Washington Wizards' Ian Mahinmi To Miss Six More Weeks of Action Following Procedure
Washington Wizards center Ian Mahinmi has missed most of the season following knee surgery and will remain sidelined for at least six more weeks.
After missing out on all of the top free agents, including Kevin Durant and Al Horford, the Washington Wizards turned their attention to revamping their second unit and adding defense this past off-season.
Once the Durant and Horford dominoes fell, the Wizards quickly reached a four-year deal worth $64 million with former Indiana Pacers center, Ian Mahinmi.
Mahinmi, a journeyman big, was a top-10 defender with the Pacers and was coming off the best season of his career.
While he wasn’t a big name and certainly won’t entice people to come to the Verizon Center, Mahinmi was supposed to single-handedly change the way Washington defended.
Following a season of disappointment, especially on the defensive end of the floor, the Wizards looked to regain their identity.
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Mahinmi was supposed to compete with Marcin Gortat for the starting job, given his defensive prowess.
But before the season even began, it was announced that Mahinmi would undergo knee surgery, sidelining him for at least six weeks.
Jason Smith, whom the Wizards also signed in the summer to bolster the frontcourt, has been manning the backup center spot.
Smith, who’s recently started to produce, had a difficult time adjusting to Scott Brooks‘ team, posting a negative player efficiency rating for most of the season.
Washington’s bench has been the worst in the league in terms of scoring. They’ve also had a difficult time defending, both inside and out.
Mahinmi’s absence has hurt the team’s depth and has caused Brooks to dig deep.
Brooks has opted to mix up his rotations, often yanking Markieff Morris out of the game early for Kelly Oubre, just to ensure the bench has a go-to option. He’s also been forced to play rookie Daniel Ochefu, who’s been virtually nonexistent.
So far, Mahinmi has only been available for one game.
On Tuesday night, the Washington Wizards announced that Mahinmi would miss at least six more weeks of action following PRP (platelet-rich plasma) treatment on both knees. If all goes according to plan, Mahinmi could return to the Wizards’ lineup in February, but thus far, nothing has worked out for Washington’s prized signing.
Washington will have to continue relying on Smith and Ochefu for production while Mahinmi recovers. The situation isn’t ideal and the Wizards don’t have much room to make roster changes.
