Bucks wing Donte DiVincenzo has exited the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols and has been cleared to make his season debut on Christmas Day, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
DiVincenzo suffered a torn ligament in his left ankle during the Bucks’ championship run this spring and underwent surgery in June. The recovery process sidelined him to start the 2021/22 campaign.
Just when it appeared two weeks ago that DiVincenzo was on the verge of getting back on the court, he entered the health and safety protocols, further delaying his return. However, it seems he finally has the green light and will be active when Milwaukee hosts the Celtics this afternoon.
The third-year swingman out of Villanova had his best season as a pro in 2020/21, his first as a full-time starter. DiVincenzo, who will be a restricted free agent in 2022, averaged 10.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 1.1 SPG across 66 games, with shooting percentages of .420/.379/.718.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis out of the protocols too, the Bucks no longer have any players affected by COVID-19, at least for the time being.
Let’s go! He’ll likely come off the bench – I would imagine Allen’s proved himself thus far
Bucks with a full healthy team. Should be favorite to come out of East. Cousins is filling in nicely for Lopez.