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Donte DiVincenzo Set to Make Season Debut for Milwaukee Bucks

By Harrison Carter

May 10, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) dribbles past San Antonio Spurs forward DeMar DeRozan (10) in the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
May 10, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) dribbles past San Antonio Spurs forward DeMar DeRozan (10) in the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Milwaukee Bucks are set to gain a valuable reinforcement. After a long battle to return to action, Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo is set to make his season debut on Wednesday, December 15 against the Indiana Pacers, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

https://twitter.com/Divincenzo/status/1469684328569393161?s=20

DiVincenzo hurt his foot in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference 1st Round series against the Miami Heat. While it was originally unclear what the injury was or the severity of the injury, an MRI revealed that DiVincenzo tore a ligament in his left ankle, forcing him to miss the remainder of the 2021 playoffs.

The road to DiVincenzo’s return has reportedly gone better than expected. While there were no concrete timelines for his return to action, it was rumored that January would be a realistic time for a comeback, so returning to play in mid-December is a welcomed sight.

In 66 games last year, all of which were starts, DiVincenzo averaged 10.4 points, 3 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals. The biggest improvement last year for DiVincenzo was his improved 3 point shooting, as he shot 37.9% from deep, compared to 33.6% and 26.5% in previous years. He has asserted himself as a real 3&D player who has the ability to run the offense but can also play off-ball and be a spot-up shooter.

The biggest question stemming from DiVincenzo’s return is how will he fit in the Milwaukee Bucks rotation?

While he was a starter all of last year, Grayson Allen has done a spectacular job of filling in, averaging 13 points per game on 41.5% shooting from 3. Additionally, it would be hard to take away minutes from Pat Connaughton who is averaging 12.2 points per game on 43.3% shooting from 3. What will most likely happen is the addition of DiVincenzo will eliminate the minutes of Rodney Hood, who has been dreadful so far this year. The regular season rotation will most likely look like this:

PG: Holiday, Hill

SG: Allen, Connaughton, DiVincenzo

SF: Middleton, Matthews

PF: Antetokounmpo

C: Portis, Cousins

With the recent loss of Brook Lopez due to back surgery, having another starting-caliber player coming back to the rotation is a great luxury to have. It will be fun to monitor how DiVincenzo performs in his return to play and how his return affects the rotation.

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