Veteran shooting guard Michael Redd has been trying to make a true comeback from the serious knee injuries he suffered during his career as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. After eleven seasons and 578 games in Milwaukee, the one-time All-Star signed with the Phoenix Suns in 2011-12 with the hopes of recapturing some of the magic from his early years in a Bucks uniform.
On Saturday night when the Suns played an undermanned and downright terrible Charlotte Bobcats team, Redd returned to an NBA starting lineup for the first time since January 10, 2010 (when the Bucks visited the Los Angeles Lakers). On that fateful night in LA, Redd not only shot 0-4 from the field and scored zero points, he also suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee that forced him to miss the remainder of the season and effectively ended his career in Milwaukee. Luckily, Saturday night against the Bobcats went much better for Mr. Redd.
With Jared Dudley a late scratch due to a thigh bruise, Redd got the unexpected nod from head coach Alvin Gentry just before the game and made the most of his opportunity. He scored a team-high 17 points on 6-12 shooting (4-7 from three) in just 23 minutes, and helped the Suns hold court against the Bobcats. The 17-point effort marks his highest scoring output since he scored 24 against the Chicago Bulls on January 8, 2010. The timing of the effort could not be better for Redd, who will make his first-ever trip to Milwaukee on an opposing NBA team when the Suns take on the Bucks on Tuesday night at the Bradley Center. In fact, his time as a Buck came to the top of mind when he discussed his performance with reporters after the game:
"Yeah, I haven't seen that since the Ray Allen and Big Dog (Glenn Robinson) days (playing for the Bucks), when Ray Allen was over here, Glenn was right here, and Sam Cassell was right there, so I'd be left open," he said. "I haven't seen that in a long time. I'm usually seeing double teams and all kinds of traps, so it was great."
On behalf of everyone still in love with the Milwaukee Bucks, Brew Hoop extends best wishes to Michael Redd as he gets more opportunities to recapture his best years with the Suns, and if he makes another start on Tuesday night I'm sure he will receive the proper ovation from Milwaukee fans. As long as the Bucks get the win, I'm sure everyone would be fine if he scored another 17...or 57, for that matter.