(Photo: USATSI)
The Washington Wizards announced brutal news today that four-time All-Star point guard John Wall will miss approximately the next two weeks after receiving PRP (platelet-rich plasma) and viscosupplementation injections to reduce the inflammation in his left knee. This would hold him out of the next eight games including part of a five-game road trip that includes four out West.
Wall underwent an MRI exam yesterday after experiencing left knee discomfort and inflammation due to knee-to-knee contact in the team’s game on November 7 vs. Dallas. The decision to receive the injections came after consultation with Dr. Richard D. Parker at the Cleveland Clinic Marymount, who preformed Wall's double knee surgery 18 months ago, and Wizards Head Team Physician Wiemi Douoguih.
The revelation that Wall's injury occurred two and a half weeks ago against Dallas makes much more sense then the idea that the whole thing was triggered by IV fluid entering his kneecap after the Atlanta game two weeks ago. Wall sat out of last Sunday's game in Toronto with the knee injury but has admitted he has not welt like himself since the Miami game and probably even before that.
It is unclear at this time whether the two week timetable is returning to practice or returning to games, but it is clear that Tim Frazier and Tomas Satoransky will have to burden the load. Frazier will likely start in a matchup against his former team in Portland and will probably continue to be the starter without Wall, but I would have been more inclined to allow the bench to develop more chemistry by starting Satoransky instead.
"You just got to step up and try to be the best we can and get as many wins as possible," Fraizer said after Saturday's shootaround. "Just be myself, try to affect the game in as many way as possible. ... My job is to bring my game to another level to try and help."
One of the biggest things that went Washington's way last season was their health once Wall fully returned from his double knee surgery. Between Markieff Morris' sports hernia surgery and now this, that is a luxury the Wizards will no longer have as they will have to scrape together wins to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference seeding race that is already beginning to take shape.
UPDATE following Scott Brooks' pregame availability prior to Wizards-Blazers.
"We felt like this was the best thing," Brooks said after Wall experienced additional soreness and swelling in his knee following the Charlotte game. The MRI that Wall received on Friday showed no structural damage, just inflammation, but the point guard received the injections on Saturday.
Brooks would not commit to whether Wall would return to practice or games in two weeks citing that whenever Wall is ready to take the next step is how the timetable would fall. No roster move, despite the open spot, is expected at this time with Frazier and Satoransky holding the fort down. This injury is supposedly not at all linked to Wall receiving two IVs prior to the Atlanta game on November 11 even though that is what Wall himself was claiming until today's team statement saying otherwise.
Wall was at the arena Saturday to watch his teammates battle against the Blazers and was initially on crutches, but was then walking around on his own without much of a limp.