17 minutes of play on a cloud. TJ Warren certainly did not manage a performance of madness, but the simple fact of having walked the floor against the Raptors was a great moment for him.
Almost two years after his last game, on December 29, 2020, Warren was launched in the first quarter and compiled 10 points and 4 rebounds at 5/11 on the shot, in 17 minutes in the victory of Brooklyn.
“It’s almost like a dream”said the rear for ESPN. “As soon as I entered the game, it hit me. I said to myself, this is it, this is real. Then I thought it was just basketball. It was very nice to be on the field, to play with the guys. »
A performance hailed by his coach, who was even impressed, given the difficulties faced by the former Pacers since 2020.
“He overcame quite a hurdle”assures Jacque Vaughn. “He has played four matches in two years. He comes back in a professional match and seems comfortable, he doesn’t look lost. I hope that reassures him about his rehabilitation. The people who helped him come back deserve a lot of credit. »
Kevin Durant makes the same observation as his coach. “He missed two years? It didn’t seem like it.” remarks the 2014 MVP. “But we have to be patient with him. He was sidelined for a long time, had big injuries, but he looked good. »
This first game is as much the end of a long road for the former Phoenix player as the beginning of another. The hardest part is apparently done for Warren, and the best can begin. “I worked on my mind”, he confides. “I have been taken away from the sport that I have practiced for more than twenty years. To be dismissed like this is an eye-opener. I realized that one day everything could stop, and that puts things in perspective. »
| TJ Warren | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2014-15 | PHX | 40 | 15 | 52.8 | 23.8 | 73.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 6.1 |
| 2015-16 | PHX | 47 | 23 | 50.1 | 40.0 | 70.3 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 11.0 |
| 2016-17 | PHX | 66 | 31 | 49.5 | 26.5 | 77.3 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 5.1 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 14.4 |
| 2017-18 | PHX | 65 | 33 | 49.8 | 22.2 | 75.7 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 5.1 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 19.6 |
| 2018-19 | PHX | 43 | 32 | 48.6 | 42.8 | 81.5 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 18.0 |
| 2019-20 | IND | 67 | 33 | 53.6 | 40.3 | 81.9 | 1.0 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 19.8 |
| 2020-21 | IND | 4 | 29 | 52.9 | 0.0 | 80.0 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 15.5 |
| Total | 332 | 29 | 50.7 | 35.7 | 78.0 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 15.5 | |
