Nets’ star Ben Simmons will possible miss his fourth straight sport as a consequence of left knee soreness this Saturday in opposition to the Washington Wizards, head coach Jacque Vaughn mentioned on a Zoom convention name on Friday.
Simmons left Brooklyn’s Jan. 26 loss to the Detroit Pistons after sustaining what seemed to be a swipe towards the attention. The Nets later introduced he wouldn’t return as a consequence of soreness in his left knee.
Vaughn mentioned Simmons obtained an MRI that got here up clear.
Reserve ahead T.J. Warren can be anticipated to overlook his fourth straight sport after sustaining a left shin contusion within the loss to the Pistons.
“So, Ben and TJ got on the court a little bit yesterday. They’ll probably, in about another half an hour or so, they’ll try to get on the court again,” Vaughn mentioned from Brooklyn’s follow facility in Industry City on Friday. “You know, both are progressing. We’ll list them both as not available for Saturday’s game, and whether that is probable or questionable, we’ll see after today’s workout. So they’ll get on the court again, and we’ll see if they can progress even more. Not certain to play on Saturday.”
Vaughn mentioned the Nets must be cautious with their strategy to Simmons given his low season again surgical procedure and the yearlong layoff away from basketball final season. The crew outwardly stays steadfast in its want to have Simmons in peak kind for the video games main into the playoffs.
“With Ben, we are just cautious with our approach. At the end of the day, we are just talking about having guys healthy at the end of the year,” Vaughn mentioned. “Ben did experience some soreness, and we want to make sure that soreness and swelling is out of there as he gets ready to get back on the court.”
ALL-STAR UPDATE
Kevin Durant’s standing for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game stays unclear.
Durant, who has been out three weeks with an MCL sprain in his proper knee, mentioned in a current podcast he needs to return to the rotation a couple of video games earlier than “sliding into” his spot as a starter within the Feb. 19 All-Star Game.
Vaughn mentioned the crew has but to come back to a dedication as as to if or not Durant will play. The star ahead’s knee might be re-evaluated on Monday. He has not appeared in an All-Star Game since signing in Brooklyn in 2019.
“That’s going to be an interesting balance. He’s made some statements about it. We’ll see where his headspace is,” Vaughn mentioned on Friday. “We’ll see what our report says on Monday when that comes around and that will give us more insight.”
If the Nets are going to carry Durant to their regular damage commonplace, the All-Star Game goes to be a good squeeze.
Brooklyn’s efficiency employees normally requires a participant to work from particular person work as much as five-on-five basketball earlier than green-lighting a participant to return from damage. That’s a part of a “ramp-up” course of to make sure a participant is conditioned effectively sufficient to endure the trials of a full sport.
“At the end of the day, you are not promised tomorrow. I understand these dudes are human beings, and you don’t know what’s going to happen a year from now,” Vaughn mentioned. “The mindset of Kevin, I totally understand it, but at the same time, we’ll do what’s best for him and the group.”
YUTA IN
Nets reserve ahead Yuta Watanabe is prone to play in opposition to the Wizards on Saturday, Vaughn mentioned.
Watanabe performed by way of again tightness within the blowout loss to the Boston Celtics. On a variety of events in that Celtics sport, he grimaced or hunched over, an indication of discomfort in his again.
“He got some treatment yesterday. I’m not sure what we’ll list him at,” Vaughn mentioned. “He was improved with treatment, so kind of leaning towards him playing on Saturday.”
It’s onerous to go judgment on a Nets crew with three key frontcourt gamers out as a consequence of damage, however one factor is evident: this crew must get greater.
It’s been the theme of the week for a Brooklyn crew that obtained bullied in a loss to the conference-worst Detroit Pistons, then out-rebounded by 25 in a 43-point loss to the Boston Celtics, a loss so disgusting Jacque Vaughn mentioned the crew determined in opposition to reviewing the sport movie.
The Nets have been so determined for measurement in opposition to Boston, Vaughn experimented by enjoying each Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe minutes collectively to fight Boston’s duo of Robert Williams and Al Horford.
“We still got outrebounded,” Vaughn mentioned in a Zoom convention name with reporters from the Nets coaching facility on Friday. “It’s a problem for us, and I don’t see it going away anytime soon.”
Which brings us to subsequent Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline, one among few remaining alternatives the Nets have to enhance the roster aside from signing gamers who negotiate contract buyouts with their present groups earlier than the tip of the common season.
It’s fairly clear the Nets must get greater on the wings and at heart, even with Claxton’s emergence as a fringe All-Star in Brooklyn this season.
Kevin Durant has been out with an MCL sprain, Ben Simmons has missed three straight video games with left knee soreness, and T.J. Warren has missed three video games with a left shin contusion.
