Last Updated on July 29, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Washington Bullets > Roster & Statistics
The 1982–83 Washington Bullets were led by Jeff Ruland, whose efficient inside scoring, rebounding, and playmaking made him the centerpiece of the offense. Greg Ballard supplied consistent secondary scoring from the forward spot, while Frank Johnson directed the backcourt with steady distribution. Washington’s success was built on balanced offensive contributions, strong rebounding, and productive ball movement, with its frontcourt providing the foundation at both ends of the floor.
Here is the 1982–83 Washington Bullets roster and regular season player statistics. The Bullets concluded the season with a 42–40 record, finishing 5th in the NBA’s Atlantic Division and 7th in the Eastern Conference, narrowly missing the playoffs.
Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Height | Weight | Birthdate | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Porter | G | 6’0″ | 170 lbs | Apr 17, 1950 | Saint Francis (PA) |
| 4 | Joe Cooper | C | 6’10” | 230 lbs | Sep 1, 1957 | Colorado |
| 5 | John Lucas | G | 6’3″ | 175 lbs | Oct 31, 1953 | Maryland |
| 12 | Carlos Terry | G | 6’5″ | 210 lbs | Jun 22, 1956 | Winston-Salem State |
| 13 | Bryan Warrick | G | 6’5″ | 195 lbs | Jul 22, 1959 | Saint Joseph’s |
| 14 | Ricky Sobers | G | 6’3″ | 198 lbs | Jan 15, 1953 | UNLV |
| 15 | Frank Johnson | G | 6’1″ | 185 lbs | Nov 23, 1958 | Wake Forest |
| 22 | Don Collins | G | 6’6″ | 190 lbs | Nov 28, 1958 | Washington State |
| 23 | Charles Davis | F | 6’7″ | 215 lbs | Oct 5, 1958 | Vanderbilt |
| 24 | Spencer Haywood | F | 6’8″ | 225 lbs | Apr 22, 1949 | Detroit Mercy |
| 31 | Joe Kopicki | F | 6’9″ | 240 lbs | Jun 12, 1960 | Detroit Mercy |
| 34 | Billy Ray Bates | G | 6’4″ | 210 lbs | May 31, 1956 | Kentucky State |
| 35 | Kevin Grevey | G/F | 6’5″ | 210 lbs | May 12, 1953 | Kentucky |
| 40 | Dave Batton | C | 6’10” | 240 lbs | Mar 26, 1956 | Notre Dame |
| 42 | Greg Ballard | F | 6’7″ | 215 lbs | Jan 29, 1955 | Oregon |
| 43 | Jeff Ruland | F/C | 6’10” | 240 lbs | Dec 16, 1958 | Iona |
| 44 | Rick Mahorn | F/C | 6’10” | 260 lbs | Sep 21, 1958 | Hampton |
| 50 | Steve Lingenfelter | F | 6’9″ | 225 lbs | Jun 10, 1958 | South Dakota State |
| 32 | Chubby Cox | G | 6’2″ | 180 lbs | Dec 29, 1955 | San Francisco |
Regular Season Per Game
| Player Name | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Mahorn | PF | 24 | 82 | 82 | 36.9 | 11.0 | 9.5 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 9.4 | 4.6 | .490 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 3.1 | 1.8 | .575 |
| Greg Ballard | SF | 28 | 78 | 78 | 36.4 | 18.0 | 6.5 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 16.3 | 7.7 | .473 | 0.5 | 0.2 | .351 | 3.0 | 2.3 | .781 |
| Jeff Ruland | C | 24 | 79 | 47 | 36.2 | 19.4 | 11.0 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 13.3 | 7.3 | .552 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .333 | 6.9 | 4.7 | .689 |
| Ricky Sobers | SG | 30 | 41 | 39 | 35.1 | 15.7 | 2.5 | 5.3 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 3.6 | 13.0 | 5.7 | .438 | 1.3 | 0.6 | .418 | 4.5 | 3.8 | .832 |
| Frank Johnson | PG | 24 | 68 | 65 | 34.2 | 12.5 | 2.6 | 8.1 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 3.5 | 11.6 | 4.7 | .408 | 0.9 | 0.2 | .230 | 3.8 | 2.9 | .751 |
| Don Collins | SF | 24 | 65 | 21 | 24.2 | 11.8 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 9.8 | 5.1 | .523 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .000 | 2.1 | 1.6 | .743 |
