John Wall activated vs. Pistons, will not play

Washington Wizards point guard John Wall is one step closer to returning.

Wall will dress and be activated for Thursday's game against the Detroit Pistons following two months off to recover from knee surgery, but he will not play, the team announced.

He was initially ruled as questionable following a string of successful practices.

Wall has struggled through a down season as he's battled persistent knee issues, leading him to eventually go under the knife. His teammates picked up the slack in his absence, managing to reorient the offense around Bradley Beal to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The eventual return of Wall will give Washington a significant upgrade in talent, but his conditioning might be an issue. Wall recently said he lost 10-15 pounds while he was off his feet.

Wall is averaging 19.4 points and 9.3 assists across 37 appearances this season. He last appeared in a game in late-January.