Nene injury update: Wizards' big man appears unlikely to play vs. Hawks

Injured Washington Wizards center Nene seemed much less optimistic about his prospects of playing against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night than previous reports seemed to indicate. Nene took part in the team's shootaround, but afterwards, he suggested that he probably will not go. Via Michael Lee of the Washington Post:

"It's a chance," Nene said, scrunching his face as he stretched. "If you ask now, I'd say no."

Nene added that even if he were to play, he would likely only be able to give "maybe 10 minutes."

Buzz that Nene would return to the court started when CSN Bay Area and former ESPN reporter Ric Bucher told his Twitter followers to "look for Nene to make [his] season debut on Wednesday." Both Nene and Randy Wittman were confused when asked about that report on Wednesday morning, with Nene saying that it was "news to me."

At this point, it appears Saturday against Charlotte is a more realistic goal for Nene's eventual return. We will keep you posted.