For TJ Warren, probably the most irritating a part of all of it is the minutes restriction.
It’s a obligatory precaution — a preservation methodology for a participant recent on the court docket after two straight seasons sidelined attributable to a stress fracture in his left foot.
The challenge is — because it seems — Warren continues to be actually good at basketball. He thinks it’s simpler to attain now than it was earlier than he received harm. The recreation is much less bodily and lends itself to free-flowing scorers.
He had 20 off the bench, for instance, and performed within the Nets’ closing rotation over Ben Simmons in Friday’s loss to the Boston Celtics. He in all probability may have scored extra if he performed Kevin Durant’s regular load of 37 minutes.
“I feel like I’m doing a lot better than people thought I would be doing this early a month in,” he mentioned after Saturday’s follow.
Instead, although, Warren performed 28 minutes, which is on the upper finish of his minutes restriction as a result of head coach Jacque Vaughn has already denounced the concept of him taking part in 35 to 40.
That doesn’t imply Vaughn doesn’t wish to, and Warren could be a keen participant in trying to totally shoulder Durant’s load — if he and the crew weren’t in lockstep with the plan.
The identify of the sport is preservation, and Warren is a microcosm of the fragility of a power-packed Nets roster that — as Durant’s second midseason MCL sprain reveals — may very well be one tweaked ankle, or awkward touchdown, or freak accident away from a 3rd wasted season in Brooklyn.
With Durant out and a roster with so many gamers managing accidents, the Nets must lean on Warren — and Warren needs to be a rock for his crew.
Leaning on him an excessive amount of, nonetheless, may put his well being at jeopardy, whereas not using him sufficient may value the crew video games they will’t afford to offer away with Durant on the sidelines.
“My head’s in the place of not changing the long-term view for him,” Vaughn mentioned. “I’ve told him this message. That’s my number one goal: that he’s healthy, hooping in the playoffs, showing his skills off to the rest of the world. That will be the guiding light.”
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With the Nets’ famous person out, it’s straightforward to imagine Warren as his successor.
Durant is 6-foot-10. Warren is 6-foot-8.
Both shoot over smaller defenders within the mid-range — although it have to be famous Durant does so with legendary effectivity.
Both can shoot threes, take defenders off the dribble and rating on the rim. Both have been described by teammates as underrated or under-appreciated defenders.
Warren even received pictures up with Kyrie Irving on the northernmost half-court after Saturday’s follow. Traditionally, Durant and Irving occupy that court docket alone, although Irving shot with Seth Curry following the follow earlier than the Celtics recreation.
In truth, the Warren signing was one of many largest strikes in an award-worthy low season for common supervisor Sean Marks, proper up there with balking at Durant’s commerce request: including Warren not solely helps insulate the Nets from the struggles that crippled them when Durant was out a month-plus final season, however it additionally got here on a team-friendly minimal contract.
Warren has, if something, proven he’s nonetheless received it. Twice in his profession, he flirted with averaging 20 factors per recreation in a season. He had the notable 53-point recreation towards the Philadelphia 76ers within the Orlando Bubble, averaged 26.9 factors in these six make-up video games then 20 factors on above-average effectivity towards the Heat in 4 playoff video games.
Then the basketball world forgot about him.
The stress fracture was found 4 video games into the primary full NBA season after the COVID-19 pandemic. The surgical procedure knocked him out the rest of the 2020-21 season.
And improper therapeutic in his left foot post-surgery stored him out your complete following 12 months. Warren didn’t even make his Nets debut till 24 video games into this season.
How his foot healed was an element absolutely exterior of his management. Preventing that foot from needing to heal once more is on him.
And it’s on each Vaughn and the Nets’ participant efficiency crew to make sure they don’t push Warren past his capability. He is averaging 10.5 factors per recreation off the bench this season however his manufacturing is trending upwards, particularly with the incoming spike in minutes with Durant out an prolonged interval.
“Will I get tempted at times if he’s rolling? For sure. Every coach would be,” Vaughn mentioned. “But for his longevity — and for the group — we’ll put him in a position to succeed the whole year.”
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It’s all enjoyable and video games till you’re truly rolling — otherwise you’re making an attempt to determine some form of scoring rhythm, however you recognize what’s coming.
Warren may hit 5 threes on the primary 5 possessions after checking in — and he’d nonetheless know a teammate would quickly be checking in to sub him out.
Warren has performed over half-hour simply as soon as regardless of feeling like he can shoulder an even bigger load. Part of it, in fact, is that when Durant is wholesome, there are solely so many minutes to go round earlier than you want the starters on the ground.
With Durant out, nonetheless, the itch is there. Warren is aware of he could make an impression in Durant’s absence, however he additionally is aware of what’s at stake.
“After being out for two years, you’ve just got to be mindful that it’s a marathon and you can’t get carried away each game, knowing that the playoffs/end of the season is where you want guys healthy and feeling their best,” he mentioned. “And it can get frustrating sometimes trying to fight through the minutes restriction, but you’ve just gotta see the bigger picture, which is being healthy at the end of the season.”
So he’s needed to make a change. Warren says on a stacked Nets roster, he’s making an attempt to get in the place he matches in. He’s making an attempt to select segments of the sport to be aggressive scoring, however behind his thoughts, that sub is all the time coming.
“It’s not easy playing on a minutes restriction. You don’t want to get to thinking too much,” he mentioned. “The clock is ticking. It’s like a countdown for you.”
The sub didn’t come on the finish of the Celtics recreation. Vaughn staggered Warren’s minutes and stored him on the ground over the scoreless Ben Simmons.
And if Warren continues to play effectively, Vaughn shall be confronted with extra robust choices. Just how closely can the crew lean on Warren? Can he be a rock till the muse returns?
It gained’t be straightforward, however Warren is making an attempt to stay to the plan. The recreation was already taken away from him as soon as. He doesn’t wish to danger it once more.
Even if it means coping with a irritating minutes restriction.
“Just knowing that there’s a bigger goal, and me being healthy at the end of the year is that goal,” Warren mentioned. “And so far so good.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com