Bertans, Hachimura among Wizards players returning from protocol originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Wizards are getting some of their top scorers back from the NBA’s health and safety protocol as they return home to face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura and Moe Wagner are all coming back. That means Deni Avdija, Ish Smith and Troy Brown Jr. are still in protocol and will require more practice time before playing.
Bertans and Hachimura are the teams’ third- and fourth-leading scorers this season with Thomas Bryant now lost for the year with an ACL injury. Hachimura is averaging 13.6 points per game, while Bertans is averaging 11.8 points, a number that would be higher if it weren’t for a minutes restriction.
Getting some scoring help is important as the Wizards have posted their three lowest scoring games since returning to game action following a 13-day layoff. They missed six games due to a coronavirus outbreak on their roster and had to return while missing several of their best players.
When healthy, the Wizards are one of the best offensive teams in the NBA. They ranked second in points per game when their postponements began and still place fourth in the league despite only scoring a season-low 88 points against the Rockets on Tuesday.
The Wizards have lost their last three games since coming back but were 3-3 in their previous six before players began testing positive. Now that they are close to whole, they will try to regain some of that momentum.
