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Andray Blatche said he plans to return to the Wizards' lineup on Saturday when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers.
According to a report published by Washington Post Wizards insider Michael Lee, both Andray Blatche and Ronny Turiaf will be expected back after the all-star break.
Blatche has been recovering from a torn left calf muscle and has missed the last 12 games where the Wizards have gone 3-9. Trevor Booker has played well the last 12 games in replacement of Blatche grabbing at least seven rebounds in eight of the twelve games.
Turiaf was acquired by the Wizards at the start of training camp in a three team deal, but he has missed the last 29 games after breaking a bone in his left hand in the team's third game against the Boston Celtics. It was the same hand he injured in the offseason while participating for team France in the European Olympic qualifying tournament.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With Andray Blatche's calf injury set to sideline him for 3-5 weeks, the Washington Wizards will need a pair of young forwards to step in and fill the void. First-round draft pick Jan Vesely, who has been starting in Blatche's place the last two games, and 2010 first-round pick Trevor Booker, who played well against the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday, will get the majority of the power forward minutes with Blatche sidelined.
"We're going to have to have other people continue to step up, as Vesely's done, as Book's done. Kevin [Seraphin] had some good stints. We just need to continue to do what we're doing," coach Randy Wittman said. "I'm not too worried about who's going to provide the scoring. As long as we keep playing together the way we have, that'll take care of itself."
Point guard John Wall echoed Wittman's sentiments that the loss will be tough to overcome, but said having Booker or Vesely in the lineup may help in other ways.
"[Blatche's absence] is not going to hurt spacing because you roll them into space. Now, you don't have somebody popping for jump shots. You have somebody who can roll and you can find them with a pocket pass," Wall said. "It can be tough, but sometimes, it can be easy. You just have to go with the flow of the game."
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The Washington Wizards will be without forward Andray Blatche for three to five weeks with a calf injury, according to Wizards head coach Randy Wittman. Blatche has been dealing with a calf injury and was benched in Saturday's game, he was also listed as day-to-day and questionable for Monday's match up with the Chicago Bulls, but it looks like he's going to be out for quite a while.
Andray Blatche out 3-5 weeks w strained calf, Randy Wittman says
— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) January 30, 2012
In thirteen starts this season with the Wizards, Blatche had averaged 10.3 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. With Blatche out it looks like Jan Vesely and Trevor Booker will get more playing time. Center Hamady Ndiaye will replace Blatche on the roster for now.
"He's probably looking at, after the doctors looked at an MRI, maybe 3-5 weeks with a strain," Wittman said. "He tweaked it pretty good in Charlotte, and obviously there's a lot of bleeding in there, which leads to the inflammation in the calf. We've got to get that out of there first, and then we'll have a better idea what we're looking at."
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The Washington Wizards won their first road game of the season Saturday night, defeating the Charlotte Bobcats 102-99, and they did so with a minimal contribution from forward Andray Blatche, who left the game early with tightness in his calf. Via Michael Lee of the Washington Post's twitter feed:
Andray Blatche is out with tightness in his left calf. Trevor Booker is doing quite well in his absence #wizards
Blatche played just eight minutes, scoring four points on two of five shooting from the field. He also mustered one rebound in his time on the floor.
In Blatche's absence, Trevor Booker played well, scoring 16 points and grabbing 3 rebounds in just 19 minutes of game time. Booker was six of six from the field and four of four from the free throw line.
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Andray Blatche Injury Update: Washington Wizards' Forward Says He'll Return Saturday Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
WASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards will get forward Andray Blatche back in the lineup on Saturday when they square off against the Cleveland Cavaliers, at least according to Blatche himself. Blatche said Wednesday prior to the Wizards' game against the Orlando Magic that he will return from his calf injury then.
"Saturday feel like Christmas to me," he said. "You know how when you're a little kid, you can't wait for Saturday to come? I think it's gonna be a good game for me."
Blatche also said that he's ready to return even though he was being booed by fans prior to his injury.
"I am excited. I can't wait to get back on the court. It's been a long time," he said. "It's just, I don't know, it's just something that's a part of me."
Wizards coach Randy Wittman was a bit more cautious when speaking to the media, saying that Blatche will go through practice over the next couple days before a final decision is made. The Wizards are off for two days prior to facing the Cavaliers.
Blatche has not played since suffering the calf injury in a late-January win over the Charlotte Bobcats.
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Feb 29 7:07p by Mike Prada