The NBA restart has fans across the country excited about the return of professional hoops, but if you're a fan of a few Eastern Conference contenders, such as the Washington Wizards, you might not enjoy what's to come.
The Wizards' hopes of making the playoffs in Orlando might have just been dashed now that superstar shooting guard Bradley Beal has opted to sit out the remainder of the season in order to nurse a shoulder injury.
Beal was enjoying a career-year in Washington, sitting second in the league in scoring (30.4 points), a career-high, to go along with 4.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists, also a career-high.
Post All-Star break, Beal was playing at a level that few in NBA history have reached. In fact, only Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant have reached said level.
Beal's hot streak included a stretch in February where he scored 55 points against the Milwaukee Bucks, one game after scoring 53 points against the Chicago Bulls.
The Wizards currently sit at 24-40, 5.5 games out of the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, and the loss of Beal makes their uphill climb even more difficult.
Beal isn't the only All-Star guard from the East to recently announce his intentions to sit out the remainder of the season.
Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo announced his intentions to sit out last week, opting to nurse his patella injury back to full health for the 2020-2021 season.
Oladipo appeared in only 13 games this season, after returning in January from a torn patella that he suffered in January 2019.
The Pacers currently sit at 5th in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 39-26, the same record as the 6th place Philadelphia 76ers and 2 games behind the 4th place Miami Heat.
And then there is Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie.
After announcing he tested positive for the coronavirus last week, Dinwiddie said Tuesday that he will forgo the Orlando restart after a second positive test.
The loss of Dinwiddie now marks the fifth member of the Nets to announce he will not participate in the restart, joining Kyrie Irving, Deandre Jordan, Nic Claxton and Wilson Chandler.
This is on top of Kevin Durant choosing to return to the court next season, ruling out a return in Orlando.
Dinwiddie is Brooklyn's second leading scorer at 20.6 points and was enjoying a career-year with the absence of Durant, Irving and shooting guard Caris Levert.
The Nets currently sit at 7th in the Eastern Conference standings, only half of a game ahead of the Orlando Magic and 6 games ahead of the 9th place Wizards.
We'll see what type of magic the Wizards, Pacers and Nets can conjure up in Orlando.
