Calbert

BOWIE -- When Calbert Cheaney's game is going well, Washington Bullets coach Jim Lynam usually isn't too concerned about his team's offense. That's because Cheaney is hitting his outside shot, going strong to the basket and getting to the free-throw line.And when things aren't going well for Cheaney, it's easy to read it in his body language."There's not a player in this league who doesn't go through a tough stretch," Lynam said. "When it happens to Calbert, he beats on himself. He takes it a tad too personal."

Less than two weeks ago, Calbert Cheaney found his space invaded by dozens of microphones and television cameras after a Washington Bullets loss. It wasn't necessarily Cheaney's fault that the Bullets lost to the Charlotte Hornets that night, but the starting shooting guards' point totals stood out: Glen Rice, 38; Cheaney, zero."

In Indiana, he's a legend. Around the NBA, he has name recognition; he's fourth among forwards in the latest All-Star voting, ahead of Dominique Wilkins, Larry Johnson and Horace Grant. They even gave away a life-sized poster of him at a recent Washington Bullets game, which isn't bad for a guy averaging 8.6 points.Now, Calbert Cheaney gets to show if he can play.Rex Chapman's gone, and so are his 18.0 points a game -- atleast for 10 weeks, and possibly for the season -- after the shooting guard went down with a dislocated right ankle in Monday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

BOWIE -- When Calbert Cheaney's game is going well, Washington Bullets coach Jim Lynam usually isn't too concerned about his team's offense. That's because Cheaney is hitting his outside shot, going strong to the basket and getting to the free-throw line.And when things aren't going well for Cheaney, it's easy to read it in his body language."There's not a player in this league who doesn't go through a tough stretch," Lynam said. "When it happens to Calbert, he beats on himself. He takes it a tad too personal."

Less than two weeks ago, Calbert Cheaney found his space invaded by dozens of microphones and television cameras after a Washington Bullets loss. It wasn't necessarily Cheaney's fault that the Bullets lost to the Charlotte Hornets that night, but the starting shooting guards' point totals stood out: Glen Rice, 38; Cheaney, zero."

Minutes after the Bullets defeated the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday with the help of 10 fourth-quarter points from Calbert Cheaney, Washington coach Wes Unseld pulled his rookie guard aside and offered some words of advice."

It was a season that will be remembered for the NBA's discovery of defense, but somehow the Washington Bullets missed the boat. The team's average yield of 107.7 points was the second worst in the league, and the Bullets were the only team that allowed opponents to shoot better than 50 percent (50.8).So Washington went big and with defense in mind in the 1994 NBA draft, selecting 6-foot-9 forward Juwan Howard with the No. 5 pick overall and 7-1 Jim McIlvaine, the nation's top shot blocker, in the second round.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- The list includes Scott May, Steve Alford, Mike Woodson and Randy Wittman. You know them as high-scoring Indiana All-Americans. The NBA knows them as underachievers, disappointments and flat-out busts.The Washington Bullets pray Calbert Cheaney doesn't add his name to the list. Washington shocked more than a few people by investing $18 million over six years in Cheaney, its No. 1 pick. The Bullets' commitment was obvious when they sent Harvey Grant to Portland before the draft to make room for Cheaney.

There are nights when Washington Bullets swingman Calbert Cheaney looks as if he can do no wrong.Last month against the Golden State Warriors, for example, Cheaney's left-handed jumper looked as smooth as it did two years ago when he was the consensus national player of the year at Indiana. He also was explosive going to the basket, scoring a career-high 32 points."Sometimes you get games," Cheaney said at the time, trying to pull a positive out of what had been a Bullets loss, "where everything feels good."

LANDOVER -- It was draft day 1993 and the Washington Bullets wanted Isaiah Rider. Badly. But the Minnesota Timberwolves grabbed Rider with the fifth pick, and the Bullets, choosing sixth, settled for Calbert Cheaney.Last night Cheaney showed the fans why he was perhaps the right choice, scoring a career-high 30 points and sparking a late rally in Washington's 109-105 win before 8,206 at the USAir Arena.Eight of Cheaney's points came in a 2:36 span in the fourth quarter, helping increase a two-point lead to 98-90 with 3:02 left.

