I took a look at the G League box scores and
Naz was held out of Fort Wayne's game yesterday due to a "knew injury" so I wanted to check that out. It turns out that he's "day-to-day" so it doesn't appear to be too serious. But I came across this article on Naz and didn't realize what he went through last year - he had facial paralysis. This article is a couple weeks old:
Looking to pick up where he left off after year cut short
JUSTIN A. COHN | The Journal Gazette
Naz Mitrou-Long underwent blood tests, CT scans, checkups and just about everything short of hiring a private investigator. He still doesn't know what caused the ailment that changed the course of what could have been a career-changing season.
“I have an even bigger chip on my shoulder this time around, given that my season was cut short due to insane circumstances,” said Mitrou-Long, a 6-foot-3 point guard back for his second stint with the Mad Ants, who open their 15-game single-site regular season today in Orlando, Florida.
“That's how the ball rolls sometimes. I think I was in a great, great rhythm, a great path to get to where I was headed with the roster changes that happened as (last) season went on. ... But where I am right now, it's going to allow me to be the player I am and it's going to give me a great chance to allow people to believe that I can actually help a team at the next level.”
Mitrou-Long's season was ultimately upended by an ankle injury, but there was much more that affected his time on the court. Shortly after a stint with the NBA's Indiana Pacers, Mitrou-Long developed paralysis on a side of his face – which made it noticeably droop – and had trouble even blinking his eye.
He was diagnosed with Bell's palsy and what causes that isn't exactly known, though it's believed to be related to swelling and inflammation of a nerve or a viral infection. He missed some games and had to play with goggles, an adjustment for a player so reliant on vision and reaction time.
“Anyone who knows me knows how serious and uppity I am about my health, my body and doing the things off the court that to make sure I'm good on the court,” Mitrou-Long said. “Having an unfortunate circumstance happen like with my ankle last year and the Bell's palsy situation was just something that kind of comes with the game and comes with life. But I feel 110% now. I think anybody around here will tell you that. I literally feel the best I've ever been. Training camp with the Pacers reassured me that I am who I think I am, so I'm feeling good.”
Mitrou-Long, who grew up a vegetarian and is now a pescatarian, still doesn't know what caused the palsy. His best guess is it came from eating an unwashed apple at a hotel with the Pacers, but he's just written it off as bad luck and even jokes about the way he looked last season.
“If you want a good laugh, just Google some pictures of me,” he said.
It took months from when he noticed his face drooping in late November, 2019, for him to feel like he'd overcome the palsy.
“When I went from literally taping my eyes shut to sleep to not taping my eyes shut, that's when I knew I was good,” he said. “It was pissing me off because I couldn't sleep and I was drooling all over my pillows.”
Mitrou-Long appeared in five Pacers games last season – averaging 2.9 points, 1.6 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 9.4 minutes – after he'd played in 15 games for the Utah Jazz between 2017 and 2019.
The Mad Ants were 21-22 and one game out of a playoff spot when last season was halted March 12, with seven games remaining. Mitrou-Long was one of the best G League guards when on the floor, averaging 13.7 points, 6.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds in 14 games.
This season, he's part of a stacked backcourt with the Mad Ants – it includes Cassius Stanley, Josh Gray, Jalen Lecque and Daxter Miles Jr. – and he's clearly still in favor with the Pacers, who own and operate the Mad Ants and are evaluating players that could help them later this season.
One of the things Mitrou-Long will be expected to do is lead the young roster in a truncated season. Of the 29 G League teams, 18 are participating in Orlando. The top eight will qualify for a single-elimination playoff.
Link:
https://www.journalgazette.net/sports/professional/madants/20210210/mitrou-long-ready-to-succeed
“I have quite a bit amount of experience and it's crazy because time just flies,” said Mitrou-Long, 27, who was undrafted after he was Second Team All-Big 12 at Iowa State in 2017. “It's my obligation to pass on knowledge to some of the younger guys, as I would want done to me if it was my first year.
“We have some serious young guys who have some insane potential in Cassius, Brian (Bowen II) and Jalen. It would be ignorant, and I would be selfish, if I didn't give them that knowledge because I want to see these guys be great and I want to be great as well.”