Wizards center Thomas Bryant appears likely to suit up for Washington on Wednesday against the Magic, head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said today (Twitter link via Ava Wallace of the Washington Post).
This will be the first game back on the hardwood for Bryant in just over a year. The 6’10” big man tore the ACL in his left knee in a game against the Heat on January 9, 2021.
Unseld previously indicated that Bryant, still just 24, had cleared the league’s COVID-19 protocols and would take a bench role during his initial games back with the club.
Prior to the injury, Bryant averaged 14.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.5 APG and 0.8 BPG in ten games with the Wizards during the 2020/21 season, all starts. Bryant is in the final season of a three-year, $25MM contract extension he signed with the team in the 2019 offseason.
At 20-20, the Wizards currently occupy the No. 9 seed in the crowded Eastern Conference. A return for Bryant should help shore up their interior defense. For now, Bryant will play behind springy young starting center Daniel Gafford.
Springy is a great word to describe Gafford. Loved him off the deep bench for the bulls. The talent is there. I really see him having a javale McGee type career if healthy
Absolutely
Definitely will help Wizards. In case ya’ll are wondering now. Wizards are 21-20 now, half way point. Dinwiddie tonight in a win over Thunder. 33 mins, 20 pts, 10 ast. Oh My.
Gafford is still the Wizards best centre, and should be playing the majority of the center minutes. The shine has faded off Montrezl a little bit, and Bryant is a big man coming off an ACL injury. He will need to be eased back in. I would like to see Gafford play between 25-28 minutes consistently every night, with Montrezl getting about 20 and Bryant acting as a 3rd string center.