BOWIE -- When asked whether the absence of Chris Webber, Calbert Cheaney and Robert Pack from the lineup had affected his team, Washington Bullets coach Jim Lynam simply pointed to the Chicago Bulls' part of the box score from Monday's game."

BOWIE -- In his first two seasons with the Washington Bullets, Calbert Cheaney posted fairly impressive numbers. As a rookie, he averaged 12.0 points, mostly coming off the bench; in his second season, he boosted that to 16.6 points, mostly in a starting role.Yet, Cheaney says that he played to his potential only in flashes and that he was unable to stay aggressive night in and night out."No, I wasn't satisfied," he said. "I wanted to become more assertive. And I use getting to the free-throw line as a base of being aggressive."

There are nights when Washington Bullets swingman Calbert Cheaney looks as if he can do no wrong.Last month against the Golden State Warriors, for example, Cheaney's left-handed jumper looked as smooth as it did two years ago when he was the consensus national player of the year at Indiana. He also was explosive going to the basket, scoring a career-high 32 points."Sometimes you get games," Cheaney said at the time, trying to pull a positive out of what had been a Bullets loss, "where everything feels good."

It was a season that will be remembered for the NBA's discovery of defense, but somehow the Washington Bullets missed the boat. The team's average yield of 107.7 points was the second worst in the league, and the Bullets were the only team that allowed opponents to shoot better than 50 percent (50.8).So Washington went big and with defense in mind in the 1994 NBA draft, selecting 6-foot-9 forward Juwan Howard with the No. 5 pick overall and 7-1 Jim McIlvaine, the nation's top shot blocker, in the second round.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- He was just hitting his stride, scoring career highs in back-to-back games. But yesterday Washington Bullets guard Calbert Cheaney became another casualty, joining a growing list of injured teammates.Cheaney was injured late in the second quarter yesterday against the New Jersey Nets after a drive to the basket left him sprawled on the ground, clutching his left foot. By game's end, the rookie was on crutches, and the Bullets were in need of a shooting guard after a 122-101 loss before a sellout of 20,049 at the Meadowlands Arena.

LANDOVER -- It was draft day 1993 and the Washington Bullets wanted Isaiah Rider. Badly. But the Minnesota Timberwolves grabbed Rider with the fifth pick, and the Bullets, choosing sixth, settled for Calbert Cheaney.Last night Cheaney showed the fans why he was perhaps the right choice, scoring a career-high 30 points and sparking a late rally in Washington's 109-105 win before 8,206 at the USAir Arena.Eight of Cheaney's points came in a 2:36 span in the fourth quarter, helping increase a two-point lead to 98-90 with 3:02 left.

BOWIE -- When asked whether the absence of Chris Webber, Calbert Cheaney and Robert Pack from the lineup had affected his team, Washington Bullets coach Jim Lynam simply pointed to the Chicago Bulls' part of the box score from Monday's game."

ST. LOUIS -- Indiana forward Calbert Cheaney went back to Bloomington last night with a scrapbook of memories from his storied career as a Hoosier, and with the Most Outstanding Player Award from this year's NCAA Midwest Regional.But Cheaney probably would trade everything for something he never got in the past four years: a national championship. Cheaney was denied the opportunity when top-ranked, top-seeded Indiana lost to second-seeded Kansas last night, 83-77, at the St. Louis Arena."Everybody dreams when you go to a major college of winning it one day," said Cheaney, who finished as the all-time leading scorer in Indiana and Big Ten history.

Minutes after the Bullets defeated the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday with the help of 10 fourth-quarter points from Calbert Cheaney, Washington coach Wes Unseld pulled his rookie guard aside and offered some words of advice."

In Indiana, he's a legend. Around the NBA, he has name recognition; he's fourth among forwards in the latest All-Star voting, ahead of Dominique Wilkins, Larry Johnson and Horace Grant. They even gave away a life-sized poster of him at a recent Washington Bullets game, which isn't bad for a guy averaging 8.6 points.Now, Calbert Cheaney gets to show if he can play.Rex Chapman's gone, and so are his 18.0 points a game -- atleast for 10 weeks, and possibly for the season -- after the shooting guard went down with a dislocated right ankle in Monday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.