Dwight Howard’s Wizards’ set for Friday versus Oklahoma City

Center Dwight Howard will make his debut for the Washington Wizards on Friday, coach Scott Brooks said.

Howard, 32, returned to practice Thursday after missing the team’s first seven games with a strained muscle in his buttocks. He is expected to start alongside power forward Markieff Morris on Friday when the 1-6 Wizards host the 2-4 Oklahoma City Thunder (8pm, ESPN).

Howard told reporters he still can’t sit without pain and expects to lie on the floor when he’s not playing.

Asked how he expects to use Howard, Brooks said: “I think we’re not going to run plays for him to pick-and-pop for 3s, but it’s a fun game, and fun can’t be for the perimeter guys only. The bigs want to have fun as well.

“His quality of his amusement is rolling. His quality of his diversion is completing around the edge, but at the same time he’s a decent mid-run shooter. … He will get a lot of those.”

Howard marked a free-operator manage the Wizards in July. He has been sidelined since the beginning of preparing camp with the damage.

Howard played with the Charlotte Hornets last season, averaging 16.6 points and 12.5 bounce back in 81 recreations. He is an eight-time All-Star and was a three-time protective player of the year with the Orlando Magic from 2009 to ’11.