The Washington Wizards made several big moves this season before the trade deadline to upgrade their roster, but the two stars they acquired were both injured and have yet to play a game.
It appears that this will change, and the team could have a significantly better lineup in the coming weeks, as both stars could be back in action.
One of those players is Trae Young, whom they acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks. As of Thursday, the Wizards were anticipating his season debut in their game against the Utah Jazz.
The other former All-Star is Anthony Davis, formerly of the Dallas Mavericks. Davis has been sidelined with ligament damage in the finger on his left hand, but received a recent update on his recovery timeline, which could bring good news for the Wizards.
On Thursday, NBA insider Marc J. Spears provided the latest on Davis, indicating he is continuing to make progress and was recently cleared for “limited individual on-court basketball activities.” The current plan is to reevaluate the NBA champion and multi-time All-Star in two weeks.
This season, Davis was averaging a double-double with 20 points and 11.1 rebounds per game before injuries took a toll. He played in only 20 games for his former team, the Mavericks, before being traded to the Wizards, where he’s yet to play.
He first sustained the injury in January, and despite the potential need for surgery, he decided against surgery in favor of his rehabilitation efforts.
Key Wizards contributor Kyshawn George is also dealing with a partial tear to the UCL of his left elbow, with his re-evaluation expected in three weeks.
At 16-45, Washington is among the Eastern Conference’s worst teams and currently sits outside of the playoff chase, led by Alex Sarr in both scoring and rebounding. With Young returning and eventually Davis, the lineup starts to look much better, although it’d be surprising if they can win enough games to enter the conversation for a play-in spot.
Along with that, the 32-year-old Anthony Davis has had injury concerns throughout his career, with some critics questioning his durability and ability to contribute to teams. He's dealt with injuries to his feet, ankles, knee, abductor, calf, groin, back, shoulder, and hand, among others, since joining the NBA in 2012.
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