| Spencer Haywood | PF | 33 | 38 | 25 | 20.4 | 8.2 | 4.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 8.2 | 3.3 | .401 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 2.3 | 1.7 | .724 |
| Kevin Porter | PG | 32 | 11 | 0 | 19.1 | 4.3 | 0.5 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 1.9 | .525 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | 0.5 | 0.5 | .833 |
| Billy Ray Bates | SG | 26 | 15 | 3 | 18.5 | 7.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 8.6 | 3.5 | .411 | 0.3 | 0.1 | .400 | 1.3 | 0.7 | .500 |
| Kevin Grevey | SF | 29 | 41 | 11 | 18.4 | 7.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 7.2 | 2.8 | .388 | 0.9 | 0.4 | .395 | 1.7 | 1.3 | .783 |
| Bryan Warrick | PG | 23 | 43 | 20 | 16.9 | 4.0 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 4.0 | 1.5 | .380 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.3 | 1.0 | .737 |
| Charles Davis | SF | 24 | 74 | 10 | 15.7 | 7.6 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 7.2 | 3.4 | .470 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .200 | 1.2 | 0.8 | .629 |
| Joe Kopicki | PF | 22 | 17 | 1 | 11.8 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 1.4 | .451 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.5 | 1.2 | .840 |
| Chubby Cox | SG | 27 | 7 | 0 | 11.1 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 5.3 | 1.9 | .351 | 0.3 | 0.0 | .000 | 0.9 | 0.4 | .500 |
| John Lucas | PG | 29 | 35 | 0 | 11.0 | 4.1 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 1.8 | .473 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.2 | 0.6 | .500 |
| Dave Batton | C | 26 | 54 | 5 | 10.3 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 1.6 | .445 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .000 | 0.3 | 0.1 | .471 |
| Joe Cooper | C | 25 | 5 | 0 | 9.4 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .556 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | 1.8 | 1.0 | .556 |
| Carlos Terry | SG | 26 | 55 | 3 | 9.3 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | .368 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 0.3 | 0.2 | .667 |
| Steve Lingenfelter | PF | 24 | 7 | 0 | 7.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.6 | .667 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | 0.6 | 0.0 | .000 |
| Team Totals | – | – | 82 | 82 | 241.5 | 99.2 | 43.0 | 25.0 | 8.9 | 4.9 | 19.4 | 86.1 | 40.3 | .468 | 2.9 | 0.9 | .295 | 25.1 | 17.7 | .705 |
Regular Season Totals
| Player | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Mahorn | PF | 24 | 82 | 82 | 3023 | 898 | 779 | 115 | 86 | 148 | 170 | 768 | 376 | .490 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 254 | 146 | .575 |
| Jeff Ruland | C | 24 | 79 | 47 | 2862 | 1536 | 871 | 234 | 74 | 77 | 297 | 1051 | 580 | .552 | 3 | 1 | .333 | 544 | 375 | .689 |
| Greg Ballard | SF | 28 | 78 | 78 | 2840 | 1401 | 508 | 262 | 135 | 25 | 157 | 1274 | 603 | .473 | 37 | 13 | .351 | 233 | 182 | .781 |
| Frank Johnson | PG | 24 | 68 | 65 | 2324 | 852 | 178 | 549 | 110 | 6 | 238 | 786 | 321 | .408 | 61 | 14 | .230 | 261 | 196 | .751 |
| Don Collins | SF | 24 | 65 | 21 | 1575 | 765 | 210 | 132 | 87 | 30 | 146 | 635 | 332 | .523 | 6 | 0 | .000 | 136 | 101 | .743 |
| Ricky Sobers | SG | 30 | 41 | 39 | 1438 | 645 | 102 | 218 | 61 | 14 | 147 | 534 | 234 | .438 | 55 | 23 | .418 | 185 | 154 | .832 |
| Charles Davis | SF | 24 | 74 | 10 | 1161 | 560 | 213 | 73 | 32 | 22 | 91 | 534 | 251 | .470 | 10 | 2 | .200 | 89 | 56 | .629 |
