At this rate, every member of the Wizards roster will be wearing some sort of knee brace by the end of the season. (And, by the way, I stand corrected after last night's predictable meltdown in Milwaukee.)

Rashard Lewis is the latest casualty, of sorts, complaining of tendonitis in his right knee after a 3 for 11 shooting performance, including 0 for 5 from three-point range, in Wednesday’s 100-87 loss to the Bucks.

Lewis said he brought the nagging injury with him from Orlando when he got swapped for Gilbert Arenas last month.

“It just hasn’t been getting no better since I been here,” said Lewis. “I’ve been doing a lot of rehab and treatment. I got an MRI on it. It just seems like it’s been acting up. Some nights it’s fine, and then some nights I seem to just be dragging it along out there.”

Lewis has averaged 13.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game since joining the Wizards, but had just eight points, four rebounds and two assists against the Bucks.

Asked if he’ll be able to play both games of Washington’s back-to-back set against Phoenix and Boston this weekend, Lewis responded, “I don’t know.” The Wizards will play five consecutive sets of back-to-back games between Friday and Feb. 5.

“I know I’ll be able to play tomorrow,” said Lewis. “But I don’t how I’ll feel on a back to back. That’s when it’s really at its worst. I know we have a lot of games coming up, and that’s why I’m trying to just fight with how it’s going to feel.”

Wizards head coach Flip Saunders also tacked on another couple weeks to the absence of Josh Howard, who was listed as day-to-day when he sat out the first of what has reached seven games in a row with soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. After practice on Thursday, Saunders said that Howard would be evaluated again in ten days.

“In ten days he’ll be able to do some hard cutting and some of that,” said Saunders. “I think he’s at least two weeks away.”

On a more positive note, there's a growing buzz that Nick Young could put himself on the map for the NBA's most improved player award if he continues to play as well as he has of late, averaging 22.3 points in the month of January.

"I think there’s no question about that," said Saunders. "I don’t know anyone else that’s more improved than what he is at this point. I’m sure some people have talked about JaVale [McGee], too, when you look at the things that he’s been able to do. The only times that JaVale has gotten in trouble is when he’s gotten into foul trouble early, and then he’s lost some of his aggressiveness."

ESPN's John Hollinger also mentioned Young in his online chat Thursday afternoon. "Nick Young is making a real case for MIP votes. And I find it weirdly entertaining to watch Kirk Hinrich constantly fiddle with his glasses."