Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards didn't just lose their two NBA Japan Games against the Golden State Warriors. They also lost one of their key young players in Corey Kispert to injury.

During the second Wizards-Warriors clash, Kispert went hard at Jonathan Kuminga during a fast break opportunity and immediately came down on his ankle hobbling and asked to be subbed out.

According to the Wizards' official announcement, the incoming sophomore will miss at least a month if not more while recovering.

Ankle injuries are always tricky. Sometimes they can be bearable enough for NBA stars to play through without missing a single game. Other times they swell up and linger for weeks on end without being able to handle any weight, let alone provide stability for dynamic moves on the court.

Corey Kispert was one of the few wings challenging for the starting small forward slot that opened up with the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. With Kispert out of the picture, the spot likely hinges on third-year pro Deni Avdija and veteran addition Will Barton to take on that mantle.

On paper, Deni Avdija might fit the bill better next to Bradley Beal as someone with the size and defensive chops to defend opposing wings while Barton seems perfect as the spark plug off the bench keeping the offense alive whenever Beal is on the bench. However, Wes Unseld Jr. does have familiarity with Barton during his time as an assistant with the Denver Nuggets and could trust the 11-year pro more.

There's also the wild card of Rui Hachimura, who started during the Japan Games but that could just be in order to cater to the hometown fans.

With the Wizards finishing as one of the worst long-range shooting teams in the NBA last season, they'll definitely miss Corey Kispert's shooting to start the season.