Washington Wizards: 3 biggest concerns heading into the 2018-19 season
1. Injuries
Obviously injuries can hinder every team, but the Wizards have some injured prone players that are concerning. John Wall and Dwight Howard are at the forefront of this conversation.
Currently, Howard is injured. Said to be nothing to serious, but is most likely going to cost him suiting up in the season opener. But it’s not just this injury, Howard has been dealing with back problems for the past three years. He played 81 games last season with the Charlotte Hornets, which was his first time achieving the 80 plus game mark since his days with the Orlando Magic.
Wall is in the same boat. He hasn’t played a complete 82 games since the 2013-14 season. This has been once of Wall’s biggest downfalls in preventing him to enter the conversation of being a top five point guard in the league.
It seems as though the Wizards always face a crippling injury that hinders their advancement. Otto Porter Jr. got injured last season in the playoffs against the Raptors when the series was tied 2-2. Washington ended up losing the series 4-2, but it leaves one to think of what could have happened. The Wizards had the Raptors on their heels, but that’s an conversation for another time.
Washington Wizards: 5 players under pressure in 2018-19. light. More
Bottom line, Washington must stay healthy to be serious contenders. The team is deep enough to sustain small or ordinary injuries, but anything season ending will be detrimental to the team. With all this talent, Scott Brooks and the coaching staff can reduce these chances by managing minutes for certain individuals.
To stay up to date on all things Wizards this season, be sure to follow Wiz of Awes throughout the season.