Wizards rookie power forward Rui Hachimura, absent since suffering a groin injury on December 16, may not return to the court until the calendar changes to February, according to Mike DePrisco of NBC Sports Washington. Hachimura has missed 16 straight contests with the nagging affliction.
Wizards coach Scott Brooks provided the update on Hachimura’s new health status ahead of the Wizards’ 140-111 loss to the Raptors last night.
Before going down, Hachimura was having a solid first season in D.C. The 6’8″ 21-year-old from Japan was taken No. 9 overall by the Wizards in the 2019 draft. In 25 games with the Wizards (all starts), Hachimura has averaged 13.9 PPG (fourth-best among all rookies), 5.8 RPG (first-best), and 1.6 APG. He is also shooting 48.2% from the field and a stellar 85.2% (17th-best) from the free-throw line.
DePrisco notes that Hachimura felt like a prime candidate to make the 2020 All-Star Weekend’s Rookie-Sophomore Game ahead of the injury, but that this new scheduling setback has thrown a possible wrench in an appearance for the talented Wizards rookie.