Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks could have one of the key players of their championship team back as early as next week. Apparently, there is growing optimism that Brook Lopez could be ready to suit up for the team as he works on his conditioning, per Marc J. Spears of Undefeated.
To recall, Lopez has been out ever since playing in the opening night of the 2021-22 season. He's dealing with a lingering back issue, which forced him to undergo surgery last December. He recently returned to practice, and by the looks of it, he's doing well.
There is growing optimism that Bucks center Brook Lopez (back) and guard George Hill (neck) could return to action next week, sources tell @andscape_ @espn.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) March 13, 2022
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer fueled the talks of Brook Lopez's potential return next week before Saturday's showdown with the Golden State Warriors. When asked about his recovery and workout, the veteran tactician noted that the big man had another 5-on-5 workout on Friday and is “doing well” as they are “happy with his progress.”
For now, the team is looking at his conditioning before making any decision about his return. However, Budenholzer shared that Lopez is “getting close.”
“Yeah. The good thing is with us having two days without a game, we actually got a little bit of a practice in and to some degree, a lot for him. And he was able to have a really good day yesterday,” Budenholzer said when asked if they'll get Lopez to practice contact in their four-game road trip, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
“We'll find our spots. We'll figure out what's best for him for this trip.”
Lopez's potential return couldn't come at a better time for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. After all, with the playoffs nearing, it's just enough time for him to get up to game speed and conditioning. There's also not a ton of pressure on Lopez to immediately make an impact since Milwaukee traded for Serge Ibaka to shore up their frontcourt.
When Lopez gets back to the starting lineup and Ibaka backs him up, the Bucks will become one of the deeper teams in the NBA. It certainly positions them nicely in their bid to defend their title.
Hopefully, though, Lopez doesn't suffer anymore setback in his bid to get back to NBA action.
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