Wizards coach Scott Brooks declines to provide timeline for John Wall's return
Wizards star is making progress but there's no firm knowledge of when exactly he'll be cleared to return to the court for full activities
By
Matt Moore
•
3 min read
Washington Wizards star John Wall continues his rehab from the two knee surgeries he had in the spring. That injury could wind up affecting Wall's training camp, preseason or regular season depending on how long it takes for him to recover. Wall is doing some work, but there has been no official word of when to expect him back on the floor.
That theme continued in a conversation with the Washington Post on Wednesday as coach Scott Brooks declined to give a timeline on Wall. Not that Wall's absence is indefinite at this point, but to better manage expectations.
When asked if Wall would be available for the Wizards' first training camp practice, Tuesday on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Brooks expressed uncertainty, though he didn't appear too concerned at this point.
"Don't know that but he's doing some one-on-one, he's doing some three-on-three. Not really worried about that," Brooks said. "Like all of our athletes, I want them to be ready but he's definitely moving towards that direction."
Before arriving for his meeting at The Post, Brooks said he had watched Wall that morning in a workout. Wall, who had two knee operations this offseason, has progressed from playing against younger assistant coaches to facing off against teammates, going one-on-one for roughly 25 minutes. In spite of the improvement, Brooks hesitated to provide a date when Wall will be cleared for five-on-five contact.
"I don't like to put a timetable [on it] because if he doesn't meet it [then] we're saying, 'Oh, he's still hurt,' " Brooks said. "He's improving. His body looks great [but] his conditioning is going to be behind.
Wall's absence will be significant and severely hamper Washington's efforts to return to the playoffs if it eats at all into the regular season. The bigger priority is to get Wall 100 percent, after multiple seasons where apparently he has not been so, but there's also going to have to be an urgency as it pertains to this season with Wall. The Wizards otherwise will be relying on Bradley Beal, who has his own more severe injury history, or inexperienced players like Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre, to provide offensive spark.
There's a long list of bad things that have happened to the Wizards during the past few years, and much of it casts a pall over the franchise's hopes of retaining Wall when he will be eligible for free agency in a few years. He already wants a new deal, but the team is unable to give him one under their current salary-cap constraints. He has watched lesser players get more money and doesn't feel like the D.C. market shows him the love he's worth.
Winning will soothe and fix a lot of that, but the Wizards need Wall on the floor to make that happen. At the same time, investing in his health and making sure he can be the best he can be is also paramount. Brooks mentions in the Post piece that he wants to see Wall better able to finish at the rims and convert free throws, both of which means he's going to need his explosiveness. He can't get there without his knees in good condition. The Wizards are smart to not rush him back and say that he'll be ready when he's ready. That's the best thing for their investment in John Wall. It could just wind up hurting them when it comes to the immediate start of this season, if Wall's injury recovery lingers over the next month.
The Wizards will begin training camp next week.
