NFL
By: Stephen Garner
In last night’s 113-84 win on the road in game 3, one in which the Milwaukee Bucks garnered a 3-0 series lead over the Heat, they would suffer a quietly significant loss.
3rd-year guard Donte DiVincenzo would immediately limp off the floor in the second quarter after a drive to the basket, and would not return with what looked like an ankle sprain of sorts.
Turns out, it would be a lot more serious. As reported by Shams:
Significant blow for DiVincenzo and Milwaukee. He played a major role as starting guard on the title-contending Bucks, averaging 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists this season. https://t.co/Bp3gS4UJiU
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 28, 2021
What the Bucks have lost in DiVincenzo is a premium ancillary player, one of the likes that could help to sway a series in their favor at any given moment with his discipline, energy, and efforts on both ends of the floor.
In his first season as a starter, the Villanova product has continued to prove his worth.
He is one of their staples defensively, his play in transition helps make the Bucks feared when changing ends, and he gives them a 4th viable body to rely upon defensively.
Lineups he’s involved with are an overall +7.5 in point differential, good for an 89th percentile placing.
Not as deep as they once were, especially at guard, coach Budenholzer will have his hands full. He’d only deployed a nine-man rotation up until this point in the playoffs.
Now, sans DiVincenzo, they may rely more upon the services of veteran Jeff Teague especially in Holidays off minutes, as well as an uptick in minutes for the hot-shooting Bryn Forbes. Forbes’ shooting prowess will certainly be a plus should he replace DiVincenzo in the starting lineup, but the dynamic athleticism and versatility that unlocks their system, on both ends, will be sorely missed.
With a potential matchup with the Nets up next, the 3rd year guard would have been much needed in defending the likes of Irving and/or Harden in tandem with, or spelling, Holiday.
There was already little margin for error in their route to the NBA Finals, now the meter for adversity has risen significantly more. How will they respond?
