Wizards Center Dwight Howard to Miss Preseason Opener

by
Former Writers
September 30, 2018

Chris Walton via Flickr

Washington Wizards center Dwight Howard will miss the Wizards preseason opener at home against the New York Knicks. Howard, 32, is dealing with stiffness in his back, which is alarming due to having back surgery in 2012. If his past injuries are back to haunt him and the Wizards, this isn’t good news.

However, the Wizards are hoping that’s not the case because he’s an upgrade over Marcin Gortat. Scott Brooks says that Howard will sit out the first preseason game to rest up and alleviate the pain in his back. If Howard ends up missing significant time in preseason and training camp, this will be a back breaker for the wizards. However, Howard needs to find a way to be healthy for a team that will need him.

Dwight Howard’s Injury Could Linger into Regular Season

Howard’s injury doesn’t look good for the Wizards, who are trying to have a great 2018-2019 season. More than anything, the Wizards were decimated by injuries last year. John Wall and Otto Porter both missed time due to injuries last season. Ian Mahinmi will get some minutes during the preseason but, Mahinmi isn’t the answer for this team.

Oh No Here We Go Again

The Wizards just can’t escape any injury even during training camp. Could there be a training issue within the organization or is it just players not taking training camp serious enough? One thing, Howard was seen doing was participating on Wild & Out. That isn’t something fans want to see form someone who is suffering from a back injury. Time will tell and hopefully it is just a stinger and doesn’t linger for him.

How Many Games Will Dwight Howard Miss

With Howard sidelined due to back stiffness, the question now is how many games will he miss? The Wizards open up the regular season on October 18th at home against the Miami Heat. So, the goal will be to make sure Howard is healthy to play opening night. If he’s not able to play, it could be a bad start for the Wizards considering their west coast road trip at the start of the season. Back injuries are something that Howard and the team won’t take lightly.