We have officially reached the All-Star break in the NBA, and for most players, that means it is a time to rest and heal up some nagging injuries. John Wall is one of those players who would like to be able to rest during this break, but he was selected to play in the All-Star game Sunday night. Wall is dealing with a knee injury and is unsure if he will be able to play in the game, according to NBA.com.
Wall has been dealing with injuries to his ankle all season but has played through them and actually played at an extremely high level. The 25-year-old point guard has had no choice but to play through the injuries as his team, the Washington Wizards, has been ravaged by injuries through the first half of the season. Through 51 games, Wall is averaging 20 points and 9.9 assists per game and is clearly deserving of his All-Star nod, but his status for the game is up in the air.
Wall played 42 minutes in Washington's loss to Milwaukee Thursday night despite the fact that he hurt his knee in the first quarter. After the game, Wall said his knee was hurting badly, according to Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post, and he would see how the knee feels before making a decision on Sunday's All-Star game.
Wall definitely wants to play in the game but also realizes that it wouldn't be the best idea if it would affect his ability to help his team after the All-Star break.
"If I can't move and I need more time then I won't play Sunday, but it'll be frustrating not to. It's a deep bruise, as you can see, it's swollen. It hurts and I'll do as much treatment as I can on it. It's an honor to be in the all-star game and have the opportunity to play but I can't do it if it's still a problem. My team is too important," said Wall.
There is no timeline on when Wall will make a decision, but it will likely wait until close to game-time so he has enough time to gauge how the knee is feeling. If Wall decides not to play, the NBA may not be able to name a replacement because of how close it is to the day of the game, so the hope is that Wall's knee gets better and he can at least make an appearance. This is the third consecutive year Wall has been named to the All-Star team.
