The Washington Wizards franchise has had some superstar talent compete for the franchise throughout history. After all, the franchise is based in the nation’s capital, and who would not want to be there considering the fact? But Washington has generally been a successful franchise, especially when they were known as the Bullets. In 1978, the Washington Bullets won the championship in a Finals matchup against the Seattle SuperSonics in a 7-game thriller. Since then, the Wizards have not won an NBA title, although they had a pretty strong team in D.C. thanks to John Wall and Bradley Beal.
- 10. Chris Webber – 20.9 PPG
- 9. Michael Jordan – 21.2 PPG
- 8. Elvin Hayes – 21.3 PPG
- 7. Bernard King – 22.0 PPG
- 6. Bradley Beal – 22.1 PPG
- 5. Moses Malone – 22.2 PPG
- 4. Terry Dischinger – 22.7 PPG
- 3. Earl Monroe – 23.7 PPG
- 2. Gilbert Arenas – 25.0 PPG
- 1. Walt Bellamy – 27.6 PPG
- Most Points In Washington Wizards History
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Throughout Wizards’ history, the franchise has had some elite talent, whether they come in the form of scorers, leaders, or playmakers. It is time to continue our series of the best scorers in franchise history. This time we focus on the Washington Bullets/Wizards and Capital Bullets. The Wizards have generally been an attractive franchise to play for, considering the fact that they are based in the nation’s capital. Not to mention, historically, jersey designs have been some of the most attractive in sports. Here are the greatest scorers in Washington Wizards’ history.
10. Chris Webber – 20.9 PPG
(4 Seasons, 1995-98)
One of the greatest power forwards of his time and a Hall of Famer, Chris Webber completed 4 seasons of his career with the Washington Bullets/Wizards after his rookie season in Golden State. The star power forward was not only a terrific all-around player but one of the greatest passers and ball-handlers in his position. A 1-time All-Star with the Bullets, Chris helped make Washington a winner by placing them on the map in the Eastern Conference.
Although Chris was a terrific rebounder, passer, and defender, he was a capable scorer that averaged at least 20 PPG for 4 straight years with the franchise. The talented power forward was an athletic 6’9”, and often used his strength and quickness to punish opposing bigs in the post and had a strong hook shot along with a nice jumper. In his All-Star season, C-Webb averaged 20.1 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.7 SPG, and 1.9 BPG with the Washington Bullets. No doubt about it, Webber is one of the most talented and underrated bigs of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
9. Michael Jordan – 21.2 PPG
(2 Seasons, 2002-03)
We all know Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time, capturing 6 NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls and dominating the sport for over a decade straight. Michael was a 10-time scoring champion with the Bulls and is easily the franchise’s greatest player and the game’s greatest offensive player. But many might have forgotten that Jordan returned to play in the NBA after his second retirement, competing for the Wizards in his final two seasons before his third and official retirement. While most knew MJ was not going to be the best player in the world as he approached 40 years of age, fans at that time were happy to see the GOAT return to compete against the new era of stars which included Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Allen Iverson among others.
Jordan averaged 22.9 PPG in the first season with the Wizards, a strong number for a 38-year-old that shot 41.6% from the field, 18.9% from three, and 79.0% from the free-throw line. The former superstar was not a superstar anymore, but he was still voted into the All-Star Team because of his elite two-way play. Michael also made his final All-Star Team in the last season of his career, averaging 20.0 PPG for the Wizards at age 39. Jordan averaged 44.5% from the field, 29.1% from three, and 82.1% from the three-point line in his final season. Those numbers are enough to get Jordan into the top-10 list of all-time Wizards scorers.
8. Elvin Hayes – 21.3 PPG
(9 Seasons, 1973 – 81)
Arguably one of the most dominant and accomplished centers ever, Elvin Hayes made his name with the Houston Rockets, but his fame truly came with the Washington Wizards. The power forward was a force in the paint thanks to his size and tenacity and had one of the greatest starts to an NBA career that we had seen. After 4 straight All-Star seasons with the San Diego/Houston Rockets, Hayes made 8 more straight All-Star Teams with the Bullets in 8 seasons.
