Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
When Washington Wizards PG John Wall hurt his knee on Sunday night, it looked for a second like their season was going up in smoke. But there is good news on that front.
There appears to be no serious damage done to his right knee after the point guard’s collision with the Dallas Mavericks‘ Jeremy Evans, although it is unclear if Wall will sit out for some time to be safe. To literally add insult to injury, the Wizards lost the match against Dallas 116-104 despite a brilliant, 28-point performance by their point guard.
They play the Miami Heat tonight, and his status for that game is still unknown. Wall had to be helped off the court by his teammates with just over one minute left in the Dallas game, and the initial signs did not seem positive for him. The PG said afterward to the Washington Post that “I tried to take a step to go contest, and I didn’t have the strength and I just stopped.”
The knee was apparently already bruised before the game, so that may have been why this looked more serious than it ended up being. The X-rays came back negative for structural damage, and Wall traveled to Miami with his teammates. If the PG sits for a few games, then the onus will fall onto Bradley Beal. He must step up and carry the load offensively, and that includes ball handling.
This is a crucial stretch for the 8-10 Wizards, and they are already undermanned with just 10 available players. Marcin Gortat is out of the country for a family issue, while Nene, Kris Humphries, Drew Gooden and Alan Anderson are all dealing with lower extremity injuries. This will either be the gut-check moment for Washington or possibly the event that causes head coach Randy Wittman to lose his job. Either way, the Wizards should be thrilled about the latest news concerning their franchise player’s knee.
Dave Daniels is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter: @AllDave_AllDay, like him on Facebook here or add him to your network on Google.
