Wizards' Wall starts Game 5 against Hawks without minutes restriction

In what amounts to a major surprise on short notice, John Wall will start for the Washington Wizards in Wednesday's pivotal Game 5.

While his game-time decision status was considered overly optimistic earlier in the week, the team announced following pregame warmups that Wall had been given the green light to play just 10 days after first fracturing five bones in his left hand and wrist.

There had been some confusion as to whether Wall would start or come off the bench, with the Wizards leaving their starting point guard spot on the whiteboard blank. They remedied that shortly before tip-off.

The Wizards All-Star met with doctors before the matchup against the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks and took jumpers without a hitch during shootaround. Wizards head coach Randy Wittman also said pre-game that Wall would not be subject to a minutes restriction, though his comfort level during the game could dictate his usage.

Wall, who originally believed the issue was simply a severe sprain, suffered the injury in Washington's Game 1 victory in Atlanta, returning to the game after a hard fall.

He was later diagnosed with the multiple fractures and has missed the last three games, leaving the offense in the hands of Ramon Sessions and Bradley Beal. Washington surprisingly took one of those three games, meaning Wall returns to what amounts to a best-of-three series. Beal, in particular, has impressed with improved playmaking that could lessen the ball-handling load on Wall moving forward if necessary.

Wall said he was able to do more at Wednesday morning's shootaround than he was at Tuesday's walk-through, when he was finally able to do some left-handed dribbling.

The impact of his return can't be overstated. Prior to his injury, he was accounting for nearly 50 percent of the team's offense through points and assists. With the Hawks' defense sputtering, the Wizards have an appreciable opportunity to steal the series with Wall, even if he's not quite at 100 percent.

One of the game's most dangerous creators, Wall has averaged 17.4 points, and a league-leading 12.6 assists through five playoff games, with the Wizards performing nearly 12 points better per 100 possessions when their starting point guard is on the court than on the bench. The All-Star point guard is also leading all players in the playoffs with 20.8 points created off assists per game.