It’s business as usual for Jodie Meeks as he waits on suspension appeal

As players leaped to their feet, they forgot about the frivolity of this Friday night open practice inside the Sports and Entertainment Arena. Who cared if the final score between the blue and white teams didn’t count? The Wizards wanted to see Meeks, with the smooth flick of his right wrist, drill yet another three-pointer. Meeks was cooking, already on a roll with a streak of triples. But when teammates in the blue reversible practice jerseys didn’t look to find Meeks open behind the arc, guys on the sideline wailed, threw up their hands and returned to their seats in disappointment.

For a moment, everything felt normal again. Meeks was displaying his deft shooting touch, the reason the Wizards brought him in a year ago, and looking as if he’s ready to turn a corner in the 2018-19 season. However, the former University of Kentucky star might only have this scrimmage performance, as well as upcoming preseason games, to showcase his skills as he serves out the remainder of his league-mandated suspension.

Meeks has appealed his 19-game suspension due to a violation of the NBA and NBPA anti-drug program and now must wait for a decision from an arbitrator. However, if the ruling does not come down in his favor, then Meeks cannot play until Nov. 26 when the Wizards play the Houston Rockets at Capital One Arena.

Though he could miss nearly a quarter of the season, Meeks said he keeps the matter only in the peripheral of his mind as he concentrates on his craft like usual.

“Nothing’s changed,” said Meeks, who is in the final year of his contract with the Wizards. “I’m preparing like I’m going to play [in] game one. So, still in the appeal process. I can’t really talk a whole lot about it but all I can do is prepare like I’m going to play.”

Last season just before the start of the playoffs, Meeks received word of a 25-game suspension. According to reports, Meeks had tested positive for banned substances ipamorelin and peptide-2. Meeks missed the six games of the Wizards’ first-round series against the Toronto Raptors.

On Sept. 13, Meeks and his representatives made an appeal to the league. A timetable for the decision has not been made public.

At the time of the suspension and now, months later, Meeks maintains his innocence.

“I’m just waiting to hear back and see what’s going to happen, but all I can do is be the innocent bystander that I always have been,” Meeks said on Friday night. “I work extremely hard on my craft. I’ll never do anything maliciously or on purpose or anything like that, so I’m just looking forward to the season.”

Since a suspended player cannot sit on the bench during games, Meeks was not a presence during the end of the Wizards’ run. However, Meeks was spotted in social media posts alongside players during the team bonding visit to a Napa Valley winery in August. Also, Meeks participated in open gym runs ahead of training camp. To Bradley Beal, nothing has changed in the locker room in terms of Meeks. He’s still just like any other teammate getting ready for 82 games.

“I kind of almost forgot about it honestly,” Beal said of Meeks’s 19-game suspension. “You’re so focused on getting better every day and just working out and he’s here every day so it’s not like he’s not a part of the team or he’s absent or anything like that.”

If Meeks’s suspension holds, then Washington’s second-unit rotation will go on without him. The July trade for Austin Rivers shored up the spot behind Beal. Also, Tomas Satoransky can play on and off the ball for the second unit.

“We’ll probably handle it moving forward and deal with it when the time comes,” Beal said about Meeks’s absence at the start of the season, “but for the most part we still have guys rotating in. We have depth at each position, so until he’s able to come back officially we’ll have guys we can put in.”

Due to this depth of wing and guard players, Meeks might find it difficult to break into the rotation once he returns. However, on Friday night, Meeks thrived as the sharpshooter of the moment.

Meeks said he noticed the reaction from teammates on the sideline when he didn’t get the ball during his hot streak. It was hard not to notice their demonstrative support.

All he needs is one shot to go in, he said. And Meeks carries this same optimistic outlook while both waiting for a critical decision and preparing for the NBA season.

“I’m looking forward to the season,” Meeks said. “Guys have been putting in a lot of hard work, like I said. I’m looking forward to it.”