Indiana Pacers point guard Malcolm Brogdon will return on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies after missing the last three games due to a back injury, according to Scott Agness of The Athletic.
Brogdon said that he suffered a possible strain as the result of a freak happening, but that he is progressing back to full health:
Brogdon on what the heck happened with his back:
“I think I stepped wrong and my back reacted strongly to it. They said I strained a muscle and possibily a joint. But now the inflamation has gone away, my movement is all the way back, I have no pain & I feel great on the court." https://t.co/W1D4NLfENE
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) November 24, 2019
The Pacers managed to win two of their last three without Brogdon in the rotation.
Indiana signed Brogdon–a restricted free agent–this past summer after the Milwaukee Bucks elected to give Khris Middleton a max extension. The move has been a boon for the Pacers as star guard Victor Oladipo continues to rehab from a ruptured quad.
Brogdon is averaging 19.2 points, 8.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds through his first 12 games, and he has a +11 net rating, according to Basketball-Reference.
The former NBA Rookie of the Year joined the 50-40-90 club last season with the Bucks. While Brogdon is shooting just 30 percent from deep this season, he is finishing at the rim and making plays for the likes of Domantas Sabonis and T.J. Warren.
Indiana dropped their first three games of the season, but they are 9-3 in their last 12 and have firmly reestablished themselves as contenders in the Eastern Conference in spite of injuries to Brogdon, Myles Turner and Jeremy Lamb.
Sabonis is a legitimate star in the frontcourt, and Warren has provided another vital scoring option. The Pacers are in the bottom half of the league in three-point shooting, but they should improve in that category once Oladipo returns and adds some more floor spacing.
For now, however, Brogdon will continue to anchor the Pacers on both sides of the ball.
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