Those are three gamers 6-foot-8 or taller who’re every out of the rotation, forcing Vaughn to go small and begin three guards every beneath 6-foot-5 (Kyrie Irving, Royce O’Neale and Seth Curry) alongside the 6-foot-7 sharpshooter Joe Harris and Claxton, whose lanky, 6-foot-11 body has added muscle however nonetheless lacks the power to deal with the NBA’s true bruisers on the 5.
Vaughn declined to remark particularly on crew wants with lower than per week to go earlier than the Feb. 7 commerce deadline however did tackle his crew’s lack of measurement. Calling a participant up from Brooklyn’s G-League affiliate Long Island Nets crew can be an choice, however unlikely a viable route so as to add a real impression participant to a crew with championship hopes.
“As a coach, you see the trends of the league: long, athletic, multi-dimensional guys that can play on both ends of the floor,” Vaughn mentioned Friday morning. “That just makes it easier for you to get things done on both ends. We’ll exhaust all our resources, whether that’s Long Island, whether that’s hopefully our guys coming back healthy helps.”
A commerce turns into difficult, nevertheless, because of the payroll constraints attributable to participant salaries, plus a scarcity of draft capital to make use of in a commerce.
Durant is on the hook for $44M, Irving’s cap determine is $36.9M, and Simmons earns $35.5M for the 2022-23 NBA season. It’s unlikely any of these three gamers are moved by subsequent Thursday’s deadline. It’s additionally unlikely the Nets commerce Claxton, recent off a two-year, $17.25M contract extension he has completely outplayed.
Harris makes $18.6M this season and has yet one more yr left on his deal price $19.9M. O’Neale makes $9.2M this season and has one yr left on his deal price $9.5M, however solely $2.5M on that following season is assured earlier than Jan. 10, 2024. Curry is within the remaining yr of his contract and makes about $8.5M, and Patty Mills signed a two-year, $13.2M extension final summer season however has been largely outdoors Vaughn’s rotation. He makes $6.5M this season.
Any deal made that improves the Nets must embrace at the very least
a kind of perimeter gamers merely in an effort to match the incoming participant’s wage. A deal would additionally possible have to incorporate at the very least one of many Nets’ three younger gamers (scoring guard Cam Thomas, backup massive man Day’Ron Sharpe, and athletic wing defender Kessler Edwards).
For what it’s price, Vaughn mentioned on Friday he has no contact with the second-year gamers about commerce rumors.
“I’ve probably taken that approach purposely to not address it with them. I hopefully feel if they have a problem or they’ve read something and want some clarity, they can come to me, but there’s so much out there these days that you know, I would have to address it individually on a daily basis,” he mentioned. “So I’ve kind of taken the approach of this is our group, this is who we are, and if you ever have a problem or need clarity, come to me, but not going to address it with the group.”
To purchase a adequate participant on the deadline, the Nets would additionally must sweeten the pot with draft asset compensation: As a reminder, they don’t personal their 2024 or 2026 first-round picks on account of the James Harden cope with the Houston Rockets (observe: Harden is now not a Net and was moved to Philadelphia for Simmons). The Nets traded the 2023 first-round choose they obtained again within the Harden cope with Philadelphia to Utah for O’Neale.
That leaves a top-eight protected 2027 first-round choose from the 76ers as a part of the Simmons-Harden swap and first-round picks in 2028 and 2030 which are eligible to be included in a deal by the deadline.
Then there’s the market: It value the Los Angeles Lakers three second-round picks and backup level guard Kendrick Nunn to pry former No. 8 total choose Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards’ roster.
Toronto’s O.G. Anunoby has headlined this season’s commerce market on a Raptors crew possible headed for a fuller rebuild. Anunoby is a prototypical three-and-D wing listed at 6-foot-7, 232 kilos. He is a lockdown defender and high-level athlete who’s averaging 17 factors and two steals per sport as a profession 37% shooter from downtown.
Anunoby, 25, is within the second season of a four-year, $72M contract and makes $17.3M. If the Nets decided he’s the type of participant that reinforces their frontcourt woes (Anunoby averages 5.5 rebounds per sport), a deal would possible value them at the very least two of their three tradable draft belongings — plus matching wage and a younger participant.
The asking worth varies based mostly on the caliber of the participant in query. The Nets have additionally rumored to have curiosity in Atlanta’s high-flying ahead John Collins.
It’s tough to totally assess Brooklyn’s wants, nevertheless, as a result of Durant’s damage wrecked a chance for the crew to scout itself absolutely wholesome.
How can the Nets know what they want once they’ve barely performed any video games at full power? It’s as much as the entrance workplace to reply that query.
The solely certainty is that this crew can’t go into the playoffs with out including some true measurement to a roster in determined want of some assist in that division.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com