| Chris Webber |
Primary Frontcourt Engine (1.1) |
39.6 |
High (1.2) |
21.9 |
9.5 |
3.8 |
3.3 |
101.64 |
Webber was the offensive focal point of Washington’s young core, combining face-up scoring, interior finishing and playmaking from the frontcourt. His 1997-98 season also exposed the tension between his production and the leadership burden the Wizards wanted him to embrace; by season’s end, he acknowledged that he needed to become more vocal for the team. (The Washington Post) |
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| Rod Strickland |
Franchise Floor General (1.1) |
39.7 |
High (1.2) |
17.8 |
5.3 |
10.5 |
2.0 |
93.98 |
Strickland was the team’s offensive conductor, pushing the ball, creating penetration and controlling virtually every half-court possession. His 10.5 assists reflected more than table-setting; Washington’s late-season reporting repeatedly identified him as one of the few players who consistently performed at a high level during an otherwise erratic campaign. (The Washington Post) |
All-NBA Second Team (1998); MVP voting: 18th (1998); Most Improved Player voting: 13th (1998) |
| Juwan Howard |
Primary Scoring Forward (1.1) |
40.0 |
High (1.2) |
18.5 |
7.0 |
3.3 |
1.7 |
80.52 |
Howard functioned as the team’s principal scoring forward, operating heavily from the post and face-up areas while carrying a huge minute load. His offensive importance was magnified whenever Washington’s frontcourt was disrupted, and his chemistry with Webber remained one of the defining pieces of the young Wizards core. (The Washington Post) |
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| Calbert Cheaney |
Starting Two-Way Wing (1.05) |
34.6 |
Medium (1.1) |
12.8 |
4.0 |
2.1 |
1.6 |
47.36 |
Cheaney served as the dependable two-way wing around Washington’s three primary creators, giving the lineup size on the perimeter and another capable scorer without demanding the ball. His place among the team’s young core was significant enough that later retrospectives still identified him alongside Webber and Howard as one of Washington’s four young starters. (The Washington Post) |
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| Tracy Murray |
Sixth Man Scorer (1.0) |
27.2 |
Medium (1.1) |
15.1 |
3.4 |
1.0 |
1.1 |
45.32 |
Murray was one of Washington’s most valuable offensive weapons precisely because he could score without needing a starting role. His perimeter shooting gave the second unit genuine spacing and shot-making, and contemporary Washington coverage singled him out as one of the league’s better bench players. (The Washington Post) |
Sixth Man of the Year voting: 6th (1998); Three-Point Shootout participant (1998) |
| Terry Davis |
Starting Rebounding Forward (1.05) |
23.0 |
Medium (1.1) |
4.4 |
6.5 |
0.4 |
0.9 |
25.62 |
Davis was essentially the physical cleanup man in a frontcourt that lost Gheorghe Muresan for the season. His job was to absorb center minutes, rebound and provide interior size, although Washington’s defense lacked the shot-altering presence it had enjoyed with Muresan. (The Washington Post) |
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| Ben Wallace |
Emerging Rim Protector (1.05) |
16.8 |
Medium (1.1) |
3.1 |
4.8 |
0.3 |
2.0 |
23.56 |
Wallace’s value was already rooted in defensive disruption rather than offense. With Muresan unavailable, Washington used him as part of its center rotation, and his developing shot-blocking ability offered the athletic interior presence that the rest of the frontcourt could not consistently provide. (The Washington Post) |
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| Chris Whitney |
Backup Floor Organizer (1.0) |
13.1 |
Low (1.0) |
5.1 |
1.4 |
2.4 |
0.5 |
18.80 |
Whitney was the trusted reserve behind Strickland, with his role centered on organizing possessions rather than reproducing Strickland’s attacking style. When Strickland was injured late in the season, Whitney started the final six games and Washington went 4-2, demonstrating the level of coaching trust he had earned. (The Washington Post) |
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| Ledell Eackles |
Veteran Perimeter Reserve (1.0) |
13.0 |
Low (1.0) |
5.2 |
1.8 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
15.60 |
Eackles returned to Washington as a veteran perimeter option and occupied a modest reserve role behind Cheaney and the team’s primary scorers. His value was mainly experience and supplementary shooting rather than creation, with only 42 appearances limiting his overall influence. (Wikipedia) |
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| Jimmy Oliver |
Emergency Shooting Reserve (1.0) |
10.0 |
Low (1.0) |
5.0 |
2.0 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
16.00 |
Oliver had almost no sustained role, appearing for only one game. Limited contemporary coverage was available, so there is little reliable evidence to suggest anything beyond an emergency perimeter-depth function during Washington’s regular season. (The Washington Post) |
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| Darvin Ham |
Energy Wing Reserve (1.0) |
8.9 |
Low (1.0) |
2.0 |
1.8 |
0.2 |
0.7 |
9.40 |
Ham was used as an energy-oriented wing whose value came from physical play rather than offensive creation. His later recollections of the season describe the Wizards as a genuinely talented young group that nevertheless missed the playoffs at 42-40, illustrating the gap between the roster’s potential and its consistency. (The Washington Post) |
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| God Shammgod |
Developmental Ball-Handling Guard (1.0) |
7.3 |
Low (1.0) |
3.1 |
0.4 |
1.8 |
0.5 |
11.60 |
Shammgod entered the season as a developmental point guard competing directly with Chris Whitney for reserve minutes behind Strickland. Washington’s staff viewed him primarily as a true point guard rather than a combo guard, and his roster spot was initially described as something he would have to earn in training camp. (The Washington Post) |
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| Harvey Grant |
Veteran Locker-Room Forward (1.0) |
13.8 |
Low (1.0) |
2.6 |
2.6 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
12.80 |
Grant had transitioned away from the scoring role of his earlier career and served mainly as a veteran forward and locker-room voice. After Washington narrowly missed the playoffs, he spoke openly about the need for major changes, reflecting his position as an experienced observer of a talented but inconsistent group. (The Washington Post) |
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| Lorenzo Williams |
Veteran Interior Reserve (1.0) |
7.9 |
Low (1.0) |
1.9 |
1.9 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
8.60 |
Williams supplied emergency size in Washington’s center-by-committee approach after Muresan’s absence. He was not a featured offensive player, but his veteran experience gave the Wizards another physical body for an interior rotation that struggled to reproduce Muresan’s defensive impact. (The Washington Post) |
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| Tim Legler |
Veteran Shooting Specialist (1.0) |
9.5 |
Low (1.0) |
1.1 |
0.5 |
0.4 |
0.1 |
4.20 |
Legler’s role was severely restricted by the lingering effects of two knee operations, which had already limited him before the season. Washington had retained him as a veteran shooting specialist, but his availability and playing time never allowed that skill to become a significant part of the regular rotation. (The Washington Post) |
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| Lawrence Moten |
Deep Guard Reserve (1.0) |
3.4 |
Low (1.0) |
1.1 |
0.1 |
0.4 |
0.0 |
3.20 |
Moten was buried at the edge of Washington’s guard rotation, appearing in only eight games. Limited contemporary coverage was available regarding his specific on-court responsibilities, so the evidence supports describing him as deep perimeter depth rather than assigning a more prominent role. (The Washington Post) |
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| Team Totals |
— |
241.5 |
— |
97.2 |
42.2 |
23.2 |
13.0 |
— |
Washington’s 1997-98 rotation was driven by the Webber-Howard-Strickland core, with Murray supplying major bench scoring and Wallace beginning to establish the defensive identity that would later define his career. The Wizards finished 42-40 but missed the playoffs by one game. (The Washington Post) |
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