Washington Bullets coach Wes Unseld held a private workout in San Antonio yesterday morning to determine whether rookie guard LaBradford Smith was ready to come off the injured list.

But Smith was still favoring the left ankle that he first sprained in a pickup game in Houston in late September before he was due to report to training camp.

Because the injury has taken so long to respond to rest and therapy, the Bullets will have their No. 1 draft choice examined today by Rudy Ellis, the team doctor at the University of Louisville, which Smith attended.

Pervis Ellison, who also attended Louisville, visited Ellis last week after an aching knee sidelined him for four games earlier this month. The knee was drained, and Ellison played impressively in his next two games.

Smith, who was eligible to come off the injury list last night, has appeared in only one game, playing five minutes against the Seattle SuperSonics on Nov. 19. The ankle swelled the next day, and he has been sidelined since.

The only scoring threats in the Bullets backcourt are point guard Michael Adams, who leads the team with a 23.3 average, and second-year shooting guard A.J. English, averaging 11.0.