The Washington Wizards will try to navigate the next two months without their All-Star point guard. John Wall will undergo a procedure on his left knee on Wednesday (Jan. 31) and is expected to miss approximately 6-8 weeks.
Washington Wizards guard John Wall could miss two months after a knee scope set for Wednesday, league source tells ESPN. @CandaceDBuckner first reported procedure.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 30, 2018
Wall is averaging 19.4 points and 9.3 assists this season. This past November, he originally hurt his left knee just ten games into the season against the Dallas Mavericks. He missed the following nine games before returning in mid-December. According to ESPN, his knee required an MRI earlier this season and has also been drained and received injections. Wall, 27, underwent another MRI on Monday (Jan. 29) and later visited orthopedic surgeon Richard D. Parker, who will perform the “clean up” procedure today.
Currently, Washington sits in sixth place in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They hold a 4.5-game lead over the Detroit Pistons, the East’s current No. 9 seed. That should be a big enough lead for the 26-21 Wizards to withstand Wall’s injury, as long as they can stay even and win about half their games. So yes, Washington should still be in the playoff picture once Wall returns, barring any other major setbacks for the team.
On the other hand, the Wizards schedule won’t do them any favors.
Also: 16 of Washington's next 20 games are against teams currently in the playoffs. https://t.co/dScg4k5IPZ
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) January 30, 2018
With the trade deadline coming up, expect the Wizards to actively look for a backup point guard for the time being.
