Washington Wizards guard John Wall will make his preseason debut against the New York Knicks on Monday. Wall had two knee surgeries in May, and his status for the Wizards' exhibition games had been a mystery until shootaround at Madison Square Garden.
From the Washington Post's Candace Buckner:
The news left Wall in a playful mood. After the team's shoot around, he launched basketballs high into the Madison Square Garden seats for the rookies to retrieve, calling it "a little, fun game." Also, Wall donned dark sunglasses and expressed faux astonishment about his return.
"Sike!" Wall later said. "Yeah, I'm playing."
A joyous Wall contrasted with the caution that had surrounded him for months. Following his procedures, Wall exercised extreme patience when asked about his health, revealing little to nothing. Though the 26-year-old recently returned to full participation in the Wizards' preseason practices and even played uninterrupted minutes of five-on-five, he would not suggest a timeline for his return. Until now.
"We had it all planned out, after (playing) five-on-five and a couple good days at practice," Wall said. "I'll play a couple minutes and see how it goes."
Washington coach Scott Brooks said that Wall would play 12-16 minutes against the Knicks, per the Washington Post. This is standard for stars in meaningless exhibition games, especially when coming back from an injury.
Wall is easily the Wizards' best player, and their hopes of rebounding from last season's disappointment rest largely on him and backcourt partner Bradley Beal staying healthy. Washington will likely be cautious with Wall's playing time as the regular season approaches.
