The 1998-99 Washington Wizards season was marked by underperformance and challenges. The season was shortened to 50 games due to a lockout, and the Wizards finished with a disappointing 18-32 record. This placed them 13th in the Eastern Conference, well out of playoff contention.
Head coach Bernie Bickerstaff struggled to find cohesion within the team, which was evident in their offensive and defensive inconsistencies. The Wizards were led by veteran forward Mitch Richmond, who averaged 19.7 points per game, but his efforts were not enough to lift the team.
The season also saw the emergence of young talent like Rod Strickland, who provided solid performances, but the overall lack of depth and injuries hindered any potential progress. The Wizards’ struggles highlighted the need for a strategic rebuild, which would become a focus in the subsequent seasons.
- Regular Season Record: 18-32
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Washington Wizards Roster and Stats for 1998-99 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Mitch Richmond | 50 | 19.7 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 31.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Juwan Howard | 36 | 18.9 | 8.1 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Rod Strickland | 44 | 15.7 | 4.8 | 9.9 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 28.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Otis Thorpe | 49 | 11.3 | 6.8 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Calbert Cheaney | 50 | 7.7 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 21.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tracy Murray | 36 | 6.5 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 32.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ben Wallace | 46 | 6.0 | 8.3 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Chris Whitney | 39 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 33.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Randell Jackson | 27 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 14.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tim Legler | 30 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 40.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jeff McInnis | 35 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 25.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Terry Davis | 37 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jahidi White | 20 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| John Coker | 14 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Etdrick Bohannon | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Washington Wizards 1998-99 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1998-99 season for the Washington Wizards.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 05, 1999 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 96-81 | |
| Feb 06, 1999 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 98-97 | |
| Feb 08, 1999 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 106-103 | |
| Feb 10, 1999 | @ New York Knicks | L 101-88 | |
| Feb 17, 1999 | @ Orlando Magic | L 96-85 | |
| Feb 18, 1999 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 95-88 | |
| Feb 19, 1999 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 93-91 | |
| Feb 21, 1999 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 86-75 | |
| Feb 23, 1999 | vs. Miami Heat | L 96-80 | |
| Feb 25, 1999 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 115-105 | |
| Feb 27, 1999 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 82-81 | |
| Mar 01, 1999 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 104-91 | |
| Mar 02, 1999 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 97-77 | |
| Mar 03, 1999 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 106-95 | |
| Mar 05, 1999 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | W 86-85 | |
| Mar 07, 1999 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 103-95 | |
| Mar 08, 1999 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 75-71 | |
| Mar 10, 1999 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 97-87 | |
| Mar 11, 1999 | @ New York Knicks | L 98-86 | |
| Mar 12, 1999 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | L 92-83 | |
| Mar 14, 1999 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 98-86 | |
| Mar 16, 1999 | @ Miami Heat | L 94-85 | |
| Mar 18, 1999 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 95-87 | |
| Mar 20, 1999 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 113-83 | |
| Mar 22, 1999 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 90-86 | |
| Mar 24, 1999 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 96-92 | |
| Mar 26, 1999 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 100-96 | |
| Mar 27, 1999 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 112-100 | |
| Mar 30, 1999 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 107-105 | |
| Mar 31, 1999 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 84-73 | |
| Apr 03, 1999 | @ Toronto Raptors | L 87-85 | |
| Apr 04, 1999 | vs. Miami Heat | L 90-79 | |
| Apr 06, 1999 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 97-93 | |
| Apr 07, 1999 | @ Boston Celtics | L 108-87 | |
| Apr 09, 1999 | @ Charlotte Hornets | L 90-88 | |
| Apr 11, 1999 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 105-98 | |
| Apr 13, 1999 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 86-77 | |
| Apr 14, 1999 | vs. New York Knicks | W 95-89 | |
| Apr 16, 1999 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 87-70 | |
| Apr 18, 1999 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 101-98 | |
| Apr 20, 1999 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 83-77 | |
| Apr 21, 1999 | vs. Toronto Raptors | L 107-91 | |
| Apr 23, 1999 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 89-78 | |
| Apr 25, 1999 | @ Boston Celtics | L 113-84 | |
| Apr 26, 1999 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 99-91 | |
| Apr 28, 1999 | @ Orlando Magic | L 93-86 | |
| Apr 29, 1999 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 97-86 | |
| May 01, 1999 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 102-91 | |
| May 03, 1999 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 113-102 | |
| May 05, 1999 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 100-92 |