Wizards top draft pick Jan Vesely has been joined for the holidays by his girlfriend, Eva Kodouskova, who gained instant fame when she planted a kiss on her man after he was selected by Washington back in June.
But he hasn’t been able to fully join his teammates on the court, limited in practice on Wednesday by a right hip injury that also kept him in street clothes for the Wizards’ second preseason game in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
“I think it’s better,” Vesely said. “We’re working every day on it so I think it’s getting better.”
Vesely also said he wasn’t sure exactly what the problem was, but that he first felt it a week ago, the day before the preseason opener. He still went on to play 22 minutes in that game, finishing with seven points, three rebounds and two steals.
He warmed up prior to the Sixers game on Tuesday, but that was it. He also practiced as normal to start on Wednesday before things started to bother him again.
“He went, and he was doing a lot,” Wizards head coach Flip Saunders said after practice. “Then when he sat, when he went out to watch a little bit, it tightened up so we pulled him and didn’t take any chances. We’ve just got to make sure now that when we sit him, we’ve got to make sure he stays active, gets on the bike or does something.”
Saunders said Vesely has undergone an X-ray, which didn’t reveal anything, and he said Vesely told him that he’s had the problem before. Neither was able to call it more than a twinge inside his hip, and Saunders didn’t expect to hold Vesely out on Thursday.
“He’ll go tomorrow, come with idea of full practicing,” Saunders said. “We’ll let him go until something happens.”
