ATLANTA -- He's back.
John Wall is active and in the starting lineup for the Washington Wizards' pivotal Game 5 showdown against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. The All-Star point guard missed the previous three playoff games after suffering five non-displaced fractures in his left hand and wrist.
Head coach Randy Wittman said his star point guard will not have a minutes restriction. He also said Wall will not be used as a decoy -- although the team did placed a hyphen at the point guard spot when the starting lineups were first announced. It was replaced with Wall's name a few minutes later.
"If he can't play, he's not going to dress," Wittman said 90 minutes before the game. "You're always looking at the long-term. You don't risk today for tomorrow. ... If there's a risk down the road, he won't play."
Wall previously stated that his playing status will largely hinge on whether he can play effectively while managing the pain. After participating in the team's pregame warmup, including taking shots and dribbling with his left hand, the coaching and medical staffs apparently saw enough. The Wizards lost two of their three games against the Hawks with Wall on the sidelines.
Testing out the hand before Game 5, @JohnWall a gametime decision tonight #WizHawks #dcRising https://t.co/aJVDEZJpXv
— #dcRising (@WashWizards) May 13, 2015
"If you're not confident in your ability to do what you want to do," Wall said at the Game 5 shootaround, according to the Washington Post, "then there's no point in playing."
It's been 10 days since the injury, and the 24-year-old's left wrist remains under constant evaluation. The swelling has subsided considerably, but since there still exists a risk of further injury his reinsertion into the lineup does not come without hesitation.
All the same, Wall's return could turn the tides of what is now a three-game series. He's averaging an NBA-high 12.6 assists to go along with 17.4 points this postseason.
