Brogdon, Dellavedova on the road to recovery
Injured players in the NBA face the dual challenge of working back to full health while often being separated from their teammates as they rehab. It’s a physical and mental grind that removes them from their usual routine and regular working relationships.
Since going down with injuries within three days of each other at the start of February, Milwaukee Bucks point guards Matthew Dellavedova and Malcolm Brogdon have faced the rehab process together, each spending extended time at the team’s Sports Science Center.
While they have had the company of each other when the Bucks have gone on the road, it’s not the kind of companionship anyone hopes for; it means another member of the team is hurt.
As helpful as it may be to have someone going through the process alongside you, both players looked forward to at least rejoining their teammates on road trips, which would be a step toward normalcy.
On Sunday they got their wish, accompanying the Bucks to Cleveland for Monday’s game against the Cavaliers.
“It’s a good spot for them to be with us, kind of get re-acclimated with the team,” Bucks interim coach Joe Prunty said. “They’re still working hard to get themselves fully healthy, 100%, and we need them.”
The trip came later than Dellavedova had hoped; in fact, he expected to be back to full strength already. However, he aggravated his right ankle sprain and had to push his timeline back. When he’ll be able to return has yet to be established.
“When you rehab it’s not always a straight line back with progress, unfortunately,” Dellavedova said. “Just have to keep finding ways to get better and keep working on my game and my shot’s feeling really good.
“Feeling strong, feeling in great shape. … Mentally I feel really good and I know I can play well when I come back, I’ve just got to get my ankle right.”
He tried to get on the team’s trips to Memphis and Orlando last week but was held back because he needed to use the underwater treadmill and other tools only available at the Sports Science Center.
Getting back for the Bucks’ most recent trip allowed him to take some teammates to his favorite spot for avocado toast and juice from his time in Cleveland. More importantly, he was able to be connected to his teammates during shootaround as well as the game, which he can’t do in Milwaukee.
“I obviously want to be around the group; I still think I can help even when I’m not playing,” Dellavedova said.
For Brogdon, he’s still on schedule as he works back from a partially torn left quadriceps tendon. He’s still targeting early April for his return and is feeling more like himself every time he takes the court.
“I wouldn’t say I’m close, but I’m definitely not far away,” Brogdon said. “I’m getting there every day. Every day I’m taking huge steps.”
On Monday, while Dellavedova worked on shooting at one end of the court at Quicken Loans Arena, Brogdon and center Tyler Zeller, who sat Monday night due to ribs soreness, did drills together mimicking the pick-and-roll and playing off each other.
With Brogdon going down on Feb. 1 and Zeller joining the team the next week, the two, who could potentially play big roles on the Bucks’ second unit, have never played a game together. In fact, Monday was their first time working together at all, doing so under the guidance of assistant coach Greg Foster.
“It can help me a lot,” Brogdon said. “Working together with another guy on your team during rehab when you’re trying to get back is huge in terms of chemistry.”
Since the beginning of February, the Bucks have hovered around .500, going 10-11 heading into their game at 7 p.m. Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
They’ve certainly missed the contributions from Brogdon and Dellavedova, who since joining the team last season have been regular members of the rotation and key contributors either in the starting lineup or off the bench.
Brogdon, who averaged over 30 minutes per game and had settled into a sixth-man role prior to his injury, is looking forward to the opportunity to get back to what he does best — penetrating the lane to create looks for himself and other, making the extra pass, knocking down three-pointers and battling on the defensive end.
From his vantage point either on the sideline or watching film, Brogdon definitely sees room for improvement with Milwaukee’s defense and hopes he can be part of the solution.
“More than X’s and O’s, I think we’ve got to take more pride in our one-onone, individual defense,” Brogdon said. “I don’t think we’ve taken it too serious and I think we’ve got to get back to guarding our own man.”