Washington Wizards center Thomas Bryant is back in the rotation for Sunday's game against the Utah Jazz. Bryant had missed the last six weeks with a foot injury, according to ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski:
Wizards center Thomas Bryant is returning to lineup today after missing six weeks with a right foot stress reaction, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 12, 2020
Bryant suffered a stress reaction in his right foot at the start of December. He was originally set to be reevaluated after the first three weeks. But the Wizards center will finally make his long-awaited return six weeks later.
The 22-year-old was building on a breakout sophomore season prior to the injury. The big man was averaging 13.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists through the first 18 games of the year.
The Wizards claimed Bryant off waivers in July of 2018, and he quickly established himself as the team's starting center with a series of strong performances. Bryant actually led the league with a .685 shooting percentage on all two-pointers.
The Wizards have struggled to build any momentum, with injuries looming large over their season. Point guard John Wall might miss the entirety of the 2019-20 season. Meanwhile youngsters like Rui Hachimura and Moritz Wagner are still sidelined. Bradley Beal had a consecutive games streak snapped at the end of December, and he has since missed each of Washington's last five games.
As a result, the Wizards (13-25) are 12th in the Eastern Conference. They rank in the top ten in offensive rating, but are dead-last in defensive rating and opponents scoring average, according to Basketball Reference.
Washington will hope Bryant's return can provide a much-needed boost as they approach the midway point of the season.
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