Taking a look at three moves during the 1990s and early 2000s that hurt the Washington Wizards.
Traded Chris Webber for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe
Chris Webber was drafted No. 1 overall in the 1993 draft by the Orlando Magic. He was then traded to the Golden State Warriors, who quickly traded him after one year to the then-Washington Bullets. Webber was the former best overall player in high school, one of the best college players of the 1990s and had all the looks of being a perennial All-Star NBA forward. And he was close to it in his time for Washington. He averaged 21.4 points along with 9.2 rebounds per game. He was an absolute beast who appeared to be destined to make Washington a contender for years to come. Players who average 21 and nine are hard to come by, especially ones who are as skilled as Webber. Then the Wizards made a trade that to this day was a terrible move. They traded Webber to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe (who?). Richmond came to the Wizards and put up solid numbers, scoring 17.7 points per game in three years. However, it was the tail end of his career and the Wizards did not record more than 29 wins (one year was lockout year) in any of those years. Otis Thorpe, who had been solid early in his career but was 36 when he arrived in Washington, was even a bigger question mark. He only saw action in 49 games, averaging 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He played only one year in Washington. So, the Wizards gave up Webber, a consistent 21 and nine player who had not even hit his prime yet for two players on their way out of the league. It is a head scratcher for sure.
But it becomes worst once you take a look at what Webber did in Sacramento. He became the greatest player in Kings’ history. He poured in 22.9 points along with 10.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game in six years. He was one of the top players in the league during his time with the Kings. Webber and his Kings’ team took on the league by storm. They came within a couple plays and questionable calls from the officials from winning the 2002 NBA championship. They lost to the Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference Finals, who were the eventual champions, defeating the New Jersey Nets. That team was revolutionary and Webber was the cornerstone.
So, what could have been for the Wizards? One, they would have a franchise player that you could build a contending team around, as the Kings did. Two, the year after they traded Webber, the 1998-99 season (lockout year), they would have been a playoff team. Even though it was an older team, a core of Juwan Howard and Chris Webber is something to build off of. But it never happened. The NBA is a league of what ifs and this is one of them, especially for the Wizards’ franchise. Chris Webber may end up being a Hall of Famer in a few years. It is a shame he will not be entering the Hall as a Wizard.
Trading Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace went undrafted from Division II Virginia Union and was signed by the Bullets in 1996. He played three years and was average. He averaged three points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his years in Washington. However, he did not see much action and did not get a chance to prove how good of a rebounder and defender he really was. He played one year in Orlando then was traded to Detroit, where he became one of the best low-post defenders to ever play the game. In his prime, 2001-04, he led the NBA in defensive rating three years straight and led the league in rebounding two of those years. He won a championship with the Pistons in ’04 and was a huge reason for their championship. Of course, it is hard to blame the Wizards organization for trading Wallace because he was not super productive in his time there, but it hurts looking back now at what he brought to the Pistons.
Drafting Kwame Brown
Kwa-meh Brown! (Stephen A. Smith voice). The center straight from high school was the Wizards’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. It is viewed as one of the worst No. 1 picks in NBA history. Brown only played for the Wizards for four years. A No. 1 pick is supposed to eventually be a franchise player to build around. When you trade that pick after four years, something was not working. Brown averaged only 7.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He seemed lost on the court and it was quickly realized he was not the answer for the Wizards. Heck, during pre-draft workouts he could not even palm a basketball! If a 7-footer cannot palm a basketball, that is not a good sign.
Who did the Wizards miss out on in that draft? Fortunately, for then-part owner Michael Jordan it was a relatively weak draft class with no “can’t miss” prospects. There were only eight players from the draft class who ended up going to at least one All-Star Game. The only “superstars,” per se, were Tony Parker and Gilbert Arenas (for a few seasons). However, if the Wizards really wanted a center, the second and third picks were centers. Tyson Chandler and Pau Gasol were the second and third picks of this draft. Both are NBA champions and still productive starting centers in the league.
Brown was in the league last year and has had a couple decent years, but never panned out to be a star like the Wizards hoped. After the Webber trade, the Wizards struggled with being competitive and the selection of Kwame Brown did not help. If only they had Ben Wallace.