The Washington Wizards are going to miss the services of starting power forward Markieff Morris for one month. According to The Washington Post, he will undergo surgery this Friday to fix a sports hernia. The report added that before being diagnosed, Morris was able to work out this offseason. However, late in the summer, he felt "deep discomfort" and "exhibited symptoms" of the condition.
The surgery got delayed because of the legal battle Morris is facing -- together with his twin brother Marcus. His wife also gave birth to their daughter. Hopefully the 28-year-old is back to a hundred percent by the time the regular season starts.
He was a major contributor to the success the Wizards achieved in the last two years, especially in the previous season. In the 2016-17 season, Morris had one of his best outings in the NBA. He averaged 14.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game for Washington.
Reserves must impress
In Morris' impending absence during training camp and the preseason, the other power forwards on Washington's roster will have a chance to wow the coaching staff and earn the backup job. Jason Smith, Mike Scott, and Chris McCullough are likely the ones to compete for the role. Smith might have an advantage since he already took over the responsibilities of a second-stringer at the position last season.
Scott, on the other hand, is a newcomer to the Wizards. Similar to Smith, he has experience which he can utilize to win the roster spot.
Unfortunately for McCullough, he could be the last option for the Wizards at power forward. Earlier this year, the 22-year-old headed to Washington via a trade. He only saw action in two games before spending the majority of the season with the Northern Arizona Suns of the NBA D-League.
Wizards' schedule
The Wizards' training camp will begin next week and their preseason campaign is going to start on October 2. In Washington's preseason debut, they are set to play against the Guangzhou Long-Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Following this, Washington is going to take on the New York Knicks (October 6 and 13), Cleveland Cavaliers (October 8) and the Miami Heat (October 11).
If Morris is out for a month, he will miss the Wizards' first two outings of the regular season. The Wizards open their season with a two-game homestand versus the Philadelphia 76ers (October 18) and the Detroit Pistons (October 20).