The Washington Wizards plan to become the latest NBA team to reopen their practice facility on Friday, coach Scott Brooks told NBA TV on Monday night.
“We’ve been meeting the last couple of days on how that’s gonna go about, and if everything goes as planned, it’s going to be this Friday,” Brooks said. “So it’s gonna be a great opportunity for our players that are in-market that want to get some workouts in.”
At this early stage of the league’s plan to restart the season, all workouts are voluntary and based on whether a team can reopen its facility based on the guidelines in its given state or jurisdiction. Head coaches like Brooks are not allowed to attend or observe players’ workouts, but a limited number of assistant coaches or other player personnel can attend.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers are among the few teams that have opened their facilities so far.
“Everybody wants to work out and get back to playing basketball. We hope that happens soon,” Brooks said. “We don’t know, but this is the first step and hopefully it keeps going from here. But it’s going to be great for our coaches to see some of our players live.”
Brooks added that the team has been organizing workouts together over Zoom, and he’s having players watch the 2017 playoffs — the last meaningful games that John Wall and Bradley Beal were healthy and on the same court at the same time.
The coach also confirmed what Wall himself revealed in a recent interview: If the NBA is able to resume and finish the 2019-20 season, there is no chance Wall will play any games. Wall has not played since December 2018 after needing surgery on his heel, which later became a ruptured Achilles tendon when he slipped in the shower at home.
But Brooks insisted after watching his rehab that Wall is “gonna get back to where he once was, if not even better.”
When the season was suspended the night of March 11, the Wizards sat in a distant ninth place in the Eastern Conference at 24-40 with 18 games to go, 5 ½ games out of a playoff spot.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.