John Wall passed an important test in his recovery from knee surgery as he was able to fully participate in today’s practice, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.
This was the first full practice for Wall since he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in late January. He went through five-on-five scrimmages with teammates and was able to handle contact. He is now cleared of all restrictions, but the Wizards want him to practice a few more times before setting a date for his return. They have 10 regular season games remaining.
“John did everything, he did an entire practice, which was great,” head coach Scott Brooks said. “I thought he did a great job offensively and defensively.”
Brooks added that Wall tested the knee by aggressively attacking the basket and was moving around well in general. He is slightly lighter after losing some weight during his absence.
Washington managed a 14-10 record without Wall, but most of those wins came early. They have dropped seven of their last 11 games and have fallen into sixth place in the East.
Wall, who is averaging 19.4 points and 9.3 assists in 37 games, should provide a huge boost in the race for playoff positioning. His coach said just having him back at practice raises the overall performance of the team.
“He gives us that edge,” Brooks explained. “When you have him on the floor, you get a lot of easy shots. John creates a lot of attention when he drives to the basket… I think [his teammates] have always appreciated it, but when you don’t have him around you definitely miss it.”