It looks like the Washington Wizards have dodged a bullet when it comes to Kristaps Porzingis' ankle injury.
Porzingis left Monday's preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets with a left ankle sprain. He sustained the injury late in the second quarter of the contest while driving to the basket. His ankle appeared to twist as he was going up, causing him to fall as he hoisted the ball up and into the rim.
Kristaps Porzingis is back in the locker room after rolling his ankle on this play 😖 pic.twitter.com/Hen5AwRfza
— NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) October 11, 2022
Kristaps Porzingis left the game after that and didn't return. Speaking to reporters after the showdown, however, Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. shared that there is nothing to worry about the Latvian's condition.
According to Unseld, per Ava Wallace of Washington Post, Porzingis was even ready to continue playing in the second half. They just decided to let him rest and not risk the possibility of a more severe injury if he went back in.
Article Continues Below“Just a quick ankle twist, nothing severe,” Unseld added on Porzingis' injury.
This is certainly good news for Wizards fans. Porzingis does have an ugly history with injuries, so the concerns about his condition are warranted.
Not to mention that Bradley Beal is just returning to the team in 2022-23 after a wrist injury ruled him out for the second half the 2021-22 season. Surely the last thing the team would want is another key player going down before the other one comes back.
The Wizards open the season on October 19 against the Indiana Pacers. As things currently stand, fans are going to see Porzingis and Beal pair up by that time.