Andray Blatche was standing under a basket making one-handed layups with his left hand – while his right hand was firmly in his pocket – and Rashard Lewis was nowhere to be seen at Wizards practice on Thursday, but the team has welcomed the return once again of Josh Howard, who expects to play Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers following a three-game absence with his latest injury setback, a pulled left hamstring.
“Right now, I don’t anticipate having either one,” said Wizards head coach Flip Saunders when asked whether Blatche or Lewis was expected to play Saturday. Cartier Martin (knee) also didn’t practice.
Blatche’s shoulder injury, though only involving muscle and not any structural damage, has him very limited. He said it was worse than the shoulder injury that cost him one game back in January, and he can’t raise his right arm past parallel to the ground, either forward or to the side. Lewis hasn’t played since limited action last Saturday against Minnesota.
As for Howard, he said his left hammy is still a bit sore – an injury he suffered just running down the court – but that he’s fighting through it.
“I think it’s the combination of rehabbing the knee, running in a different way than I’m used to,” said Howard. “It’s still working its kinks out. Like I said before, it’s a 12-month injury [the initial torn ACL suffered in February 2010], which I’m just now getting to so pretty much after the season’s over with, I know I’ll be on the upswing recovering. I’m looking forward to that. Overall, getting out there and doing the things that I could do for the time that I did is pretty good.”
Asked what Howard, who has played in 16 games this season, brings to a Wizards team that is starving for veteran leadership and presence, head coach Flip Saunders had one word: “Intelligence.”
“He just knows how to play and makes the game easier for everybody, adds a lot of competitiveness and makes the game much easier for John [Wall]. John doesn’t feel he has to do as much, because he has another ball handler out there, another guy that can make plays, not just looking to score all the time.”
Saunders hopes that Howard will be able to play Washington’s final 19 games – for that matter, Howard hopes so, too.
“I’m going to make a conscious effort to play in all the remaining games,” said Howard. “Just as far as minutes, I guess I have to watch them, and like I’ve said, just show the team, like I’ve already shown it, that I want to be here. I just gotta stay healthy and get out there.”
