| Pervis Ellison |
Primary Interior Engine (1.1) |
38.0 |
High (1.2) |
20.0 |
11.2 |
2.9 |
3.6 |
99.53 |
As Washington’s interior focal point, Ellison finally played with the confidence that had been missing earlier in his career. The Bullets gave him room to operate around the basket and trusted him as a passer as well as a scorer, while his 2.7 blocks made him the team’s defensive backbone. By January, Thomas Boswell wrote that Ellison was playing like an All-Star and that Wes Unseld had brought out the best in his game. (The Washington Post) |
NBA Most Improved Player (1992) |
| Michael Adams |
High-Volume Floor General (1.1) |
35.8 |
High (1.2) |
18.1 |
4.0 |
7.6 |
2.0 |
83.69 |
Adams was the engine of Washington’s perimeter attack, with Unseld relying on him to push pace, create against pressure and take difficult shots when possessions broke down. His ability to attack traps was especially useful in Washington’s pressure-oriented system; Unseld noted that opponents had trouble pressing him. Adams also repeatedly took over late situations, including nine points and a key steal in overtime against New Jersey. (The Washington Post) |
NBA All-Star (1992) |
| Harvey Grant |
Primary Scoring Forward (1.1) |
37.3 |
High (1.2) |
18.0 |
6.8 |
2.7 |
1.6 |
76.82 |
Grant served as the main scoring forward alongside Ellison, with Washington frequently needing him to manufacture offense when injuries thinned the roster. During one December stretch, he took over the scoring load with 33 points despite playing through the fatigue created by the Bullets’ depleted rotation. His combination of slashing, mid-range scoring and rebounding made him one of the few dependable two-way pieces on the roster. (The Washington Post) |
— |
| Larry Stewart |
Starting Energy Forward (1.05) |
29.3 |
Medium (1.1) |
10.4 |
5.9 |
1.6 |
1.3 |
44.35 |
Stewart emerged as an energetic frontcourt starter who supplied the dirty-work possessions Washington badly needed. Reporters noted that he was finding points other players did not want to pursue, while his willingness to defend, rebound and throw over pressure gave Unseld another useful piece during a season of constant lineup changes. His unexpected offensive contribution made him one of the team’s more encouraging young players. (The Washington Post) |
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1992) |
| Tom Hammonds |
Starting Interior Scorer (1.05) |
26.6 |
Medium (1.1) |
11.9 |
5.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
43.66 |
Hammonds moved into a larger interior role as Washington searched for offense and eventually became a starter alongside Adams, Grant and Ellison. Earlier in the season, his 21-point performance against New Jersey showed the scoring punch the Bullets hoped to unlock from him. His season was complicated by a persistent groin problem, however, and Washington’s rotation repeatedly had to account for his limited availability. (The Washington Post) |
— |
| Ledell Eackles |
Starting Wing Scorer (1.05) |
22.5 |
Medium (1.1) |
13.2 |
2.7 |
1.9 |
0.8 |
42.97 |
Eackles functioned primarily as a scoring wing, eventually taking over the starting small-forward job and becoming a bigger offensive factor after midseason. By early April, Washington Post reporting noted that he had averaged 20 points while shooting 47.5 percent as the starting small forward since February 19. His season was uneven, though, with a late-season suspension after missing the team flight to Miami underscoring the volatility around his role. (The Washington Post) |
— |
| David Wingate |
Defensive Backcourt Stopper (1.05) |
26.3 |
Medium (1.1) |
7.9 |
3.3 |
3.0 |
1.8 |
36.96 |
Wingate’s value was tied more to perimeter defense and lineup flexibility than shot creation. Washington specifically used him to defend bigger scoring guards and, when Michael Adams was unavailable, even asked him to handle the point. He was also praised during the team’s early-season stretch for providing defense and scoring off the bench, giving Unseld a veteran counterweight to the younger guards. (The Washington Post) |
— |
| Rex Chapman |
Emergency Perimeter Creator (1.0) |
22.0 |
Low (1.0) |
10.0 |
4.0 |
3.0 |
1.0 |
36.00 |
Chapman had almost no season-long role to establish because his Washington tenure consisted of a single appearance. The Bullets had acquired him as a perimeter scorer and expected him to become a useful backcourt piece, but his availability never developed into meaningful rotation continuity. Contemporary offseason reporting later identified him as a player Washington expected to start after playing only one game the previous season. (The Washington Post) |
— |
| A.J. English |
Reserve Mid-Range Scorer (1.05) |
20.6 |
