John Wall Expected To Miss Significant Time As Doctors Recommend Surgery

TheSportster

By Thomas Hall

Published Dec 31, 2018

The Washington Wizards could have a hard time making the playoffs this season as John Wall is expected to have surgery.

Washington Wizards' point guard, John Wall, missed this past Friday night's game due to a heel injury, and now it's being reported that surgery is being recommended for the five-time All-Star.

Wall was ruled out for the game against the Chicago Bulls this past Friday night. This was the fourth game that Wall has been inactive for during the month of December. He has been dealing with a nagging heel injury that just hasn't been able to go away with rest.

Wizards' head coach, Scott Brooks, announced that Wall will visit a foot specialist to determine the extent of his injury, and now it seems that he will need season-ending surgery.

According to NBA.com, after Wall's visit with his doctors, they've decided that surgery on his left heel will be the best solution to remove the bone spurs. Back on Dec. 10, the Wizards discovered that Wall had been dealing with bone spurs on his heel.

But, they had thought with additional rest that Wall would be able to play through them. Unfortunately, that plan hasn't worked out and now they're left with losing Wall for the rest of the season.

According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, the recovery time for Wall is expected to be six-to-eight months. Which means he will be out for the rest of the season and potentially the start of next season as well.

The 28-year-old also hasn't looked like himself out on the court so far this season. Comparing his numbers this season with the 2016/17 season, those numbers have dropped off significantly.

That was the last full-season Wall has had since he missed half of last season recovering from knee surgery. The biggest drop off has been his assists and shooting percentage per game.

Wall's greatest ability is his playmaking skill and being able to create open looks for his teammates. The Wizards have been a mess on and off the court for most of the season, and a lot of that has been because of Wall's comments about inside their locker room.

The Wizards currently sit 11th in the Eastern Conference, and with Wall out, for the rest of the season that means they have a very small chance at making the playoffs this season without him in their lineup.

What This Means

The Wizards need Wall to get back and healthy if they have any chance at making the playoffs next season. Even though he has caused a lot of drama for them this season, he is still the quarterback to their team.

Bradley Beal has stepped up in the absence of Wall so far, but this team needs Wall to give them a chance in the East. So this injury almost certainly means that the Wizards season is over before the new year has even begun.