3 Milwaukee Bucks that must step up in Semi Ojeleye’s absence
By Lucas Valind
Semi Ojeleye is expected to miss some time for the Milwaukee Bucks with a calf injury.
The Bucks revealed that Ojeleye suffered a calf injury in a recent win over the OKC Thunder and that he will be sidelined for at least three weeks. He missed time to begin the season with a calf injury as well, so they will certainly not rush him back. It is unknown whether or not it is the same issue that plagued Ojeleye earlier this season
Ojeleye has been the player that Milwaukee has been using to fill the role that PJ Tucker left following his exit to Miami during the offseason. Although the forward has struggled to find consistency on the offensive end, here has provided the team with another solid defender to utilize in the rotation. With him sidelined for the foreseeable future, here are three players that must step up for the Milwaukee Bucks in his absence.
Rodney Hood must step up for Milwaukee Bucks in Semi Ojeleye’s absence
As many Bucks fans are aware, Rodney Hood has not had the most fantastic start to his season. The most frustrating part of Hood’s slow start is that he has the potential to be so much better. Throughout most of his career, he has been extraordinarily better than the Hood that we have seen this season.
With Ojeleye unavailable for what looks like will be significant time, now is his chance to prove himself. Hood may not have the same type of role as Ojeleye, considering his style of play is geared more towards the offensive side, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t become a key piece while Ojeleye misses time. Hood will almost undoubtedly be one of the first players asked to fill the rotation spot while Ojeleye is gone.
Hood has struggled to find his groove in his time in Milwaukee so far. A potential reason for that could be the lack of minutes that he has received. His 14.5 minutes per game average this season is by far the lowest of his career. Could increased minutes be the key to unlocking the potential in Hood? He will certainly need to perform better than he has in the beginning stretch of this season with Ojeleye missing from the rotation in the foreseeable future.