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In Street Clothes

Covering sports injuries from the perspective of a certified athletic trainer and backed by analytics.

Washington Wizards

For the last decade, the success of the Washington Wizards has been tied to the health of John Wall and Bradley Beal. The duo played eight seasons together, making the playoffs four times. In the four years they made the playoffs, Wall and Beal averaged 71.8 games played. In the four years the Wizards failed to qualify for postseason play, the All-Star duo averaged just 51 games played. While Wall did not play for the Wizards last season, Beal’s health again served as barometer for success. Hamstring and knee issues limited him to just 50 games during his final season in Washington as the team once again missed the playoffs.

However, the Wizards medical staff did drop their injury totals last season and successfully managed to keep Kristaps Porzingis on the court. The 7-footer played 65 games for Washington, his highest total since 2016. Both Beal and Porzingis were traded in the offseason, kickstarting a new phase of Wizards basketball. An elbow injury for Johnny Davis will ensure the team starts limited but Michael Ashton and his medical crew will have a chance to preserve the health of team looking for a new identity.