| Spencer Haywood | PF | 33 | 38 | 25 | 775 | 313 | 183 | 30 | 12 | 27 | 67 | 312 | 125 | .401 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 87 | 63 | .724 |
| Kevin Grevey | SF | 29 | 41 | 11 | 756 | 297 | 49 | 49 | 18 | 7 | 27 | 294 | 114 | .388 | 38 | 15 | .395 | 69 | 54 | .783 |
| Bryan Warrick | PG | 23 | 43 | 20 | 727 | 172 | 69 | 126 | 21 | 8 | 71 | 171 | 65 | .380 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 57 | 42 | .737 |
| Dave Batton | C | 26 | 54 | 5 | 558 | 178 | 119 | 29 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 191 | 85 | .445 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 17 | 8 | .471 |
| Carlos Terry | SG | 26 | 55 | 3 | 514 | 88 | 99 | 46 | 24 | 13 | 20 | 106 | 39 | .368 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 15 | 10 | .667 |
| John Lucas | PG | 29 | 35 | 0 | 386 | 145 | 29 | 102 | 25 | 1 | 47 | 131 | 62 | .473 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 42 | 21 | .500 |
| Billy Ray Bates | SG | 26 | 15 | 3 | 277 | 118 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 12 | 129 | 53 | .411 | 5 | 2 | .400 | 20 | 10 | .500 |
| Kevin Porter | PG | 32 | 11 | 0 | 210 | 47 | 5 | 46 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 40 | 21 | .525 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 | 5 | .833 |
| Joe Kopicki | PF | 22 | 17 | 1 | 201 | 67 | 62 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 51 | 23 | .451 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 25 | 21 | .840 |
| Chubby Cox | SG | 27 | 7 | 0 | 78 | 29 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 37 | 13 | .351 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 6 | 3 | .500 |
| Steve Lingenfelter | PF | 24 | 7 | 0 | 53 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | .667 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 | 0 | .000 |
| Joe Cooper | C | 25 | 5 | 0 | 47 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 5 | .556 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 | 5 | .556 |
| Team Totals | – | – | 82 | 82 | 19805 | 8134 | 3529 | 2046 | 733 | 400 | 1567 | 7059 | 3306 | .468 | 237 | 70 | .295 | 2059 | 1452 | .705 |
HeatingUp Impact Index: Team Impact Spotlight
Impact Index* = (PPG + RPG + APG + STK) ÷ 2, where STK = steals + blocks
| Player Name | Role Tier | MPG | Usage Tier | PPG | RPG | APG | STK | Impact Index* | Notes | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Mahorn | Bruiser Enforcer | 36.9 | Low | 11.0 | 9.5 | 1.4 | 2.8 | (11 + 9.5 + 1.4 + 2.8)/2 = 12.35 | Mahorn provided the physical backbone — high minutes, strong rebounder and shot-blocker. His presence helped anchor the frontcourt alongside Ruland. | – |
| Greg Ballard | Two-Way Wing Scorer | 36.4 | Medium | 18.0 | 6.5 | 3.4 | 2.0 | (18 + 6.5 + 3.4 + 2.0)/2 = 14.95 | As the veteran forward, Ballard was a consistent scorer and secondary playmaker, adding 1.7 steals/game per season totals. | – |
| Jeff Ruland | Primary Post Creator | 36.2 | High | 19.4 | 11.0 | 3.0 | 1.9 | (19.4 + 11 + 3 + 1.9)/2 = 17.15 | Ruland was the Bullets’ offensive hub in the paint—very efficient (55.2% FG) and solid passer for a big man. Also noted for his toughness and passing skill. | MVP-12 (per your data) |
| Ricky Sobers | Lead Guard / Secondary Scorer | 35.1 | Medium | 15.7 | 2.5 | 5.3 | 1.8 | (15.7 + 2.5 + 5.3 + 1.8)/2 = 12.65 | Sobers played heavy guard minutes, distributing (5.3 ast) and knocking down threes (0.6 made). | – |
