# 1997–98 Washington Wizards season

The 1997–98 NBA season was the Wizards' 37th season in the National Basketball Association. 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 season with a stretched right ankle tendon and 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 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 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 season to finish in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 42–40 record, but failed to qualify for the 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. Strickland also finished tied in eighteenth place in Most Valuable Player voting, and tied in thirteenth place in Most Improved Player voting, while Murray finished tied in sixth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
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 logo and uniforms both remained in use until 2007, where they switched to a lighter bronze color.

## Offseason
### Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 2 | 45 | God Shammgod | PG | United States | Providence College |
| 2 | 48 | Predrag Drobnjak | C | Montenegro | |
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 pick.

## Roster
### Roster Notes

* Center Gheorghe Mureșan missed the entire season due to a stretched right ankle tendon and foot injury.

## Regular season
### Season standings

| Atlantic Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Miami Heat | 55 | 27 | .671 | – | 30-11 | 25–16 | 18–6 |
| x-New York Knicks | 43 | 39 | .524 | 12 | 28–13 | 15–26 | 13–11 |
| x-New Jersey Nets | 43 | 39 | .524 | 12 | 26–15 | 17–24 | 12–12 |
| Washington Wizards | 42 | 40 | .512 | 13 | 24–17 | 18–23 | 12–13 |
| Orlando Magic | 41 | 41 | .500 | 14 | 24–17 | 17–24 | 11–13 |
| Boston Celtics | 36 | 46 | .439 | 19 | 24–17 | 12–29 | 12–12 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 31 | 51 | .378 | 24 | 19–22 | 12–29 | 7–17 |
| # | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | c-Chicago Bulls | 62 | 20 | .756 | – |
| 2 | y-Miami Heat | 55 | 27 | .671 | 7 |
| 3 | x-Indiana Pacers | 58 | 24 | .707 | 4 |
| 4 | x-Charlotte Hornets | 51 | 31 | .622 | 11 |
| 5 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 12 |
| 6 | x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 47 | 35 | .573 | 15 |
| 7 | x-New York Knicks | 43 | 39 | .524 | 19 |
| 8 | x-New Jersey Nets | 43 | 39 | .524 | 19 |
| 9 | Washington Wizards | 42 | 40 | .512 | 20 |
| 10 | Orlando Magic | 41 | 41 | .500 | 21 |
| 11 | Detroit Pistons | 37 | 45 | .451 | 25 |
| 12 | Boston Celtics | 36 | 46 | .439 | 26 |
| 12 | Milwaukee Bucks | 36 | 46 | .439 | 26 |
| 14 | Philadelphia 76ers | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 |
| 15 | Toronto Raptors | 16 | 66 | .195 | 46 |
    z – clinched division title
    y – clinched division title
    x – clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1997–98 NBA records :
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MIA | MIL | MIN | NJN | NYK | ORL | PHI | PHO | POR | SAC | SAS | SEA | TOR | UTA | VAN | WAS |
| Atlanta | – | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 |
| Boston | 1–2 | – | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 |
| Charlotte | 0–4 | 2–1 | – | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 |
| Chicago | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | – | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| Cleveland | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | – | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 |
| Dallas | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | – | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 4–0 | 1–1 |
| Denver | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | – | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–1 |
| Detroit | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | – | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 |
| Golden State | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | – | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–2 |
| Houston | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | – | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 1–1 |
| Indiana | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 |
| L.A. Clippers | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | – | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 |
| L.A. Lakers | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | – | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 |
| Miami | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 |
| Milwaukee | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–3 | – | 1–1 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| Minnesota | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | – | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 0–2 |
| New Jersey | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 0–2 | – | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 |
| New York | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–2 | – | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 |
| Orlando | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 0–4 | – | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| Philadelphia | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| Phoenix | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 1–1 |
| Portland | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | – | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| Sacramento | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | – | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| San Antonio | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 4–0 | – | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 1–1 |
| Seattle | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | – | 2–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 |
| Toronto | 0–4 | 0–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | – | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–3 |
| Utah | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | – | 4–0 | 0–2 |
| Vancouver | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–4 | – | 1–1 |
| Washington | 0–4 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | — |

### Game log
## Player statistics
### Regular season

Washington Wizards statistics :
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| Calbert Cheaney | 82 | 82 | 34.6 | .457 | .283 | .647 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 1.2 | .4 | 12.8 |
| Terry Davis | 74 | 66 | 23.0 | .496 | .000 | .580 | 6.5 | .4 | .6 | .3 | 4.4 |
| Ledell Eackles | 42 | 0 | 13.0 | .429 | .348 | .881 | 1.8 | .4 | .4 | .0 | 5.2 |
| Harvey Grant | 65 | 8 | 13.8 | .383 | .167 | .633 | 2.6 | .6 | .4 | .2 | 2.6 |
| Darvin Ham | 71 | 3 | 8.9 | .529 | | .473 | 1.8 | .2 | .3 | .4 | 2.0 |
| Juwan Howard | 64 | 64 | 40.0 | .467 | .000 | .721 | 7.0 | 3.3 | 1.3 | .4 | 18.5 |
| Tim Legler | 8 | 0 | 9.5 | .158 | .000 | .750 | .5 | .4 | .1 | .0 | 1.1 |
| Lawrence Moten | 8 | 0 | 3.4 | .231 | .000 | .750 | .1 | .4 | .0 | .0 | 1.1 |
| Tracy Murray | 82 | 12 | 27.2 | .446 | .392 | .871 | 3.4 | 1.0 | .8 | .3 | 15.1 |
| Jimmy Oliver | 1 | 0 | 10.0 | .500 | .500 | | 2.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 5.0 |
| God Shammgod | 20 | 0 | 7.3 | .328 | .000 | .767 | .4 | 1.8 | .4 | .1 | 3.1 |
| Rod Strickland | 76 | 76 | 39.7 | .434 | .250 | .726 | 5.3 | 10.5 | 1.7 | .3 | 17.8 |
| Ben Wallace | 67 | 16 | 16.8 | .518 | | .357 | 4.8 | .3 | .9 | 1.1 | 3.1 |
| Chris Webber | 71 | 71 | 39.6 | .482 | .317 | .589 | 9.5 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 21.9 |
| Chris Whitney | 82 | 6 | 13.1 | .355 | .308 | .915 | 1.4 | 2.4 | .4 | .1 | 5.1 |
| Lorenzo Williams | 14 | 6 | 7.9 | .765 | | .000 | 1.9 | .2 | .1 | .2 | 1.9 |
Player Statistics Citation:

## Awards and records

* Rod Strickland, All-NBA Second Team