Milwaukee Bucks: Donte DiVincenzo continues inching closer to his return

The Milwaukee Bucks have not had much to cheer about throughout their 6-8 start to the season, but that might change soon.

Prior to Sunday night’s matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, Donte DiVincenzo was seen doing some full-court work. That is a positive sign after the guard underwent season-ending left ankle surgery back in June following an injury in Milwaukee’s first round sweep of the Miami Heat. After missing the final three rounds of the postseason and all of the 2021-22 season to this point, it looks like a return for DiVincenzo is inching closer, but nothing should be considered imminent at this point.

Despite the slow start, the Bucks will obviously not rush DiVincenzo back by any means, obviously. This medical staff has been incredibly cautious with the players, with Semi Ojeleye recently talking about how they held him out with a calf strain to ensure he would be full strength to start the season when he felt like he was ready to hit the court. With DiVincenzo coming off his second season-ending injury, the Bucks will undoubtedly be cautious with the 24-year-old guard. Yet, whenever DiVincenzo does return, he will be a significant addition to this Bucks team.

The Milwaukee Bucks will welcome back Donte DiVincenzo with open arms when he is eventually cleared to return

Including DiVincenzo, injuries have been an unfortunate story for the Bucks early on throughout the new season. Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, and Jordan Nwora are the only three players to have appeared in all 14 games for Milwaukee this season, with every other key player dealing with some kind of injury or illness. For a Bucks team that is shorthanded at the moment, bringing back a rotational piece in DiVincenzo will be a massive boost.

When he does return, DiVincenzo will likely be playing a different role than he did before the injury last season. Rather than starting, the two-guard will almost certainly be coming off the bench due to the emergence of Allen. The 26-year-old Allen has been sensational with the Bucks since being traded to the champs in the offseason, and he has cemented his spot as a starter after serving as one of the few bright spots for this team early.

Milwaukee’s bench could undoubtedly use a player like DiVincenzo right now, as they rank 25th in points, 14th in rebounds, and 29th in assists per game. Injuries have hindered the production from this second unit, and DiVincenzo will give them an added boost in all those areas following his best year as a professional in 2020-21 before the ankle injury. While he was solid as a starter last year, DiVincenzo could thrive in a bench role for the champs.

It should not be controversial to say that this could be the most important season of the guard’s young career for a handful of reasons. First off, DiVincenzo will become a restricted free agent after the season after the Bucks opted not to extend him before the season. Instead, the Bucks handed Allen an extension, and he continues to play the best basketball of his career, clouding DiVincenzo’s future with the franchise. Whether it be because of his impending free agent, the injury, or the team trading for another guard in Allen, DiVincenzo has plenty to be motivated about when he returns this season.

There is still no timetable for a return, but seeing him back doing full-court drills rather than riding around on the scooter is a positive sign.