The Washington Wizards got the ultimate bad news on John Wall
As if the Washington Wizards needed any bad news at this point — with the most promising chance to return to the Eastern Conference Finals since 1978-79 — but that’s exactly what they got, as John Wall’s injury is worse than previously thought.
As reported by the Monumental Network, Wall has five non-displaced fractures in his left wrist and hand. No timetable has been set for his return and no updates have been released on his ability to play.
Injury Update: John Wall underwent multiple exams that revealed 5 non-displaced fractures in left wrist & hand
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) May 7, 2015
More: http://t.co/MsnyerN1V3
If Wall is unable to play, it will be devastating for the Wizards, who had already shocked the Atlanta Hawks by stealing Game 1 in Atlanta. Wall scored 18 points with seven rebounds, 13 assists, one steal and three blocks in Game 1 to help seal a six-point victory.
The 6-foot-4 point guard out of the University of Kentucky was averaging 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 12.6 assists and 1.4 blocks during the playoffs.
Knowing what we know now, how remarkable was it for John Wall to hurt hand/wrist & finish with 18 pts & 13 assists in #wizards' Game 1 win?
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) May 7, 2015
During the regular season, having Wall on the court resulted in 12.3 more points per 100 possessions. In the playoffs that number came down — but not much, as Wall was still a plus-9.9. That’s a big blow for any team, much less one who will now have to rely on journeyman Ramon Sessions to shoulder the load. For some reference, Sessions resulted in just .1 more points per 100 possessions during the regular season and plus-6.0 in the postseason.
Sessions isn’t a poor player overall, but he’s more suited to a backup role. In his lone start during these playoffs, he scored 21 points and chipped in four assists, but the Wizards faltered in the fourth quarter and badly missed Wall’s blazing speed and ability to affect the passing lanes.
The NBA injury gods haven’t been kind to any team, but this one feels excessively cruel. We’ll leave you with this:
Next: Some Other Options Without John Wall
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers