Wizards' John Wall Says He Learned 'Not to Rush Back' Amid Achilles Injury Rehab

Washington Wizards point guard John Wall has not played in a game since December 2018, but he stressed the importance of taking his time before a return to the court.   

"I learned what not to do is not to rush back and just take my time," the University of Kentucky product told TMZ Sports when asked about his recovery process from a ruptured Achilles. He also expressed his appreciation for how entertaining Sunday's All-Star Game was and said he does not feel forgotten despite a long absence.

The comments echo those the point guard made on the Wizards Talk podcast with Chris Miller (h/t Chase Hughes of NBC Sports):

"Everybody was like 'if he is doing these types of dunks, he can play.' Well, there's a lot more to basketball than just dunking. That's not playing 38-to-40 minutes and then seeing how your body reacts the next day. You won't know that until you play in a game. So, that's why I'm not rushing the process and trying to re-injure anything. I'm just taking my time."

At one time, Wall was one of the best players in the league and a driving force for a Wizards team that made the playoffs four times in a five-year stretch from 2014 through 2018.

He is a five-time All-Star who was a 2016-17 All-NBA Third Team selection and a 2014-15 All-Defensive Second Team selection. He averaged 20.7 points and 8.7 assists in 32 games before he was sidelined in his most recent season.

With Wall absent and the Wizards overly reliant on Bradley Beal, they are out of the playoff picture at 20-33 but just three games behind the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic.

Wall's presence could help them make a late playoff push, but Hughes suggested his return "looks like it will be in October to begin next season."

That would follow the priority Wall placed on taking his time.