National Basketball Association

Washington Wizards' John Wall To Make Return Against New York Knicks

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

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Washington Wizards All-Star John Wall (double knee surgery) is set to make his return against the New York Knicks on Columbus Day.

John Wall is back.

After months of rehabbing following double-knee surgery in May, the Washington Wizards‘ All-Star is set to make his return to the NBA hardwood on October 10 against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Prior to the announcement, I foolishly predicted that Wall would make his return against the Sacramento Kings on October 15.

The Kings and Wizards are scheduled to meet at Rupp Arena – a place that used to be home for both Wall and DeMarcus Cousins during their time at the University of Kentucky.

If anyone was going to return sooner than expected, it was going to be Wall. Somehow, I forgot about that.

Wall went through two full practices after a limited training camp. He’s been dunking effortlessly and his teammates have said that Wall looks perfectly normal on the floor. Washington’s medical staff has also spoken about his rehab, noting how freakishly fast the point guard has recovered.

So again, #Wizards PG John Wall will make his preseason debut tonight vs #Knicks… sooner than many expected him to return.

— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) October 10, 2016

In Wall’s absence, the Washington Wizards have relied on Trey Burke and Tomas Satoransky to carry the role of distributing.

Both players have played well, with Burke focusing more on scoring the ball and Satoransky looking for his teammates. With Wall out, Scott Brooks has been able to evaluate the two backups, which should theoretically help the coach iron out his rotation quicker than normal.

Since it’s his first game in about five months, Wall’s minutes will be very limited. It would surprise me if he got to play over 15 minutes against the Knicks on Monday night.

There was some talk about whether or not Wall would even play in preseason. Obviously, that discussion is now over.

At times during preseason, the Wizards have struggled to get their offense flowing. Even with Burke and Satoransky on the floor, the Wizards haven’t been able to get out in transition and move the ball consistently on the perimeter.

More importantly, the two guards – specifically Burke – have allowed opposing players to get inside the paint without much restriction. Against the Miami Heat, the Wizards allowed Hassan Whiteside to score 20 points in just as many minutes. The guards got to the rim and dumped the ball off to the big man with no resistance.

Wall didn’t have a great defensive season last year, but he is a former All-NBA Defender. His length and quickness should help the Washington Wizards become a better defensive team, or at least better than they are with either of the backups on the court.