Wizards’ Malcolm Brogdon dealt devastating injury update before 2024-25 season

Expect Washington’s 2024 second-round picks to now get more playing time, via The Athletic’s Josh Robbins.

“During a practice Saturday at McGill University, veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon injured his right hand, prompting Wizards officials to send him back to Washington for detailed imaging exams to determine the severity of the injury,” Robbins reported. “Even before that imaging took place, a league source told The Athletic that Brogdon is expected to miss at least one month.”

“Brogdon’s absence likely will force Carrington and fellow rookie Kyshawn George into larger roles, too.”

Brogdon was the NBA Sixth Man of the Year for the Boston Celtics in 2023, and most likely would have played a similar role for the Wizards to open the season. Second-year shooting guard Bilal Coulibaly will most likely start, but Carrington and George could both now split Brogdon’s minutes, on top of the playing time they would’ve received anyway.

Another dark horse contender to contribute is 2022 10th overall pick Johnny Davis, who scored eight points on 2-of-4 shooting with two rebounds and one assist in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Toronto Raptors. The Wisconsin alum has averaged just four points per game on 39.4% shooting in 78 NBA contests, but he’s confident that he’s improved.

“The past two years,” Davis said, “a development coach from each year has been tinkering with my shot, messing with it. So I came back into this year, and I said, ‘Nobody is touching my jump shot. I’m just going to leave it as it is, leave it comfortable.’ And they’ve left me alone about it. So, it feels really good right now. I’ve been working on it the whole summer, so I’m just glad to see it pay off.”

Davis has bounced up and down between the NBA and G-League since Washington drafted him, but if he continues to show progress this preseason, Brogdon’s injury could give him the chance to contribute as a bench piece when the games count.

Coulibaly, though, is the big fish. The organization is depending on the French international to continue ascending whether Brogdon is around or not. Luckily, he’s sensing the game slowing down for him.

“I just feel like I know what’s going on on the court,” Coulibaly said Sunday night. “Last year, there was some times where I felt awkward on the court and I didn’t know what I was doing for real. But now I know what I gotta do, what Coach really wants me to do. So, I know where my spots are. I know where I’m going to get the ball. It makes it way easier for me.”

Coulibaly also had a strong showing against Toronto, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting with two rebounds, two steals and two blocks across 24 minutes. The 2023 seventh-overall pick will need to keep up the momentum in order for the team to not miss a beat in Brogdon’s absence.