Wizards guard Johnny Davis injured his left elbow on practice on Sunday and has been diagnosed with a sprain, per the team (X link,formerly known as Twitter via Ava Wallace of The Washington Post). According to the Wizards, Davis is expected to be out for one or two weeks, so he may not be available when the team tips off its regular season on October 25.
The 2023-24 season is a big one for Davis, who appeared in only 28 games as a rookie and didn’t shoot the ball well (.386/.243/.519). The front office that drafted the former Wisconsin standout 10th overall in 2022 has since been overhauled, so the second-year guard will be looking to make a positive impression on the Wizards’ new decision-makers this season.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Terry Rozier set new career highs in points (21.1) and assists (5.1) per game last season, but he didn’t score efficiently and saw the Hornets take a step back from 43 wins in 2021-22 to just 27 victories in ’22-23. Referring to last season as a “reality check,” Rozier says he’s determined to help Charlotte get to the postseason and that he wants to be more of a leader and exude more positive energy in ’23-24, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer relays.
- In a separate story for The Observer, Boone passes along a few Hornets notes, including some positive news on the injury front: Gordon Hayward (right foot discomfort) was a full participant in practice on Monday and appears on track to play in the team’s regular season opener, if not earlier.
- Third-year forward Jalen Johnson has been one of the Hawks‘ most impressive players in training camp and the preseason, says Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). Johnson improved defensively last season and has shown off his versatility on the offensive end this fall, Williams notes, averaging four assists per game in the preseason and making 60% of his three-point tries. After coming off the bench in 86 of his first 92 NBA games, Johnson is a good candidate to join Atlanta’s starting five this season — he has started three of four preseason contests.
More must-reads: