts this weekend. And it is expected that Don MacLean will probably sign a one year deal on Thursday. Stay tuned here for more info as it comes available (including the latest whale...errr, Duckworth sightings).

Well, Duckworth has tried out for both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Utah Jazz, and neither team has shown serious interest. The Bucks wanted to see if the Bullets were interested in trading Todd Day for Duckworth. Nash said, thanks but no thanks. In part, it was probably because the Bullets would still be stuck with 13 guaranteed contracts, Day is still expensive, and Day is a ball hog (and not the greatest shooter, either, though he can be streaky).

It was pointed out to me that Brent Price may not be as bad as I've implied. Before Brent injured his knee, he was playing very well in summer leagues and was looking much improved. I still have my reservations, but maybe I'm wrong on this one. We'll see.

It's Training Camp Time!!!

And Chris Webber is not in camp. The negotiations over the minutiae of the contract continue. Maybe this weekend? (Has Webber ever been to training camp on time in his first three seasons?) Oh yes, and Gheorghe Muresan isn't here, either. He's flying back from playing basketball this summer in France. And Jim McIlvaine is awaiting resolution of his contract situation.

Training camp opened Thursday, October 5, 1995 in Shepherdstown, WV with a series of team meetings. Two-a-day practices begin Friday for the next 5 days, then the Bullets return to Washington for a day before beginning their pre-season schedule against the New York Knicks in Charleston, SC on October 12.

The non-roster invitees for camp are: guard A.J. English, center Juwann Oldham, and forwards Jermain Parker, Harry Moore, Thomas Elliott, and Jeff Webster. None of them should be expected to make the roster, because the Bullets currently have 13 guaranteed contracts (assuming McIlvaine returns).

Don MacLean has re-signed with the Bullets, taking their one-year, $950,000 offer. He has reported to camp and is looking forward to playing out the season with whatever minutes he gets. Okay, that's the public line; we all know he won't be back next season.

Okay, it's done. First, Chris Webber is signing with the Washington Bullets, as of Monday, Oct. 9. It's a 6-year deal worth $57M, including a $12M signing bonus, averaging just over $9.3M per year. His first year salary is $6.4M. Only Patrick Ewing ($18.725M), Clude Drexler ($9.81M), David Robinson ($7.7M), Joe Dumars ($6.98M), and AC Green (~$6.5M) will earn more this season. His salary breaks down as follows; the signing bonus counts $2M per year (on top of the base salary), but is payed out in a different schedule.

Year     Base Salary  Bonus Payment   Total
1995-96     $ 5M         $ 1.4M      $ 6.4M
1996-97     $ 6M         $  .7M      $ 6.7M
1997-98     $ 7M         $  .5M      $ 7.5M
1998-99     $ 8M         $  .3M      $ 8.3M
1999-00     $ 9M         $ 3.0M      $12.0M
2000-01     $10M         $ 6.1M      $16.1M
As some may point out, Chris was one of the most underpaid players in the league during his first two season: $1.6M his rookie season, and $2.0M last season. His career numbers are solid, and the Bullets are hoping that he grows into a franchise player.

Yr    Tm   FGA  FGM  FG%  FTA  FTM  FT%  3PA  3PM  3FG%   
PPG
93-94 GS  1037  572 55.2  355  189 53.2   14    0   0.0  17.5
94-95 Was  938  464 49.5  233  117 50.2  145   40  27.6  20.1
Totals    1975 1036 52.5  588  306 52.0  159   40  25.2  18.6

Yr       G   Min  MPG  Reb  Ast  Blk   St   TO  PF(DQ)
93-94   76  2438 32.1  694  272  164   93  206 247 (4)
94-95   54  2067 38.3  518  256   85   83  167 186 (2)
Totals 130  4505 34.7 1212  528  249  176  373 433 (6)
Webber should be at practise in time for a public scrimmage Monday night. The apparent holdups in the contract probably revolved around both money and other items (which have not been reported yet). But Webber is here for the next 6 years. And he'll be in his old jersey, No.4. He had No. 2 last year because Scott Skiles was assigned it when Webber arrived in the trade. Now, he returns to his U. Michigan and Golden State number.

The Don MacLean saga has come to a close. I originally reported that MacLean had re-signed with the Bullets. Well, he didn't sign on Friday. MacLean's agent got a last minute call from the Celtics, who were interested in signing him to a long-term deal. The hang-up: the Celtics needed to trade PG Sherman Douglas to clear enough salary cap room. MacLean waited out the first two full days of practice, then decided not to wait on the Celtics. MacLean signed the one-year deal, and looking for a big payoff after this season.

Yr    Tm   FGA  FGM  FG%  FTA  FTM  FT% 3PA  3PM  3FG%   PPG

92-93 Was  361  157 43.5  111   90 81.1   6    3  50.0   6.6
93-94 Was 1030  517 50.2  398  328 82.4  21    3  14.3  18.2
94-95 Was  361  158 43.8  136  104 76.5  40   10  25.0  11.0
Totals    1752  832 47.5  645  522 80.9  67   16  23.9  12.5

Yr       G   Min  MPG  Reb   Ast  Blk   St   TO  PF(DQ)
92-93   62   674 10.9  122    39    4   11   42  92 (0)
93-94   75  2487 33.2  467   160   22   47  152 169 (0)
94-95   39  1052 27.0  165    51    3   15   44  97 (0)
Totals 176  4213 23.9  754   250   29   73  238 348 (0)

Well, as a Bullets fan, we've come to expect this. The injury bug has struck again. Mark Price is struck down again with the injury that slowed him at the end of last season. He has plantar fascitis, which is an irritation of a muscle/fascia on the bottom of the foot that connects the heel and the in-step. One can play on it, but it can be very painful. Treatment of the injury usually lasts months before the irritation and pain subsides.

The Bullets are probably wise in sitting out Mark Price for the pre-season. It lets them concentrate on improving Mark Price's condition, so that he can be as pain-free as possible when the regular season starts. It's bad that he won't be able to practice defensive assignments, etc. with the rest of the team, but it's also important to have him ready for the first game of the regular season. So, be patient, fellow Bullets fans. He will play come the regular season. And keep praying, or burning incense, or whatever you do to try and remove this injury curse.

Another injury: Tim Legler ruptured the plantar tendon in his left foot during practice, and is expected to miss about one week of practice. It's worse, yet better, than Mark Price's injury. While the injury is more devastating, it's a non-weight bearing muscle and, once healed, shouldn't cause further problems. Mark Price's injury, by comparison, can linger for a long time.

The first cuts have happened.Juwann Oldham, Jermain Parker, and Harry Moore were all cut before the team's first pre-season game, with the New York Knicks.

Lastly, the Bullets have a new assistant coach: Buzz Braman. Yes, the shooting doctor. His main focus will be to work on the shooting mechanics of the players. During the season, he will only work with Bullets players, although he'll maintain his summer camps for other clients (which have included Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway). We'll see if players shooting range and free throw shooting improve with him on the staff.

wtf 12 October 1995

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