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An already difficult season appears to have gotten worse for the Washington Wizards as the news came down Tuesday that center Thomas Bryant will miss at least the next three weeks due to a stress reaction in his right foot, the team announced. He will be re-evaluated after that time period, putting him on the shelf at least until Christmas, meaning that he will miss the team's next 11 games.
Bryant has become a full-time starter for the first time in his career this season, having averaged 13.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest across his first 18 games in 2018-19. The 22-year-old kicked off the season with three double-doubles in his first four games, but has logged just two since.
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Selected in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft out of Indiana, Bryant has already bounced around a bit for a young player. Having been a McDonald's All-American in high school, he entered the NBA Draft after just two years at the collegiate level. He honed his skills in the G League during the 2017-18 campaign, becoming a First-team selection.
Without Bryant in the mix, expect rookie Rui Hachimura to likely see more minutes at center, while second-year big man Moritz Wagner is also likely to step into a larger role.
Bryant now joins star point guard John Wall in being sidelined. Bradley Beal was already taking on an enormous offensive workload prior to Bryant's injury, but will now be tasked with even more duties. The Wizards enter play Tuesday at 6-12 on the season, but also just a game and a half out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