| Frank Johnson | Primary Playmaker | 34.2 | High | 12.5 | 2.6 | 8.1 | 1.7 | (12.5 + 2.6 + 8.1 + 1.7)/2 = 12.45 | Johnson was the team’s starting point guard, leading in assists (8.1) and controlling tempo/spaces. | – |
| Don Collins | 3rd Scoring Option | 24.2 | Low | 11.8 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 1.8 | (11.8 + 3.2 + 2.0 + 1.8)/2 = 9.4 | Coming off the bench or spot-starting, Collins gave scoring punch — very efficient FG% (52.3%) for his role. | – |
| Spencer Haywood | Veteran Reserve / Forward | 20.4 | Low | 8.2 | 4.8 | 0.8 | 1.0 | (8.2 + 4.8 + 0.8 + 1.0)/2 = 7.4 | At age 33, Haywood played limited minutes as a veteran presence, giving energy, rebounding, and some scoring. | – |
| Kevin Porter | Backup Facilitator | 19.1 | Medium | 4.3 | 0.5 | 4.2 | 0.9 | (4.3 + 0.5 + 4.2 + 0.9)/2 = 4.0 | Porter ran the second-unit offense when on court; his assist rate (4.2) was quite solid given his limited scoring. | – |
| Billy Ray Bates | Swing Scorer | 18.5 | Low | 7.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 1.1 | (7.9 + 1.2 + 0.9 + 1.1)/2 = 5.55 | Bates offered a scoring burst in limited minutes, but was more of a role spark than a central piece. | – |
| Kevin Grevey | Bench Shooter | 18.4 | Low | 7.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.6 | (7.2 + 1.2 + 1.2 + 0.6)/2 = 5.1 | Grevey provided spot-up shooting and veteran savvy in his limited role. | – |
| Bryan Warrick | Reserve Guard | 16.9 | Low | 4.0 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 0.7 | (4.0 + 1.6 + 2.9 + 0.7)/2 = 4.6 | Warrick played as a reserve guard, contributing assists and some defense when called upon. | – |
| Charles Davis | Energy Forward / Role Swing | 15.7 | Low | 7.6 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 0.7 | (7.6 + 2.9 + 1.0 + 0.7)/2 = 6.1 | Davis gave the Bullets flexibility in their forward rotation, finishing with solid rebounding and efficient scoring. | – |
| Joe Kopicki | Reserve Big | 11.8 | Low | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | (3.9 + 3.6 + 0.5 + 0.6)/2 = 4.3 | Kopicki contributed modestly in backup minutes, particularly on the boards. | – |
| Chubby Cox | Depth Guard | 11.1 | Low | 4.1 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.1 | (4.1 + 1.4 + 0.9 + 0.1)/2 = 3.25 | Cox appeared in very limited minutes, providing guard depth primarily. | – |
| John Lucas | Third-String Guard | 11.0 | Low | 4.1 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 0.7 | (4.1 + 0.8 + 2.9 + 0.7)/2 = 4.25 | Lucas saw spot minutes, offering some ball-handling and playmaking off the bench. | – |
| Dave Batton | Backup Center | 10.3 | Low | 3.3 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | (3.3 + 2.2 + 0.5 + 0.5)/2 = 3.25 | Batton backed up Ruland, contributing in short spurts on defense and in the paint. | – |
| Joe Cooper | Deep Reserve | 9.4 | Low | 3.0 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | (3.0 + 2.6 + 0.4 + 0.0)/2 = 3.0 | Very limited minutes, providing occasional size when needed. | – |
| Carlos Terry | Minimum Role Guard | 9.3 | Low | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | (1.6 + 1.8 + 0.8 + 0.6)/2 = 2.4 | Terry’s role was very limited; he provided depth but had minimal impact on per-game production. | – |
| Steve Lingenfelter | Roster Filler | 7.6 | Low | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | (1.1 + 1.7 + 0.6 + 0.5)/2 = 1.95 | Only played a few minutes per game; not a major factor in rotations. | – |