Wizards set to come out of spell on sidelines

SAN ANTONIO • The short-handed Washington Wizards return to the court for the first time in nearly two weeks when they travel to San Antonio for a contest against the Spurs this morning (Singapore time).

The Wizards have not played a National Basketball Association (NBA) game since beating Phoenix on Jan 11 because six players tested positive for Covid-19, resulting in a 10-14 day quarantine in adherence to league health and safety protocols.

Last Wednesday, Washington held practice for the first time since the outbreak but had only eight players available, many of whom have not seen significant time this season. Starters Deni Avdija and Rui Hachimura as well as Moe Wagner, Ish Smith, Davis Bertans and Troy Brown, are still in quarantine for Washington.

The NBA has postponed their past six games and in response to their decimated front court, the Wizards signed centre Alex Len and forward Jordan Bell over the weekend.

They figure they now have enough players to compete - a minimum of eight is needed as per league rules - although it remains to be seen how the extended lay-off will affect Washington, the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference with a 3-8 record.

"We don't have a blueprint for this," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "The last thing I want to do is put our players in a position where they're going to be susceptible to injury. I definitely worry going forward because these are our healthy guys, and the conditioning is definitely behind the teams that we're going to be play."

All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, who has missed their last two games because of injury, will travel to San Antonio, and then to Houston and New Orleans, but there is no timetable for his return to play.

REUTERS