Toronto Raptors ace Andrea Bargnani fully recovers from his injury - NBA Update
Toronto Raptors star Andrea Bargnani has fully recovered from his injury. The strained calf which forced him to miss most of the shortened season has been healed and the forward has started to work out.
Under new head coach Dwane Casey, Bargnani finally started to live upto his potential last season, but a spate of intermittent injures spoiled his campaign and that of the Raps, who ended the regular season with a 23-43 record.
Andrea was disappointed at the irony and showed his determination to work hard in the summers.
“Work,” the 7-foot forward said. “Lots of work. Getting better.”
Bargnani, the number one draft pick of 2006, suffered the injury on 11th January against Sacramento Kings. The injury initially ousted him for 11 games. The re-occurrence of the strain happened on April 8th
in a game against Oklahoma City Thunder and was followed by a difficult decision, as the club had to shut him down for the rest of the season.
The forward played 31 games, starting all, and averaged 19.5 points, 5.5 boards and 2.0 assists. He netted more than 20 points in 15 games and his best score was 36 against Phoenix Suns on January 24th.
Initially it was projected that a surgery will be required for his injured calf. But fortunately for him and the Raps, he recovered in rehabilitation.
“No more treatment to do,” Andrea who has been in Toronto since the season ended said. “It’s good to be 100 per cent again so I can start to work this summer.”
The Italian revealed that he has been in contact Casey and is also working out under the supervision of Alex McKechnie, Raptors director sports science.
The 26-year-old is already looking forward to the next season.
“The feelings for last year are the same but I am really positive about next season, I wish we could start tomorrow”.
Bargnani is eying the mini-camp that will be held by the franchise in Las Vegas. Moreover he will be a part of the summer league squad and is looking forward to participate in the off-season vamps, in which the players get a chance
to work out with the team’s coaching and training staff. All of the NBA players were deprived of this facility due to lockout last season.
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