John Wall has been out all season following surgery to repair a torn Achilles (plus previous knee surgery), and it’s unlikely he will set foot on the court for the Wizards until next fall. That said, next month will be a full year from his Achilles surgery, we’re in the recovery window, so never say never.
Wall has returned to full-contact practice — and he’s still the fastest guy on the court, as this video by Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington shows.
John Wall is playing in a full-court scrimmage getting buckets. pic.twitter.com/JMIMisfEnw
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) January 13, 2020
Wall was making smart passes and hitting stepback jumpers as well.
Pull-up three from John Wall. pic.twitter.com/XLTV0ILofV
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) January 13, 2020
John Wall hits a buzzer-beater and then celebrates. Can tell he’s having fun playing basketball and creating highlights for the first time in over a year. pic.twitter.com/MIvdR1daRA
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) January 13, 2020
Before anyone jumps to conclusions, this was 4-on-4 ball against mostly Wizards player development staff. It’s not exactly NBA competition. With the Wizards sitting as the 12 seed in the East, there’s not a lot of motivation to race him back on the court.
However, he is playing and having fun. Beyond that, the quickness seems to be there — that was the biggest question about his injury. A core part of Wall’s game is his explosiveness, and after the surgeries there were questions about if that would still be in his tool bag. This video suggests yes.
All of this is a good sign for the Wizards, even if Wall isn’t back until next season.