After missing the better part of last season due to heel surgery and then a torn Achilles, there has recently been a lot of talk involving Washington Wizards superstar John Wall and the team’s intention to shut down their prized point guard for the entirety of the 2019-20 campaign.
For his part, Wizards head coach Scott Brooks admits that while he understands Wall’s predicament, he has not yet come to terms with the possibility of missing out on the services of his star for a full season:
Scott Brooks asked if he's mentally prepared to play w/o John Wall all season, and responded: "No."
But also, added: I don’t know. I don’t know if he’s going to play this year. There’s a good chance he misses most of the season, if not all of the season…"
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) September 30, 2019
Brooks appears to be sending out some mixed signals here, with his initial statement pointing to the possibility of Wall making his return at some point in the season. However, the veteran coach made a quick u-turn by saying that he he currently has no idea if Wall will actually be able to take the floor this term.
Brooks went on to state the obvious: the Wizards do not intend to take any risks with the five-time All-Star, and they plan to take an extremely cautious approach with Wall:
More Brooks on John Wall's status: "He’s not going to play until he’s ready to play 100 percent."
Brooks said the #Wizards will be patient with his rehabilitation.
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) September 30, 2019
This is a bummer to hear for Wizards fans, but it is the smart way to play this. Washington has made a major investment in John Wall, and there’s no reason to rush him back.
This is especially true because the Wizards are not expected to be relevant in the East this coming season, which provides further motivation for the front office to just have their superstar sit out the entire campaign.
