Washington Wizards: Ranking the Top 5 Point Guards In Recent Franchise History
By Ben Mehic
4) Michael Adams
The Washington Bullets have had a record of employing some of the most unique players in league history.
They had a 7-foot-7 center from the Sudan in Manute Bol and they have also had two of the smallest players in NBA history suit up and play for them.
(Muggsy Bogues, the 5-foot-3 ball of energy who was known for his defensive prowess. He would hound opposing point guards from baseline to baseline.)
However, the Bullets also featured one of the greatest 3-point bombers in NBA history in Michael Adams.
Adams, who had the appearance of an elementary school teacher, was listed as 5-foot-10 even though he appeared to be smaller than that.
In a league where the deadliest shooters were mainly big guards that could see over the defense, Adams showed if you have talent, it doesn’t matter how big you are.
With his double pump like jump shot and “in the gym’”range, Adams became a fan favorite not only in Washington, but around the league.
What also made Adams so unique was that everybody in the building knew what he was in the game to do, but usually couldn’t stop him.
Up until recently, Adams held the NBA record of most consecutive games with a 3-pointer made with 79.
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Adams actually had two stints in Washington.
He started his career with the Bullets but his numbers and play during his first few years in D.C. were pedestrian and didn’t really gain any attention.
Adams was traded in his third year in the league to the run-and-gun Denver Nuggets and it was there where he picked up his game and became one of the most deadliest shooters in the league.
Playing in an up-tempo offense, Adams averaged a crazy 26.5 points per game while handing out over 10 assists for a Nuggets team that once gave up an absurd 173 points against the Phoenix Suns.
Adams eventually found his way back to the Bullets in the 91-92 season where he was named an All-Star with averages of 18.1 points per game and 7.6 assists.
Other than making an All-Star appearance in 1992, Adams never really got the credit or shine he deserves as being one of the best undersized offensive weapons in NBA history.
Adams can be credited as being one of the first little guys that could score in bunches and in a variety of ways, similar to the way that Allen Iverson later played and the way current Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas plays.
Last season, Adams was recognized at halftime during a Washington Wizards game.
The franchise honored their past teams by wearing the “Baltimore Pride” throwback jerseys.
Even though Adams’ time in the spotlight was…ahem…short, he’s still one of the all-time great Washington Bullets point guards.
Next: 3) Strickland