Despite being even more short-handed than normal in their last matchup against the Detroit Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks got a much-needed win.
Initially, there was some hope that a handful of players who missed that game would be back for the team's next one against Charlotte. Unfortunately, it appears the Bucks will be without several major cogs once again. Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton and Ryan Rollins are out, while Bobby Portis is listed as doubtful.
Doc Rivers' next task will be tweaking his rotations to fill in the gaps, and one player who will earn an extended opportunity is Delon Wright.
Delon Wright will likely play a key role for the Bucks
It's been a roller coaster of a season for Delon Wright thus far. He went from being regarded as one of the team's splashiest off-season acquisitions and a backup point guard who could make a difference to a player out of the rotation entirely in favor of guard Ryan Rollins. Well, not only is Rollins sidelined, but Lillard is also battling an injury, so with a need for ball-handling, Delon Wright is back in the mix.
It's still very early, but it's been a pretty underwhelming season for Wright statistically to this point. His averages are a mere 1.9 points, 1.8 assists and 1.2 rebounds while shooting 23.1 percent from deep. On top of that, his defense, the primary reason the Milwaukee Bucks picked him up, hasn't been up to par. The veteran will now have his chance to prove that he can contribute to this basketball team.
He started at point guard for the Bucks in their win over Detroit. In 27 minutes, he tallied eight assists, four rebounds and two steals but had no points to his name after missing all four of his shots. It won't be surprising if he starts at point guard for Milwaukee for the second consecutive game as the team struggles with health at that particular spot.
This would be a tremendous time for Wright to find a groove. With so many injuries across the roster, anyone who plays must embrace a next-man-up mentality. If Delon Wright does his part to assist the Bucks in staying afloat, it could be his one-way ticket back into the rotation, especially with timelines on Damian Lillard and Ryan Rollins still up in the air as they recover from their injuries.
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