Report: John Wall clashed with Wizards medical staff over broken hand and wrist
What was originally thought to be a "really bad sprain" has turned out to be so much worse for the Washington Wizards. John Wall probably isn't the least bit surprised.
The Wizards announced Thursday that Wall has been diagnosed with five non-displaced fractures in his left wrist and hand. There's no timetable for his return to action but context clues suggest he'll miss at least Saturday's Game 3, and Wall seemed at a loss for specifics at shootaround Friday.
Wall says he's taking it day to day with wrist/hand. He says he would play if he can be himself on court and not hurt himself further
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) May 8, 2015
That second opinion is one Wall pushed for himself after being unable to go through his normal pregame routine for Game 2 of the team's series against the Atlanta Hawks, with his early optimism about a return – and his incredible return to action after suffering the injury in the first quarter of Game 1 – dissipating.
What's worse for the Wizards, who remain unsure if and when they may get Wall back in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the entire situation may have strained the relationship between superstar and organization.
Wall "clashed" with team medical staff ahead of Tuesday's Game 2, according to a report from Michael Lee of The Washington Post, as Wall believed the team's diagnosis of a bad sprain was incorrect. It was only after "a few days of confusion and concern" that the team got the news Wall expected, that the injury was worse than a sprain.
The franchise isn't at any risk of losing Wall – he's under contract through 2019 – but it's certainly a bad look. The player believed he was more seriously injured and the team's staff misdiagnosed him. Even if that may have happened through little fault of their own – smaller breaks can be difficult to identify while swelling still looms in the hand – it's an unfortunate bit of PR.
And again, they may have lost Wall for the series, or at least as much of the series as will matter. That's the far bigger concern immediately, but it will be worth smoothing any hard feelings over with Wall this offseason.