Hayes was on a tear at the start of his career and was one of the men most responsible for delivering the franchise’s only championship in 1978. The center averaged 21.3 PPG through his seasons with the Bullets and had a total of 6 seasons averaging at least 20 PPG. Also, a terrific rebounder that put up a career-high 18.1 RPG in 1974, Hayes is one of the all-time greats at his position and there is no debate about that.
7. Bernard King – 22.0 PPG
(4 Seasons, 1988-91)
A 6’7” small forward that was considered one of the league’s finest scorers, Bernard King was one talented star for the Washington Bullets. After making 3 All-Star Teams as a member of the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks, King found himself on the Bullets roster at the start of the 1988 season. Injured derailed his career with the Knicks, but he returned to a solid form with the Bullets when he recovered. In his first season, King put up 17.2 PPG on 50.1% shooting.
A quick scorer with an explosive turnaround jumper and graceful moves around the rim, it was great to see Bernard King back on the court and playing at a solid level. In his second season, Bernard King averaged 20.7 PPG on 47.7% shooting while also nailing (a career-high) 81.9% of his free throws. In his third season at age 33, King put up 22.4 PPG and followed it up with a very unlikely resurgence when he dropped 28.4 PPG to make his final All-Star Team at age 34. King would retire 2 seasons later after a knee injury kept him out of action and essentially ended his career.
6. Bradley Beal – 22.1 PPG
(10 Seasons, 2013-22)
Now one of the most talented scorers in the NBA with the Washington Wizards, Bradley Beal was a great pickup by the franchise with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. The shooting guard started out his career as an excellent spot-up shooter and has since developed into a go-to scorer that can create his own offense and actually carry a team on his back when needed. Beal has improved his ball-handling, quickness, and shooting; and that is why he is one of the most impactful offensive players in the league. What remains to be seen if the Washington Wizards can surround the guard with the right tools to be successful on the court and in the playoffs, because after the John Wall injuries, Beal has been a one-man show.
Bradley Beal made the All-Rookie Team in his first season, averaging 13.9 PPG and playing a solid role alongside John Wall. But Beal would blossom into a strong player in the 2017 season, as he dropped 23.1 PPG, and has averaged at least 22 PPG for 5 straight seasons after. Beal came close to winning his first scoring title in the 2021 season and has averaged at least 30 PPG twice in the last three years. If Beal keeps this up, he can be among the top-3 scorers in Washington Wizards history.
5. Moses Malone – 22.2 PPG
(2 Seasons, 1987-88)
Easily one of the top-30 players of all time and a dominant superstar at the center position, Moses Malone was an absolute force with the Washington Bullets during the two seasons he competed for the franchise. One of the game’s greatest rebounders and post scorers, Moses averaged 24.1 PPG in his first season on 45.4% shooting from the field while making yet another All-Star Team by the age of 31.
Moses had a knack for hauling down offensive rebounds and scoring the ball with ease, attributes that made him a force in the paint even as he continued to age. His legacy as a first-ballot Hall of Famer was set after his stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets, but his scoring prowess took him to the top-10 list of all-time leading scorers in Washington history.
4. Terry Dischinger – 22.7 PPG
(2 Seasons, 1963-64)
A 6’7” forward, Terry Dischinger played for the Chicago Zephyrs and Baltimore Bullets for the first two seasons of his career. The big man made the All-Star Team in both years, averaging 25.5 PPG in his rookie season, which earned him Rookie of the Year and a spot on the All-Rookie Team. Out of the gate, Terry was a capable scorer who had a high field goal percentage (51.2%) and could also make his free throws when he was fouled (77.0% FT). Interestingly, the power forward got to the line on average 4 or 5 times per game, resulting in a 9.2 FTA in his very first season. His team finished 3rd in the league in offensive rating as well (97.5).
The following season, Dischinger continued his scoring output by averaging 20.8 PPG while he made his second straight All-Star Team. The forward could not replicate the type of success he had in his rookie season, but he was still an efficient scorer by posting a field goal percentage of 49.6% and a free-throw percentage of 77.6%. He did not get to the line as much and his numbers would continue to dip, as he would have military service following his third NBA season with the Detroit Pistons.
