The Washington Wizards have always been a franchise known for their shooting guards. Even now, with Corey Kispert and the newly-acquired Jordan Poole, it goes to show how important that position is to the D.C. ball club.
Some notable shooting guards who threw on a Wizards jersey are Rex Chapman, Mitch Richmond and Michael Jordan.
Larry Hughes is a forgotten gem in Washington Wizards history
When speaking about the great shooting guards in Wizards history, tons of folks forget to mention Larry Hughes. Maybe it’s the lack of years he spent with them but regardless, those three years were something special.
Following minor stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors, he signed with the Wizards as a free agent in 2002.
After averaging 16 points the previous year, Hughes logged in just 12 per game in the 2002-03 season. But there was an understandable reason behind it; he had to share the court with stars Jerry Stackhouse and Michael Jordan. Stackhouse led the team with an average of 21 points and Jordan contributed with 20. Both of them, along with Hughes, were the only Wizard players to average double-figure points that season.
The next year was a bit different for Hughes.
He averaged 18 points which was impressive for someone who had to share the court with a primary ball-handler in Gilbert Arenas. Though Arenas was the main scorer, Hughes still had his moments. On Jan. 10, he scored 43 points as the Wizards grabbed a 94-87 win over the 76ers.
He even found ways to get involved without the scoring aspect. On Mar. 31, he grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds while the Wizards suffered a 103-99 overtime loss to the New Jersey Nets.
Hughes had himself a career year during the 2004-05 campaign. He averaged a career-high 22 points to go with a league-leading two steals. In just the 12th game of the season, he registered his first and only triple-double. On Nov. 28, he recorded 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 114-109 overtime victory against the Toronto Raptors.
During the season, he had 12 games with five-plus steals but his best defensive output came in December. He committed seven steals on Dec. 4 as the Wizards defeated the Chicago Bulls 95-88.
But of course, Hughes never abandoned his scoring abilities. He put in nine games with 30-plus points, including back-to-back ones on Dec. 29 and 31 (30 points and 33 points, respectively).
Unlike the last two years, Hughes helped the Wizards make the postseason.
During the 2005 playoffs, he averaged a career-high 20 points, a career-high seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals. The Wizards managed to get to the Eastern Conference Semifinals but Hughes’ best performances came in the first round against the Bulls. He scored 33 points in Game 1 and a career-high 33 in Game 5. But he crashed the boards, as well. In Game 2, he grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds.
Hughes became a free agent once the season was over, eventually signing with the Cavaliers. Granted, his name might not be in the Wizards’ top rankings, nor is his jersey in the rafters, but his time in D.C. was definitely well-spent.