While Michael Jordan has played well in the first 16 games of his comeback, he is not playing up to his former standards. In the past he was always the league's No. 1 player. At age 38, though, he may only be among the top 15.

His knee injury, which will force him to miss his first game of the season Tuesday, was apparent in Saturday's game against Orlando. Among other things, the injury seems to be affecting his quickness off the dribble and his power to the basket.

The Wizards need Jordan to score, and he's averaging 24.8 points a game. However, without the quickness or the lift he had in previous years, he tends to take shots that are out of character or not in rhythm with his play.

Jordan, who is shooting only 40.3 percent from the field, is taking quick shots in order to get them off because he can no longer jump over people. While before he was able to rise about the rim and finish his shots in the basket area, now he is just trying to finesse his shots. Some of his moves are designed to get him to the free-throw line, not necessarily to make the shot.

The teammates haven't hurt his individual game except maybe in the assists column, if he gets them the ball for good shots that they don't make. As a team they are 27th in field-goal percentage at 41.7 percent. Jordan is the team's best playmaker, averaging a team-high five assists a game. That's almost twice as many assists as their point guard, Chris Whitney. Jordan is trying to help their games, but not many of his teammates can help his.

I haven't been disappointed in Jordan's comeback, but I'm sure he is. He felt he could make the Wizards better and more competitive than they are. At this point he may have expected them to be a .500 team rather than 5-11.

Along with Jordan, the Wizards have good young players. Richard Hamilton already is a solid performer. I wonder why Courtney Alexander, who averaged 17 points a game after he arrived in Washington last year, is getting little to no playing time. He is a talent who could help the team. Kwame Brown, the No. 1 overall draft pick, has not produced much of anything, but he should develop into a fine player. Another rookie, Brendan Haywood, looks like he belongs, but he lacks experience.

They need a quality point guard. Whitney got banged up in the Orlando game, and Tyronn Lue seems inconsistent and uncomfortable, as if he is under pressure. Up front, Jahidi White and Christian Laettner must play at the top of their games if the Wizards are going to be a playoff contender, but they have yet to produce.

There is still plenty of time for Jordan and the Wizards to turn the season around, but his injury may be an indicator that he will not be able to play consistently at the high level he expects.

Before the season I thought he would be hampered the most by returning to a demanding 82-game environment after a three-year absence. I'm cautious about whether or not his knee problem will continue during the season. If it does, it will hamper his play, affect what the team can do and maybe dampen his enthusiasm about coming back next season.

On Monday, he reportedly said, "My body is sending me messages, and I need to listen." And if his body keeps sending those messages, it's telling him the comeback was not a good idea.

The Wizards need a lot of work, and suiting up Jordan will not solve their problems, especially if he is unable to play at his best 38-year-old level, not the level of three years ago.

Hall of Fame coach Dr. Jack Ramsay is an NBA analyst for ESPN.