Andrea Bargnani gets in a workout during practice at the Air Canada Centre, Monday, Feb. 4, 2013. (Ernest Doroszuk/QMI Agency)
TORONTO - In the history of professional sports, there may have never been less anticipation about the return to the lineup of one of a team’s leading scorers than that which accompanies Andrea Bargnani’s return.
While it’s still not official — the team wants to wait to see how he responds to Tuesday’s physical practice — it is widely expected that return will come Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics.
Now while that opening statement may be slightly exaggerated, consider the circumstances.
When Bargnani went down in Portland, landing heavily on his right elbow and damaging both the elbow and his wrist that would lead to a 26-game absence, he was averaging 16 points a game. Not great by his own standards but still better than any other Raptor not named DeMar DeRozan.
More than two months later, his 16 points a night, is still top three on the team.
He was also the team’s leading scorer the previous two seasons.
