Wall completes 1st full-contact practice in 7 weeks, will 'be back in no time'
John Wall is inching closer to a return to action.
The Washington Wizards point guard completed his first full-contact practice Saturday since undergoing left knee surgery seven weeks ago.
While there remains no timetable for his return, Wall showed aggression at both ends of the court and pushed his teammates in five-on-five play, lending plenty of optimism to his coach.
"He'll be back in no time," Scott Brooks said, as quoted by The Washington Post's Candace Buckner. "As a coach, I like to see him out there ... He gives us that edge."
Related - Brooks: Wizards need Wall despite success without him
Interestingly enough, the Wizards haven't lost any ground in the standings since the five-time All-Star last saw the floor, going 14-10 since the Jan. 25 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and remaining sixth in the East. Still, Brooks understands what Wall brings to the table and how valuable his leadership will be come playoff time.
"He brings the juice. He brings the energy level up. We practice pretty hard and our guys have great habits but when you're talking about one of the best players in the league, that raises the level in the gym," Brooks said. "The awareness level's up, the energy, the attention to detail, everything is up. When you’re going against him, you better be locked in because he can put you in some pretty embarrassing positions."
Wall averaged 19.4 points, 9.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks over 37 games prior to his debridement procedure.
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