Injured Vooch getting restless
Go to an Orlando Magic game these days, and you definitely won’t see
on the court. If you’re lucky, you might see him walking through an Amway Center hallway.
Because his surgically repaired left hand is still healing, he isn’t permitted to sit on the Magic’s bench during games. He cannot risk having a player collide into him and reinjuring his hand.
Vucevic watches his team from afar, and it’s a lonely feeling.
“It’s very hard,” Vucevic said. “Sometimes when you watch the game, you’ll see something that happens and you’re like, ‘Man, I wish I was out there. Maybe I would’ve been able to help in any way.’ Or I could try to say something or anything. It’s not easy. You try to stay involved as much as you can.”
On Dec. 23, Vucevic fractured the metacarpal of his left index finger against the Washington Wizards.
His absence has hit the team hard on the offensive end. The Magic have lost four of their five games without Vucevic, made only 42.7 percent of their shots and sank just 29.6 percent of their 3-point attempts.
“We miss man” said Vucevic’s best friend on the team. “Vooch is a key for us offensively because he can pass and he can shoot. When you have a center that can do both, it’s really a big weapon.
is doing a good job; he’s bringing something different. But having both of them is just better than just one.” him a lot,
Vucevic spent part of Thursday around his teammates. As they did oncourt work at the team’s practice facility, he was off to the side doing conditioning work, trying to stay in shape.
Vucevic said he will receive an X-ray on his hand Friday so doctors can see how the fractured bone is doing following surgery on Dec. 26. He said doctors placed a pin and “a couple of screws” in his hand to help it heal.
He hopes he’ll be permitted to go on the Magic’s upcoming three-game road trip to Dallas, Milwaukee and Washington and hopes he’ll soon be allowed to watch games from the Magic’s bench.
“It’s definitely hard,” Vucevic said. “I get bored a lot just sitting at home and not doing much and having to watch my teammates compete every night. Not being able to help them is the hardest part.
“You’re part of the team, but you’re not out there with them in practice, doing all the things that make this fun,” Vucevic added. “That’s the hardest part. You just have to find a way to still be useful and do what you can to come back as quick you can.” who sat out the second half of the Magic’s loss Wednesday to the Houston Rockets because of back spasms, did not practice Thursday, coach
said. Vogel said Simmons’ availability will be determined on a “day-to-day” basis.