3. Earl Monroe – 23.7 PPG
(5 Seasons, 1968-72)
Earl “The Pearl” Monroe was one of the most talented guards and all-around scorers of his time. Whatever Earl did on the court, he made it look extremely graceful and it is no surprise to see him among the top-5 scorers in Washington history. His peers loved him, and he made the All-NBA 75th Anniversary Team this year after being a member of the 50 Greatest Players. An elite scorer, Monroe competed for the Baltimore Bullets in the first 5 years of his career. Without question, he is one of the most exciting players that the franchise has ever had.
Monroe averaged 24.3 PPG in his rookie season on 45.3% shooting, earning him Rookie of the Year honors and a spot on the All-Rookie Team. The following season, Earl would make his first All-Star Team by posting 25.8 PPG on 44.0% shooting from the field and 76.8% from the free-throw line. He began showcasing the essence of the grace in which he scored, as he started earning nicknames “Black Jesus” and, of course, Earl “The Pearl”. He would average at least 21 PPG in the final 3 seasons of his career with the Bullets before joining the New York Knicks.
2. Gilbert Arenas – 25.0 PPG
(8 Seasons, 2004-11)
Gilbert Arenas was a force with the Washington Wizards in the 2000s because there was no answer for him during his absolute prime. He was a strongly built guard at 6’4” and 191 lbs and was incredibly explosive when he got to the rim. At times, Arenas looked like the best scoring point guard in the league. After two pretty good seasons in Golden State to start his career, Arenas blossomed into a star point guard for Washington. He averaged 19.6 PPG in his first season with the team, before making 3 straight All-Star Teams by posting averages of 25.5 PPG, 29.3 PPG, and 28.4 PPG. Clearly, Arenas was on another level as a scorer during those seasons.
Arenas became known as “Agent Zero” because of his shot-making, exciting style of play, and his famous move where he would take a clutch shot and turn around before the ball would go in. Gilbert also had some iconic games, including his 60-point performance against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers during a regular season game in 2006. Arenas also had an incredible 16-point performance in overtime during that game. It was sad to see Gilbert suffer from some injuries and also the famous moment when he brought guns to the locker room because that effectively ended the prime of a point guard that was on track to being a Hall of Famer.
1. Walt Bellamy – 27.6 PPG
(5 Seasons, 1962-66)
One of the greatest players in the franchise’s history, Walt Bellamy was incredibly dominant as a member of the Chicago Zephyrs/Packers, Baltimore Bullets, and Washington Bullets. Bellamy knew he was more physically blessed and skilled than most at his position, and he used that to his advantage when it came to scoring in the paint. The Hall of Famer had a tremendous start to his career, and that is why Bellamy ranks 1st all-time in the highest PPG average of his franchise. In his rookie season, Bellamy scored 31.6 PPG on 51.9% shooting to run away with the Rookie of the Year award.
The following season, Bellamy would make his second-straight All-Star Team by posting 27.9 PPG on 52.7% shooting and 67.4% from the free-throw line. Standing 6’11” and weighing 225 lbs, Walt Bellamy was truly a force in the paint and his scoring numbers out the gate were certainly impressive. The center would not be done just yet, averaging 27.0 PPG in his third season on 51.3% shooting. Appearing in 80 games in season 4, Bellamy dropped a cool 24.8 PPG before averaging 19.0 PPG in his final season with the franchise. With 4 All-Star Teams and an average of 27.6 PPG, Bellamy is truly the greatest scorer in franchise history and one of the all-time great big men during the 1960s.
Most Points In Washington Wizards History
Here are the ten players with the most total points in Washington Wizards history:
1. Elvin Hayes – 15,551
2. Bradley Beal – 14,231
3. Jeff Malone – 11,083
4. John Wall – 10,879
5. Wes Unseld – 10,624
6. Kevin Loughery – 9,833
7. Gus Johnson – 9,781
8. Phil Chenier – 9,778
9. Walt Bellamy – 9,020
10. Gilbert Arenas – 8,930
