A mere 13 minutes into his Milwaukee Bucks debut, Gary Trent Jr. went down and exited the team's recent preseason matchup against the Detroit Pistons.
Trent was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the game with what was deemed a left elbow hyperextension. For the past few days, Bucks fans have anxiously awaited an update on the guard, hoping that the injury would not force him to miss much time. Thankfully, Doc Rivers has delivered a positive update on Trent's status.
Rivers told reporters that while Trent did not practice on Tuesday, "he'll be fine." In fact, no MRI was needed for the guard, and there's a shot he'll be back on the court for Milwaukee's preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. Obviously, this is the best news possible, as the injury looked very bad at the moment as Gary Trent Jr. rushed off the court in pain.
Update on Bucks' Gary Trent Jr. is positive
With the Milwaukee Bucks already dealing with looming injury question marks concerning one starter in Khris Middleton, they did not need any more on their plate. It would have been welcoming to hear that Trent would be ready to roll by the time the regular season begins, but it's beyond welcoming that he could be back on the floor for the preseason matchups.
If Trent does indeed get back on the floor against the Lakers, he can continue building chemistry with his new teammates in the 414. After everything that transpired last season and how it all impacted Milwaukee's performance, the importance of team chemistry cannot be overstated, making it even more stellar that Trent avoided a worse injury here that would have sidelined him for extended time.
Of course, Trent is also a tremendous player and will be crucial in any success the Milwaukee Bucks see this season. As the starting two guard next to Damian Lillard, he's set to see the largest role of his career defensively this coming season, and his output on that end could make or break his season. As he's said since landing in Milwaukee, he's willing to do whatever it takes to win basketball games.
In addition to Trent, coach Doc Rivers provided positive updates on both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, who missed the preseason opener. Rivers says that the plan is for Giannis to play in the game Thursday and ramp up from there. Rivers wasn't as set in stone with the injured Middleton, saying that he may play in the final two games or so.
If the Milwaukee Bucks can indeed get everyone on the court ahead of the regular season, it would be a huge boost as they aim to build team continuity and win basketball games.
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