Medium (1.1) |
10.9 |
2.1 |
1.8 |
0.5 |
32.13 |
English was a young scoring guard whose role expanded whenever Washington needed another player willing to attack the second unit. The coaching staff wanted him to become more consistent with his mid-range jumper because that shot opened the rest of his offensive game. He showed the upside of the role with a season-high 25 points against Atlanta and later became one of the first reserves off the bench. |
— |
| LaBradford Smith |
Developing Combo-Guard Creator (1.0) |
14.8 |
Low (1.0) |
5.1 |
1.7 |
2.1 |
0.9 |
19.60 |
Smith was a developing combo guard rather than a finished shooting guard, and Washington deliberately gave him opportunities to learn point-guard responsibilities. A January practice report described him getting a crash course in defending screens, handling pressure and reading NBA actions after missing much of training camp with an ankle injury. His five starts reflected Washington’s need for offense as much as his readiness for a permanent role. |
— |
| Derek Strong |
Short-Term Frontcourt Fill-In (1.0) |
12.0 |
Low (1.0) |
3.0 |
5.0 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
18.00 |
Strong was an emergency frontcourt body rather than an established member of Washington’s rotation. The Bullets signed him to a 10-day contract in March specifically because injuries had created a shortage of available big men. Contemporary reporting described him as a classic NBA tweener, useful mainly because he could temporarily occupy a roster hole while healthier players returned. (The Washington Post) |
— |
| Andre Turner |
Emergency Point-Guard Organizer (1.0) |
12.4 |
Low (1.0) |
4.1 |
1.3 |
2.5 |
0.8 |
17.40 |
Turner was a stopgap point guard whose minutes expanded whenever Adams was injured. His role could change dramatically from game to game: he went from precarious free-agent depth to 31 minutes in a start against Portland when the backcourt was depleted. In a November overtime win over New Jersey, however, his nine minutes were highly productive, with four assists and two steals. (The Washington Post) |
— |
| Greg Foster |
Developing High-Post Big (1.0) |
11.2 |
Low (1.0) |
4.3 |
3.0 |
0.7 |
0.3 |
16.60 |
Foster was a developmental frontcourt piece whom Washington viewed as more than a conventional reserve. Earlier reporting indicated that the Bullets wanted to make him a focal point of their half-court offense, but his actual 1991-92 role remained limited as injuries and lineup instability pushed more responsibility toward Ellison and the veteran bigs. He was effectively learning while waiting for a larger opportunity. (The Washington Post) |
— |
| Albert King |
Veteran Wing Reclamation Piece (1.0) |
9.8 |
Low (1.0) |
5.2 |
1.8 |
0.8 |
0.5 |
16.60 |
King was a veteran reclamation project trying to return to the NBA after two seasons overseas and in the CBA. He arrived at training camp in unusually good shape and openly framed the opportunity as a chance to prove he could still play. His role remained small once the regular rotation settled, but his preseason shooting and scoring showed why Unseld gave him the opportunity. (The Washington Post) |
— |
| Charles Jones |
Rim-Protection Specialist (1.05) |
18.2 |
Low (1.0) |
1.1 |
4.2 |
0.8 |
1.8 |
16.59 |
Jones was the roster’s defensive specialist, with Washington turning to him when the matchup demanded size, rebounding or interior resistance rather than offense. His importance became obvious when Ellison was unavailable: Jones started at center and produced 10 rebounds and four blocks in a win over the Spurs. Unseld also used him at power forward in emergency lineups when injuries forced Stewart and Grant into different positions. |
— |
| Ralph Sampson |
Veteran Rim-Size Reserve (1.0) |
10.8 |
Low (1.0) |
2.2 |
3.0 |
0.4 |
1.1 |
13.40 |
Sampson was a reclamation-center signing whose primary value was his size and remaining defensive instincts rather than sustained offensive production. Washington signed him after two injury-plagued seasons, and he immediately showed flashes with two blocks in his first seven minutes. The Bullets had to manage his conditioning carefully, with one early report noting that he became winded during a 20-minute stint. (The Washington Post) |
— |
| Washington Bullets Totals |
Team Aggregate |
242.1 |
— |
151.0 |
66.8 |
35.7 |
18.6 |
614.30 |
Aggregate of the supplied player averages and calculated Impact Index values; MPG and statistical totals represent the sum of the listed player rows rather than an actual team per-game line. |
Pervis Ellison — NBA Most Improved Player (1992); Michael Adams — NBA All-Star (1992); Larry Stewart — NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1992) |
