The injury bug that plagued the Nets virtually all of last season has followed them into yet another new year with championship aspirations.
After missing Nets’ final three preseason games, starting shooter Joe Harris will miss Wednesday’s season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans with what the team is calling soreness on the left foot that underwent two surgical procedures last season.
Sharpshooter Seth Curry, who did not play in any preseason games, will also miss the opener working to get his left ankle in a better place after offseason arthroscopic surgery.
Both will be re-evaluated on Thursday.
That means the Nets will be without their best two shooters to start the season. For reference, Harris ranks first and Curry ranks second in three point percentage over the past five seasons.
Head coach Steve Nash said there was no setback that caused the team to rule Harris out for Wednesday’s opener, even though Harris appeared to have turned a corner and told ESPN he was optimistic he’d be playing against the Pelicans.
“He’s actually doing a lot better and really is turning a corner, but it was not enough time,” Nash said after practice at the HSS Training Facility in Industry City on Sunday. “So he’s gonna start ramping up and taking part in more contact, and we’ll give you an update on Thursday.”
Neither Harris nor Curry have participated in five-on-five, and Nash said neither got any reps during Sunday’s practice, though Curry has played in four-on four, “so he’s had a glimpse, then he had a couple days off, and now he’s building back up.”
Nash said he’s not concerned, rather, that he’s “positive” and “optimistic” because for Harris, foot soreness was expected after two left ankle surgeries a few months apart; and for Curry, the offseason surgery was a last ditch effort to resolve a lingering ankle issue.
Nash said hiccups in recovery for both were expected, especially for Harris, whose appearance in the preseason opener was the first game he played since initially spraining his ankle in Oklahoma City on Nov. 14.
“It’s well within the realm of normalcy for guys to have hiccups after surgery,” Nash said. “It’s just not straightforward, guys coming back from surgery and assimilating back to play. It’s not always straight up. Sometimes you go through some adaptation issues.
“I think those two [Harris and Curry] are facing that more than [the idea of the proverbial] emergency lights are on and we’re concerned. I think we feel like this is all a part of them getting back to it.”
Nash has started Royce O’Neale in place of Harris and has given second-year guard Cam Thomas minutes in place of Curry through the preseason. He suggested that preseason trend continuing in the season opener is “a pretty good generalization,” meaning O’Neale should start on Wednesday and Thomas, who is toward the bottom of the depth chart when the team is fully healthy, should see extended playing time.
“Royce is such an intelligent player, unselfish player with complete awareness of who he is what he what he does, and it just makes it a great fit for our guys,” Nash said. “He was able to lead and direct on the floor, he understands how to sacrifice for teammates who are higher volume players and just that awareness and IQ is very important.”
O’Neale said he never expected he’d be starting on opening night but knows he’s a good fit alongside Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton.
“Whether I was starting or coming off the bench, I was still gonna be the player I am: bring a lot of energy, offensively and defensively, and do what I gotta do,” said O’Neale. “These guys make the game easier for me. And I try to make the game easier for them. They’re creators, knocking down open shots and creating for them. I think just everybody reading off each other has been great.”
Nash also said reserve combo guard Edmond Sumner “has a chance” to play in the season opener after dealing with a hip strain that kept him out of the final two preseason games.
“I think he had a few reps today,” Nash said. “He’ll do some five-on-five the next couple of days and see if he can make it.”
