Things finally going right for Wright
Backup guard anxious to put shoulder issues behind him and give reserves a boost
CHARLOTTE, N.C.— Delon Wright was mad that Wednesday night in New Orleans last month: mad at himself, mad at what might be ahead and particularly mad at the Pelicans doctor who offered a too-quick prognosis
Wright had just injured his right shoulder again, caught up in a collision with the bulky DeMarcus Cousins, and that ticked him off.
“This one was me going in and trying to hit the ball from DeMarcus Cousins, which wasn’t very smart,” the Raptors guard said. “I was more so mad at myself for putting myself in that situation.”
Wright had already lost half a season to surgery on the same shoulder and he was miffed that it might happen again.
“I was so mad at myself that I wasn’t worried about my arm. I was just worried about what was going to happen after that.”
And when the prospect was presented to him by a Pelicans doctor that another surgery was in his future, the anger reached its apex.
“Even the doctor was like, ‘You’re going to have to get surgery,’ ” Wright said Tuesday. “I was like, ‘We didn’t even get it checked out. How are you saying that?’
“That kind of made me a little mad, too. I didn’t need surgery, so I’m happy to be back.”
After being examined by the Raptors’ medical staff and a specialist in New York, Wright was able to avoid another operation that would have likely cost him the rest of this season. Some intense rehabilitation and determination has him back on the court a month after being injured, a key addition to a Toronto second unit that can use his skills.
“I’ve been tired of him giving me a hard time, being out of the game, being bored with the rehab process,” teammate Norm Powell said.
“We always talk about the class of 2015 coming in (Powell and Wright were drafted by the Raptors in the same class); we’re finally back in effect. I was out, then he was out, and I came back, then he was still out, now we’re both back. So it’s good to have him out here.”
Wright’s ability to play both backcourt positions, his calmness on the court, and his disruptive defence should restore Toronto’s backup group to its usual level. There have been some ups and downs since Wright was injured.
“Everybody had their own individual struggles,” he said. “I think that was the first time people started to struggle a bit, coming off the bench. I’m not saying I’m the saviour coming back. Everybody just has to get on the same page and not worry about their individual struggles.”
Wright now has to make sure he doesn’t put himself in too many spots where the shoulder woes can come back again. It’s not seen as a chronic problem but two issues in 18 months is cause for some concern — and the need for some care.
“With it (popping) out, it’s always a possibility that it’ll come out again,” Wright said. “I just have to put myself in the best position to not hurt it again. If something happens that I can’t control, then it happens.”
And Wright will try not to get mad about it.