National Basketball Association

Washington Wizards' John Wall Is Inching Closer To Debut

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Washington Wizards All-Star John Wall is closer than ever to making his debut after undergoing double knee surgery this off-season.

Before a player returns to the court following surgery, he has to check a number of things off a list.

First, the player is cleared for light activity. In most cases, that typically involves cardio work outs on treadmills or in the pool. After that, the athlete is given the go-ahead to start doing some sport-related activity. For basketball, players are allowed to do restricted dribbling and shooting drills.

Once that’s completed and the player is reevaluated, the activities begin to ramp up. That usually involves one-on-one activity and restricted team-drills.

If the player responds well and there are no setbacks, then a doctor clears the athlete to practice fully.

That process takes months and is a lot more complicated than I just described.

Washington Wizards guard John Wall has been rehabbing since May.

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He had both of his knees operated on during the summer after dealing with minor issues all season long last year.

Instead of putting up with the nagging issues, Wall decided that it was best if he were to fix the problems.

His long-term future in the NBA is a lot more important than this upcoming season, so the procedures were inevitable.

It’s taken some time for Wall to get back on the court, but roughly five months later he’s been cleared for full activity.

In September, Wall was cleared to take contact for the first time since the season ended.

Now with training camp out of the way and preseason in full swing, Wall has been cleared for five-on-five activity, which is the final step before a return to the hardwood in an actual game setting.

According to J.Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic, the Washington Wizards’ All-Star has inched his way back for a return.

For the second day in a row, John Wall went through a full practice with the Wizards on Sunday though his status for Monday’s game at the New York Knicks is unclear.

Both Trey Burke and Tomas Satoransky have had moments during preseason, but it’s clear that the Wizards cannot operate at a high level without their best player on the court, which is the case for every team in the league.

Washington, as J.Michael noted, is scheduled to play against the Knicks on Monday night.

Since he’s only went through a few complete practices without any restrictions, I doubt Wall will return this soon.

Even if he’s physically good to go and his knees feel fine, Wall’s conditioning is likely still a hurdle he’ll have to jump over. After months of limited action, thrusting Wall into a game before his conditioning is up to speed might be a mistake.

That doesn’t mean he won’t play in preseason, though.

The Wizards are going to take on the Sacramento Kings at Rupp Arena on Oct. 15. Wall and DeMarcus Cousins both played for the Kentucky Wildcats, so it’s possible that Wall is aiming to make his return on his college court.

Regardless of when he returns, the news of Wall’s progress has been very positive. He’s ahead of schedule and seems to be going in the right direction by all accounts.

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