The Milwaukee Bucks received some dreadful news Sunday regarding DeAndre’ Bembry and his status moving forward. According to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Bembry is feared to have suffered a season-ending knee injury in Saturday night’s game versus the Golden State Warriors, where he had to be helped off the floor after contesting a shot. Wojnarowski notes that Bembry is getting an MRI today to confirm, but the initial belief is that he will be done for the season.
In eight appearances with the Bucks after coming aboard via the buyout market, Bembry averaged 9.6 minutes per contest, primarily being utilized defensively. The swingman provided the Bucks an extra rotational player off the bench as they remain dealing with injuries to other key contributors like Pat Connaughton and George Hill, but they will now be without him as well moving forward, in all likelihood.
Reactions to the Milwaukee Bucks potentially losing DeAndre’ Bembry for the remainder of the season
First and foremost, we all wish Bembry the best, as this is an incredibly unfortunate injury for him to suffer. Losing him stings, but hopefully the 26-year-old is doing well during these trying times, as that is truly the most important thing right now. There should be more clarity given in the next few days to officially diagnose Bembry’s injury and evaluate the next steps.
For the Bucks, Wojnarowski’s reporting suggests that they will plan to move forward without him, as he says the imaging will only confirm their fears of a season-ending injury. With Bembry out of the lineup, two key players that will now be relied upon far more heavily are Wesley Matthews and Jordan Nwora. The pair have played significant roles for the defending champs as is, but with yet another member of the wing rotation sidelined, they will be tasked with stepping up even more.
The return of Pat Connaughton is also a looming question mark here. The two-guard underwent surgery after suffering a fractured hand in a February 10 loss to the Phoenix Suns, and his initial timetable was listed around one month following surgery. While no updated timetable has been given, the Bucks expect him to be back in the lineup before the postseason, which is welcoming news. With Bembry sidelined, his return becomes even more important for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Another question is whether or not the Bucks will look to add some outside reinforcements like they did when they initially signed Bembry. They already had a vacant roster spot prior to this devastating injury news, and they may now look to utilize it to replenish their depth before the playoffs arrive following these final 14 regular season games. Only time will ultimately tell if they choose to do anything on that front, but general manager Jon Horst will likely explore his options.
For now, all Bucks fans can do is hope for the best for Bembry. Once again, we wish him well as he navigates through this difficult time.
Updates will follow as Bembry’s situation becomes more clear in the coming days.