The Wisconsin basketball program hasn’t been known recently for producing NBA All-Stars and seeing their players play on an NBA Finals stage.
That still isn’t the case this season, with Wisconsin legend Frank Kaminsky still sitting as the only former Badger in the league. Well, even so, his Phoenix Suns have put quite the run together this season and now sit up 1-0 in the NBA Finals.
Kaminsky saw action in his team’s 118-105 Game 1 victory last night, playing 4 total minutes and not recording any stats.
Madison, Wisconsin seeing Frank enter the game pic.twitter.com/WtGY7hVKD6
— Ben Kenney (@benzkenney) July 7, 2021
His playing time was largely due to an injury sustained by backup big man Dario Saric. It was announced today Saric suffered a torn ACL and would miss the remainder of the series.
Suns forward Dario Saric has sustained a torn ACL in his right knee, the team announced.
He will be out indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/ZSLpVgUCmN
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 7, 2021
What does this mean for Kaminsky? Well, the Suns are thinned at the big man position and there are significant bench minutes now up for grabs.
We could see SF Abdel Nader, SF Torrey Craig and others take much of those minutes if the Suns decide to go small and counter the Bucks’ Brook Lopez-less lineup. But if the team wants to stay big and find a Deandre Ayton backup, Kaminsky may end up being that guy.
The image will become clear tomorrow night when the two teams take the court for Game 2.
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