John Wall continues to recover from the surgery he had to repair his torn Achilles and coach Scott Brooks said there was a good chance that Wall “misses most of the season, if not all the season,” as he said during Wizards Media Day, in which SLAM Newswire was among the members in attendance.
“We’re going to be patient,” Brooks said. “He’s not going to play until he’s ready 100 percent and he understands that, but what I love about John is he’s going to fight us over.”
There remains no definitive timeline on Wall’s return to the court. The point guard has been able to resume some on-court work, as he’s been cleared to run. He hasn’t yet been cleared for any contact drills.
Wall obviously wishes he could be out there on opening night for the Wizards but he doesn’t allow his injuries to get him down. He tries to remain in high spirits as he rehabs his way back to the court.
“The mental aspect is easy for me. I’ve been through injuries before…I wish I didn’t have the problems I’ve had,” Wall said. “I came back early from some injuries before and it made other things worst, so my job now is to make sure I’m body is fully healthy with no injuries so I’m not compensating and hurting something else.”
It appears the Wizards are operating as if Wall will miss the entire 2019-20 campaign. Washington added a pair of veteran point guards this offseason in Ish Smith and Isaiah Thomas (Thomas is expected to miss the start of the season with a thumb injury), and the franchise applied for a Disabled Player Exception for Wall, which would be awarded if the league finds that it’s likely that the 5-time All-Star will be out for the year.
Wall said he’s remaining engaged with the team while he rehabs, helping the team’s point guards and other position players pick up Brooks’ system. “I’m basically like a coach this year,” Wall said.
The Wizards open the season on October 23 in Dallas.
